How has the role of female cheerleaders changed?
Herkie: At one time, the girls only did the pom pon routines, not much tumbling. When Nadia Comaneci came onto the scene in the [1976] Olympics, girls started getting into gymnastics. I competed in gymnastics and won some awards in Texas, but what I won those awards with I couldn’t even make the squad with now. I was one of the few people in the country who could do a double back at one time, and now girls are doing them. I’m just amazed at the strength these girls have now. I didn’t know a girl who could do a standing back flip when we were competing, and now they’re doing standing fulls! It’s just absolutely amazing. AC: Has the role of guy cheerleaders changed as much? Herkie: When we first started the camps at the high school level, there were only a few boys. It wasn’t too popular at that level. We had to campaign to recruit boys for squads. But it was different when we got into gymnastics. We started teaching partner stunts and gymnastics, and then it wasn’t sissy to be a boy che
