Cheerleading

Cheerleading is an activity wherein the participants (referred to as "cheerleaders")

cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting
slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams,
to entertain the audience, or for competition. Competitive routines typically range
anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components
of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting.

Cheerleading originated in the United States, and remains predominantly in

America, with an estimated 1.5 million participants in all-star cheerleading. The
global presentation of cheerleading was led by the 1997 broadcast of ESPN's
International cheerleading competition, 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 globe in Australia, Canada, China,
Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan,[1] the Netherlands, New Zealand,
and the United Kingdom.[2]

History
Before organized cheerleading
Cheerleading began during the late 18th century with the rebellion of male
students.[3] After the American Revolutionary War, students experienced harsh
treatment from teachers. In response to faculty's abuse, college students violently
acted out. The undergraduates began to riot, burn down buildings located on their
college campuses, and assault faculty members. As a more subtle way to gain
independence, however, students invented and organized their own extracurricular
activities outside their professors' control. This brought about American sports,
beginning first with collegiate teams.[4]

In the 1860s, students from Great Britain began to cheer and chant in unison for
their favorite athletes at sporting events. Soon, that gesture of support crossed
overseas to America.[5]

On November 6, 1869, the United States witnessed its first intercollegiate

football game. It took place between Princeton and Rutgers University, and
marked the day the original "Sis Boom Rah!" cheer was shouted out by student
fans.[6][7]

Beginning of organized cheer

Organized cheerleading started as an all-male activity.[8] As early as
1877, Princeton University had a "Princeton Cheer", documented in the February
22, 1877, March 12, 1880, and November 4, 1881, issues of The Daily
Princetonian.[9][10][11] This cheer was yelled from the stands by students attending
games, as well as by the athletes themselves. The cheer, "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!
Tiger! S-s-s-t! Boom! A-h-h-h!" remains in use with slight modifications today,
where it is now referred to as the "Locomotive".[12]

Princeton class of 1882 graduate Thomas Peebles moved to Minnesota in 1884.

He transplanted the idea of organized crowds cheering at football games to
the University of Minnesota.[13][14] The term "Cheer Leader" had been used as early
as 1897, with Princeton's football officials having named three students as Cheer
Leaders: Thomas, Easton, and Guerin from Princeton's classes of 1897, 1898, and
1899, respectively, on October 26, 1897. These students would cheer for the team
also at football practices, and special cheering sections were designated in the
stands for the games themselves for both the home and visiting teams.[15][16]

It was not until 1898 that University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell
directed a crowd in cheering "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah!
Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!", making Campbell the very first
cheerleader.

November 2, 1898 is the official birth date of organized cheerleading. Soon after,
the University of Minnesota organized a "yell leader" squad of six male students,
who still use Campbell's original cheer today.[17] In 1903, the first
cheerleading fraternity, Gamma Sigma, was founded.[18]

s now referred to as the "Locomotive".[12]

Princeton class of 1882 graduate Thomas Peebles moved to Minnesota in 1884.

He transplanted the idea of organized crowds cheering at football games to
the University of Minnesota.[13][14] The term "Cheer Leader" had been used as early
as 1897, with Princeton's football officials having named three students as Cheer
Leaders: Thomas, Easton, and Guerin from Princeton's classes of 1897, 1898, and
1899, respectively, on October 26, 1897. These students would cheer for the team
also at football practices, and special cheering sections were designated in the
stands for the games themselves for both the home and visiting teams.[15][16]

It was not until 1898 that University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell
directed a crowd in cheering "Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah!
Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!", making Campbell the very first
cheerleader.

