I.The History of Cheerleading RAY, RAY, RAY! TIGER, TIGER, TIGER! SIS, SIS, SIS! BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Aaaaah! PRINCETON, PRINCETON, PRINCETON! You may not hear the Princeton University cheerleaders shouting that chant today, but you would have heard it had you been a football fan at Princeton in the 1880s. Thats when this cheer, the first of its kind, was created. Fans at the time may not have realized the historical significance of these words but the millions of cheerleaders today sure do! Of course, cheerleading did not immediately spread to thousands of schools and organizations. It took many years and several pioneers to get to the organized and competitive cheerleading of the 1990s. It was in the mid-1890s, at the University of Minnesota, where cheerleading took its next big step. Fans were discouraged by a lousy football team and realized that something had to be done. According to The Ariel, the universitys student newspaper: Yelling captains have been elected to take charge of the rooting and conduct it in a systematic and effective manner [The Northwestern game today. Ariel XXII (1898): 127.] Megaphones like the ones used today were part of that cheer. Eventually, drums and other noisemakers enhanced the cheers. This type of organized spirit club became popular at many colleges. In the 1920s cheerleaders began to incorporate gymnastics and tumbling into their cheers. Also, at this time, the first flash cards were used to encourage crowd participation at Oregon State University. While young women began participating in pep groups in the 1920s, it took World War II to secure the place of females in the history of cheerleading. When the men went off to war women filled many jobs and roles traditionally dominated by the men. This included cheerleading, which was a necessary spirit boost for everyone during the tough years of the war. Of course, when the men came back women may have gone back into the home, but they refused to leave the playing field. In 1948 Lawrence Herkie Herkimer formed the National Cheerleading Association to teach cheerleading. Herkimers accomplishments include holding the first cheerleading camp, inventing the herkie jump and promoting the use of pompons. The first camp was at Sam Houston College and only 52 girls attended. The first pompons were actually made of paper. Not very sturdy at a rainy football game so they were replaced by vinyl in the 1960s. In 1978 cheerleading entered the homes of America with a nationwide broadcast of the Collegiate Cheerleading Championships on CBS-TV. The 1970s was a great decade for the growth of female athletics as Title IX set the stage for equal treatment of women in college athletics. The 1980s were a time for developing cheerleading skills and routines. Coed cheerleading grew in popularity as stunts and pyramids grew in size and difficulty. An emphasis on coaching skills and safety guidelines was the result. Today many organizations exist solely to promote principles of safety. Also during the decade the number and size of competitions increased dramatically. Cheerleading has continued to grow and develop in the 1990s as well. The difficulty has never been greater as squads and individuals constantly strive to be the best. The enthusiasm for the sport has spread around the world to Europe, Japan, Canada and many other countries. An offshoot of cheerleading, the dance squad, has also seen unprecedented popularity at high schools and colleges. While cheerleading has seen many changes over its more than one hundred-year history, it is clear that the spirit and the sport are stronger than ever. And the future looks bright as reflected in the smiles of millions of young cheerleaders throughout the world. II.Qualities of a Good Leader Making the cheerleading squad is a proud accomplishment, but becoming the cheer captain is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead. Much more is expected of you once you are chosen to be the cheer captain. Every move you make is going to be watched and talked about, so you must embody certain characteristics and qualities that make you an effective leader and good role model. Leadership As a cheer captain, you lead your squad to learn and perform cheers. To be an effective leader, you must instruct others without seeming bossy or rude. You also must be a strong decision-maker because you are in charge of choosing cheers and deciding where your squad is going in the future. As cheer captain, you also are responsible for keeping the peace between your fellow cheerleaders. Be careful not to show favoritism. You absolutely cannot gossip about other students, especially those on your squad. Positive Attitude A cheer captain needs to display a positive attitude, which means that you look for the good in any situation and encourage your fellow cheerleaders to do the same. You should keep a smile on your face and find nice words to say to those around you. Another important part of having a positive attitude is to build up your fellow cheerleaders by constantly encouraging them. When giving constructive criticism, make sure you start by saying something positive. III.Types of Cheerleading The recent surge in the popularity of cheerleading makes it hard to fit all cheerleaders into one simple category. The sport has changed and branched out in order to accommodate the millions of participants worldwide. Many people outside of the sport assume that all cheerleaders are school-affiliated, but that is not the case. The sport now ranges from competitive cheerleading to the newest addition, street cheerleading. Whether you are just starting the sport or looking to try something new, check out the info on the different types of cheerleading below. School-Sponsored A school-sponsored cheerleading team is directly affiliated with