Atlantic City, NJ -- Cheerleading is no longer about pumping up school spirit, but now has turned into a competitive no-fun sport.

That's according to Elissa Stein, author of the new book "Cheerleader: Ready? Okay!" (Chronicle Books). She says cheerleading is incredibly competitive and "...now it's like a professional sport."

As a result, the amount of time and effort the pom-pom wavers put in have increased a lot over the years, but Stein admits, "They work harder and are more dedicated than people give them credit for."

Another thing that has changed about the crowd-pleasing and little-girl throwing sport are the clothes. Stein says cheerleaders used to wear heavy loose wool uniforms, but now are sporting short, tight skirts and tops.

Despite all the changes, the popularity of cheerleaders -- and the jealousy of them -- is still the same. As Stein puts it, "People love them or can't stand them."

"Cheerleader: Ready? Okay!" jumps into stores next Wednesday (Sept. 1).

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