This portion of our web listings focuses on cheerleading, a dynamic activity combining gymnastics, dance, and teamwork with leading crowds in supporting sports teams.
Cheerleading is a spirited activity that has evolved from simple chants to a complex sport involving gymnastics, dance, stunts, and chants, designed to energize and motivate the audience.
The roots of cheerleading appear to go back to the late 19th century. Initially, cheering was an informal activity in which crowds would chant and cheer in support of their teams, a practice that began in Great Britain in the 1860s, and later adopted by American universities in the 1880s. The first organized cheer was performed at Princeton University in 1884.
The University of Minnesota was the first to include cheerleading as an organized activity when Johnny Campbell led the first official cheer, forming the school's first spirit squad. Initially, cheerleading was an all-male activity, but women began joining in the 1920s, transforming it into a more inclusive performance art.
The 1940s and 1950s saw significant growth in cheerleading. The National Cheerleaders Association was established in 1948. Cheerleading camps and workshops helped standardize and promote the sport. The first professional cheerleading team emerged in the 1960s when the Baltimore Colts established an official cheerleading squad.
Today, cheerleading is a recognized competitive sport with millions of participants worldwide. It has evolved to include various elements, such as tumbling, stunting, and dance. The International Cheer Union now has 116 member nations, and the International Olympic Committee provisionally recognizes cheerleading.
Cheerleading can be broadly characterized into school, all-star, professional, and recreational cheerleading teams. School teams support school sports teams, performing at games and pep rallies. All-stars are independent teams that focus on competitions rather than supporting sports teams. Professional teams are associated with professional sports teams. Like school teams, they perform at games and events. Recreational cheerleading teams are often community-based and focus on participation and enjoyment rather than competition.
Cheerleading competitions are held at various local, regional, statewide, and international levels. Major competitions include the NCA All-Star Nationals, the ICU World Cheerleading Championships, and the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship. These competitions showcase the athleticism and creativity of cheerleaders, with routines judged on difficulty, execution, and overall performance.
Cheerleading varies significantly across different countries.
The United States has the most developed and competitive cheerleading scene, with extensive school, all-star, and professional teams. Cheerleading in Canada is similar to that in the United States, with a strong emphasis on school and all-star teams. Cheerleading in the United Kingdom has gained popularity in recent years, with a focus on all-star teams and university squads. The UK Cheerleading Association plays a significant role in promoting the sport in the UK. In Australia, cheerleading focuses on all-star teams, with the Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation organizing competitions and promoting the sport. Cheerleading in Mexico is influenced by American cheerleading, with a strong presence of school and all-star teams.
A new sport has emerged from cheerleading to focus on the technical and athletic components of the activity rather than crowd engagement and spirit-raising. STUNT was developed by USA Cheer, the national governing body for sport cheering in the United States, to provide a more structured and competitive environment for cheer athletes. It highlights the athletic skills of cheerleaders by focusing solely on the technical aspects of cheerleading, such as partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, jumps, and tumbling. The sport is structured into four quarters, each focusing on different skill sets: partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, group jumps and tumbling, and team performance. The objective is to execute predetermined routines with accuracy and skill, judged in a head-to-head format.
While STUNT does not replace traditional cheerleading, it adds a new aspect that some athletes may choose to focus on.
Cheerleading has come a long way from its informal beginnings to becoming a recognized and competitive sport. Its evolution reflects broader social changes and the increasing recognition of cheerleading as a demanding and athletic activity.
Topics related to cheerleading, at any level, are appropriate for this category. Shopping sites, however, would be featured in the Shopping & eCommerce area.
Recommended Resources
Cheer Canada is the national sports organization for cheerleading in Canada. It is responsible for overseeing various aspects of the sport, including competitions, rules, and safety guidelines. The site features member benefits and registration, along with regulations, policies, and educational material for all-star cheer, scholastic cheer, performance cheer, long-term development, score sheets, and upcoming events. Team Canada is introduced, and contacts are provided.
https://cheercanada.ca/
This is a directory of cheerleading information and events. Cheer programs, businesses, event producers, competitions, and events are included, with descriptions, photos, contacts, and website addresses included, when applicable. Cheer competitions are also featured, including world events, independent events, varsity events, and summit information. Worlds bid events are covered in a separate category. Other resources include official rankings, and Cheer Theory's partner program is introduced.
https://cheertheory.com/
CheerBuzz is an independent media company that provides cheerleading content across multiple platforms. Featured are cheerleading news, reports on past competitions, schedules of upcoming competitions, informational articles, polls, quizzes, courses, and classes, which may be purchased online, and links to its cheerleading podcasts on YouTube. Advertising opportunities are highlighted, a newsletter is available for subscription, and an email address is provided.
