Cheerleader City

Basic Cheerleading Techniques & Tips : What is a Cheer Box?

2008-12-07T06:28:00.001+08:00

Learn how to make a cheer box in this free video clip about cheerleading tips.

Basic Cheerleading Techniques & Tips : How to Do an Offense Cheer in Cheerleading

2008-12-07T06:26:00.001+08:00

Learn about doing a general offense cheer in cheerleading in this free video clip.

Basic Cheerleading Techniques & Tips : How to do Jumps & Kicks in Cheerleading

2008-12-07T06:24:00.000+08:00

Learn about jumps and kicks in cheerleading stunts in this free video clip.

Basic Cheerleading Techniques & Tips : How to Select a Cheerleading Uniform

2008-12-07T06:23:00.000+08:00

Learn about what to look for in a cheerleading uniform in this free video clip.

Basic Cheerleading Techniques & Tips : Basic Motions and Angles in Cheerleading

2008-12-07T06:21:00.000+08:00

Learn some basic cheerleading maneuvers in this free video clip about learning to cheer lead.

Basic Cheerleading Techniques & Tips : How to Do a "G-O" Cheerleading Cheer

2008-12-07T06:17:00.003+08:00

Learn about general cheers in cheerleading in this free video clip.

Famous Cheerleaders

2008-12-05T06:36:00.001+08:00

Many prominent people in the entertainment field and even presidents have been cheerleaders.

Ann-Margret
Paula Abdul, Los Angeles Lakers, Van Nuys High School
Kirstie Alley, Wichita Southeast High School
Christina Aguilera, North Allegheny Intermediate High School
Erica Arana, Oakland Raiderettes
Toni Basil
Halle Berry, Bedford High School
Jill Belland, Calgary Stampeders
Sandra Bullock, Washington-Lee High School
Hilarie Burton, Park View High School
George W. Bush, Phillips Academy
Belinda Carlisle, Newbury Park High School
Charisma Carpenter, San Diego Chargers
Thad Cochran, University of Mississippi
Katie Couric
Miley Cyrus, Heritage Middle School
Kim Deal, Wayne High School
Cameron Diaz, Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Kirsten Dunst
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Shannon Elizabeth
Stacy Ferguson, Glen A. Wilson High School
Ashley Force, Esperanza High School
Danielle Gamba, Oakland Raiderettes
Jennie Garth, Sunburst Middle School
Lisa Guerrero, Los Angeles Rams
Janet Gunn, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Ciara Harris, Riverdale High School
Jennifer Hawkins, Newcastle Knights
Brooke Hogan, Clearwater Central Catholic
Anjelah Johnson, Oakland Raiderettes
Arielle Kebbel, Winter Park High School
Stacy Keibler, Baltimore Ravens
Ali Landry
Blake Lively, Burbank High School
Eva Longoria, Roy Miller High School
Lindsay Lohan
Trent Lott, University of Mississippi
Madonna, Rochester Adams High School
Steve Martin
Jenny McCarthy, Brother Rice High School, St. Laurence High School
Karen McDougal, River Valley High School
Vanessa Minnillo, Bishop England High School
Mandy Moore, Pop Warner
Paige Peterson
Kellie Pickler, North Stanly High School
William Powell, Central High School
Ronald Reagan, Eureka College in Illinois
Denise Richards, El Camino High School
Kelly Ripa
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harvard
Diane Sawyer
Alicia Silverstone, San Mateo High School
Jessica Simpson, Richardson North Junior High School
Jamie Lynn Spears, Parklane Academy
Aaron Spelling, Southern Methodist University
Meryl Streep, Bernards High School
Nichole Fragala
Krissy and Niki Taylor
Charlene Tilton, Hollywood High School
Kiana Tom, Oakland Raiderettes
Carrie Underwood, Checotah High School
Sela Ward, University of Alabama
Reese Witherspoon, Montgomery Bell Academy
Kristi Yamaoka, Southern Illinois University
Renée Zellweger, Katy High School

2½ High Stunts

2008-12-04T07:32:00.003+08:00

(source:Wikipedia.org)

2½ people high is defined as 2.5 body-lengths, not the number of people stacked. An example of 2.5 high is one person held at extended level, and another held at waist level. The various 2½ high stunts include but are not limited to:

The A-Frame
Swedish Fall
2-2-1
2-1-1
Table Top
Wolf Wall
High Split
High Chair (also high hands, lib, cupie, etc.)

