The history of cheerleading is connected to the development of sports in the United States and public participation in sporting events. In 1869, the first college football game took place at Rutgers University against Princeton University in Piscataway, New Jersey. This was where cheerleading initially began. By the 1880s, Princeton students formed an all-male "pep club" to lead chants and shouts in order to support their team and create an exciting sporting environment. To motivate their team, people in the stands shouted encouragement like "Tiger, Tiger, Sis, Sis, Sis!" and "Princeton, Princeton, Princeton!" In 1884, former Princeton student Thomas Peebles successfully introduced the concept of cheering and cheering at football games to students at the University of Minnesota. That same year, two rugby players, John W. Adams and Win Sargent, created what they called a "team shout," SKI-YOU-MAH, to inspire their team. They used the native battle cry "Ski", meaning victory, and a made-up word "U-Mah". to represent the University of Minnesota. It rhymed with “rah-rah-rah” to form a team cheer. Their "yell" became popular throughout the school and later helped a student named Johnny Campbell invent what is now known as cheerleading. By 1889 pep clubs, cheers, shouts, and fight songs quickly developed in many schools across the country. The students of Minnesota's "pep club" devised a plan for more crowd involvement so they could win their game against Northwestern University. The November 12, 1898 edition of the University of Minnesota student publication “Ariel” stated: “The following have been appointed to lead the Yelling today: Jack (sic) Campbell, F. G. Kotlaba, M. J. Luby, Albert Armstrong of the… .. middle of paper...... years later, fan teams began to travel to other countries to participate in world competitions. In 2004, the USASF/IASF hosted the first World Cheerleading Championships at Disney World in Florida. Around 14 of the best teams in the world competed for the title of “World Champion”. Today, more than 9 thousand athletes from over 40 countries compete at the World Championships. Cheerleading began as an all-male activity to cheer on the school's sports teams. Today it is a world-class mixed sport that incorporates leadership, athleticism and entertainment. Cheerleading focuses on teamwork, dedication and skills that prepare participants for life's future challenges. Help cheerleaders practice communication, confidence and crowd management skills. Cheerleading has come a long way since the 1800s and is now a very popular sport in the United States and parts of other countries around the world.