Cheerleading Classes - Learn To Be A Cheerleader

Cheerleading is the sport and art of many things. It is tumbling, dance, cheering, and stunts that usually take place at sporting events and in competitive cheering competitions. It is mostly an American tradition with well over a million all-star cheerleaders in the nation. The competitions have gained enough popularity that big TV stations such as ESPN carry the event. And the popularity is spreading around the world as well. The very first organized cheerleaders were squads of males designated to yell chants at games. A Princeton graduate, Thomas Peebles thought it would be a great idea to have designated crowds at football games at the University of Minnesota. In 1898, Johnny Campbell, a student at the University of Minnesota made up a little chant and lead the crowd in yelling it.

Soon there was organized cheerleading at the University of Minnesota and a fraternity of cheering followed close behind. It wasn't until 1923 that women added their voices to cheering and during World War II took over the sport almost entirely. In a time when women were not allowed to participate in most collegiate sports, cheering was their only option for participation. In 1949, the National Cheerleader Association was formed in order to offer cheering clinics. Of all the tools of the cheer squad, the pom-pom is probably the most well known. It was not invented until 1965, but has made a deep impression on the sport.

In the 60's the development of The World Cheerleading Association and the International Cheerleading Foundation started offering recognition to outstanding cheerleaders and competitions were born. The sixties also saw the creation of a professional cheer squad at the Dallas Cowboys team. They pioneered revealing outfits and difficult moves that changed the face of cheer. Today, cheering is a much more encompassing activity. It is practiced by most secondary schools as well as colleges. There is a large amount of tumbling, gymnastic, and stunt activity. It is a year round sport with tryouts and cuts.

All star cheerleading is groups of cheerleaders that are not associated with a school. These are mostly for the purpose of competition and they push the boundaries of the cheering world. Students can take cheer classes at local dance studios or workshops from a local squad. Cheering is so popular that parents must take extra precaution to ensure that a dance school is offering qualified teachers and proper safety precautions.