cheerleaders

Cheerleaders are young men and women at the high school or collegiate level, who perform synchronized, athletic moves during sporting events, primarily football and basketball. Most cheerleaders have tumbling and/or gymnastic skills. Their duty is to entertain the spectators and motivate the home team towards victory. The first American cheerleader was a student at the University of Minnesota named Johnny Campbell, and as of November 2, 2008, cheerleading was 110 years old.

Besides game cheering, organized cheering competitions have risen in popularity and are governed by the United States All Star Federation (USASF). In the 1960s and ‘70s professional sports teams (mainly the NFL) began to organize cheer squads. In 1976, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders gained national attention during the airing of Super Bowl X with their professional dance moves and provocative uniforms.

Although the symbolism of cheerleading is that of the fresh-faced, all American good girl (or boy), the typical connotation of cheerleader in the high school realm has typically been that of the elite of teen social hierarchy. Depictions in television and movies are often of vapid or scheming young women who engage in petty rivalries and join a cheer squad for the vanity factor instead of community good-will.

by Mary K. Williams Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “cheerleaders”

• Josh Freeman Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB WINS! (VIDEO)

  
  Bitten and Bound — Authority: 657
  Josh Freeman was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round (17th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.  He started his first professional game at home on Sunday, November 8th, and pulled off a win against the Green Bay Packers. It was the team’s first win this year, putting them at 1-7.  With losses in ...
  3 hours ago

• Brent Sutter Prepares Flames To Run The Gauntlet

  
  The Hockey Writers — Authority: 603
  The Gauntlet As Wikipedia notes: Running the gauntlet (originally gantlet , and, rarely, gantlope or gantelope ) is a form of physical punishment wherein a man is compelled to run between two rows — a gauntlet — of soldiers who strike him as he passes. Redskins Clinton Portis Runs The Gauntlet Of ...
  1 day ago

• Soccer Babes – Mexican Primera Apertura Round 15 Cheerleaders / Porristas

  
  Football Fashion — Authority: 482
  There was midweek Mexican Apertura league action last night. That means it’s once again time for is our extremely popular look at the Mexican Primera cheerleaders. As usual, we’ve got a ton of them for your viewing pleasure again.Check this space every Monday for more of these chicas. If we run into more of [...]
  1 day ago

• The Dolphins may have lost a tough one to the Saints…

  
  The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog — Authority: 576
  …but this pic makes it all okay.
  1 day ago

• Cheerleader of the week!

  
  THE BELGIUM FREE PRESS — Authority: 131
  Ive seen chicks with six packs like this......but never outside a strip club. GO PONIES!
  1 day ago

• Its Important To Support Your Team.

  
  JackRabbit Caf — Authority: 433
  Go TEAM! [IMG: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_LFiUi_kP5kU/SvTLoXotL-I/AAAAAAAAHeU/Vm5vVqUvIC0/s400/dancers_header2009_team800356.jpg]
  2 days ago

• Sports pic of the day

  
  Guyism sports — Authority: 137
  I’ve seen chicks with six packs before… (Granted, most of them were in poorly lit strip clubs, but that’s neither here nor there) but never one as confident as this chick. Well done young lady.  We here at Guyism applaud you.
  2 days ago

• Localization Gone Wrong -- Cheerleaders in Saris!

  
  Asylum India — Authority: 140
  Filed under: Sex , Women , Games The IPL was a rage in its premier season. For cricketing and non-cricketing reasons. While cricket fanatics could not get enough of the new explosive batting format, cricket haters tuned in to watch Dr. Vijay Mallya parade his scantily dressed ... Read more   Permalink  |  ...
  2 days ago

• HOO BOY…

  
  With Leather - Sports news and gossip, panda sex, and the occasional Toonces the driving cat Photoshop — Authority: 684
  This is the “Mance Team” from West Forsyth high school…and I know I should have some snarky comment cued up about how all these guys are just orphans that were molested by the clergy before they were raised out in the woods by a pack of wild cockatoos before they were thrust into the high school scene to show ...
  3 days ago

• Mark your calendars for the USA Science and Engineering Festival!