https://www.thecheerbuzz.com/
Established in 2001, CheerExpo produces competitive cheerleading events. Its flagship event is the CheerExpo National Championship, hosted in partnership with Cheer Nova Scotia, the largest event in the Atlantic Provinces. The website provides registration information and a registration form, as well as information on vendors and spectators and the key features of the CheerExpo National Championship. Schedules, an address, and an email address are provided.
http://www.cheerexpo.com/
Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders
Organized as Score (Sharing Christ Our Redeemer Everywhere) in 1986, FCC has developed into a camp program focused on cheerleading, currently active in fully half of the U.S. states. Its first National Christian Cheerleading Championships was held in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1989. The website highlights FCC's camps, competitions, impact, and missions, introduces its staff, and provides a staff application and information request form. FCC is based in Suwanee, Georgia, and contacts are posted.
https://cheerfcc.org/
Inside Cheerleading Magazine is a resource for cheer enthusiasts. It covers training, performance, competitions, fashion, health, and fitness, as well as editorials, photography, and fan columns. Both the print and digital editions of the magazine can be subscribed to, and digital subscriptions are available for various devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Kindle Fire. Several free issues and photos, videos, and other content are available from the site.
https://www.insidecheerleading.com/
Recognized as the world governing body of Cheer (Cheerleading and Performance Cheer), ICU comprises 120 national cheer federations and millions of athletes on all continents. Established in 2004, the ICU hosts the World Championships, welcoming more than 70 nations and many global, continental, and regional championships. Upcoming Championships and Special Olympics programs are highlighted, with schedules, safety and safeguarding data, anti-doping policies, and contacts.
https://cheerunion.org/
Kentucky Association of Pep Organization Sponsors
Founded in 1954, KAPOS claims to be the first cheer coaches organization in the United States. Its organizational design has been modeled by many other coaches organizations nationwide. The organization implements the KAPOS Coach of the Year award and the Stella Gilb Scholarship, and many of its regions provide local scholarships to deserving senior cheerleaders. Conference schedules, competitions, judges, forms, judges, and membership information are provided.
https://www.kapos.org/
National Cheerleaders Association
Laying claim to the title of the first cheerleading company, the NCA was founded in 1948 by Lawrence Herkimer. The NCA website also claims other firsts, including the first cheerleading camp, the first spirit stick, the first pompon, the first cheerleading uniform company, and the first All Star National Championship. Its camps, competitions, college programs, choreography, and coach resources are provided, along with All Star championships, live streaming, and contacts.
https://www.varsity.com/nca/
New Zealand Cheerleading Association, The
The NZCA was formed in 2004 to support the development of cheerleading at the national and international levels. In recent years, its role has expanded to include education, mentoring, and support to industry participants of all types, including supporting and mentoring local member gyms with practical business and coaching education to stimulate growth. The International Cheer Union recognizes the NZCA as the designated governing body of cheerleading in New Zealand.
https://www.nzcheer.org/
Recognized by the International Cheer Union (ICU), Sport Cheer England (SCE) is the national governing body for cheerleading in England. SCE supports athletes, coaches, program leaders, and event providers. Its aims and objectives are defined on the SCE website, which includes a brief history of cheerleading in England, introductions to the SCE board, policy information, best practices, membership benefits and information, an overview of Team England, and contacts.
https://www.sportcheerengland.org/
As the leading All-Star tumbling and cheerleading organization in Katy/Richmond, Stars Vipers Katy offers an array of cheerleading programs and private lessons, from focus groups to introductions to cheerleading, individual lessons, and other programs. Based in Richmond, Texas, the founders and trainers are introduced, and an overview of its cheerleading and tumbling programs is provided, and special events, sponsors, employment opportunities, and contacts are included.
https://www.starsviperskaty.com/
Universal Cheerleaders Association
Founded in 1974, the UCA provided educational training for cheerleaders, incorporating high-level skills with traditional crowd-leading. Today, the UCA claims to be the largest cheerleading camp company in the world, having trained more than 4.5 million athletes on and off the field. Its camps, competitions, college programs, and coach's resources are provided, including all-star competitions and live streaming varsity and films. A shopping area is also included.
https://www.varsity.com/uca/
The USA Federation for Sport Cheering is a non-profit organization established in 2007 as the governing body for sport cheering in the United States. The International Cheer Union recognizes it. The organization serves the cheer community, including all-star club cheering, youth recreational cheer, traditional school-based cheer programs, and the growing sport of STUNT. Member benefits are defined on the organization's website, along with its programs, events, safety programs, and teams.
https://usacheer.org/
