Cheerleading

Cheerleading (of English cheer, cheer ' and to lead, lead ', so literally " [ the audience ] lead to Cheers ") is a sport which consists of elements of gymnastics, acrobatics, dance and cheers from.

The primary task of the cheerleader is to cheer on their own sports team at sporting events and competitions, and to animate the audience. Typical sports where cheerleading occur, basketball and American football. But in wrestling, hockey and many other sports, the number of cheerleading groups is growing ( Squads ).

In addition, Cheerleading can also be operated as an independent competitive sport. Throughout the year, will be held cheerleading championships at national and international level for the organized squads. After a fixed set of rules, the squads ( appearance ) must be within an approximately 3-minute routine certain mandatory elements present, which are then rated by judges on the difficulty and execution. Most squads consistently work out the championships and see it now their main task.

History

The first cheerleading teams came from the U.S., where it began on November 2, 1898 in a playoff between the teams of the University of Minnesota and Northwestern University in American football with organized cheering from the audience. There were only men to find a cheerleader. Only in the course of time it developed that women were admitted. Since the 1980s, cheerleading is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. There are currently about 400 German Cheerleader teams. The first known cheerleading team in Germany were the cheerleaders of the Dusseldorf Panthers.

In Germany, the cheerleading sport, regardless of which sport is gecheert about the Cheerleader Association Germany ( managing editor ) within the American Football Association of Germany ( AFVD ) organized. European Competitions will be conducted by the European Cheerleading Association ( ECA), the world governing body, the International Federation of Cheerleading (IFC ). Since 2007, in addition to the AFVD (member of the German Olympic Sports Confederation ( DOSB) ) a further association with sole representative, as the Cheerleader and Cheer Dance Association of Germany ( CCVD ) was founded as an alternative association.

Age classification

Within the cheerleading there are three age divisions:

• Peewees: CvD to 12 years / CCVD up to 12 years
• Juniors: CvD 12 to 16 years / CCVD 12 to 17 years
• Seniors: CvD aged 16 / 14 years CCVD

Where to championships CvD the 20 percent rule applies. That is, start 20% of participants in a team for a year longer than expected in their age group or rather " high back " just a year may ( exemption ). For some time, there is no longer the rule so therefore the age ranges were expanded.

Categories

In the age groups of Peewee, Juniors and Seniors Germany, the following categories are distinguished in official championships of the cheerleaders association:

• Peewee Cheer (a group of 8-25 girls and boys, it is gecheert, gestuntet and tumbled )
• Peewee Dance
• Junior All- Girl Cheer ( the An incoming team consists of 8 to 25 girls, it is gecheert, gestuntet and tumbled )
• Junior Coed Cheer (at least one member of the team is male, up to 25 members, otherwise known as All Girl )
• Junior Dance (here, no stunts or chants are shown, but only dance elements )
• Senior All- Girl Cheer
• Senior Coed Cheer
• Senior Dance
• Stunt Group (a group of five female cheerleaders stuntet one minute without pause)
• Coed Stunt Group (a group consisting of five cheerleaders, including at least one female and up to four male subjects the stuntet one minute without pause)
• Partner Stunt ( a male and a female cheerleader Stunten one minute without pause)
• Freestyle Dance
• Theme Dance

For championships that are hosted by the Cheerleading and Cheerdance Association Germany, the dance categories are further subdivided into jazz, hip hop and pom- Dance, Dance also is offered in Peewee area. In open championships, such as the German Cheer Masters or Elite Beach Cup, Other Classes are often offered, such as Individual, Double Synchro Dance or Hardest Group Stunt.

Cheerleading elements

Motions

Motions are certain arm movements that are critical for power and strength of the cheerleader. These find application in Cheers, Chants, stunts and dances.

Chants

Under a Chant is meant a chant with matching mimic and gestural underline the statements. Chants can be spontaneously used by the cheerleading team as accentuation throughout the game. They are usually repeated three times.

Cheers

Cheers are, like chants, combinations of words and movements, but take longer. They are only presented during the official stoppage in play and after the game. They will not be repeated. The Cheer is a dance that you vortanzt especially at events.

Stunts

A stunt called a lifting figure that consists of at least two people. The number of people involved can rise to up to five. The group is then referred to as the Group Stunt. Such a Stunt Group consists of:

The use of multiple stunts in a larger overall picture, this is referred to as a pyramid. The number of people involved is unlimited here. Pyramids can be built up to four body lengths high. The "pillars" of the pyramid or the stunts form the bases that lift other people. The top people are called Top / flyer or high- flyer. If the pyramid three or more body lengths are, the " average " people are called middleware layer.

Basket Toss

If a flyer thrown up into the air, where it accounts for a certain movement (comparable with jumps ), it is called Basket Toss, or shortly Basket. The two bases of the Basket Group enclose this her wrists so that forms a kind of basket. The flyer rises into with his feet and is thrown up into the air. On a Basket Toss 4 or 5 people are involved; Movements are, inter alia, Somersault, Back Tuck, Toe Touch, Pike, Kick-twist/doubble/doubble x Twist -out lay-out and much more.

Jumps

Jumps, jumps in German, can be installed in Cheers, but also in dances. They are expressing joy and are therefore often performed, for example, if the team scores. There are jumps such as the Toe -touch, in which bends the legs at right angles from the upper body and spreads his arms and holds parallel. Other jumps are: Pike, Tuck, Double Nine, Double Hook, Spread Eagle, Herkey, Hurdler, Around the World (combination of Toe Touch and Pike ), etc.

Jumps are special jumps that require a lot of practice and depending on the difficulty with which to championships different scores can be achieved.

Dance

Dance, dance in German, is an important part of cheerleading and part of it to every gig or at any routine. Dancing takes place not exclusively by the ladies. The men dance with, but the men wear either skirts nor have they pompoms. In many cheerleading teams are already special dance teams have emerged that are dedicated exclusively to the dance. These teams will compete in a separate category on championships. The Cheer Dance is a dance direction for itself, since the movements are clear and harder than in most other dance styles. You must finally be recognized from a distant audience. In addition, we also occurs with jumps in Cheer Dance.

Spotters are individuals who secure a stunt. You may be from the team appearing to come (internal) or additional persons be that would not otherwise participate in the program (external). External Spotter may not, in contrast to internal spotters not actively intervene or contribute to the appearance. The main task of the spotter is to catch falling cheerleader during the collapse of a pyramid or mitigate the fall in order to avoid injury.

Tumbling

Under Tumbling refers to all elements of gymnastics floor, such as handstands, back handspring, ( stretched ) somersault, cartwheel, Radwende, handspring, etc. These can be shown also during the entire choreography. Often gymnastics tumble, while the rest of the team builds a pyramid.

Props ( props )

Props are called the tools that can be used during their performance, the cheerleaders. Best known are the so-called pom-poms that are often colloquially referred to as " pompom ". Also, flags, signs, Pappmegaphone and many other props can be seen in a cheerleading performance.