Cheerleading began at American colleges in the late 1800s, when male students organized crowd yells to support their football teams. Over the 20th century it grew into a sideline tradition led increasingly by women, then added gymnastics, stunts, camps and competitions. Today it is a demanding athletic activity with school, college and all star teams, standardized safety rules, world championships and full recognition of its international federation by the International Olympic Committee since 2021. Its story is one of steady change from crowd leading to competitive sport.
Cheerleading timeline
| Period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1880s | Organized crowd yells appear at college football games, including at Princeton |
| 1898 | Johnny Campbell leads the crowd at the University of Minnesota, often called the first organized cheerleader |
| 1920s to 1940s | Women join cheer squads in growing numbers, especially during World War II |
| 1948 | Lawrence Herkimer founds the National Cheerleaders Association |
| 1960s | Vinyl pom-poms become common and cheer camps spread |
| 1970s | Professional sideline squads gain national attention; Varsity Spirit is founded |
| 1980s | Televised national competitions help popularize competitive cheer |
| 2000s | USASF is founded for all star cheer and the International Cheer Union is formed |
| 2016 to 2021 | The ICU receives provisional, then full, IOC recognition |
The early years: crowd yells and male leaders
In the late 19th century, American college students began chanting organized yells at football games. Princeton is often cited as an early example, with students leading cheers from the stands in the 1880s. The idea of a dedicated person leading the crowd is usually traced to 1898, when University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell stood in front of the crowd and directed a cheer. Minnesota soon formed a group of yell leaders, and the idea spread to other colleges.
For decades, cheerleading was almost entirely male and was seen as a prestigious campus role. Yell leaders used megaphones, organized chants and helped create school traditions that still exist at many universities.
Women join and the sideline tradition grows
Women began joining cheer squads in the 1920s, and their numbers grew through the following decades. During World War II, when many college men were away serving, women took on a much larger role, and by the second half of the century cheerleading was widely associated with women. Squads added gymnastics, tumbling and dance elements, and cheerleaders became a central part of school spirit at high schools as well as colleges.
Camps, companies and pom-poms
In 1948, Lawrence Herkimer, a former cheerleader at Southern Methodist University, founded the National Cheerleaders Association and began running cheer clinics and camps. The herkie jump is named after him. Camps helped standardize skills and spread them nationwide. In the 1960s, vinyl pom-poms, whose invention is often credited to Fred Gastoff, replaced fragile paper versions, and cheer uniforms and supplies became a growing industry. In 1974, Jeff Webb founded Varsity Spirit, which became one of the largest cheer companies, running camps, competitions and uniform sales.
Professional squads and pop culture
In the 1970s, professional football cheerleading squads became highly visible, with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders among the best known. These squads focused more on dance and entertainment than on stunting. At the same time, films and television increasingly featured cheerleaders, shaping public perceptions of the activity, often in ways that overlooked its athletic side.
The rise of competitive cheer
From the late 1970s and especially the 1980s, organized cheer competitions grew rapidly. National championships for high school and college teams were broadcast on television, bringing difficult stunts, pyramids and tumbling to a wide audience. Competitive cheer shifted the focus from supporting other teams to performing judged routines.
All star cheer, in which private gyms field teams purely for competition, expanded in the 1990s and 2000s. The U.S. All Star Federation, founded in 2003, created level systems and safety rules for all star teams. The International Cheer Union, formed in 2004, organizes international competition, including world championships.
Safety rules and modern governance
As skills became more difficult, concerns about injuries led to stricter safety rules. Organizations now set levels that control which stunts and tumbling skills are allowed, require spotters and matting, and certify coaches. School cheer in many US states follows the NFHS Spirit Rules, while all star programs follow USASF rules. These rulebooks are updated regularly to reflect new skills and research on injury prevention.
Recognition as a sport
Whether cheerleading counts as a sport has long been debated, partly because sideline cheer and competitive cheer are quite different. Some US state associations now sanction competitive cheer as a sport, and college formats such as acrobatics and tumbling and STUNT have been developed with standardized competition structures. Internationally, the IOC granted provisional recognition to the International Cheer Union in 2016 and full recognition in 2021, although cheer has not been added to the Olympic program.
How cheerleading changed over time
| Era | Main focus | Typical skills |
|---|---|---|
| Late 1800s to 1920s | Crowd leading | Yells, megaphones, simple chants |
| 1930s to 1960s | School spirit and sideline tradition | Chants, motions, jumps, basic gymnastics |
| 1970s to 1980s | Spirit plus early competition | Pyramids, stunts, pom routines |
| 1990s to today | Competitive athletic sport | Advanced stunts, tosses, elite tumbling |
Uniforms and equipment through the decades
Cheer uniforms have changed as much as the skills. Early male yell leaders often wore sweaters with a large school letter, trousers and sometimes carried megaphones. As women joined, long skirts and letter sweaters became standard, and uniforms gradually became shorter and more flexible to allow jumps and tumbling. Modern uniforms use stretch fabrics designed for stunting, with shells, skirts and liners built for movement. Equipment evolved too, from paper shakers and megaphones to vinyl poms, signs, spring floors and specialized cheer shoes with finger grips for stunting.
Cheerleading around the world
Although cheerleading began in the United States, it has spread worldwide. Teams now train and compete in countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, Oceania and Africa, and many have national federations affiliated with the International Cheer Union. International competitions bring together national teams in divisions for all girl, coed and other formats. In some countries, cheer developed through American sports influence, while in others it grew through gymnastics clubs and school programs.
How to explore cheer history yourself
- Check your school’s archives. Yearbooks and old photos often show how your squad’s uniforms and traditions changed.
- Talk to alumni. Former cheerleaders can explain how practices, skills and rules differed in their day.
- Watch older competition footage. Comparing routines across decades shows how skills have evolved.
- Read rulebook updates. Changes in safety rules reveal how the sport responded to new skills and risks.
- Visit official organization sites. Governing bodies often publish historical overviews.
Common misconceptions about cheer history
- That cheerleading was always a women’s activity, when it began with men.
- That cheer is only about sideline chants, when competitive cheer has existed for decades.
- That all cheer teams are the same, when school, college, all star and pro squads have different goals.
- That safety rules have always existed, when many were developed as skills became more difficult.
Frequently asked questions
Who was the first cheerleader?
Johnny Campbell, a University of Minnesota student who led a crowd cheer in 1898, is often credited as the first organized cheerleader.
When did women start cheerleading?
Women began joining cheer squads in the 1920s, and their participation grew significantly during and after World War II.
Is cheerleading in the Olympics?
Not currently. The International Cheer Union received full IOC recognition in 2021, but cheer has not been added to the Olympic program.
