Cheerleading, an American invention with roots in the institutions of sport and education, has become a staple in American culture, and the cheerleader is a nationally recognized symbol, invested with both positive and negative cultural values. The cheerleader is an icon, an instantly recognized symbol of youthful prestige, attractiveness, leadership, and popularity. Equally recognized is the cheerleader as symbol of mindless enthusiasm, shallow boosterism, and objectified sexuality. How the cheerleader came to represent both is explored in this extensively documented book spanning the history of cheerleading. Issues include the social context of the institutionalization and adult control of cheerleading; the changing patterns of social class, age, race, and gender of participants; the development of cheerleading in professional sports in the early 1960s and its relation to mass media entertainment and advertising; the evolution of its style and content; and the meanings, values, and symbolism associated with cheerleading in American culture.