cheer ‧ lead ‧ er /ˈtʃɪəˌliːdə $ ˈtʃɪrˌliːdər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a member of a team of young women who encourage a crowd to cheer at a US sports game by shouting special words and dancing:
She was a popular cheerleader at the University of Texas.
2 . someone who encourages other people to do something:
She was our cheerleader, teacher, and friend.