November 2, 1898 is the official birth date of organized cheerleading. Soon after,
the University of Minnesota organized a "yell leader" squad of six male students,
who still use Campbell's original cheer today.[17] In 1903, the first
cheerleading fraternity, Gamma Sigma, was founded.[18]

Cheerleaders at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1948

Female participation
In 1923, at the University of Minnesota, women were permitted to participate in
cheerleading.[6][19] However, it took time for other schools to follow. In the late
1920s, many school manuals and newspapers that were published still referred to
cheerleaders as "chap," "fellow," and "man".[20] Women cheerleaders were
overlooked until the 1940s. In the 1940s, collegiate men were drafted for World
War II, creating the opportunity for more women to make their way onto sporting
event sidelines.[21] As noted by Kieran Scott in Ultimate Cheerleading: "Girls really
took over for the first time."[22] An overview written on behalf of cheerleading in
1955 explained that in larger schools, "occasionally boys as well as girls are
included,", and in smaller schools, "boys can usually find their place in the athletic
program, and cheerleading is likely to remain solely a feminine
occupation."[23] During the 1950s, cheerleading in America also increased in
popularity. By the 1960s, some began to consider cheerleading a feminine
extracurricular for boys, and by the 1970s, girls primarily cheered at public school
games.[24]However, this did not stop its growth. Cheerleading could be found at
almost every school level across the country, even pee wee and youth leagues began
to appear.[25][26]

In 1975, it was estimated by a man named Randy Neil that over 500,000
students actively participated in American cheerleading from grade school to the
collegiate level. He also approximated that ninety-five percent of cheerleaders
within America were female.[27] Since 1973, cheerleaders have started to attend
female basketball and other all-female sports as well.[5]

As of 2005, overall statistics show around 97% of all modern cheerleading

participants are female, although at the collegiate level, cheerleading is co-ed with
about 50% of participants being male.[28]

Cheerleading firsts
In 1948, Lawrence "Herkie" Herkimer, of Dallas, Texas, a former cheerleader
at Southern Methodist University, formed the National Cheerleaders Association
(NCA) in order to hold clinics for cheerleading. In 1949, The NCA held its first clinic
in Huntsville, Texas, with 52 girls in attendance.[28] Herkimer contributed many
firsts to cheerleading: the founding of the Cheerleader & Danz Team cheerleading
uniform supply company, inventing the herkie jump (where one leg is bent
towards the ground as if kneeling and the other is out to the side as high as it will
stretch in toe-touch position),[29] and creating the "Spirit Stick".[18] By the 1960s,
college cheerleaders began hosting workshops across the nation, teaching
fundamental cheer skills to high-school-age girls. In 1965, Fred Gastoff invented
the vinyl pom-pom, which was introduced into competitions by the International
Cheerleading Foundation (ICF, 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 ICF in 1967. In 1978, America was introduced to competitive
cheerleading by the first broadcast of Collegiate Cheerleading
Championships on CBS.[17][18]

Professional cheerleading

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders(1983) performing in the USO show "America and Her
Music" on the deck of the nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser USS Bainbridge (CGN-25)

In the 1950s, the formation of professional cheerleading started. The first recorded
cheer squad in National Football League (NFL) history was for the Baltimore
Colts.[5][30] Professional cheerleaders put a new perspective on American
cheerleading. Women were selected for two reasons: visual sex appeal, and the
ability to dance. Women were exclusively chosen because men were the targeted
marketing group.[31]The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders soon gained the spotlight
with their revealing outfits and sophisticated dance moves, debuting in the
1972–1973 season, but were first widely seen in Super Bowl X (1976). These pro
squads of the 1970s established cheerleaders as "American icons of wholesome sex
appeal."[19] By 1981, a total of seventeen Nation Football League teams had their
own cheerleaders. The only teams without NFL cheerleaders at this time were New
Orleans, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Denver, Minnesota, Pittsburg, San
Francisco, and San Diego. Professional cheerleading eventually spread to soccer and
basketball teams as well.[31]

Advancements and traditions of cheerleading

 Cheerleading is a mainstream activity in U.S.[32] Picture shows U.S. Defense Secretaryposing
with U.S. Army cheerleaders, 2004.

