Old Cheerleading Photos

[RMCheerGirl]

I was looking at cheerleading photos from the 1970s and 1980s and seeing pyramids that were over 3 high (they're illegal at the collegiate level now). What other memories from that period can you guys recall? Thanks!

[LCSD1 coach]

Big hair,  Knee High Cheer socks, Sadle shoes, HUGE pom poms,  My cheer skirt from when I was a senior will not fit my teenage girls.  I think the kids were smaller in the 70's and 80's  I have several uniforms in my cheer closet at our school that no one can fit in because they are so small.  I don't remember ever having a coach at practice we taught ourselves the stunts.   I remember one squad having a 3 high pyramid and having a basket behind that they threw the girl up and over the pyramid and she was caught in the front by other bases.  I also remember the use of a mini tramp at one competition we went to in Utah.   When I was in High School Freshmen could not try out for the cheerleading squad.  You could be on the drill team but not cheer.  I look back at some of my old photos and the wrists in the high V were sooooo bad.  We never realy focused on motions being all together or sharp like we do now.   Now days it's more about the competitions  back then it was all about cheering for your sports teams.

[ucaCHEERalum]

Here is a photo from my bank of "alumni" photos. 



Check out the hair, the blades, and the shades on the guy in the front row.  Eric Estrada...eat your heart out.

[candcrew]

Good gravy ucaCHEERalum--that's 4 high LOL!  And I love the homage paid to beauty queens all over the world with those blade!   

I think about the cheers and sidelines from the 70's and early 80's that, by today's standards, are so derogatory and mean spirited or just plain goofy.  I remember a couple we did:

"Flashlight, flashlight, Ravens gonna win tonight.  All you gotta do is put your mind to it and do it, do it."
OR
"Look up in the sky it's a UFO.  It's coming down on you and it's taking control.  It's a UFO, if you know what I mean.  It's coming down on you, it's the Raven machine."

What in the world?  We didn't make them up but we did them LOL!

I also remember a school that my sister went to high school at that went to NCA nationals with 8 girls and did a variation of the Christmas tree pyramid with a bust-out. No spots anywhere, not even a backspot on the top girl coming down from the bust-out.  I remember thinking that was so impressive!

Also remember going to camp in the summer of 82 and we wore Keds as our shoes.  During regular season we wore some Avia things but nothing made for cheer.  Back then there were only the classic canvas Asics and they were NOT cool  LOL!

[jandotcom]

I think about the cheers and sidelines from the 70's and early 80's that, by today's standards, are so derogatory and mean spirited or just plain goofy.  I remember a couple we did:

We used to do "K-I-L-L Kill 'em, Kill 'em!"  Can you imagine doing that in this day and age?!

[Kong]

"We ain't bad, we ain't cocky, gonna ride on you like a Kawasaki, VROOM VROOM!"

[RMCheerGirl]

Boy, you can say that again!

[ucaCHEERalum]

Good gravy ucaCHEERalum--that's 4 high LOL!

Technically I think its 3.5 - but point taken. 

They used to call this the "V"ictory pyramid - like all those "V"s?  The top girl would flip off of the back and land on her feet with a couple of guys assisting at her arms/shoulders to make sure she didn't fall over upon touchdown.  Why they never thought to cradle her...guess we'll never know.

I actually have a copy of a news article done back in these days that shows a picture of her flipping off. 

Crazy.

[LCSD1 coach]

Ok just a few that came to mind some we did not do but our crowd did  naughty naughty


California grapefruit Arizona Cactus
We think your team needs a little practice
put em in a high chair feed em with a spoon
we can beat your team any afternoon.



Hail (your mascot)  echo Hail (mascot)
Hail (your mascot)  echo
Hail ( your mascot)  echo
Hail (other teams mascot)  Echo HELL NO


Don't bite my apple don't shake my tree
I'm a mean mother (mascot) don't mess with me



Sandwich sandwich double decker
We've got the Gophers by the pecker
So Pull (mascot ), Pull!


Down the river and over the falls
We've got the Gophers by the balls
So squeeze (mascot) squeeze!



Go (other team mascot) go
Go (other team mascot) go
across the floor and out the door
Go (other team mascot) go



We would yell at the other team
"GO START THE BUS"



Buffalos are number one
there really really number one
Don't mean to brag don't mean to boast
but hey we really are the most
Buffalos are number one
were really really number one

It's in the air it's on the ground
Buffalo powers all around
say umph engowa (spelling?)  xx buffalo power

[jandotcom]

Ree ree ree - kick 'em in the knee
Rass Rass Rass - kick 'em in the OTHER knee.