- Wikipedia

Transitions and Dismounts

2008-12-04T07:25:00.005+08:00

(source:Wikipedia.org)

Basket toss
A basket toss is an advanced stunt in which the bases propel the flyer upwards (10-30+ feet) from the loading position. It is a toss by a maximum of four bases of a top straight up in the air so the flyer can perform a trick (toe touch, ball-out, kiss-out, pretty girl, twist, tuck, kick twist down, pike, etc.) and then land back in a cradle position. It gets its name from the basket, or square, the bases get from locking wrists. The basket is assembled by each base grabbing their own right wrist with their left hand, then using their right hand to grab each others' left wrist. The flyer, with some assistance from the back spot, will place her feet on the square created to minimize pressure.

Pop Cradle or Cradle Out
Dismount from a stunt in which the base/bases toss the flyer straight up from a stationary stunt then catch the flyer in a seated position pike position.

Dismount
A way to return the flyer to the floor or complete a stunt.

Squish
Two bases will each hold a different foot of a flyer at their waist level. The flyer is squatted down so the flyer is not taller than the bases. This is how the flyer loads in to the stunt, before jumping and pushing off the bases shoulders, and the bases drive their arms upwards and extend the flyer. Also called a Sponge in some regions

Retake
When a stunt is extended in the air, and then goes back down into a load-in position placing both feet in the bases hands, if previously in a one-footed stunt, and being pushed back upwards into another stunt.

Show and go
Two bases will each hold a different foot of a flyer and bring it up to a full extension. The flyer only stays up for two counts and returns back into a squish position. Also known as 'fake-outs' or 'flashes'. Depending on the stunt, the flyer can throw any number of tricks in a show and go. If loading in with both feet, most times the flyer will "show" a cupie, and after reloading, come back up to a cupie in either a prep or extension level. Another variation is the one-legged show and go, where a flyer starts as if in a one-legged stunt, and "shows" one leg kicked up to the heel stretch position (without grabbing the ankle or instep). As this variation is brought back down, the flyer brings in her leg from the flash and reloads in either a two or one legged sponge, "going" back up to prep or extension level.

Tick-Tock
When a flyer switches the foot being stood on in mid air after being popped by bases.

Full Down (Twist Cradle)
Variation on a pop cradle. It is a dismount from a stunt in which the base/bases toss the flyer straight up from a stationary stunt, the flyer does a 360 degree turn in the air, and then the bases catch her in a cradle position. Called a Single Down, Single, or Full Down in some Regions.

Double Twist Cradle
Variation on a pop cradle. The same as a full twist cradle, but two 360 degree turns are completed before cradling. There are also increasing numbers of twist downs possible, often as many as five, witnessed especially when four males are basing a basket toss.

Leap Frog Usually a transition where the bases "hop" top person over the backspots head and catch her in either a smush or cradle

Reload
A transition that connects two stunts when a flyer cradles out of the first stunt, and the bases dip and pop the flyer back into a load position. A similar stunt is a barrel role. Sometimes called a 'cradle pop'.

Barrel Role
Seated in a pike position, ( as if she had just cradled out ) the bases toss the flyer, she lays flat and does a 360 degree spin in the air.

360 up
A variation on the double take in which the flyer does a full turn in the air in between stunts while staying in contact with the bases. Also called a Full up in some regions.

Deadman
When the flyer falls backwards or forwards out of a stunt. 3 or 4 people catch the flyer and could possbly push the flyer back up to the bases hands.

(source:Wikipedia.org)

- Wikipedia

Two Leg Stunts

2008-12-04T07:22:00.002+08:00

Prep
A Stunt in which flyer stands with each foot in the hands of a base at shoulder level.The two bases, facing each other, hold the feet of the upright flyer at collar-bone level, so the flyer is standing about shoulder-width apart. The flyer controls every stunt, and can bring the bases closer together or push them farther apart, if desired, by simply moving his or her legs. The backspot holds the calves or ankles of the flyer. A front spot is optional and may be used to secure the stunt by the shins of the flyer. An Extension Prep can serve as a stunt in itself, or as the transition point between other, more complicated, stunts. It is also called a Double Base or Elevator in some regions.

