Understand the science behind a wildly popular, iconic American pastime with The Science of Cheerleading, a new ebook

Photo: Science Cheerleader There’s more science to cheerleading than meets the eye. And for the country’s 3 million cheerleaders, one way to engage with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts is to understand how these fundamental ideas impact their cheerleading. A new book, The Science of Cheerleading introduces cheerleaders to STEM and Citizen Science by doing just that. The free ebook is designed to help cheerleaders learn how and why certain movements and positions work well – and how others can be improved. Want to form a more solid pyramid, or launch a higher basket toss with a precise (and safe) landing? Understanding the science, technology, engineering, and math inherent in cheerleading will help readers gain a greater understanding of cheerleading (and lots of other forces in the world too). The book was created by Darlene Cavalier, founder of Science Cheerleader, an organization of 300 current and former NFL and NBA cheerleaders who are pursuing science and technology careers. These inspiring women recognize that science and engineering are part of nearly every aspect of our lives, and they simultaneously share a message of encouragement to follow dreams and challenge stereotypes along with the practicality of scientific pursuits and concepts. Together with SciStarter (the publisher of this blog, also founded by Darlene Cavalier), science cheerleaders have also participated in several citizen science projects and events including two major initiatives with NASA - Space Microbes in which the growth of microbes in space was studied aboard the International Space Station and the Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) satellite mission in which citizen scientists are being recruited to collect data that will help scientists understand links among Earth’s water, energy and carbon cycles and enhance the ability to monitor and predict natural hazards like floods and droughts. “An estimated 3 million young women and men are involved in cheerleading in the U.S., “ said Darlene Cavalier. “We hope this book helps them understand the science, technology, engineering, and math inherent in cheerleading. Once they grasp those STEM concepts using something familiar (cheer), they can apply the principles to other things and achieve a greater understanding of how the world works.” Each chapter of The Science of Cheerleading includes: