Cheerleading is a sport that involves short routines combining dance, gymnastics and stunting. “The roots of cheerleading are closely linked to those of American football” (Varsity). The sport began as a way to boost school spirit, which helped improve the team's performance. Over time, cheerleading became an All-Star sport in its own right (EpicSports). Cheerleading originated in an 1869 football game between Princeton University and Rutgers University, when students helped to heckle the crowd. In the late 1880s, Princeton established an all-male cheer club (Varsity). Princeton grad Thomas Peebles cheered at the University of Minnesota and pitched the idea of ​​singing in front of a crowd of spectators (EpicSports). Football and fight songs were becoming extremely popular. At the University of Minnesota, a medical student named Johnny Campbell formed a group to energize both the team and the crowd to give them more confidence (Varsity). He led an organized cheer at a football game between Princeton and the University of Minnesota; as a result, many consider him the first true "Cheerleader" (EpicSports). “Johnny took a megaphone and rallied the team to victory with the first organized cheers: 'Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-U-Mah! Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! University! University! Minn-e-so-tah!' (University). While it didn't change their luck during the game, it created a lasting trend and an entirely new sport. From there, cheerleading continued to grow in sophistication and popularity. It wasn't until the 1920s that women were allowed to join cheerleading at the University of Minnesota. “And that’s because there weren’t a lot of intercollegiate sports available to them at the time,” which is why the university let them in as compensation for the lack of sports...... middle of paper ......lub, an extreme sport highlighting the talent of men and women of all ages. Practice is the most important aspect of cheerleading. Many teams practice almost every day of the week for two to three hours to create the perfect routine. These competitive teams train for countless hours to perform a two-minute, thirty-second routine filled with high-flying stunts, powerful tumbling and impressive teamwork. In many sports, athletes have plenty of time to redeem themselves if they struggle to achieve victory; However, the athletes' cheerleaders only have two minutes and thirty seconds to show the judges what they've got. School cheerleading is very different from competitive cheerleading. Those who represent their high school or college cheer on the athletes to win. Those who cheer competitively are part of the team working for victory..