Prep Extension
In single base stunting, the base holds both the flyer's feet with one hand in an extended overhead position. In multi-base stunting, two bases hold flyer's feet the same way they would in a prep, at full extension level.

Cupie, or Awesome
The Cupie (called an "Awesome" in some regions) is almost identical to the Full Extension except that the flyers feet are together, in one hand of a single base or with one foot in the hands of two bases.

Extension
"Second level" of an elevator. Flyer stands with each foot in the hands of a base withs arms are in an extended overhead position. The Extension is similar in form to the Extension Prep except that the bases arms are now fully extended upright and locked. The backspot can either hold the ankles of the flyer, or support the wrists of the bases.

Split-lift
Two bases hold the flyers legs at the knee area. They then slowly walk apart until the flyer is in a mid-air split.

Thigh stand (beginner level)
A Thigh Stand is a simple stunt. The same 2 bases and a back. The bases kneel on one leg and have the other feet touching each other by the sides of their shoes. the back spotter will hold the flyer at the waist. The flyer will have one foot on one of the bases thigh then the back will then count to three. on three the flyer will bounce on the with the other leg that is not on the bases leg and as soon as she does that before she is completely standing she will jump and the back will help lift her higher and she will stand up on the the other bases leg. Then she can choose whether to yell Yay team, hit a hi-v, etc.

Note: All of the variations can be done at prep or extension level.

Liberty
One or more bases holds up the flyer by the foot and the flyer balances weight on one that straight leg. The flyer's other leg is bent with the foot positioned at about the knee level of the flyer nestling it alongside the standing leg's knee. The name of this stunt is often shortened to 'Lib'.

Scorpion
This is a liberty variation facing the side. One or more bases holds up the flyer by the foot and the flyer balances weight on one that straight leg. The flyer then grabs the loose foot and bends that leg upward behind the body until the toes are close to the back of the head, a position resembling a scorpion's tail. The foot is secured in place by the opposite hand. A more advanced variation of the scorpion is the "Chin-chin," where the flyer tucks her foot underneath her own chin.

Scale
This is a liberty variation facing the side. One or more bases extend one of the flyer's feet. The flyer's other leg is held by the flyers hand to the side and the leg is fully extended. Called a Skate or Skater in some regions.

Crazy Eight
Similar to a scale, but the ankle is supported by the flyers wrist while her hands clasp to form a circle above her head. The resulting pose is resembles an Eight, due to the two circles, one formed by her arms, and the other by her leg and side.

Torch
The stunt group faces a side (not forward) and the flyer performs a Liberty, with her body turned outward.

Heel Stretch
Variation of a liberty. It is a stunt in which the base/bases holds one foot of the flyer while she holds the other foot in an elevated stretch position with her same hand. A more advanced version of the heel stretch is the Bow-and-Arrow, where the flyer holds her stretched leg with her opposite hand and puts her other hand in front of her leg, holding it out straight to look like an arrow in a bow.

Arabesque
Variation of a liberty facing the side. It is a stunt in which the base/bases holds one foot of the flyer while she extends the other leg behind her, making a 90 degree angle with her standing leg, extending her leg as close to horizontal as possible while keeping her torso vertical as well.

Needle
Variation of liberty facing the side. The main difference in a regular scale and a needle is the flyer's position in the air. Where in a normal scale the chest is either parallel or higher then the hip on the supporting leg, a needle scale the chest is down beside the main support leg. Also, the leg that was supported by hands in a regular scale is now "free" and is pointing to near as north or "12 o'clock" as flexibility allows the flyer to obtain. The flyer also maintains balance by holding onto the bases hands and her own ankle. Sometimes called a spike.

- Wikipedia

Athletes Involved

2008-12-04T07:19:00.002+08:00

Bases
Cheerleaders that stay on the ground providing the primary support for the flyer during a stunt. Bases make eye contact with each other throughout the stunt but also look at your flyer. Bases can be male or female. The bases are usually 2 females or 1 male.

Main Base
This base is the main base, as the name implies. This base, in one leg extension stunts, has the most support on the flyer. The base will be the main lifter and supporter of the flyer. The main base can either be female or male.

Side Base
The side base helps the main base lift the flyer up into the air. In a one leg extension stunt, the side base grabs the foot, but does not base most of the flyer.

