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
