Believe it or not, the first cheerleader in the nation’s history was a man. On November 2, 1898, collegiate student Jack Campbell of the University of Minnesota led a desperate cheer during a football game. Apparently, he leaped from the bleachers and started cheering for the Golden Gophers.

His team lost that game. However, his spirit carried on in the formation of the cheerleading tradition. It was only until 1941 that women supplanted men in the sport as most able-bodied men served in World War II. Still, in today’s predominately female world of cheerleading, fifty percent of all collegiate cheerleaders are male.

In contrast, male cheerleading is less popular on a high school level than it is on a collegiate level. In Topeka, only Topeka High and Washburn Rural have males incorporated into their cheerleading squads. Dylan Vansickle, a junior at Topeka High, is one of them.

“I’m one of the four yell leaders,” Vansickle said. He suggested some reasons for this lack of yell-leadership. “It was traditionally a girl’s sport. Most guys are scared and think they’ll be judged with the whole homosexual stereotype, scared to be around girls, and are intimidated by the status of the cheerleaders.”

He relates his own experience, saying, “Me and my friends were just gonna’ try out as a joke, and I was the only one that showed up. I was actually the ringleader, quite the prankster ‘round town, but I liked doing it.”

University of Kansas cheerleading coach Corey Stone, who cheered on KU’s squad from 1993-1997, attributed the low number of high school yell leaders to the sports-experience.

“I think there are less guys cheering in high school mainly because most of the athletic guys are already playing high school sports, so they don’t have time to also cheer,” Stone said. “Many of our guys didn’t cheer in high school, and almost all of them played high school sports such as football, gymnastics, diving, track, etc. Since they didn’t play those sports in college, they wanted to get involved in something else, so they started cheering.”

Still, the different environments of high school and college contribute to the willingness of male high-schoolers to try-out.

“I think yell leading on a collegiate level is looked upon as a sport of strength, but that same attitude isn’t found at the high school level,” TW cheerleading coach Mrs. Volland said.

“It was awkward at first,” Volland said. “Then after summer camp and having our new yell leaders work with the college yell leaders, we learned how to use them to enhance our cheerleading program.”

It has been a long time since yell leaders were seen in Chargerland. Among the social and athletic- factors, cheerleading stereotypes are the main detriments of yell leading’s popularity.

“You hear all these stereotypes of cheerleaders being stupid or gay,” Vansickle said. “About those stereotypes - I’d say [yell leading] actually helps you with talking to girls because you’re around them all the time. It gives you the mindset to treat them with respect. Also, I’m in debate and honors classes, so I’m not completely stupid.”

So, what does it take to be a yell or cheer leader? As it is for girls and guys, cheerleading is not a sissy-sport; rather, it is a demanding activity that requires physical fitness and good character from male and female participants alike.

“Cheerleading tryouts have been open to yell leaders since we first had yell leaders in 1998. I am cautious about adding males to the cheerleading squad though,” said Volland. “I think it takes the right intentions, the right attitude, and of course, strength, in order to benefit an all-girl cheerleading squad.”

“Since not that many guys try out for most squads, it’s not that hard to make the cheer squad as a guy,” Stone explained. “So from that perspective, I suppose it’s not that demanding. But it is demanding to be a highly skilled yell leader because that requires them to be a good tumbler, a good stunter (“stunting” is when a girl is held in the air), and be strong. Although there’s lots of technique involved in stunting, being big and strong helps a lot, whereas most good guy tumblers aren’t that big.”

Yell leaders are also challenged to balance grace with brawny movements and are vulnerable to injury as they would be in any other sport.

“I’d like to see you try and do a backflip or go throw a 120-pound girl over your head, by her feet!” Vansickle said. “People lift weights and stuff, but it takes skill and practice. There’s a lot of injury involved in it: guys especially get beat up and girls fall, with broken tail bones. Last time, I broke my jaw and was on an all-liquid-diet!”

What makes cheerleading different from typical sports is the opportunity to play on a gender-diversified team with training that spans longer than most sports.

“Coed cheerleading is truly unique in that it’s one of the only “sports” where males and females are working together on the same team, and that results in a fun chemistry within the squad that you won’t get in other sports,” Stone noted.

“You develop a sense of respect and care for the girls,” Vansickle stated. “And people work so hard just to go to one competition. Football players can lose a game, but they still have the rest of the season. Cheerleaders can lose nationals, and it’s over!”

Volland describes practice as part of a unique and rigorous training experience.

“While football, basketball, and all of the other sports have a 10 - 15 week season with off-season conditioning, cheerleading goes from April to March the following year with basically one month off during the summer,” Volland said. “We look at our cheerleading ‘year’ as having three seasons to complete. It takes a lot of discipline and dedication to belong to the cheerleading squad as well as good grades!

Rightfully, the benefits of cheerleading go far beyond fitness.

“[Yell leading] challenged me as a person,” Vansickle said. “It’s great for college. Talking with the girls is definitely a plus, but you get the mindset to treat them with respect. I don’t care or hardly even notice toughing the girls’ butts and stuff - it’s just part of the sport and the fundamentals of it!”

There is also personal enjoyment other sports just cannot provide.

“To put it simply, it’s just a lot of fun!” Stone said. “I cheered on the KU squad from 1993-1997, and I’m still friends with the people I cheered with. Your squad becomes your family.”

Vansickle also points out the reward within the competition.

“It takes lots of experience,” he said. “But nationals is the most exhilarating three minutes ever - our routines are just insane, and you don’t have time to take a break!”