Flyer
Person that is up in a stunt in the air. This is the person that is commonly the main focus of the stunt. Flyers stay tight throughout the entire stunt. The flyer controls must control their own weight by squeezing everything from there thighs to the shoulders.They must indeed keep a steady focus on what they are doing. A strong core and good sense of balance are key qualities to possess when stunting.

Front Spot
The person standing in front of the flyer, who will catch her feet and prevent her from falling forward. The front spot often provides extra support to ankles and wrists in higher stunts such as extensions.

Back Spot
The backspot stands behind the flyer. They are responsible for holding the flyers waist, and lifting, jumping, or helping her into the bases hands. The backspot also provides support on the flyers ankles, knees, or thighs, in almost all stunts. This helps the flyer stand straight and prevent falling backwards. The backspot catches the flyer's upper body, usually under their arms.

Additional Spotter
This person does not actually touch the stunt unless something goes wrong. The free standing spot can stand behind, in front, or beside the stunt. Arms are up in the air and eyes stay on the stunt at all times even though the stunt is not touched.

- Wikipedia

Stunts Definition

2008-12-04T07:15:00.004+08:00

(source:Wikipedia.org)

Stunts are defined as building performances displaying a person's skill or dexterity. Stunting in cheerleading has been previously referred to as building pyramids. Stunts range from basic two-legged stunts to one-legged extended stunts and high flying basket tosses. There are numerous variations of each basic stunt.

A stunt group usually involves up to four bases holding or tossing another cheerleader in the air. In general, all-girl cheerleading stunts usually involve up to four other bases while co-ed ("partner") stunts are comprised of only one base (usually male) and his partner (the flyer, usually female). Pyramids are multiple groups of stunts connected aerially by the flyers. This connection may be made in a variety of ways, from a simple linking of hands to having a multi-level pyramid, with the flyers already in the air acting as primary bases for another flyer or flyers on top of them.

- Wikipedia

List of Cheerleading Jumps

2008-12-04T06:58:00.005+08:00

Pencil/T Jump

This jump probably the most simple jump. It involves jumping completely straight with your arms in T-motion or in a point above your head. This jump is usually the first you would learn. Mainly used for correcting the body position for the main jumps.: (source:About.com)

Toe-Touch
In this jump, the legs are straddled and straight, parallel to the ground, toes pointed, knees are back, and the arms in a T motion. Despite its name, you do not touch your toes during a toe touch, you reach out farther in front of your legs. keep your back straight and bring your legs up to you. This is the most common jump.
Tuck
A jump in which the cheerleader uses stomach muscles to pull the legs up with the thighs parallel to the ground, and the knees pointed, together, and facing forward pulling them up to your chest.

(source:About.com)

Hurdler
The straight leg is either forward (a front hurdler) with arms in a touchdown, or out to the side (a side hurdler) with arms in a T. The bent knee faces the crowd in a side hurdler and the ground in a front hurdler.

(source:About.com)

Pike
This jump is among the most difficult of jumps. Both legs are straight out, knees locked. Arms are in a touchdown motion out in front to create a folded position in the air. This is often performed at a ninety-degree angle to the audience in order to show off the air position.
Around the World
The Around the World, or the pike-out, is a jump where the performer hits a pike and then whips his or her legs quickly back around into a toe touch. This jump is regarded as difficult to accomplish, because two positions must be reached in the very short time while the jumper is in the air.

(source:About.com)

Herkie
Named for Lawrence R. Herkimer, the founder of the National Cheerleader's Association, this jump is similar to a side-hurdler, except that instead of both arms being in a "T" motion, both arms are opposite of what the leg beneath them is doing. Example of this would be the straight arm would be on the side of the bent leg, and the bent arm is on the side of the straight leg. One other variation of this includes the bent leg is pointing straight down, instead of out like the side-hurdler. The jump is speculated to have been invented because Herkie wasn't able to do an actual side-hurdler.

Double Nine
A jump similar to a pike except one leg and one arm are bent in to form two "nines".

Double Hook
A jump where the legs are in the "cheer sit" position.

Double Jump
This is the name for when one performs any jump twice in a row.

Power Jump
A jump where there is no swinging of the arms in preparation for the jump. All the power for the jump comes from the legs. This jump is also known as a "Dip Jump."