The 1980s saw the beginning of modern cheerleading, adding difficult stunt
sequences and gymnastics into routines. All-star teams popped up, and with them,
the creation of the United States All-Star Federation (USASF). ESPN first
broadcast the National High School Cheerleading Competition nationwide in 1983.
Cheerleading organizations such as the American Association of Cheerleading
Coaches and Advisors (AACCA), founded in 1987, started applying universal safety
standards to decrease the number of injuries and prevent dangerous stunts,
pyramids, and tumbling passes from being included in the cheerleading
routines.[33] 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.[citation needed]

Even with its athletic and competitive development, cheerleading at the school level
has retained its ties to its spirit leading traditions. Cheerleaders are quite often seen
as ambassadors for their schools, and leaders among the student body. At the
college level, cheerleaders are often invited to help at university fundraisers and
events.[34]

Cheerleading is very closely associated with American football and basketball.

Sports such as association football (soccer), ice hockey, volleyball, baseball,
and wrestling will 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 a cheerleading team. Debuting in 2003, the "Marlin
Mermaids" gained national exposure, and have influenced other MLB teams to
develop their own cheer/dance squads.[citation needed]

Evolution
Competitive cheerleading is scored subjectively based on components including, but
not limited to, the cheer itself, dance/choreography, pyramids, stunting,
and tumbling. In order to prevent injuries, there are certain rules that cheerleading
teams have to follow according to their level (high school, all-star, or college).
According to the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine, there are two purposes of
cheerleading - to cheer on the sidelines for other athletes, and to be a "highly skilled
competing athlete."[35]

Along with this evolution to the sport's structure, there have been significant
advancements made to the typical cheerleading uniform. What began as the classic
sweater and mid-calf pleated skirt uniform has now come to incorporate materials
that allow for stretch and flexibility. Uniform changes are a result of the changing
culture from the 1930s to modern day.

Cheerleading may seem like a light-hearted activity to some, but injuries that can
come from practice or a competition can be severe if the athlete is not properly
trained. There have been many catastrophic injuries from cheer, especially from
tumbling and stunting. Because of the lack of studies on injuries in competitive
cheerleading, many injuries that happen could be avoided. Most studies in sports
medicine pertaining to cheerleading are focused on whether it is a sport or not.[3]

Types of teams in the United States today

 University of Memphis Cheerleaders performing a Co-ed double Cupie

School-sponsored
Most American middle schools, high schools, and colleges have organized
cheerleading squads. Many colleges offer cheerleading scholarships for students. A
cheerleading team may compete locally, regionally, or nationally, as well as cheer
for sporting events and encourage audience participation. Cheerleading is quickly
becoming a year-round activity, starting with tryouts during the spring semester
of the preceding school year. Teams may attend organized summer cheerleading
camps and practices to improve skills and create routines for competition.

Student cheerleaders compete with recreational-style routine at competitions

year-round. Teams practice intensely for competition and perform a routine no
longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Like other school-level athletes, teams
compete to win league titles, and move on to bigger competitions with the hopes
of reaching a national competition. The advantages to a school squad versus an
all-star squad is cheering at various sporting events.

The tryout process can sometimes take place over a multiple day period. The
cheerleading coach will arrange for a cheerleading clinic, during which basic
materials are taught or reviewed before the final day of tryouts. The clinic gives
returning cheerleaders and new cheerleaders an equal chance of becoming familiar
with the material. Skills that are necessary to be a cheerleader include jumps,
tumbling, motions, and dance ability. Tryouts often take place during the spring,
so that the coach has the squad chosen in time to attend summer camp as a
team.[citation needed]

Middle school

LaBelle Middle School cheerleaders displayed in the school cafeteria

Middle school cheerleading evolved shortly after high school squads were created. In
middle school, cheerleading squads serve the same purpose, and follow the same
rules as high school squads. Squads cheer for basketball teams, football teams, and
other sports teams in their school. Squads also perform at pep rallies and compete
against other local schools from the area. Cheerleading in middle school sometimes
can be a two-season activity: fall and winter. However, many middle school cheer
squads will go year-round like high school squads. Middle school cheerleaders use the
same cheerleading movements as their older counterparts, yet they perform less
extreme stunts. These stunts range from preps, thigh stands, and extensions, to
harder one-legged stunts.

