Question

1 Cheerleading competitions and camps continue to grow across the United States. Some 50 organizations and businesses cater to cheerleaders. College, high school, and youth teams choose from more than 70 national and regional events each year. Rival organizations, such as the National Cheerleaders Association and the Universal Cheerleaders Association, sanction the largest contests.

2 Hundreds of teams send videos to earn a chance to compete at national events. About 180 teams, including some dance teams, might make the cut. Less experienced teams look for local contests to build their skills before tackling the big leagues.

3 Texas claims to be the Cheerleading State, but Florida has become the top spot for contests. Both Walt Disney World in Orlando and Daytona Beach host major cheerleading, baton twirling, and dance competitions. Cheerleaders flock to events on cruise ships and in shopping malls, too. You can catch national contests on national and cable broadcasts.

Rewarding Events

4 Every contest is run slightly differently than the others. A few invitationals select only elite or specialty teams. You must receive an invitation to compete. However, most contests allow any team to qualify by sending a video and an application.

5 Entry divisions, rules, and judging systems vary.

6 Entry fees range from a few dollars per cheerleader to hundreds—no travel, hotel, food, or other costs included. Often, teams raise money with car washes, goodie sales, and special events to cover the expenses.

7 The rewards for winning change from year to year, and from event to event, too. At some contests, all competitors receive a trophy or a T-shirt for participating. Other competitions hand out trophies only to the top finishers. Winners might take home medals, gift certificates, and other prizes. Cheerleading companies might give away items to encourage you to buy their products, too.

8 Cheering in front of your school’s fans takes guts. Cheering for just a few judges—that takes steel nerves.

From COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING by Tracy Mauer, Rourke Publishing LLC, 2006. Used by permission.


A
Media coverage of cheerleading events is important for the sport.
B
Attending a cheerleading competition is a fun experience.
C
Cheerleaders work hard to balance academics and competitions.
D
Competitive cheerleading is a popular and widespread activity.

Answer 1

D

The passage describes the growth, number of organizations and events, wide geographic spread, and variety of competitions—showing competitive cheerleading is popular and widespread.