Folk Song/Cheer – Los Angeles, California

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: San Diego, CA
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English

Softball Cheer

Cheer is meant to be said by leader line by line, with the rest of the team repeating after the leader line by line.  It is also supposed to get progressively louder.  Regular text represents the leader, where italicized text represents the rest of the team.

“Icky la Boom Ba, Icky la Boom Ba”

“Icky la Ticky Wicky, Icky la Ticky Wicky”

“Ohfa Toefa Roefa, Ohfa Toefa Roefa”

“Oompa Chi Ahhhh, Oompa Chi Ahhhh”

“Icky la Boom Ba, Icky la Boom Ba”

This was a cheer used during softball games when the informant was age eight to fourteen.  The leader was usually the informant because her sister had introduced the cheer to the team.  This cheer was used to pump up the batter and get the team excited, as well as, to annoy or antagonize the opposing team (hence the repetition and loud volume).  It encouraged their teammates to do well and let them know they were cheering for them.

The cheer seems like almost a special language her team has.  Since the cheer is comprised of rhymes that aren’t even real words, this shows how only her team shares this unique rhyme and brings them together.  The cheer probably reminds the batter that they share this common tie with their team and this familiarity and this bond makes her want to succeed for the sake of not only herself, but for the whole team.