If you imagine a cheerleader, it’s guaranteed to be with colorful, glittering pompoms in her hands.
But did you know that pompoms aren’t just supposed to look good, they actually have a function?
Here you can find out everything there is to know about the best-known equipment in cheerleading.
Cheerleaders don’t just wiggle their pompoms around: they use them specifically to make their movements visible.
When a cheerleader makes an arm movement – a so-called motion – you can see it much more clearly when colorful pom-poms flutter at the end of the arms. They work like a visual amplifier of the choreography. Your gaze automatically follows the pompoms. This is also the reason why they are mainly used at the beginning of a routine or during a chant: The pom-poms tell the audience without words “Look now. It’s starting.” Attention is directed in a targeted manner.
But that’s not the only reason why cheerleaders use colorful pom-poms.
Yes, admittedly: That sounds a bit strange at first. But there is an entire competition category that revolves exclusively around pompoms. In the so-called “Freestyle Pom”, pompoms are not just a small element or pure decoration, but really the entire piece of sports equipment.
Freestyle Pom is all about maximum synchronization and speed. Here too, the poms should visually reinforce the movements. Just not for a short chant, but for the entire routine.
You can think of freestyle pom as a bit like the cheerleading version of synchronized swimming. In the video, for example, you can watch the Polish national team at the 2026 World Championships.
Pompoms didn’t always exist. In the 1930s, cheerleading was actually just … shouting. Men shouting slogans and cheers from the sidelines. At some point, someone came up with the idea of making pom-poms out of crepe paper and swinging them while shouting. But the problem with paper pom-poms becomes apparent pretty quickly: after a routine, the shreds are everywhere.
In the 1950s, Lawrence Herkimer developed sturdier pompoms with a hidden handle. The real game changer came in the early 1960s with Fred Gastoff: vinyl streamers made of plastic. Robust, water-resistant – and with the advent of color television, suddenly a massive advantage. Colorful pompoms simply look better in color. And since then, pom-poms have been inextricably linked with cheerleading.
Did you know that there are different types of pom-poms?
Here you can read more about the different types of pom-poms
