Spectators at sporting events, regardless of whether they are junior league, school events, university tournaments or big professional sporting events, are used to being entertained and sometimes even awed by cheerleaders. Cheerleaders have almost become an accepted part of any event. Spectators even feel cheated if they are not present during a match. Indeed, cheerleading is a popular activity everywhere, Morganville NJ to Las Vegas.
Cheerleaders are mostly associated with sporting event but the tradition of cheering is ancient. The Old Testament describes battles where special groups of soldiers were tasked to bang their cymbals, blow their trumpets and display their flags, all in aid of cheering on their armies and to motivate them to try even harder. This tradition of using cheerleaders during battle persisted for hundreds of years.
In modern times, the first occasion of organised cheer leading was recorded at Princeton University in 1877. A small squad of male students taught the spectators of football matches a cheer and directed them towards chanting the cheer over and over again in support of their team. To this day Princeton use that original cheer. In America, the practice took hold at the University of Minnesota in 1884, when an old Princeton student introduced it there.
For a long time, females were not allowed to become cheerleaders since the antics of the cheerleaders were seen as unladylike. It was only in 1923 that females were allowed to become part of cheer leading squads. This also happened at the Minnesota University. Females as cheerleaders did not catch on for a long time, however. Nevertheless, by 1975 cheer leading was viewed as an almost exclusively female sport.
Even after all this time the main objectives of cheer leading have not changed significantly. Cheerleaders are there to motivate the players, to rally them under a single banner and to get the supporters fully on their side. These days, however, cheerleaders also play an important role in the entertainment of the crowd. They offer special, often spectacular performances before and during games. These performances have become standard fare at matches.
The popularity of cheer leading has shown astonishing growth. At many schools and universities it is deemed a great honour to be selected for the cheerleader squad. The activity has become so demanding and exact that some sporting experts day that it has become a sport in itself. There are now special tournaments for cheerleader squads and the routines performed by these squads have become intricate, difficult and thoroughly entertaining.
Cheerleaders have many critics. They say its modern form is exploitative and sexist. They also point out that cheer leading has proved to produce the highest rate of serious injuries in any sport. Participants need to be extremely fit and fierce competition lead to the development of ever increasing dangerous stunts. Critics are calling for a review of the rules governing this activity in order to increase safety.
One thing is certain. Cheer leading is here to stay. Spectators at sports events enjoy the fabulous performances, players enjoy the attention and the cheerleaders themselves revel in the attention that they get. It takes hard work and an extraordinary amount of dedication to succeed at the highest levels however.
Cheerleaders are mostly associated with sporting event but the tradition of cheering is ancient. The Old Testament describes battles where special groups of soldiers were tasked to bang their cymbals, blow their trumpets and display their flags, all in aid of cheering on their armies and to motivate them to try even harder. This tradition of using cheerleaders during battle persisted for hundreds of years.
In modern times, the first occasion of organised cheer leading was recorded at Princeton University in 1877. A small squad of male students taught the spectators of football matches a cheer and directed them towards chanting the cheer over and over again in support of their team. To this day Princeton use that original cheer. In America, the practice took hold at the University of Minnesota in 1884, when an old Princeton student introduced it there.
For a long time, females were not allowed to become cheerleaders since the antics of the cheerleaders were seen as unladylike. It was only in 1923 that females were allowed to become part of cheer leading squads. This also happened at the Minnesota University. Females as cheerleaders did not catch on for a long time, however. Nevertheless, by 1975 cheer leading was viewed as an almost exclusively female sport.
Even after all this time the main objectives of cheer leading have not changed significantly. Cheerleaders are there to motivate the players, to rally them under a single banner and to get the supporters fully on their side. These days, however, cheerleaders also play an important role in the entertainment of the crowd. They offer special, often spectacular performances before and during games. These performances have become standard fare at matches.
The popularity of cheer leading has shown astonishing growth. At many schools and universities it is deemed a great honour to be selected for the cheerleader squad. The activity has become so demanding and exact that some sporting experts day that it has become a sport in itself. There are now special tournaments for cheerleader squads and the routines performed by these squads have become intricate, difficult and thoroughly entertaining.
Cheerleaders have many critics. They say its modern form is exploitative and sexist. They also point out that cheer leading has proved to produce the highest rate of serious injuries in any sport. Participants need to be extremely fit and fierce competition lead to the development of ever increasing dangerous stunts. Critics are calling for a review of the rules governing this activity in order to increase safety.
One thing is certain. Cheer leading is here to stay. Spectators at sports events enjoy the fabulous performances, players enjoy the attention and the cheerleaders themselves revel in the attention that they get. It takes hard work and an extraordinary amount of dedication to succeed at the highest levels however.
About the Author:
The NJ premier gymnastics offers cheerleading classes to all the local girls. To take part today, visit this website now at http://NJPremierGymnastics.com.