  
  Science Cheerleader — Authority: 130
  Come meet the Science Cheerleader team, see professional cheerleaders-turned-scientists and engineers as they dance and cheer on science, and get your hands dirty doing science with ScienceForCitizens.net activities! At the USA Science and Engineering Festival Festival Dates: 10/10/10 - 10/24/10 Expo on the ...
  3 days ago

• Since When Did Black Face Become Acceptable?

  
  The Insanity Report — Authority: 133
  Another Halloween passed, another idiot white person who thought darkening their skin to be a black person would be a good Halloween costume.  How many times do we have to go over this?  It’s as if white people have developed Alzheimer’s disease and forget every Halloween that it is not okay to dress up as [...]
  3 days ago

• Racebaiter Wet Dream Of The Day

  
  Black & Right — Authority: 588
  A few years ago, a controversial movie came out about two black FBI agents who went undercover as two white chicks . It was “controversial” but not declared racist. However, when a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader goes to a Halloween party as a rapper, all hell breaks loose…. When are people going to learn ...
  4 days ago

• Sprint Federal’s “Thank the Troops & First Responders” Launch Event

  
  Cheerleading USA — Authority: 118
    The USA Cheerleaders attended the Sprint Federal Thank the Troops & First Responders Launch Event & Luke’s Wings Fundraiser in Washington DC at the Sprint Store at 18th Street. The USA Cheerleaders also attended the After Party at Public for a fundraiser for Luke’s Wings. Luke’s Wings is an ...
  4 days ago

• Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader: Lil Wayne Blackface (Photos & Video)

  
  RightFielders Women in Sports — Authority: 133
  Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Lil’ Wayne Blackface Halloween costume pictures leaked online. Uh oh. In hindsight, I’m sure Whitney Isleib wishes they never got posted on the web. Check out the photos and video here! For Whitney Isleib, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, her Lil Wayne Blackface Halloween costume pics ...
  4 days ago

• Boise State Cheerleading Seems Like a Playful Bunch

  
  http://UnCoached.com — Authority: 675
  Now here’s what I like about Boise State Cheerleading .   And I admit it’s a very subtle thing.  Most of the cheerleaders I tend to post on this site do a lot of off the field activities that I well…..like to exploit.  But not with the Boise bunch.  For whatever reason, these girls seems to enjoy messing ...
  4 days ago

• Dakota Fanning active girl

  
  Chrissy Fitness — Authority: 116
  Dakota Fanning as pale-skinned, red-eyed, Jane in the upcoming New Moon from the Twilight series. "I thought I was pale before I did the movie, but I realized that Im not!" Dakota said of the white face powder she wore as makeup. Home schooled for most of her childhood, the young actress decided to join a private ...
  4 days ago

• Oprah turns Ali Wentworth into Dallas Cowboys cheerleader

  
  The Dishing Diva — Authority: 130
  Oprah Winfrey made comic Ali Wentworth’s dream come true by turning her into a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Wentworth shook her pop poms after squeezing herself into the famed dance group’s tight uniform. Wentworth became the first non-cheerleader to perform in the uniform as she danced with them on Oprah’s ...
  5 days ago

• Vote Early, Vote Often for Illini Cheerleader

  
  The Sports Bank.Net — Authority: 514
  By Paul M. Banks Although this isn’t “an election year,” there are a couple key congressional and gubernatorial elections today. Here’s another place to cast your ballot today. The Illini obviously won’t make a bowl game this year, but they could win another prize. I’ll let the Illinois Sports Information ...
  5 days ago

• The Chargers cheerleaders dress up for the occasion

  
  The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog — Authority: 576
  Looks like the girls are still dressed up from the night before… Bonus pic after the jump…
  5 days ago

• Is It Time To Turn In Your Fan Card?

  
  The Sports Bank.Net — Authority: 514
  By H. Jose Bosch Leave it to the Redskins to not even play a game and still garner hatred. Maybe the bye week gave the fans an idea of what a Sunday with good football looks like. Or maybe people just had a lot more time on their hands. Regardless, yesterday morning a new movement was set into motion that will ...
  5 days ago

Comments about cheerleaders