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Fun Stuff *\o/*

There's lots of stuff to be found on this page- a bunch of cheerleading websites to take you all over the web, a few cheerleading polls, some interesting articles and information about cheerleading, and just some other random cheerleading-related stuff. So make sure you take some time check it all out!

Cheerleading Websites

The Physics of Cheerleading- it's more than skirts and poms!
American Cheerleader Magazine Online
TAKE THE MOTIONS QUIZ AND TEST YOUR SKILLS



The History Of Cheerleading
from http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/8339

Just as any anything else, cheerleading has quite a history behind it. In ancient times spectators cheered for runners in races held during the first ever Olympic Games in ancient Greece. In the 1860's students in Great Britain began cheering at competitive sporting events and soon the idea spread to the United States. At Princeton in New Jersey, in 1865 the first pep club was formed and they created the first-known cheer:

"Tah rah rah
Tiger Tiger Tiger
Sis sis sis
Boom boom boom
Aaaahhhhh!
Princton! Princeton! Princeton!"(Kuch 9)

The history of organized cheerleading started in 1898. The University of Minnesota was having a pitiful football season. One fan decided to write a letter to the Ariel, "The Official Paper of The University of Minnesota," and complain. He wrote "Everyone's been crying, 'Keep up your spirits, and we will have a winning team bye and bye.' I say give us a winning team and our spirits will take care of themselves." (Froiland 13)

Everyone agreed that something had to be done and soon a meeting was called of all University of Minnesota students and faculty before the game with Madison Wisconsin. One of the University's professors presented a brilliant scientific thesis on fan support. He stated that the collective stimuli of several hundred students focused on sending positive energy in the team's direction would help the team win. The professor concluded with a rousing cry: "Go to Madison! Go to Madison! Apply the summation of stimuli!" (Froiland 13)

The game came and went, and the Gophers got killed 28-0. The cheer didn't work. It just didn't roll off of the tongue the right way. Something different had to be done to get the Gopher fans riled up. This is where Jack Campbell, a then first-year medical student, stepped in and he became the first ever cheerleader. "Someone needs to lead the yells with organized cheering," he explained. And there needed to be variety, not just "He's all right" and "They're all right." So, the next game, Campbell led the crowd in a cheer that marked history:

"Rah Rah Rah!
Ski-U-Mah Hoo-Rah
Hoo-Rah!
Varsity! Varsity!
Minn-e-so-tah!" (Fecteau 18)

Thus, cheerleading in the United States was born.

Cheerleading, believe it or not, was dominated by men in its early years. However, when large numbers of young men went off to fight in World War II, the tables turned. More than 90 percent of cheerleaders were female from that point on. (Fecteau 18)

The evolution of cheerleading to a sport, again led by The University of Minnesota, started in the 1920's with the inclusion of gymnastics and tumbling routines. This helped cheerleaders to 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 pon was introduced in the 1950's by Lawrence Herkimer. (Fecteau 22)

Herkimer has done so much for cheerleading in the United States. He founded the National Cheerleading Association at Southern Methodist University after the holding of the first and second cheerleading clinics in 1946 and 1947. He also taught at the first cheerleading camp at Sam Houston College. The first year fifty two girls attended and by the next year the size of the camp had grown to 350. Herkimer had no idea that he would end up with 20,000 girls attending cheerleading camp in the summertime. Herkimer also was the inventor of a very popular cheerleading jump which was named "the herkie" after him. (Villarreal 18)

FOr a full works cited to the information above, please see the website noted at the top of the article.



Top Ten Female First Names for Cheerleaders
  • Ashley
  • Brittany
  • Jennifer
  • Sarah
  • Jessica
  • Amanda/Nicole- Tie
  • Lauren
  • Megan
  • Kate(Katie)
  • Kristin


    Awesome Cheer Quotez

If basketball is so spectacular, why does it take cheerleaders to excite the crowd?

There are two types of people in this world: cheerleaders, and those who wish they were!

Any man can hold a girl's hand, but only the elite can hold her feet!

Peace, love & cheerleading. The rest is just details.

Eat. Sleep. Cheer. Repeat.

Cheerleaders: Expected to be LOUD!

Cheerleaders are simply a jump above the rest.

If you've got the game, we've got the cheer.

All women are created equal, then a few become cheerleaders.

You "let" us win like we "let" you lose!

I trade sweat for strength. I trade doubt for belief. I trade cheerleading for nothing.

Cheerleading isn't a hobby, it's an obsession.

I'm not a cheerleader. I'm an athletic supporter. (From an M&M's commercial, haha)

Live to cheer!

Athlete by nature, cheerleader by choice!

A good cheerleader is not measured by the height of her jumps but the span of her spirit.

It's not the glitz of the uniform that matters, but the spirit that shines within it.

Without a conductor there is no orchestra. Without Cheerleaders it's only a game.

* THE WORLD: (definition): An 8000 mile blue/green Show Pom with 2 billion strands all united at the center. PLAYERS: (definition): A vital part of any sports event, they entertain the crowd in the intervals between timeouts so that Cheerleaders can take a well earned break. CHEERLEADING COMPETITION: (definition): A sports event consisting entirely of 3 minute timeouts.

The spirit to win and the will to succeed are measured one stunt at a time.

Cheer-ability is a talent for deciding something quickly and getting everyone in the stadium doing it.

I don't just cheer. I inspire.

There is only one way to cheer - HARD!

Cheerleading- extending yourself!

Hold my Poms while i stunt with your BOYFRIEND!!

Remember...there is always a little girl in the stands that wants to be just like you, don't disappoint her.

Gotta yell, chant, flip, tumble, stunt, jump, scream- just gotta cheer!

Cheer 'Tude- You mess with me, you mess with the whole squad.

* Cheerleaders don't need wing to fly- thats what bases are for!

Simply because we do not run across goalines, slam dunk basketballs, or hit homeruns...doesn't mean we can't CHANGE THE SCORE!!!

I'm a crowd pleasing, cheer yelling, stunt building, short-skirt wearin', toe touching, hand clapping, big smilin', kick @$$ CHEERLEADER!

If cheerleading is so easy...why can't you pick up any girls?

Cheerleading isnt JUST a sport - it's an attitude.

Sometimes you gotta YELL, KICK and SCREAM to get what you want!

....and the SUNY New Paltz Hawks motto for the 2003-2004 season... "Born Yelling, kicking and screaming: Cheerleading just came naturally."


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