High school
High school cheerleaders

In high school, there are usually two squads per school: varsity and a junior varsity.
High school cheerleading contains aspects of school spirit as well as competition.
These squads have become part of a year-round cycle. Starting with tryouts in the
spring, year-round practice, cheering on teams in the fall and winter, and
participating in cheerleading competitions. Most squads practice at least three days
a week for about two hours each practice during the summer. Many teams also
attend separate tumbling sessions outside of practice. During the school year,
cheerleading is usually practiced five- to six-days-a-week. During competition
season, it often becomes seven days with practice twice a day sometimes. The school
spirit aspect of cheerleading involves cheering, supporting, and "pumping up" the
crowd at football games, basketball games, and even at wrestling meets. Along with
this, they perform at pep rallies, and bring school spirit to other students. In May
2009, the National Federation of State High School Associations released the
results of their first true high school participation study. They estimated that the
number of high school cheerleaders from public high schools is around 394,700.[36]

There are different cheerleading organizations that put on competitions; some of

the major ones include state and regional competitions. Many high schools will often
host cheerleading competitions, bringing in IHSA judges. The regional competitions
are qualifiers for national competitions, such as the UCA (Universal Cheerleaders
Association) in Orlando, Florida every year.[37] The competition aspect of
cheerleading can be very enduring; styles and rules change every year, making it
important and difficult to find the newest and hottest routines.[38] Most teams
have a professional choreographer that choreographs their routine in order to
ensure they are not breaking rules or regulations. For a list of rules, visit AACCA
(American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators). All high school
coaches are required to attend an IHSA rules meeting at the beginning of the season.
This ensures their knowledge of changed rules and their compliance with these rules.

College

Collegiate cheerleaders for the University of Florida perform a high splits pyramid during
a Gatorscollege football game

Most American universities have a cheerleading squad to cheer for football,

basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Most college squads tend to be large coed although
in recent years; all-girl and small coed college squads have increased rapidly.

College squads perform more difficult stunts which include pyramids, as well as
flipping and twisting basket tosses.

Youth league/athletic association

Youth cheerleaders during a football halftime show. Youth cheer—high school ages and
younger—make up the vast majority of cheerleaders and cheer teams.

Organizations that sponsor youth cheer teams usually sponsor either youth
league footballor basketball teams as well. This allows for the two, under the same
sponsor, to be intermingled. Both teams have the same mascot name and the
cheerleaders will perform at their football or basketball games. Examples of such
sponsors include Pop Warner and Pasco Police Athletic League (PPAL).
The YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) is also a well-known sponsor for
youth cheerleading leagues.[39]

All-star
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During the early 1980s, cheerleading squads not associated with a school or sports
leagues, whose main objective was competition, began to emerge. The first
organization to call themselves all-stars and go to competitions were the Q94
Rockers from Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1982.[40] All-star teams competing
prior to 1987 were placed into the same divisions as teams that represented
schools and sports leagues. In 1986, the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA)
addressed this situation by creating a separate division for teams lacking a
sponsoring school or athletic association, calling it the All-Star Division and
debuting it at their 1987 competitions. As the popularity of this type of team grew,
more and more of them were formed, attending competitions sponsored by many
different organizations and companies, each using its own set of rules, regulations,
and divisions. This situation became a concern to gym owners because the
inconsistencies caused coaches to keep their routines in a constant state of flux,
detracting from time that could be better utilized for developing skills and
providing personal attention to their athletes. More importantly, because the
various companies were constantly vying for a competitive edge, safety standards
had become more and more lax. In some cases, unqualified coaches and
inexperienced squads were attempting dangerous stunts as a result of these
expanded sets of rules.[41]

