Physics of cheerleading
The physics of cheerleading combines athleticism with principles of motion and balance, creating a unique blend of art and science. Cheerleaders engage in choreographed routines that often include stunts, tumbling, and dance, all of which require a deep understanding of physical dynamics. Key concepts such as symmetry, center of mass, and rotation are crucial for executing stunts safely and effectively. For instance, during a stunt, cheerleaders must maintain an even distribution of weight to ensure balance, particularly when functioning as bases supporting a flyer. Awareness of gravity and Newton's Third Law plays a significant role in movements like jumps and flips, where precise force application is essential. The history of cheerleading reflects its evolution from simple cheers to complex routines that emphasize technical skill, particularly in competitive contexts. As cheerleading continues to grow globally, it remains an inclusive activity, with participation spanning diverse genders and communities. Understanding the physics involved not only enhances performance but also underscores the rigorous discipline required in the sport.
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Physics of cheerleading
Summary: Cheerleading demonstrates and depends on an understanding of gravity and other forces.
Cheerleading is an activity that can be considered both recreation and a competitive sport, depending on the context. It typically consists of choreographed routines that require energy, discipline, and stamina, and may include chants, dance, tumbling, and other physical stunts. Cheerleaders make what they do look easy when, in reality, the underlying mathematics, such as symmetry, sequences, and physics, helps them to conquer gravity and fly. In 2008, the show Time Warp on the Discovery Channel analyzed the physics of cheerleading and gymnastics using slow-motion cameras.
History
In 1898, University of Minnesota football student Jack “Johnny” Campbell became the first person to lead football fans in cheers, using a megaphone, which had been invented by Thomas Edison in 1878, in order to spur his school’s football team to victory. This cheering gave rise to organized cheerleading. Women joined the sport in the 1920s, bringing an opportunity to add gymnastics and throws to the cheerleading repertoire. Showmanship and pom poms were later added to the sport. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders’ skimpy outfits in the 1970s changed the outward appearance of cheerleaders, while the 1980s brought the pursuit of more technical stunt sequences. In the new millennium, the Bring It On movies highlight the sport’s challenges as well as its technical aspects. Although college squads are currently about 50% male, youth cheerleading is predominantly female. Cheerleaders are now found all around the world.
The Physics of Cheerleading
Cheerleaders are focused on center of mass and axes of rotation in order to maintain balance and complete pivots, jumps, and flips. Focusing on symmetry not only helps both their formations and individual poses have a more appealing look but also keeps them focused on maintaining an equal distribution of weight when they act as “bases” for a “climber” or “flyer. “
Cheerleaders need a firm grasp of gravity and the physics involved in their work, including Newton’s Third Law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For example, in a “full extension,” the climber pushes off the two bases’ shoulders and pulls up with his or her own shoulders to bear some the weight. The two bases move into a “chest prep” with their knees locked, their arms extended and locked, holding the climber’s feet at chest level; the climber is now referred to as a flyer. The back person, or “spotter,” will often be used as an additional holder to both hold some of the flyer’s weight as well as to solidify the overall hold.
As the bases bend their knees, preparing to exert upward force in order to toss the flyer, each base’s arms hold half the flyer’s weight—uneven distribution of weight is seen when the bases’ hips are uneven, exhibiting a loss of symmetry. The bases will extend their knees, letting go of the flyer’s feet, to give the flyer upward force; the flyer lands exerting greater force on the way down, so the bases bend their knees and lock hands to cushion the catch. If the bases have not evenly distributed the weight, or have exerted unequal amounts of force, the flyer will not go straight up and the bases will need to move to catch the flyer.
In preparing to execute a flip, the cheerleader bends his or her knees to exert the upward force. To execute, the cheerleader needs to stay tight, keep the axis of rotation steady, point the feet, and land lightly, snapping together to a final pose to stop his or her momentum. The cheerleader’s angular speed can change by changing the distance of mass to the axis of rotation; the cheerleader gets momentum from the push off as well as from reducing the distance from mass to axis of rotation by tucking the body in as he or she rises from the ground.
Bibliography
Lesko, Nancy. “We’re Leading America: The Changing Organization and Form of High School Cheerleading.” Theory and Research in Social Education 16, no. 4 (1988).
Pennington, Bill. “As Cheerleaders Soar Higher, So Does the Danger.” New York Times (March 31, 2007). http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/31/sports/31cheerleader.html?‗r=1&ref=cheerleaders.
Physics of Cheerleading. http://thephysicsofcheerleading.homestead.com.