Cheerleading with the Gay Games Paris 2018

Cheerleading is a sporting event at the American base which gathers dance, acrobatics, gymnastics and song.

The cheerleading appeared fine 19th century around the years 1880 in the universities for men of the North–East of the United States.  Practised originally by white men, it was used to encourage the sporting teams of which those of footvball American. In order to avoid the aggressiveness and of the brawls, the players substitutes decided to launch encouragements and slogans since the benches of key, for the first time at the university of Princeton. A few years later, the principle is introduced at the university of Minnesota where is born the first “flaps sporting” in 1898 which will be made up of six cheerleders only male.

It is in 1903 that is born the first fraternity from cheerleaders, Gamma Sigma. The women will make their appearance in 1923 In 1934 there, the French club of female sport, Fémina Sport, understands a section of 64 “Girls”. After the foundation of the National Cheerleaders Association in 1948, one counted 52 women with the conference the following year in Texas where are created the first specific uniforms and the movement of dance (herkie of the name of the founder of the NCA) as well as the “Spirit Stick” (pilot stick). All the country adopts this new sport, rather female in the Sixties in the secondary schools. The pompom of vinyl will be added in 1965 and of the professional teams of pom– pom girls are created by the national league of football (NFL). For the first time in 1978, CBS presents a championship.

Although the women account for 97% of the cheerleaders, the men are present to carry out certain lifting figures requiring more force.

Nowadays, in the United States, one counts approximately 1.5 millionde cheerleaders only in division All–Star to which the million divisions specific to the schools is added. Link of the culture and the American sport, this activity extended to international of which Belgium, Germany, Australia, China, Colombia, France (the beginnings go back to the Eighties and the discipline federated by the FFFA (French federation of American football) received the approval of the ministry for Youth and the Sports in 2008), Japan, New Zealand, Canada or the Netherlands, which join together more than 100,000 cheerleaders.

This discipline was retained as of the first edition of the Gay Games in 1982 for what it represents in diversity without exclusiveness in age nor of sex (since March 2018, of the men were integrated starting with 2 dancers at Rams of Los Angeles into this date), but co–education exists since decades at the LGBT.

For the 10th edition of the Gay Games, the test of the cheerleading was held the 3rd day at the Charlety stage (13th) as of 10:00; it was possible to attend the heating before the demonstrations which proceeded as from 17:30. The cheerleading was part of the 36 disciplines represented with Gay Games 10, it gathered 130 participants in teams female, male or mixed, the only condition to be registered was to be cheerleader except Gay Games but any age limit. Each service of 1à 2mn 30 made it possible to be plunged in the environment of the American campuses.

After the splendid services, each member of the first three teams received a gold medal, of money or bronze.

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VERONIQUE YANG

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