The Evolution Of Pep Squads

Cheerleading started as a male endeavor in 1898, when a University of Minnesota football fan led the crowd in verse in support of their team. It was not until World War II, when men shipped out to war, that women took over. Then cheerleaders came to represent the American ideal of femininity: wholesome apple pie with washboard stomachs, perfect teeth, and flawless complexions. Stereotypes cast them as blond, petite, and impossibly perky. “From its humble beginning cheerleading has blossomed into a competitive athletic activity with a serious image problem” (Forman 52). But today’s post-feminist youth have put a new, diverse face on cheerleading. Cheerleading in America is no longer a matter of waving pom-poms, a cute smile and being overly

Being able jump in the air, kick up your leg, or even having a strong voice is what most people assume is needed to make the cheer squad in today’s society. These beliefs and depictions of today’s cheerleaders are strongly influenced by today’s media. For example, the hit television show “Glee” depicts one of its main characters, a cheerleader named Brittney, as an airhead. This blond hair, blue-eyed girl is reflected as the “typical cheerleader”, with statements that include the following, ' 'I was pretty sure Dr. Pepper was a dentist ' ' (Murphy). The show also depicts the other cheerleaders as stuck up, promiscuous, irresponsible and cliquey. From wearing the cheerleading outfits everyday to sleeping around with the football team,

According to the magazine a Cheerleaders Guide to life, in the 1960’s, the National Football League teams began to organize professional cheerleading teams. It was the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who gained the spotlight with their revealing outfits and sophisticated dance moves. They were first seen widely in Super Bowl X. This caused the image of cheerleaders to permanently change, with many other NFL teams emulating them. Most of the professional teams’ squads would be more accurately described as dance teams. They don’t usually lead cheers instead, they are crowd pleasers themselves.

There have been previous studies of pass networks in football, but these have tended to concentrate on things like the passes between specific pairs of players. Luis Enrique(Manager, FC Barcelona) and colleagues have looked more deeply into the nature of the networks, searching for what they call “flow motifs” which refer to extended sequences of consecutive passes between specific players. The same concept of characterising different network structures using motifs/patterns of interconnection was developed previously by scientists to study natural systems such as networks of neurons ,genes, and organisms in food

The sport of cheerleading has been around for a long time; since 1884 in fact! In the beginning, cheer was a sport dominated by college men. Since, women have taken over, and in 1967 the first ranked college cheer competition was held. Both school and competitive cheerleading offer many rewarding opportunities. Though they are a part of the same sport, the two types of squads are actually quite diverse. School cheer is undeniably a worthwhile and respectable sport, but competitive teams often provide a more challenging approach, and are more suited to experienced cheerleaders.

Sideline Cheer began around the same time American Football began. The “founder” of Sideline Cheerleading was Johnny Campbell who picked up

“Modern cheerleading has evolved into a sport that is more akin to mixed martial arts, where legs and arms are constantly flailing and at any moment a participant is risking a violent shot to the head” (Cheerleading- the Forgotten Sport).

Cheerleading is a very competitive sport and takes a lot of effort. There are several types of cheerleading that a person can participate in. Unlike most sports, cheerleading is not just limited to male or females. Both can participate separately or together. In addition, cheerleading can be a recreational sport for some, provide an education, or even be done as a full-time job. Cheerleading is also offered at all age levels. Children as young as 2 can participate in competitive cheer. This paper will not only persuade you that cheerleading is the best sport, but also persuade you that the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are the best cheerleading team in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (also known as the DCC) is the best cheerleading team in the NFL because more than 500 women come to tryout each year, their ages range from 18-40 years and you have to try out each year to maintain your spot on the team.

People usually see cheerleaders at football and basketball games. They see them shake their pom-poms and yell chants to get the team and crowd excited and involved. But there is much more to cheerleading than that.

Cheerleading began for me at the age of twelve. In the past I had played soccer, basketball, softball, did ballet. Basically every activity my mom could possibly put me in. All of those activities were okay, but cheerleading became something that was special to me. I first began cheering in middle school for the Hazelwood West Junior Wildcats. I cheered on the team throughout middle school literally dedicating all of my free time to cheerleading. I lived, ate, and dreamed cheer. I went on to continue cheering throughout my high school career, cheering for all Hazelwood West athletics, including: soccer, football, basketball, and wrestling. I was a hardcore dedicated athlete, and I had spirit like no other. From

As the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders became more popular, more little girls and boys looked up to them as idols. Many of the cheerleaders cherished this and acted, as role models for the little girls who would one day want to also cheer on the Cowboys. The cheerleaders tried to be more than just a girl in a revealing uniform, but an inspiration to them as well. Aron (2010) noted that little girls could now aim to be a Dallas Cheerleader instead of Miss America (p. 71). Over the years, the appearance of the cheerleader’s began to take precedence over their hard work and talent. This conveys a strong message to impressionable children that appearance is more important than hard work. For many young girls and boys, cheerleading has been their escape

Although despite all the stereotypes, men are also complimented in this sport. Since cheerleading has been deemed as a female sport for many ages, when men joined cheerleading, this led to judgment by people such as friends and family. Judgments were sometimes based on thinking that the male was gay or more feminine. Although when a male cheerleader’s friend or family sees their friend or son perform, they become less judgmental. Thus, this is because the person who sees this sport becomes aware that cheerleading is more than just pom-poms that are generally stereotyped in movies. Men are respected by cheerleaders in the community of cheerleading since it demands an excessive amount of physical force as well as endurance. Thus, a male cheerleader is usually seen as a perk since they can lift their flyer much

Adams, Natalie G., and Pamela J. Bettis. Cheerleader an American Icon. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. 2 April 2014

“I don’t want normal people to mock me”. These were the most offensive words I have ever heard. They were pronounced by one of my teammates during the allied soccer championship. Due to his suspension from the team for his disrespectful manners and temper tantrums he had missed many practices and thought he wasn’t prepared enough to play.

Many have seen her. Many know her. But who is the American cheerleader? Is she a blond haired, blue eyed sex symbol? Is she a drug-addicted girl with no brains and even fewer moral values? Maybe she is just your average, pretty, girl-next-door with a loud voice and lots of spirit. What is clearly true is that cheerleading and cheerleaders have evolved greatly over a century-long history. What started as one bold college student has turned into an activity with over 3 million participants (Brady 1); one that is backed by a $150 million industry (Williams 2). Modern cheerleading has come a long way from its historic roots, but large differences still exist between the iconic cheerleader, the stereotypical cheerleader, and the truth.