The USASF was formed in 2003 by the competition companies to act as the
national governing body for all star cheerleading and to create a standard set of
rules and judging standards to be followed by all competitions sanctioned by the
Federation, ultimately leading to the Cheerleading Worlds. The USASF hosted the
first Cheerleading Worlds on April 24, 2004.[41] In 2009, the first All-Level
Worlds was held. It included teams from all levels, with each winner continuing to
the online championships, where teams from across the nation competed to win the
Worlds Title. At the same time, cheerleading coaches from all over the country
organized themselves for the same rule making purpose, calling themselves the
National All Star Cheerleading Coaches Congress (NACCC). In 2005, the NACCC
was absorbed by the USASF to become their rule making body.[40] In late 2006,
the USASF facilitated the creation of the International All-Star Federation (IASF).
 Competitive cheer - Paramount Cheerleaders doing a scale

As of 2012, all-star cheerleading as sanctioned by the USASF involves a squad of

6–36 females and/or males. The squad prepares year-round for many different
competition appearances, but they only actually perform for up to 2½ minutes
during their team's routines. The numbers of competitions a team participates in
varies from team to team, but generally, most teams tend to participate in eight
to twelve competitions a year. These competitions include locals, which are
normally taken place in school gymnasiums or local venues, nationals, hosted in big
venues all around the U.S. with national champions, and the Cheerleading Worlds,
taken place at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. During a competition routine, a
squad performs carefully choreographed stunting, tumbling, jumping, and dancing
to their own custom music. Teams create their routines to an eight-count system
and apply that to the music so that the team members execute the elements with
precise timing and synchronization.

There are many different organizations that host their own state and national
competitions. Some major companies include: Universal Spirit, AmeriCheer,
Cheersport, Planet Spirit, Eastern Cheer and Dance Association, and The JAM
Brands. This means that many gyms within the same area could be state and
national champions for the same year and never have competed against each other.
Currently, there is no system in place that awards only one state or national title.

Judges at the competition watch closely for illegal moves from the group or any
individual member. Here, an illegal move is something that is not allowed in that
division due to difficulty and/or safety restrictions. They look out for deductions, or
things that go wrong, such as a dropped stunt. They also look for touch downs in
tumbling for deductions. More generally, judges look at the difficulty and execution
of jumps, stunts and tumbling, synchronization, creativity, the sharpness of the
motions, showmanship, and overall routine execution.

All-star cheerleaders are placed into divisions, which are grouped based upon age,
size of the team, gender of participants, and ability level. The age levels vary from
under 4 year of age to 18 years and over. The divisions used by
the USASF/IASF are currently Tiny, Mini, Youth, Junior, Junior International,
Junior Coed, Senior, Senior Coed, Special Needs, and Open International. It
originally began with "all girl" teams and later co-ed teams began to gain
popularity. That being said, the all-girl squad remains the most prevalent.[42]

If a team places high enough at selected USASF/IASF sanctioned national

competitions, they could be included in the Cheerleading Worlds and compete
against teams from all over the world, as well as receive money for placing.[2] Each
team receives a bid from another cheerleading company and goes in the name of
that company. One must get a bid from a company in order to compete at the
Cheerleading Worlds. For example, a team could get a bid from Cheersport, and
they compete as a team representing that company. Cheerleading companies give
out three types of bids to go to Cheerleading Worlds, Full Paid Bid, Partial Bid, or
an Un-paid bid. The Cheerleading Worlds are only for teams that are level 5 and
up.

Professional

Each NFL team had one of their cheerleaders present at the 2006 Pro Bowl to represent their
team.

