Schwartz, Heather E. Cheerleading.

Schwartz, Heather E.  Cheerleading.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)  2012 104p      $34.10  978-1-4205-0818-5  series: Science Behind Sports  ms/hs  VG-BN

                    

Cheerleading offers an unique view of the sport.  It begins with a discussion on whether or not cheerleading is a sport and continues with a historical summary of its development, from the mid-nineteenth century practice of young men yelling from the sidelines to the intricate and complex routines that occur in today’s performances.  The book is divided into chapters covering the transformation of cheerleading into its present form, the chants and cheers, the dance moves, tumbling and jumping, stunts and pyramids, related troubles and treatments, and the psychology of cheerleading.  Each chapter explores specific aspects of the sport and discusses the ways that the human body changes in response to the stresses placed upon it by the cheers and other physical activities.  It describes how the body responds to training through consistent conditioning and development of muscle memory and what the part played by physics in the creation of new moves and stunts.  The book examines both the positives and the negatives that can arise from a cheerleading program.  The informative text includes many first-person accounts and is greatly enhanced by the full-color photographs and sidebar tidbits.  It ends with source notes, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index.     

By combining sports with science, this series has found a way to engage youngsters in learning about the physical-science concepts involved in playing each sport, as well as the physical training and psychological ramifications arising from participation.   

Cheerleading                                                --Susan Ogintz