Stand Up and Cheer for the History of Cheerleading

Cheerleading is a fascinating sport, and one that many men and women thoroughly enjoy. This unique spot has a fascinating history all its own, and one that is well worth exploring.

Cheerleading in the United States dates back to the late 19th century, but this early version was quite different from what we know today. Back in the 1880’s cheerleading consisted mainly of asking the crowd to encourage the athletes with a series of special cheers. It was not until a few years later when a Princeton graduate by the name of Thomas Peebles first came up with the idea of organized cheering at games.

And it was not until the waning days of the century that Johnny Campbell, a University of Minnesota student, became the first cheerleader by leading the crowd in a group cheer. The year was 1898 and Mr. Campbell had unknowingly become the first in a long line of cheerleaders.

Organized cheerleading squads soon followed, but many people will be surprised to learn that these early cheerleaders were nearly exclusively male. It was not until the 1920s that women began to participate in cheerleading in large numbers. With the introduction of female cheerleaders came new advances in the sport, including the introduction of the gymnastic and tumbling routines we know today.

The history of cheerleading organizations is even shorter, dating back only to 1948. It was in 1948 that a man by the name of Lawrence Herkimer founded the National Cheerleaders Association, or NCA. Mr. Herkimer had been a cheerleader at the Southern Methodist University and he was interested in a way to hold cheerleading clinics for up and coming participants in the sport.

These cheerleading clinics quickly caught on, and by the 1960’s there were many workshops around the country. These workshops were designed to teach the tumbling, gymnasatic moves and overall enthusiasm that high school students, college students and others would need to succeed in this increasingly popular endeavor.

By the middle of the decade the first pom-poms made had made their debut in some of the many cheerleading competitions held throughout the country, and men and women from across the nation were competing to be named among the top cheerleaders in their region.

The appeal of these cheerleading competitions continued to grow, and by 1978 competitive cheerleading made its television debut when CBS broadcast the Collegiate Cheerleading Championships. Cheerleading competitions continue to be broadcast on a number of sports programs, and they are very popular with many viewers.