Professional cheerleaders and dancers cheer for sports such

as football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, or hockey. There are only a small
handful of professional cheerleading leagues around the world; some professional
leagues include the NBA Cheerleading League, the NFL Cheerleading League, the
CFL Cheerleading League, the MLS Cheerleading League, the MLB Cheerleading
League, and the NHL Ice Dancers. Although professional cheerleading leagues exist
in multiple countries, there are no Olympic teams.[43]
In addition to cheering at games and competing, professional cheerleaders also, as
teams, can often do a lot of philanthropy and charity
work, modeling, motivational speaking, television performances,
and advertising.[44][unreliable source?]

Associations, federations, and organizations

Cheerleaders associated with the Borregos Salvajes, called "Borreguitas" at the Monterrey
Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico City.

Americheer:[45] Americheer was founded in 1987 by Elizabeth Rossetti. It is the

parent company to Ameridance and Eastern Cheer and Dance Association. In
2005, Americheer became one of the founding members of the NLCC. This means
that Americheer events offer bids to The U.S. Finals: The Final Destination.
AmeriCheer InterNational Championship competition is held every March at
the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

International Cheer Union (ICU):[46] Established on April 26, 2004, the ICU is
recognized by the SportAccord as the world governing body of cheerleading and
the authority on all matters with relation to it. Including participation from its
105-member national federations reaching 3.5 million athletes globally, the ICU
continues to serve as the unified voice for those dedicated to cheerleading's positive
development around the world.

Following a positive vote by the SportAccord General Assembly on May 31, 2013,
in Saint Petersburg, the International Cheer Union (ICU) became SportAccord's
109th member, and SportAccord's 93rd international sports federation to join the
international sports family. In accordance with the SportAccord statutes, the ICU
is recognized as the world governing body of cheerleading and the authority on all
matters related to it.

As of the 2016–17 season, the ICU has introduced a Junior aged team (12-16)
to compete at the Cheerleading Worlds, because cheerleading is now in provisional
status to become a sport in the Olympics. For cheerleading to one day be in the
Olympics, there must be a junior and senior team that competes at the world
championships. The first junior cheerleading team that was selected to become the
junior national team was Eastside Middle School, located in Mount Washington
Kentucky and will represent the United States in the inaugural junior division at the
world championships.[47]

The ICU holds training seminars for judges and coaches, global events and the World
Cheerleading Championships. The ICU is also fully applied to the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) and is compliant under the code set by the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

International Federation of Cheerleading (IFC):[48] Established on July 5, 1998,

the International Federation of Cheerleading (IFC) is a non-profit federation based
in Tokyo, Japan, and is the world governing body of cheerleading. The IFC objectives
are to promote cheerleading worldwide, to spread knowledge of cheerleading, and
to develop friendly relations among the member associations and federations.

National Cheerleaders Association:[49] The NCA was founded in 1948 by Lawrence

Herkimer. Every year, the NCA hosts the NCA High School Cheerleading Nationals
and the NCA All-Star Cheerleading Nationals in Dallas, Texas. They also host the
NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida.

United Spirit Association:[50] In 1950, Robert Olmstead directed his first summer
training camp, and USA later sprouted from this. USA's focus is on the game day
experience as a way to enhance audience entertainment. This focus led to the first
American football half-time shows to reach adolescences from around the world
and expose them to American style cheerleading. USA has choreographed material
for professional and competitive cheerleaders alike. USA provides competitions for
cheerleading squads without prior qualifications needed in order to participate. The
organization also allows the opportunity for cheerleaders to become an
All-American, participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and partake
in London's New Year's Day Parade and other special events much like UCA and
NCA allow participants to do.

Universal Cheerleaders Association:[51] Universal Cheerleaders Association was

founded in 1974 by Jeff Webb. Since 1980, UCA has hosted the National High
School Cheerleading Championship in Walt Disney World Resort. They also host the
National All-Star Cheerleading Championship, and the College Cheerleading
National Championship at Walt Disney World Resort. To qualify for these events, all
teams must submit a video. All of these events air on ESPN.

