A Short History of Cheerleading
In ancient Greece, spectators cheered for runners in races held during the first ever Olympic Games. In the 1860's students in Great Britain began cheering at competive sporting events and soon the idea spread to the US. The history of organized cheerleading started in 1898 at the University of Winconsin. Students and faculty concluded that the collective energy of the students could be focused on sending a positive energy in the team's direction. Cheerleading, believe it or not, was dominated by men in its early evolution. As large numbers of men went off to war during World War II, the tables turned and women began to dominate from that point on.
The evolution of cheerleading as a sport, started in 1920 with the inclusion of gymnastics and tumbling routines. This helped cheerleaders become known for their athletic ability. The 1930's brought on the growth of showmanship in cheerleading, and cheerleading became more entertaining to watch. Widespread use of the megaphone started in the 1900's and the famous pom pom was introduced in the 1950's by Lawrence Herkimer, who has done much for cheerleading. In 1947, he founded the National Cheerleading Association and held the first cheerleading clinics in 1946 and 1947. He created sports slogans, ribbons, and buttons to raise sport and energy. Herkimer was also the inventor of a very popular cheerleading jump which was named the "Herkie" after him. As the 1970's began, cheerleading was builing greater and greater momentum. Cheerleaders began supporting all school sports as well as tradtional basketball and football. Competitions began for college and high school teams. In 1980, universal standards were established and safety guidelines precluded many dangerous tumbling move and pyramids.
Cheerleading is now internationally involved in the sport with Japan, Europe, Australia, Canada, United States, and Mexico. Here at home, cheerleading was recognized as a sport in New Brunswick by the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association in 1995. The New Brunswick Cheerleading Association was formed in 1996 and introduced the Middle School Cheerleading Provincials on April 24th, 1999!
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