Sabrina Orta

ISM- Period 7
International Cheer Union. "History of Cheerleading." The Recognized World Governing Body of
Cheerleading:. International Cheer Union, 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

First 25 years of cheerleading was considered to be male-only and deemed yell-leaders.

Cheer originated about the same time as rugby, football, and basketball (1890s).
The past time was borne out of a college football game that, assisted by yell- leaders,
broke a 3-game losing streak with the team winning 11-6.
Women came to be at the forefront of cheerleading around the 1940s as men students
went to fight in WWII.
Advanced skills such as dances, tumbling, and stunts began to be used around the 1920s
to encourage crowd participation.
The University of Oregon was the first college to begin to use flashcards which later
became known as signs for crowd encouragement.
In 1948, SMU graduate, Lawrence Herkimer was asked to conduct a cheerleading clinic
for the first time at what is now Sam Houston State University (but at the time it was
known as Sam Houston State Teachers College).
Herkimer went on to introduce the Herbie jump, spirit sticks, and shakeroos- now
known as pom pons.
By the 1960s, almost every high school and college had a cheerleading squad.
In 1961, Herkimer founded the National Cheerleaders Association to conduct clinics and
camps to the exponentially growing youth cheer community.
The Universal Cheerleaders Association was founded by NCAs ex- manager and VP, Jeff
Webb, in order to foster partner stunts and pyramid specializations.
Advanced skills had begun a complete takeover of most of Southern and Central United
States.
In 1975, UCA combined cheerleading with music to create the first ever cheerleading
routine.
UCA began to host the National Cheerleading Championships on ESPN in 1982
The AACCA (American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators) was
created to enforce and establish safety regulations and rules within the sport.
Around 1990s- All-Star programs formed on a non-school basis began to emerge as
more participants were introduced to the sport.
In 2004, USASF/IASF hosted their first Worlds Competition at Walt Disney World in
Orlando,,,,, Florida.
This source was very helpful in my understanding of how cheerleading began, and gave
me new insights that I would like to use in my presentation.