PITTSBURG, Kan. — Anyone who has attended any high school sporting event has seen these athletes perform. They hype up the fans and keep the energy levels up. They perform dance routines and lead motivational chants, all in support of their fellow athletes who are competing on the field, the court, the track, or the mat.
The Pittsburg High School Cheer Team is preparing for a busy upcoming season and this week is out in the community seeking support for new cheer uniforms, new cheer mats, pompons, and opportunities to train at summer cheer camps. Any resident or business is welcome to contribute.
For a $100 sponsorship, the team will display an individual or business name on the team banner; for a $50 sponsorship, the name will be printed on the back of the Junior Cheer Camp t-shirts. The team will also accept gift certificates, merchandise, services, and other items that can be used in a fundraising raffle.
Any donation directly benefits the team, providing them with equipment, training, and experience to have a successful season. Investing in them continues a long tradition of spirit, excellence, and leadership.
The PHS Cheer Team continues a longstanding tradition. Cheerleading has been around since the 1860s when students and fans began doing organized chants during London soccer games and spread to the U.S. Ivy League universities in the 1880s. In 1898, Jonny Campbell grabbed a megaphone at the University of Michigan and led the crowd in a synchronized cheer and cemented himself as the “first cheerleader.”
In those early days, cheerleading was a male-dominated sport — Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Franklin Roosevelt were cheerleaders during their college years. Closer to home, the late Jack Overman, earned a reputation and Pittsburg State’s and Pittsburg most enthusiastic cheerleader. During the 1920s, women began participating on cheer squads, but it was during World War II that the sport became dominated by women as the men were drafted to fight.
It has remained a female-dominated sport since.
The teams work on and off the field. When not actually cheering at a game, they are at work organizing pep rallies and decorating the lockers of other student athletes. They act as ambassadors for the school and are leaders among the students, all while practicing and perfecting routines for Friday night’s football game, wrestling match, volleyball tournament, or basketball game.
For more information, contact Amy Huebner at ahuebner@usd250.org or call 620-704-1995. Make checks payable to PHS Cheer Booster.
This reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/Localnews
