When Cheerleading Went From All-Male to Mostly Female

How Cheerleading Started As A Men's Activity:

Most people today think of cheerleading as something mainly done by women, but this was not always the case. When cheerleading first began in the late 1800s, only men were allowed to participate. The activity started at Ivy League colleges during football games. 

In 1898, a University of Minnesota student named Johnny Campbell became the first official cheerleader when he led organized cheers from the sidelines. Soon after, other schools created their own all-male cheerleading teams, often called "yell leaders" or "yell squads."

The Year Women First Joined:

Women were first permitted to join cheerleading teams in 1923 at the University of Minnesota. This was a big step forward, but it took many years for other schools to follow this example. Throughout the late 1920s, most schools still thought of cheerleading as a men's activity. 

School newspapers and manuals from that time continued to refer to cheerleaders using words like "man," "fellow," and "chap." Many people believed that women did not belong on the sidelines leading cheers.

World War II Changed Everything:

The real shift happened in the 1940s during World War II. When the United States entered the war in 1941, many college-aged men left school to serve in the military. This created a gap on cheerleading squads across the country. Women stepped up to fill these empty positions, and for the first time, they became the majority of cheerleaders. 

According to cheerleading historians, "Girls really took over for the first time" during this period. By the end of the 1940s, most cheerleading squads were made up of women, and the activity had become strongly associated with female participation.

How Cheerleading Changed With Women:

As women became the main cheerleaders, the activity itself started to change. Female cheerleaders began adding more gymnastics, tumbling, and dance moves to their routines. The outfits also changed from baggy sweaters to more fitted uniforms. By the 1950s, about 95 percent of all cheerleaders were women. 

The activity became more focused on entertainment and athletic performance. Professional cheerleading also started during this time, with the Baltimore Colts creating the first NFL cheerleading squad in the 1950s.

Looking Back At The Transformation:

The history of cheerleading shows how much American culture changed in just a few decades. What started as an all-male activity in 1898 became almost entirely female by the 1960s. Today, cheerleading includes people of all genders and is recognized as a serious athletic activity requiring strength, coordination, and teamwork. 

While the University of Minnesota allowed women to join in 1923, it was really World War II that opened the door for women to take over cheerleading and make it their own.