Competitions and companies

Asian Thailand Cheerleading Invitational (ATCI):[52] Organised by the Cheerleading
Association of Thailand (CAT) in accordance with the rules and regulations of
the International Federation of Cheerleading (IFC). The ATCI is held every year
since 2009. At the ATCI, many teams from all over Thailand compete, joining them
are many invited neighbouring nations who also send cheer squads.

Cheerleading Asia International Open Championships (CAIOC): Hosted by the

Foundation of Japan Cheerleading Association (FJCA) in accordance with the rules
and regulations of the IFC. The CAIOC has been a yearly event since 2007. Every
year, many teams from all over Asia converge in Tokyo to compete.[53]

Cheerleading World Championships (CWC):[54] Organised by the IFC. The IFC is a

non-profit organisation founded in 1998 and based in Tokyo, Japan. The CWC has
been held every two years since 2001, and to date, the competition has been held
in Japan, the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, and Hong Kong. The 6th CWC
was held at the Hong Kong Coliseum on November 26–27, 2011.[55]

ICU World Championships:[56] The International Cheer Union currently

encompasses 105 National Federations from countries across the globe. Every year,
the ICU host the World Cheerleading Championship. Unlike the USASF Worlds, this
competition uses Level 6/ Collegiate style rules. Countries assemble and send only
one team to represent them.

National Cheerleading Championships (NCC):[57] The NCC is the annual

IFC-sanctioned national cheerleading competition in Indonesia organised by the
Indonesian Cheerleading Community (ICC).[58] Since NCC 2010, the event is now
open to international competition, representing a significant step forward for the
ICC. Teams from many countries such as Japan, Thailand, the Philippines,
and Singapore participated in the ground breaking event.

The competition floor at Final Destination

NLCC Final Destination:[59] Nation's Leading Cheer Companies is a multi brand

company, partnered with other companies such as: Americheer/Ameridance,
American Cheer & Dance Academy, Eastern Cheer & Dance Association, and Spirit
Unlimited. Every year, starting in 2006, the NLCC hosts The US Finals: The Final
Destination of Cheerleading and Dance. Every team that attends must qualify and
receive a bid at a partner company's competition. In May 2008, the NLCC and The
JAM Brands announced a partnership to produce The U.S. Finals - Final
Destination. There are nine Final Destination locations across the country. After the
regional events, videos of all the teams that competed are sent to a new panel of
judges and rescored to rank teams against those against whom they may never
have had a chance to compete.

Pan-American Cheerleading Championships (PCC):[60] The PCC was held for the
first time in 2009 in the city of Latacunga, Ecuador and is the continental
championship organised by the Pan-American Federation of Cheerleading (PFC).
The PFC, operating under the umbrella of the IFC, is the non-profit continental
body of cheerleading whose aim it is to promote and develop cheerleading in the
Americas. The PCC is a biennial event, and was held for the second time in Lima,
Peru, in November 2010.
The JAM Brands:[61] The JAM Brands, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky,
provides products and services for the cheerleading and dance industry. It is made
up of approximately 12 different brands that produce everything from
competitions to camps to uniforms to merchandise and apparel. JAMfest, the
original brand of The JAM Brands, has been around since 1996 and was founded
by Aaron Flaker and Emmitt Tyler. Dan Kessler has since become a co-owner of The
JAM Brands along with Flaker and Tyler.

USASF/IASF Worlds:[62][63] Many United States cheerleading organizations form

and register the not-for-profit entity the United States All Star
Federation (USASF) and also the International All Star Federation (IASF) to
support international club cheerleading and the World Cheerleading Club
Championships. The first World Cheerleading Championships, or Cheerleading
Worlds, were hosted by the USASF/IASF at the Walt Disney World Resort and
taped for an ESPN global broadcast in 2004. This competition is only for
All-Star/Club cheer. Only levels Junior 5, Senior 5, Senior Open 5, International
5, International Open 5, International 6, and International Open 6 may attend.
Teams must receive a bid from a partner company to attend.