[candcrew]

OMG these are soooo funny!

Kong--I totally forgot about that cheer . .  complete with the front-hopping motorcycle revving motions!

Jan--We didn't do it but we played many schools that did "Blood makes the grass grow . . . KILL KILL!"

LCSD1--You have GOT to be kidding me!  Some of those are BAAADDDDD LOL!

Our student section decided to try an oldie last year (probably at the encouragement of a 70's grad parent or 2)--"Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts.  We got screwed" when there was a bad call.  (It WAS are really awful call but not to do that!)

I also forgot that in college one of the fraternities would do "Gimme a Q (Q).  Gimme a Q (Q).  Gimme a Q (Q).  Gimme a Q (Q).  What's that spell?  4-Q!"  Not what it sounded like across the field though  .

[RMCheerGirl]

Hey! UCACheerAlum,
       What college is that. Is it NC State, perhaps?

[Jen H]

Good gravy ucaCHEERalum--that's 4 high LOL!  And I love the homage paid to beauty queens all over the world with those blade!   

I think about the cheers and sidelines from the 70's and early 80's that, by today's standards, are so derogatory and mean spirited or just plain goofy.  I remember a couple we did:

In Jr. high we were still doing "How funky is your chicken"  and "Cookie Monster Says," and in high school we did "Ooh-Ooh, say get on up."  (The ooh ooh is that little disco sound. LOL)

[LCSD1 coach]

Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts.  We got screwed

I also remember
Elevator elevator we got shafted  or something like that

ucaCHEERalum
How did the top girl get up there?  Nice palm up blades

[ucaCHEERalum]

Down the river and over the falls
We've got the Gophers by the balls
So squeeze (mascot) squeeze!

So far this'n is my favorite - hilarious.

ucaCHEERalum
How did the top girl get up there?  Nice palm up blades

I'm fairly certain she climbed - but I've seen pictures of the team using a mini-tramp.  In fact, I've got a picture of our cheerleaders doing flips off trampolines through hoola-hoops - I'll see if I can find it to post.  Talk about entertaining your crowd.

[CoachErin]

I was only in youth cheerleading during the 1980's but I remember the "big" girls and they cool, yet crazy, stuff they did. I was always amazed.
My coach in middle school taught us a couple of her cheers from high school and they always cracked me up. One was "more power to the hour, more bounce to the ounce. (school or mascot)'s gonna win it and knock you out" and then "Bra-a-a-a-a-ves. let's bump and boogie. bump and boogie" and we did the hip bump with the person next to us

[coachamie]

ucaCHEERalum - I would never be brave (or crazy) enough to backflip off of that thing! Did they draw straws to see who had to go on the top!

I was too young to cheer in the 80's but my mother and aunts have always done a cheer I thought was ridiculous! It went something like - "my back is aching, my bra's too tight, my booties shaking from left to right" there was more that I don't remember, but I know I thought it was the worst cheer I've ever heard.

[coachamie]

I was on youtube tonight and stumbled across a 1980's highlight video. It actually has the exact pyramid of the one ucacheeralum posted and shows the dismount! Some of you may have seen it already but it was too good not to share!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xvH29Aj5_A

[RMCheerGirl]

I was on youtube tonight and stumbled across a 1980's highlight video. It actually has the exact pyramid of the one ucacheeralum posted and shows the dismount! Some of you may have seen it already but it was too good not to share!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xvH29Aj5_A

I saw the video. To see how cheerleading had gotten dangerous by the late 1970s (3 1/2 high pyramids, travelling basket tosses, and tumbling off of trampolines) that by 1988 AACCA established the guidelines (high school: 2 high pyramids and non flipping baskets; college: 2 1/2 pyramids, rewinds into stunts, and flipping and twisting baskets that can't exceed two rotations) in order to reduce the injuries caused by these stunts. "college squads can't even perform these aforementioned stunts on a basketball cort due to a Southern Illinois cheerleader who injured herself while doing a high-spilt pyramid back in 2006).

[Diptera]

Oh my word  I am so glad there are the regulations now, I would be scared to do half of those things with my squad. That pyramid that fell forward into the dive foward roll scared the living daylight out of my - goodness knows how the girls were able to do it. I suppose though if you were used to doing more dangerous stuff then the fear factor wasnt as great. But, oye, I'm glad we cant do them now!