a school, either public or private, and all of the members on the team must attend that school. The main purpose of this type of team is to promote school spirit and motivate fans during sporting events. Over 80% of high schools in the United States have cheerleading squads, and many junior high schools are starting programs as well. Although some school-sponsored cheerleading teams do compete, their main task is to cheer at games and pep rallies. These squads are a direct representation of the school, a responsibility reflected in their uniform and team name. There are a few downsides to being a part of a school-sponsored cheerleading team. Some schools recognize cheerleading as a sport and, therefore, give the team funding. Unfortunately, there is still a large number of schools that consider cheerleading a club, and because of this, many teams do not get proper funding or recognition. College/University College level cheerleading is technically school-sponsored, but it is very different from cheering at the junior high and high school levels. Not all colleges have cheer teams, but the ones that do only accept the cream of the crop. College cheerleaders attend games, as well as other school related functions, like fundraisers and community events. In addition to cheering at games, most collegiate level cheer squads also compete. Like any other sport, they want to bring home a title in the name of the school. At this level, the competition is fierce because every cheerleader has been hand selected. Many colleges have not one, but two cheerleading teams: a competitive squad and a non-competitive squad; or both a coed and all-girl squad. Because there are so many responsibilities for college level cheerleaders, it can take more than one team to properly represent the school at games and competitions. Youth At the youth level, cheerleaders learn the basics of the sport, as well as sportsmanship and team skills. Youth cheerleading has grown in popularity due to the surge in participation at the junior high and high school levels. Most youth cheerleading teams are affiliated with youth football leagues and sometimes youth basketball leagues. They are contained at the regional level, and although some teams compete, it is not the focus of the league. Scholastics and education are very important at the youth league level and all participants must keep a certain GPA to remain in the organization. All-Star All-Star cheerleading is the sport’s fastest growing group because it incorporates males, females, and athletes of all ages and skill levels. This type of cheerleading is for those who want to bypass sideline cheering and focus strictly on competition. It appeals to people who love competing, but who don’t necessarily love being in front of their classmates. All-Star cheerleading is more competitive and elite than school-sponsored cheerleading and also requires a big time commitment. Training starts months before competition season, and you might end up competing year round if you earn your way to nationals. Professional Professional cheerleaders cheer for a professional sports team (perhaps the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders rings a bell). Professional cheerleading is very competitive and making one of these teams is no easy task. Although professional teams don’t compete, they are always striving to be the best in their league and/or division. Some professional cheerleading squads do actually stunt and tumble, but a majority of them do not. Most professional teams have morphed into dance teams, but because they cheer on the sidelines they are still referred to as cheerleaders. At this level, cheerleaders are expected to do a whole lot more than just cheer: They also make appearances, do philanthropic and charity work, modeling and advertising. They are in front of thousands of fans as well as millions of television viewers, so they must be the best of the best. Street Cheer Street cheer is the newest addition to the cheerleading family and it combines hip hop and contemporary dance moves with chants and cheers. Although traditional cheerleading does incorporate elements of dance, street cheer takes it to a whole new level. This type of cheerleading is big in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom. An official street cheer team was created in 2008 as a branch of the UKCA and the first-ever Street Cheer Nationals took place in October of 2009. If you have a love for both dance and cheer, this may be the type of cheerleading for you! If there isn’t a team in your area, check out ukstreetcheer.org.uk for more information about how to start a program. There is a Team for You! Cheerleading is a multi-dimensional sport that has something to offer almost every type of athlete. The sport caters to both men and women of all age groups and skill levels. There is a perfect team for anyone, anywhere in the world! IV.Rules of Cheerleading Over the years, cheerleading has taken two primary forms: game-time cheering and competitive cheering. School and league-affiliated teams have the option to do both types, while all star teams only engage in competitive cheerleading. Depending on what type of team you are on and what type of cheerleading you participate in, the rules and regulations will vary. School & League-Affiliated There are several different governing bodies for school and league-affiliated teams depending on the ages of the squad members. