There are a lot of things that most people—cheerleaders included!—simply do not know about cheerleading  Because cheerleading has been practiced for more than 100 years, it goes without saying that there is a whole lot to know about cheerleading. Here are 10 interesting facts that will capture your attention about your favorite activity.

1. In the United States, there are somewhere around 4 million cheerleaders. Yeah!
2. Of those 4 million, 400,000 are in high school.
3. Cheerleaders are so active that about half of them also participate in some other sport.
4. Texas is the cheerleading capital of the United States.
5. As of today, the number of “Bring It On” movies now rests at 4, but none of them is as good as the original.
6. It was not until the 1980s that All Star cheer was formed.
7. The first NFL team to form a cheer squad was the Dallas Cowboys.
8. In the beginning, cheerleading was for males, but that has changed during the decades.
9. The first cheerleader to sign a sports management contract was Maddie Gardner in 2012.
10. When pom poms were first used, they were called pom pons.