Varsity:[64] Partnered with the UCA, Varsity created the National High School
Cheerleading Championship in 1980. Varsity All-Star owns or partners with many
of the largest cheerleading events in the country.

Title IX sports status

There is a large debate on whether or not cheerleading should be considered a sport
for Title IX (a portion of the United States Education Amendments of 1972
forbidding discrimination under any education program on the basis of sex)
purposes. Supporters consider cheerleading, as a whole, a sport, citing the heavy use
of athletic talents[65][66] while critics see it as a physical activity because a "sport"
implies a competition among all squads and not all squads compete, along with
subjectivity of competitions where—as with gymnastics, diving, and figure
skating—scores are assessed based on human judgment and not an objective goal
or measurement of time.[67][68][69]

On January 27, 2009, in a lawsuit involving an accidental injury sustained during

a cheerleading practice, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that cheerleading is
a full-contact sportin that state, not allowing any participants to be sued for
accidental injury.[70][71] In contrast, on July 21, 2010, in a lawsuit involving
whether college cheerleading qualified as a sport for purposes of Title IX, a federal
court, citing a current lack of program development and organization, ruled that
it is not a sport at all.[72]

Dangers of cheerleading
Cheerleading carries the highest rate of catastrophic injuries in sports.[73] The risks
of cheerleading were highlighted when Kristi Yamaoka, a cheerleader for Southern
Illinois University, suffered a fractured vertebra when she hit her head after falling
from a human pyramid.[74][75] She also suffered from a concussion, and a bruised
lung.[76] 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.[76] The fall gained "national
attention",[76] because Yamaoka continued to perform from a stretcher as she was
moved away from the game.[76] Yamaoka has since made a full recovery.[citation
needed]

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.[77] 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. [77]
Another major cheerleading accident was the death of Lauren Chang. Chang died
on April 14, 2008 after competing in a competition where her teammate had
kicked her so hard in the chest that her lungs collapsed.[78]

Of the United States' 2.9 million female high school athletes, only 3% are
cheerleaders, yet cheerleading accounts for nearly 65% of all catastrophic
injuries in girls' high school athletics.[79] The NCAA does not recognize cheerleading
as a collegiate 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.[citation needed] Another study found that between 1982 and
2007, there were 103 fatal, disabling, or serious injuries recorded among female
high school athletes, with the vast majority (67) occurring in cheerleading.[80]

In the early 2000s, cheerleading was considered[by whom?] 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 flyer (the person on top),
along with one or two bases (the people on the bottom), and one or two spotters
in the front and back on the bottom. The most common cheerleading related injury
is a concussion. 96% of those concussions are stunt related.[73] Others injuries are:
sprained ankles, sprained wrists, back injuries, head injuries (sometimes
concussions), broken arms, elbow injuries, knee injuries, broken noses, and broken
collarbones.[81][82] Sometimes, however, injuries can be as serious as whiplash,
broken necks, broken vertebrae, and death.[citation needed]

The journal Pediatrics has reportedly said 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, and that in 2001, there were
25,000 hospital visits reported for cheerleading injuries dealing with the shoulder,
ankle, head, and neck.[83] Meanwhile, in the USA, cheerleading accounted for
65.1% of all major physical injuries to high school females, and to 66.7% of major
injuries to college students due to physical activity from 1982 to 2007, with
22,900 minors being admitted to hospital with cheerleading-related injuries in
2002.[84][85]
In October 2009, the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors
(AACCA), a subsidiary of Varsity Brands, released a study that analyzed the data
from emergency room visits of all high school athletes. The study asserted that
contrary to many perceptions, cheerleading injuries are in line with female
sports.[86]

Cheerleading (for both girls and boys) was one of the sports studied in the Pediatric
Injury Prevention, Education and Research Program of the Colorado School of
Public Health in 2009/10–2012/13.[87] Data on cheerleading injuries is included
in the report for 2012–13.[88]