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The aura that surrounds the single greatest physical competition the world knows is one that has it’s origins springing from Greek mythology. There are numerous legends that attribute the original games to different larger than life characters but the most popular one has Heracles (or Hercules) as the son of Zeus creating the Olympics as a tribute to his father. There is some dispute as to the date of the very first games but the most commonly accepted date is 776 BCE when the games were held in Olympia.

In line with the idea that they were a tribute to the god Zeus the games originally were more religious in nature and included sacrifices made to Zeus. A colossal statue of Zeus that constituted one of the wonders of the ancient world was erected at his temple site in Olympia, Greece. Other gods in general were also honored and the participants aimed not only for personal glory but to impress and hopefully please their gods through their strength and agility.

The year 776 BCE thus marked the start of the first ‘Olympiad’ that is a reference to the period of four years that runs between the Olympic games or events and was calculated from the very start of the year that the Olympics were held in. Thus the Olympic Games of 2008 will be the start of the 29th Olympiad. The original games were open to any free male that had the ability to compete. Women, slaves and foreigners were not allowed to take part. It is even said that married women were originally restricted to only watching chariot races. Athletes competed in the nude and the original competitions centered on running. It is also attributed to Heracles that the basis for the 400 meter length as a ‘lap’ exists. This distance was referred to as a ’stadion’ and is used in modern times as the basis for a track’s circumference. With time the events expanded with the pentathlon �” a combination of five events that included a ’stadion’ or short foot race, wrestling, long jump, discus throw and javelin throw. Boxing and chariot racing were also introduced to the games. By the sixth or fifth century these games reached their peak of popularity.

Those that took part and won were highly regarded in ancient Greece. The immediate honor was to have a crown or wreath of olive leaves to be placed on their heads. Later, statues were made of them, they were immortalized in poems, and generally looked upon as national heroes.

As Greece declined in power and Rome grew to prominence the games eventually lost some of their luster. In the latter part of the fourth century when Christianity was proclaimed as the religion of the Empire the Games were banned as being a pagan festival. The modern day incarnation of this intense sporting event would begin to reappear in the middle of the 19th century with smaller attempts at reestablishing it up until the officially recognized internationally held games in 1896 in Athens.

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Do you want to catch up on the very latest news and results then head on over to http://www.olympicresultz.com. There you will also find links to Olympicz.com and Olympicvidz.com

You may have noticed that more and more cheer competition fixtures are being shown on television with certain squads and even individual cheerleading personalities becoming nationally known figures.

The underlying reason for the high exposure of cheer competitions is the interest of business in sponsoring these events through publicity and great cash prizes. They are aware that the public loves to attend cheerleading competitions and events where cheer squads perform. That means fabulous exposure for sponsors’ products and messages.

Big business has been persuaded that cheerleading is a major sport, qualifying for sponsorship and support like any other sporting pursuit. The hint (some would say the taint) of cheerleading is the prevalence of professionalism in what has been, until now, an amateur sport, is proof of its popularity. Groups of men and women, perhaps with dance or gymnastic backgrounds, are forming squads independent of any college or school affiliation and entering cheer competitions.

While there is no rule that says they may not compete in these competitions, the overwhelming majority of cheer squads are amateurs attached to one or other school or university. Big business likes that a lot too. It means that cheer squad members, spectators and those who watch the sport on television are a desirable target market: the educated folk of the future.

Sponsors can help out by supporting cheer competitions. There are cost components for the participants – costumes, cheer music mix, transport and a myriad other expenses. Many squads conduct fundraising drives to assist in lightening the financial load. Nonetheless they hope that by winning great cash prizes donated by cheer sponsors the expenses of entering a cheerleading competition will be covered.

It is ironic that the great modern sport of cheerleading competition is an offshoot of other sporting codes entirely. Cheerleading has its origins on the sidelines of the major sport types such as baseball and football. Squads were formed by the college or schools involved purely to add excitement to the game and inspire the teams.

There was never any conscious intention that cheerleading should become a sport, let alone a highly competitive one. But that has happened. Cheerleading has come of age.

About the Author
Jon Bennett is an entrepreneur who owns and manages various businesses.Go to www.CheerFest.com for comprehensive details about cheer competitions in the US. Get more information regarding cheerleading competition.