Cheerleading Essay: Sport Or Dance

 

Cheerleading EssayThe popularity of cheerleading is increasing rapidly in recent years. This new direction is interesting for the people of different ages, first of all for children and teenagers. The organizers of the sport and cultural events want to see dynamic and vivid dances of the girls in bright costumes as part of their program. TV channels invite cheerleaders to take part in the programs or in video recording with the artists. So in this cheerleading essay we will tell you what the word “cheerleading” means, and also who and what for goes in for this kind of sport.

Magnificent kind of sport – cheerleading

Cheerleading is a kind of sport that combines both, elements of a show and spectator sports (such as dances, gymnastics and acrobatics).

Cheerleading is a bright kind of sport, in which sportsmen support each other and unite the fans and supporters of a team regulating their emotions.

With the help of cheerleading you may organize children’s leisure time and also make interesting sport events and competitions.

The main terms of cheerleading

Cheerleading is a kind of sport that combines elements of gymnastics, acrobatics, choreography and basic cheerleading moves.

Cheerleaders are sportsmen girls and boys, who go in for cheerleading.

Stunt is a figure in which one person is raised or thrown upward.

Pyramid is several connected stunts.

Spotters are very important people for making stunts and pyramids, they are responsible for the safety during the performance of complex elements, they secure flyers.

Flyers are sportsmen who form the upper parts of the pyramids and the stunts.

Base consists of the sportsmen who are the ground (basis) of the pyramids and the stunts, they support, throw and catch the flyers.

Cheer is the catchy chants addressed to the team and spectators.

Chants are yells that the spectators repeat after cheerleaders for several times.

Cheer-dance is a short dance of a cheerleading program composed of the basic cheerleading moves.

Who made it up?

American students. The most popular girls of a school, college or university are honored to become a member of a cheerleading team, which before basketball, baseball or soccer matches, where the teams of their educational establishment play, encourages players and fans. However, in the very beginning cheerleading was a task of odd players, who while sitting on a bench were supporting their fellows with pom-poms made of plastic bags. Today cheerleading is popular not only in the USA, but also in many countries of Europe. In Japan cheerleading is a part of a curriculum. There are World cheerleading championship and European cheerleading championship. Probably it will become one of the Olympic sports soon.

How to start cheerleading training

Cheerleading is a popular kind of sport that promotes a healthy lifestyle and positive relationships among people, such as kindness, mutual help, understanding and trust. Cheerleaders come to the playgrounds to create the atmosphere of beauty and attractiveness. Cheerleading teams can perform on their own cheerleading competitions and participate as a supportive team in other sports competitions.

Beginning cheerleaders should start their training with learning the basic rules of Cheerleading Code of Conduct that are the same and obligatory for all cheerleaders in Europe and world. Here are some of the code rules:

  • Always show respect and be polite towards the coaches of other teams, cheerleaders and fans.
  • Remember about the discipline responsibility not only during but also after the competitions.
  • Do not criticize the coaches of other teams, cheerleaders and fans in public.
  • Do not use rude and offensive language (profanity).
  • Strive to be humble when winning and good when losing.

Support team

It only seems that cheerleaders just fill gaps in sport matches. In fact their main task is to encourage the players of their favourite team, and also to get rid of fans’ aggression and give them optimism.

For this purpose cheerleaders:

wave their shining pom-poms to attract the spectators’ attention;

clasp their hands over the head (holding pom-poms of course) to show the fans an example;

dance, striking the imagination of the spectators with difficult acrobatics;

chant yells and chants addressing to the fans to support the team;

shout chants to raise fighting spirit of the sportsmen;

inform the spectators about the match news with the help of different posters and pictures.

Sport or dance

Cheerleading consists of two directions, they are Cheer and Dance.

Cheer is pyramids, acrobatics, jumps, ringing and clear chants, pom-poms and amazing dynamics.

Dance is beautiful dancing moves, unusual choreography, splits, live energy.

Cheerleading sport component

Cheerleading appeared in the United States in the 1870s and gained most widespread by the middle of the XX century.

Cheerleading can be divided in two main directions:

  1. Team competition program, prepared in accordance with special rules;
  2. Work with sport teams, clubs, federations to perform the following tasks:
    • spectators (fans) attraction to the stadiums and playgrounds in order to promote physical education and sports, healthy lifestyle;
    • creation of a favorable moral and psychological climate in the stadium, reducing aggressive mood of the fans, creation of an atmosphere of “positive fanaticism” and fans’ emotions control;
    • support of the players that participate in match;
    • activation and a variety of advertising and branding work at sporting events

International Federation of Cheerleading

International Federation of Cheerleading was established in 1998, in which except the countries-members of European association was accepted Japan. In 2001 in Tokyo was held the first World Cheerleading Championship.

Countries-members of the IFC: Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Great Britain, Hungary, Venezuela, Germany, Hong Kong (China), Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, the USA, Thailand, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, the Philippines, Finland, France, Montenegro, Chile, Sweden, Ecuador, South Africa, Japan.

Cheerleading equipment

There are certain rules of the cheerleading costumes.

Classic suit – it is a short skirt or shorts that do not disturb to move freely and a vest or a top made of non-slip material and without any loose and detachable parts.

Shoes – light and comfortable sneakers.

Required cheerleading attribute is bright and fluffy pom-poms.

How to create cheerleading program

According to the cheerleading rules the program should include certain required elements: stunts, pyramids, jumps, acrobatic elements, chants and cheer-dances. All this, especially cheer-dances, should be made on the basic hand positions. All the required elements can be used in the program in random order.

Now let’s discuss in details most typical for cheerleading elements (comparing with other sports), these are stunts, pyramids and chants.

Stunts and pyramids. When cheerleaders have already learnt the technique of the basic moves, they can start learning more difficult elements, such as stunts and pyramids.

The main danger is injuries and trauma, so it is extremely to know the prevention of accidents!

One of the simplest stunts is a “stand on the hip”.

There are more difficult stunts and pyramids, technique of which can be learnt by enhanced training under the guidance of cheerleading coach.

Chants. To make the chant trainings more interesting and diverse you can make a chants contest.

Competitions

Cheerleading is separate independent sport. The competitions on cheerleading are held on European and world level. Cheerleading championships are held in several categories:

Cheer is the elements of sport gymnastics and acrobatics, pyramids construction and dancing moves accompanied by the sonorous chants.

Cheer-dance is sports dances with elements of gymnastics, with plasticity, good choreography and grace, amazing synchronous moves.

Cheer-mix is performance of mixed teams (women and men).

Partner stunts.

Perspective

A child can star going in for cheerleading trainings when he / she is 9 years old. You will have to train 2-3 times a week for 2 hours during the academic year. Cheerleading team compete on local level and then the winners participate in international competitions.

Not only sportsmen need cheerleaders, but show business as well. Cheerleaders are often invited to different TV broadcasts and shows.

So as you can see this cheerleading is a sport essay proves that cheerleading is not only sport but dance as well. If you want to share your thoughts on this issue, visit our website. Also if you face problems in essay writing we are ready to help you. All you need is to contact our team.