Cheerleading is a physical activity and sometimes a competitive sport based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate in competitions. An estimated 1.5 million participants in all-star cheerleading. The growing presentation of cheerleading as a sport to a global audience has been led by the 1997 start of broadcasts of cheerleading competition by ESPN International and the worldwide release of the 2000 film Bring it On. Due in part to this recent exposure, there are now an estimated 100,000 participants scattered around the rest of the world in countries including Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan,the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. A cheerleader is a person who leads a group of people at a sport event or acedemic assembly. Normally trying to get the crowd going.
The most basic terms of cheerleading include "mounting", "climbing", and "stunting." All of these are used to describe what are known as forming "pyramids." The components of a pyramid include the "base" and "climber." Just like on any sports team, each "player" holds a certain position. Bases are the individuals who hold or support the stunts. These cheerleaders must have a lot of strength and coordination. Climbers are the individuals who go up in the stunt, the people on top. Climbers require a lot of balance and flexibility as well as coordination. Bases and climbers are dependent on each other. Without one, the other does not exist. It is highly important that both individuals trust in each other's abilities as well as in their own, because having confidence can be the difference between a stunt working or failing. When a stunt fails, severe injuries can occur. Of course, different stunts require higher levels of skill and some have higher degrees of difficulty. Generally, cheerleaders learn stunting at the high school level, unless they only begin to cheer in college. The "full elevator" and "half elevator" are two of the first stunts that will be taught. The half elevator consists of four cheerleaders. Two bases hold the feet of one climber and the last base supports her ankles. This stunt remains at the shoulder level. The bases do not extend their arms. In a full elevator, the setup is consistent with the half elevator, with the exception that the bases extend their arms and the climber stands an arm's length above their heads. The elevators are an extremely important part of cheering building because other stunts develop from them. A squad, or cheering team, must first perfect these stunts before they can try more difficult ones.
When a squad is ready to advance, they may attempt several other stunts. Logically, the next stunt is the "free liberty." In this stunt once again the climber is an arm's length above the heads of three bases. Instead of being in a standing position, all her weight is balanced on one leg and the other is bent at a ninety degree angle. The main base holds the foot directly, while one supports the base's wrists and the other has one hand on the climber's ankle and the other on the arch of her foot. This stunt requires a lot of concentration and balance. The next level of difficulty is the "heel stretch." This stunt is exactly like the free liberty with the exception that once the climber feels steady she grabs the arch of her foot and extends her leg. Although the bases have to be very steady, the stunt is basically left in the hands of the climber. Not only must the climber be very flexible, she must have a high degree of balance. Sometimes a cheerleader can perform these things on the ground, but standing on solid ground is much different than standing on two hands in the air. The next level of difficulty would probably include an "arabesque." An arabesque consists of the same number of cheerleaders doing the same things, but now the climber extends her leg out to her back and leans forward. To keep her balance the cheerleader will lift her torso and make an attempt not to point her toe. When a climber points her toe all of her weight is shifted from her heel to the front of her body, generally causing a fall. However, if a climber places her weight on her heel, bases can support her ankle and heel more easily, maintaining better balance in the stunt. Balance is one of the most important aspects of cheering. It is easy to say that a squad advances only as its ability to balance progresses. One of the most difficult stunts to balance is the "scorpion." The name probably comes from the desert insect, because the shape of the body resembles a scorpion when it is about to attack. No matter how much balance a climber has, she may not be able to do a scorpion because of the high degree of flexibility needed in her lower back and spine. In this stunt, the climber takes her leg and bends it back to bring it over her head. Sound difficult? A scorpion is both difficult to perform and to hold. This stunt puts a great deal of stress on the bases. The climber is constantly shaking and moving, trying to gain and maintain her balance, and it is the responsibility of the bases to stay steady.
