1984 Southaven Cheerleaders

Southaven high school in Mississippi at the 1984 nationals in Orlando, Florida.

[@ADofTexas]

It is a huge difference. I believe what was done in the past was better than what is done today.

[@lynnemensack2938]

And we didn't have mats. We normally practiced on gym floors :) Choreo wasn't a thing for most schools. You would watch videos and incorporate what you could figure out. A lot has changed...For the better

[@ADofTexas]

I have been in the industry for 30 years and have been an eyewitness to the changes in cheerleading, gymnastics and acrobatics.

[@aarzu786]

They are amazing!!!!

[@ADofTexas]

Yes they are, and cheerleading can return to its roots.

[@ADofTexas]

It is much cooler. And it becomes less scary the more you do it.

[@garrettrownd3777]

Damn I'm a junior at that school much different today

[@ADofTexas]

I agree with you. However, I do not blame the kids, only the leaders of the industry. I have had only one comment from a viewer who thought cheerleading was better today. The rest who comment hold your opinion. I suspect that one comment for today's cheerleading is a current leader in the industry.

[@howardcohen4845]

Cool 😎

[@jendrew3]

Our cheerleaders don't seem that good anymore. Oh well.

[@ADofTexas]

Kev, I don't remember which squads used the basket tosses, but several do. Some even have basket tosses on top of the pyramids. Watch more of the routines.

[@ADofTexas]

Thank you for all your comments. I agree, teams should bring this back. However, the industry is controlled by people making big money off the squads. They make the rules. If teams want to bring this back they have to create their own venue outside all these different cheer organizations.

[@lynnemensack2938]

Say what you want but Safety has evolved for the better. I , as you cheered in those days, and we were flying blind when it came do doing half of the 221 or 321 pyramids ..let alone the backyard tumbling

[@ADofTexas]

Difficulty is much higher in acrobatic gymnastics and artistic gymnastics, but our injury rate is significantly lower. The cause of injury is not the difficulty, but the lack of proper training which includes safe progressions, appropriate strength and flexibility conditioning, proper drills for focus and spatial awareness, and daily training. This does not exist in sufficient amount in cheerleading today.

[@ADofTexas]

Rules are made by people and are changed by people. It can be anything we want.

[@NiteOwl1224]

They're Mississippi...where are the black folks? those spotters are so intense! LOve the dance music - Sylvester - do u wanna funk!!! LOL!!

[@ADofTexas]

Rules can change again. We may see these things come back again.

[@TumbleTyme757]

But picture if cheerleading continued the way it was in the 80's im sure the injury rate would be alot higher. More lifes lost. Just for a few more oohs and ahhs from the crowd. Dut to the stricter guidlines cheerleading has got more creative and fun to watch.

[@beckyday8907]

I dove ! And loved it! Why is it illegal now? Just sayin. 🤷‍♀️I trusted my team!

[@ADofTexas]

Through time they did fall, which is why the stunts were banned. But their falling was due to a lack of proper training, not simply because the stunts were dangerous. Driving cars at 70 mph can be vary dangerous if one is not trained in the rules of the road. Cheerleaders still do not have proper training. If they did, they would include conditioning and flexibility training along with drill training just as in gymnastics, but they do not. The fault lies with the industry leaders.

[@ADofTexas]

yes, incompetence today is trained.

[@kev7978]

wtf 3 high pyramids for high school.

three words, three fucking words- white people dancing. omgggg