- Wikipedia

Dangers of Cheerleading

2008-12-04T06:43:00.002+08:00

(source:http://www.genyration.com)

The risk of cheerleading was highlighted when Kristi Yamaoka, a cheerleader for Southern Illinois University, suffered from a fractured vertebra after she hit her head after falling from a human pyramid. She also suffered from a concussion, and a bruised lung. The fall occurred when Yamaoka lost her balance during a basketball game between Southern Illinois University and Bradley University at the Savvis Center in St. Louis on March 5, 2006.The fall gained "national attention", because Yamaoka continued to perform from a stretcher as she was moved away from the game. The cheerleader has since made a full recovery.

The accident caused the Missouri Valley Conference to ban its member schools from allowing cheerleaders to be "launched or tossed and from taking part in formations higher than two levels" for one week during a women's basketball conference tournament, and also resulted in a recommendation by the NCAA that conferences and tournaments do not allow pyramids two and one half levels high or higher, and a stunt known as basket tosses, during the rest of the men's and women's basketball season. On July 11, 2006, the bans were made permanent by the AACCA rules committee:

The committee unanimously voted for sweeping revisions to cheerleading safety rules, the most major of which restricts specific upper-level skills during basketball games. Basket tosses, 2½ high pyramids, one-arm stunts, stunts that involve twisting or flipping, and twisting tumbling skills may only be performed during halftime and post-game on a matted surface and are prohibited during game play or time-outs.

However, there have been far worse catastrophes in the world of cheerleading. Last October,[clarification needed] at Los Angeles' John Marshall High School, 17 year-old Patty Phommanyvong became a comatose quadriplegic as the result of a fall to the ground. Eighteen year-old Jessica Smith suffered a fractured back and neck after hitting the ground during practice at Sacramento City College in California. Most tragically, 20 year-old Lauren Chang died in April 2008 from being kicked in the chest at a cheerleading competition in Worcester, Massachusetts. There was also the 2005 case of Ashley Burns who, at 14 years old, ruptured her spleen. This occurred when she landed stomach down while practicing an airborne spin with her high school cheerleading squad.

Out of the nation's 2.9 million female high school athletes, only 3% are cheerleaders, yet cheerleading accounts for 65% of all catastrophic injuries in girls' high school athletics. Since the NCAA has yet to recognize cheerleading as an official college sport, there are no solid numbers on college cheerleading, yet when it comes to injuries, 67% of female athlete injuries at the college level are due to cheerleading mishaps.

Cheerleading is now considered one of the most dangerous school activities. The main source of injuries comes from stunting, also known as pyramids. These stunts are performed at games and pep rallies, as well as competitions. Sometimes competition routines are focused solely around the use of difficult and risky stunts. These stunts usually include a flier (the girl on top), along with one, two, three, or four bases (the girls or boys on the bottom). The most common cheerleading related injuries are: back injuries, sprained ankles, head injuries (sometimes concussions), broken arms, elbow injuries, and knee injuries.

The Pediatrics journal reported that the number of cheerleaders suffering from broken bones, concussions, and sprains has increased by over 100 percent between the years of 1990 and 2002. In 2001 there were 25,000 hospital visits reported for cheerleading injuries dealing with the shoulder, ankle, head, and neck.

- Wikipedia

The History of Cheerleading

2008-12-04T06:27:00.000+08:00

Johnny Campbell
(source:Wikipedia.org)

Princeton graduate Thomas Peebles introduced the idea of organized crowds cheering at football games to the University of Minnesota. However, it was not until 1898 that University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell directed a crowd in cheering "Rah, Rah, Rah! Sku-u-mar, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!”, making Campbell the very first cheerleader and November 2, 1898 the official birth date of organized cheerleading. Soon after, the University of Minnesota organized a "yell leader" squad of 6 male students, who still use Campbell's original cheer today In 1903 the first cheerleading fraternity, Gamma Sigma was founded. Cheerleading started out as an all-male activity, but females began participating in 1923, due to limited availability of female collegiate sports. At this time, gymnastics, tumbling, and megaphones were incorporated into popular cheers, and are still used today. Today it is estimated that 97% of cheerleading participants overall are female, but males still make up 50% of cheering squads at the collegiate level.

