By Erik Brady, USA TODAY
Forget the American archetype of blond cheerleader in tight sweater pining for the muscled quarterback. The world of cheer no longer means sideline squads that exist solely to support other teams.
They are teams in their own right these days, not so different in some respects from the football and basketball teams for which they traditionally cheer. College and high school cheerleaders compete for national championships. They risk terrible injury. They get recruited for college scholarships. And, in some cases, they put in more practice hours than the football team. If that sounds like the world turned upside down, consider this: In 2001, Varsity Spirit Corp. sold its Riddell Group Division, a leading maker of football helmets.
"Football is not growing," says Jeffrey Webb, president and CEO. "Cheerleading is. We looked at it and decided we were better off alone."
You can argue whether cheerleading is a sport — as many as 20 state high school organizations say it is — but not whether it is a business. Shout this into the nearest megaphone: Cheerleading, that uniquely American exemplar of earnest enthusiasm, is now an industry.
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