Columbia University cheerleaders with their four-legged mascot, Peter, at the Thanksgiving Day American football game in New York City, US in 1924. Originally, all cheerleading squads were men. In fact, there was a push to keep it so for many years, but eventually it was integrated with women in the 1930s who now dominate cheer squads throughout the US. To help entertain the crowds, routines were introduced. Eventually it turned into far more of a physical competitive sport than just cheering for your schools team on the sidelines. Pro teams often just employ women, but college squads in particular are often mixed with men and women and the routines just keep getting more and more complex requiring tough gymnastics moves and throws.