In 1948, Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, of Dallas, TX and a former cheerleader at Southern Methodist University formed the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) as a way to hold cheerleading clinics. In 1949, The NCA held its first clinic in Huntsville, TX with 52 girls in attendance. "Herkie" contributed many "firsts" to the sport including the founding of Cheerleader & Danz Team uniform supply company, inventing the herkie, (where one leg is bent towards the ground and the other is out to the side as high as it will stretch in the toe touch position) and creating the "Spirit Stick". By the 1960s, college cheerleaders began hosting workshops across the nation, teaching fundamental cheer skills to eager high school age girls. In 1965, Fred Gastoff invented the vinyl pom-pon and it was introduced into competitions by the International Cheerleading Foundation (now the World Cheerleading Association or WCA). Organized cheerleading competitions began to pop up with the first ranking of the "Top Ten College Cheerleading Squads" and "Cheerleader All America" awards given out by the International Cheerleading Foundation in 1967. In 1978, America was introduced to competitive cheerleading by the first broadcast of Collegiate Cheerleading Championships on CBS.

What was cheerleading like in the 1950's? Big skirts and big pompoms. Cheerleaders reached new heights in the 1950s. They became very popular because they thought it was a very exciting thing to support their male athletes in all sports. The way they were chosen was by the student body with their smiles or and the popularity. From the 1950s forward, cheerleading would continue to become more organized. Cheer clinics and camps were designed to train interested young people in the art of cheering. Originally springing from schools for team support, cheerleading teams began to branch out to semi-professional organizations competing in national competitions. Professional sports teams added line ups of gorgeous professional cheerleaders to draw even more fans to the games. Cheerleading had finally reached the big time with favorites like the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and the Laker Girls setting new trends in uniforms and cheer dances. Those trends continue to the present day. Cheerleading has become a multi-million dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing down. Here is a picture of what the cheerleading uniforms looked like in that popular era. And here is what that uniform has evolved into today.

In the 1960s National Football League (NFL) teams began to organize professional cheerleading teams. The Baltimore Colts (now the Indianapolis Colts) was the first NFL team to have an organized cheerleading squad. It was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders who gained the spotlight with their revealing outfits and sophisticated dance moves, which debuted in the 1972-1973 season, but were first seen widely in Super Bowl X (1976). This caused the image of cheerleaders to permanently change, with many other NFL teams emulating them. Most of the professional teams' cheerleading squads would more accurately be described as dance teams by today's standards; as they rarely, if ever, actively encourage crowd noise or perform modern cheerleading moves.

The 1980s saw the onset of modern cheerleading with more difficult stunt sequences and gymnastics being incorporated into routines. ESPN first broadcasted the National High School Cheerleading Competition nationwide in 1983. Cheerleading organizations such as the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors (AACCA) started applying universal safety standards to decrease the number of injuries and prevent dangerous stunts, pyramids and tumbling passes from being included in routines. In 2003, the National Council for Spirit Safety and Education (NCSSE) was formed to offer safety training for youth, school, all star and college coaches. The NCAA requires college cheer coaches to successfully complete a nationally recognized safety-training program. The NCSSE or AACCA certification programs are both recognized by the NCAA.

Today, cheerleading is most closely associated with American football and basketball. Sports such as soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, baseball, and wrestling sometimes sponsor cheerleading squads. The ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2007 was the first international cricket event to have cheerleaders. The Florida Marlins were the first Major League Baseball team to have cheerleaders. Debuting in 2003, the "Marlin Mermaids" gained national exposure and have influenced other MLB teams to develop their own cheer/dance squads.

- Wikipedia

Cheerleading Definition

2008-12-04T06:22:00.000+08:00

(source: http://www.thelittlegym.com)

Cheerleading, a sport that requires physical fitness, flexibility, coordination and hard work, uses organized routines made from elements of tumbling, dance, jumps and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games and matches and/or compete at cheerleading competitions. The athlete involved is called a cheerleader. With an estimated 1.5 million participants in all-star cheerleading (not including the millions more in high school, college or little league participants) in the United States alone, cheerleading is, according to Newsweek's Arian Campo-Flores, "the most quintessential of American sports." The growing presentation of the sport to a global audience has been led by the 1997 start of broadcasts of cheerleading competition by ESPN International and the worldwide release of the 2000 film Bring it On. Due in part to this recent exposure, there are now an estimated 100,000 participants scattered around the rest of the world in countries including Australia, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

- Wikipedia