jueves, 25 de octubre de 2012

Sixth assignment: SPORTS


Hi!
Today I´m gonna talk about the sport that I practiced for 10 years: CHEERLEADING (Please, don´t think that this is the sport for blonde and silly girl cheerleading the football team from her High School). It´s much more than the typical movie showing this sport…
So, here I go. Cheerleading is a competitive physical sport that mixes jumps, cheers, dance, stunting (the famous “elevaciones”), tumbling. The idea is to present a 3 minute routine to amaze the audience. It sounds easy, but believe me: Cheerleader is not a simple sport.
Its origin is from USA, at Princeton University. A group of students shouting Cheerleading at the final of nineteen century and, at first, it was only for men. And the idea was cheerleading football games. Then, during the early decade of 1900s, mainly during World War Two, this sport began to admit women. Strange thing! But true.
In 1948, National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) was created. This is very important to me because I participate in this league during four years.  In the 1960s, cheerleading started organizing professional Championships.  At this time, Cheerleading was a whole and distinctive sport with its own clothes, accessories, sneakers, etc.
Today, cheerleading has many competitions and categories. A lot of different teams, signs, cheers, and new stunting are being created.
Prominent exponents, that’s difficult to say. I don´t know names, but I´m gonna tell about some great teams that I compete with during championships (from Chile): Javiera Carrera, Trewhela's, Tornado, UPAC, etc.
Why do I like this sport? Many reasons. It´s a complete sport, you can exercise all your body with music and gymnastics, you feel a part of a team (you suffer and sweat with it; you have a responsibility and commitment with a common goal), the adrenalin feeling before getting on the stage, the obstacles that you are going to overcome, etc.
Finally, I took part in this sport during ten years (you know that from the beginning). Actually, I´m still connected: I practice some days as a hobby with friends, I go to see them in their competitions (when I have the time) and, of course, if I get the chance to catch some cheerleading competition program during zapping, I stay and watch it.

4 comentarios:

  1. Go Cheer!! As a former cheerleader myself, congrats on choosing cheerleading! Everybody thinks that is for dumb blondes, but it's actually quite hard to get things right and you form a bond with your teammates that no other sport has. Cheerleading rocks!

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  2. I know you'd finally do it about Chearleaders!! :D i also enter to the cheer team when we're at schools, but because of certains problems, i quit and started basketball. but it was like a frustrated dream. now, i think it was my destiny xD i hope you can practice this once again, like in the university team!

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  3. I always liked cheerleading, I think it's very good excercise and very fun! I never practiced it because I never took the time to search where I could do it, but at alliaces of school I created choreographies with my friends :B

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  4. I didn't know that cheerleading began as a sport for men, I can't imagine men doing it xD

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