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators is a non-profit educational association for cheerleading coaches of all levels. They only recommend safety guidelines and different governing bodies can adapt the recommendations as official rules. Game-time The purpose of game-time cheering is to boost team moral and enhance school spirit. This kind of cheerleading usually takes place on the sidelines of a sports game or during pep rallies and other school events. Many school and youth leagues only engage in this type of cheerleading and bypass the competitive aspect of the sport. The general rules for game-time cheering are as follows: 1. Cheerleaders cannot interfere with the game in any way 2. Cheerleaders should not encroach on the game surface 3. Certain high-level stunts such as basket tosses and full downs are prohibited on hard surfaces 4. Teams should not perform on wet, uneven or cement surfaces 5. All coaches must have an emergency action plan Competitive School and league-affiliated teams that compete almost always engage in game-time cheering as well. The first priority is school- related functions, so these teams are typically not as active in the competitive cheerleading world as all star teams. Instead of one set of general competition rules, each competition has individual regulations that teams will be informed of prior to attending. Teams are divided up according to age/grade level, gender and squad size. The objective is to receive the highest score from a group of judges during the 2-minute, 30-second routine. The routine must include a prolonged cheering section, which is usually performed in between two sections that are choreographed to music. The routine must also incorporate the following technical elements: stunts, jumps, tumbling and motions. Failure to meet the requirements, improperly executed skills and rule violations can result in an overall point deduction. All Star All star cheerleading has different rules and regulations from league and school-affiliated cheerleading because the main objective is to compete against other squads. All competition rules are created by the two coordinating governing bodies for all star cheering worldwide, the United States All Star Federation (USASF) and the International All Star Federation (IASF). The teams are broken down into six levels, one being the lowest and six being the highest. A team’s competitive level is determined by the age and ability of the team members. Teams are further broken down into divisions based on the gender and number of athletes on the team. The goal of competitive cheerleading is to get the highest scorepossible from a group of judges. Teams compete against other teams in their own division, and the team with the highest score wins first place. The scoring and rules are broken down into seven main categories: 1. General 2. Standing 3. Running 4. Stunts 5. Pyramids 6. Dismounts 7. Tosses Each level has set guidelines for the above categories, which are used by judges to determine their scores. Performing prohibited skills or failing to execute a skill properly can result in point deductions. There are also general safety guidelines and routine requirements that each team, regardless of level, must adhere to. Routines must not exceed 2.5 minutes, and they must be performed on padded flooring. In addition, each athlete must wear appropriate attire—jewelry is prohibited. Props such as flags, banners and pom pons are allowed, but any height increasing apparatus is banned on the performance surface. Elements of Cheerleading Although the specific categories that cheer teams are judged on differ from competition to competition, there are four main elements that are expected to be incorporated into every routine. Motions & Dance During the routine, a team must include a choreographed dance section and, if the team is school or league-affiliated, a cheering section. Both the dance and cheer performances are judged on technique, variety and body control. Tumbling With the exception of youth teams, competitive cheerleading squads are expected to incorporate tumbling into their routines. The more advanced the tumbling, the higher the point value. Judges want to see both standing and running tumbling from as many squad members possible. Tumbling is scored not only on difficulty, but on technique and timing as well. Jumps There are several different cheerleading jumps that can be incorporated into a routine. Judges want to see a variety of jumps or jump sequences. Jumps are scored on difficulty, execution and technique. This is a skill that the whole team should be able to perform. Stunts Stunting accounts for a majority of the skill work performed in competition routines. Included in this category are partner stunts, group stunts, pyramids, dismounts and tosses. Some competitions break the different types of stunting into separate categories. Judges look for stunts that are creative, advanced and perfectly executed. Incorporating several stunting elements into a routine helps raise the degree of difficulty and originality. V.Is Cheerleading a Sport? Give your stand Sometimes. Competitive cheerleading is a sport. If the cheerleaders are not engaged in competition, then they are not practicing a sport. It is the element of competition which makes a physical activity a sport. Cheerleaders may still wear short skirts and wave pompons when the home team scores a touchdown, but the athletic side of cheerleading has grown complex enough that doctors are calling for it to be considered a sport in order to cut down on injuries.The bottom line is that whether or not cheerleading is a sport is a matter of personal opinion. The word sport does not necessarily equal respect. Bowling and darts are also sports, and people still make fun of them as being non-sports like. Cheerleaders work their butts off to do the things they do. They know what they do is a sport, and they know they are extreme athletes. They also know that a judge does not decide whether they are athletes Assignment In P.E (Cheerleading) Submitted By: Trisha Mae B. Tabones
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 08:54:49 +0000
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