The definition of cheerleading and its history

First of all let’s consider cheerleading in general. Give the definition and look through its history.

Cheerleading is a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate in competitions. The athlete involved is called a cheerleader. Athlete is dressed in lively uniform and keeps in hands the colorful pom-poms. [1]

Today Cheerleading can be divided into two main areas:

1. competition teams for programs prepared by the special rules; For this areas there is a special set of laws also known as the Code of cheerleaders which was approved by the International Federation of cheerleading in 1999.

2. work with sports teams, clubs, federations, for the following purposes:

• to engage the audience (fans) in the stadium and in gyms in order to promote sports and healthy lifestyle;

• to create a favorable moral and psychological climate in the stadium, the mitigation of aggressive fans, fans, creating an environment of "positive fanaticism" and manage the emotions of fans;

• to support sports teams involved in the match;

• to activate and vary advertising and brand work at sport events.[1]

The history of cheerleading is closely tied to the history of sports in the United States (i.e. American Football, Basketball and even Rugby), its sporting venues, as well as the historical development of overall crowd participation at many athletic events. In the 1880s, Princeton University’s American Football sporting game atmosphere led to Princeton’s students forming an all-male student “pep club” to lead “cheers” (unified chants and yells) in order to provide support to their team, as well as create a high energy sport environment. Cheers such as “Rah, Rah, Ray! Tiger, Tiger, Sis, Sis, Sis! Boom, Boom, Boom! Aaaaah! Princeton, Princeton, Princeton!” were commonly yelled from the seats of Princeton University’s American Football stadium as a method to motivate their team on to victory. In the very same year, two University of Minnesota rugby players John W. Adams and Win Sargent created a “team yell” (SKI-YOU-MAH) to help to inspire their rugby team. Both rugby players decided to use the word “Ski”- a native America Sioux battle cry meaning victory, and they also added their own word “U-Mah” as a sound representing the University of Minnesota which also rhymes with “rah-rah-rah” to form a team cheer. Their “yell” became popular throughout the University, and would soon be instrumental to a student named Johnny Campbell credited with inventing what is known today as cheerleading.

Based on the success of Johnny Campbell and his fellow students at the University of Minnesota, cheerleading continued to grow and develop alongside with the popularity of sports over the next coming years. As cheerleading continued to grow in participation, new techniques and skills were also added. Since 1923 cheerleading become Women’s sport. In 1923 the University of Minnesota introduced the first women cheerleaders at their sporting games. Today, women comprise of more than 90% of the world’s cheerleaders. In 1998 the International Federation of cheerleading was founded, much later, in addition to members of the European Association entered Japan.

So, cheerleading appeared in the end of 19^th century but real sport with rules and different federation became in the end of 20^th century. Also this sport changed and now it’s sport more for women then for men.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-16