The Evolution of Cheerleaders : Cheerleaders have been a part of sports for almost as long as sports have existed. For every player on the field, there has been someone on the sideline screaming words of encouragement in their general direction. The evolution of the cheerleader is a drastic one, and today’s cheerleaders are vastly different from those early sideline screamers. Here is a picture history of the evolution of the cheerleader. Hint: If you are just here to look at the girls, you are going to want to skip down to about the 1970′s.