Cheerleading.org is an informational resource from Varsity BrandsHomeWelcome to Cheerleading.org, an online resource for cheerleaders and cheer coaches. Cheerleading is an incredible activity that combines leadership, athleticism, and entertainment, and millions of teens are passionate about it. Just like any other athletic activity, cheerleading fosters teamwork, dedication, and life skills that will prepare its participants for the challenges of adult life. But because of its unique leadership characteristics, cheerleaders get the added benefits of practicing communication skills, poise, crowd management as leaders at their schools.Today’s cheerleaders are athletes, scholars, and leaders. Ninety percent of cheerleaders are “B” students or better, 98.5% plan on going to college, and over half participate in other non athletic extra-curricular activities. Over half of all cheer teams participate in community charity events, 40% of cheerleaders participate in school sport outside of cheerleading, and many hold leadership positions in their class and in clubs at school.You’ll find everything and anything you’ll need to know about cheerleading and being a cheerleader or cheer coach right here:Cheerleading UniformsCheerleading OrganizationsCheerleading CampsCheerleading VideosCheerleading CompetitionsCheerleading ResourcesThe History of CheerleadingCheerleading’s roots are closely tied to American football’s. The first intercollegiate game was played in 1869, between Princeton University and Rutgers University in New Jersey, and by the 1880s, Princeton had formed an all-male pep club. A graduate of Princeton, Thomas Peebles, took the Princeton cheers to the University of Minnesota, where football and fight songs were becoming very popular. In 1898, U of M was on a losing streak, and a medical student named Johnny Campbell assembled a group to energize the team and the crowd. Johnny picked up a megaphone and rallied the team to victory with the first organized cheer: “Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-U-Mah! Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Minn-e-so-tah!Cheerleading grew from there. It wasn’t until 1923 that women were allowed to cheer for the first time, at the University of Minnesota. During this decade, cheerleaders added tumbling and acrobatics to their routines, and a University of Oregon cheerleader used flashcards for the first time. Although women were joining teams in the ‘20s, it wasn’t until the ‘40s that they joined in large numbers, since so many college-aged men went off to fight in World War II.In 1948, Southern Methodist University cheerleader Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer held the first summer cheerleading clinic at Sam Houston State Teacher’s College (now State University), and went on to develop his signature “Herkie” jump, the spirit stick and the pom pon, all cheerleading staples to this day. In 1961, he incorporated the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA).By the 1960s, cheerleading could be found in virtually