GIRLS who dislike playing competitive games will be allowed to trade in their hockey sticks for pompoms in an effort to bring American-style cheerleading to English schools.

Children in Plymouth, Leicester and Hertfordshire are among those already being trained in “cheer dance” – the beginner’s form of cheerleading that includes pompom routines, chants and athletic manoeuvres, such as the splits.

The hope is that cheerleading will liven up the PE curriculum and encourage those pupils turned off by competitive sport to exercise.

“Cheerleading has a broad appeal because it combines so many elements like dance, gymnastics and music,” said a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which is behind the initiative.

“Cheerleading is now recognised as a discipline by [the governing body] British Gymnastics and I am sure that it will continue to grow in popularity in this country.”

The move to broaden girls’ participation in sport is backed by Dame Kelly Holmes, the Olympic double gold medallist, who last week took part in a cheerleading workshop at Plymstock school in Plymouth.

The cheerleading initiative is being organised by the Youth Sport Trust, which is responsible for delivering government sports policy in schools.

Cheerleaders attached to basketball and rugby teams are also being brought into schools to give demonstrations.

In Hertfordshire, Breakspeare school near Abbots Langley has brought in a coach from the Saracens, the rugby union team, to train pupils in routines during lunch breaks.

In Plymouth, five schools have introduced cheerleading into their sports programme and children receive instruction from a member of the cheerleading troupe that supports the Plymouth Raiders professional basketball team.

Rob White, a sports co-ordinator for schools in Plymouth, said cheerleading was “taking off”.

“There are a lot of girls who don’t take to traditional sports who are really keen on the cheerleading. They are drawn into it by American television,” he said.

Emma Goolden, sports co-ordinator at Plymouth high school for girls, said the school would be employing a cheerleading instructor from September and would offer it as part of the curriculum next year. “It’s good because it focuses on getting a whole body workout,” she said.

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