According to the STOP
Sports Injuries Campaign, “the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
estimates that cheerleading led to 16,000 ER visits in 2002(the latest year for
data.) While not as frequent as injuries in other sports, cheerleading injuries
tend to be more sever, making up > ½ the catastrophic injuries in female
athletes.” http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/cheerleading-injury-prevention.aspx#types
Over the last 30 years I have watched cheerleading evolve
from an activity in which we wore bowling shoes and barely moved, to a very
athletic activity in which people are performing amazing tricks. Kids start at
All Star gyms and youth programs as young as 6 years old. Some then perform
through college, and even after as adults. Specializing in any sport at that young
age will lead to injuries, let alone the fun and crazy stuff we are attempting
to do. So how do we reduce these
injuries, and what can you do to promote safe cheering?
NCAA (and the cheer governing bodies) doesn’t recognize
Cheerleading as a sport, so it's not. It's too bad that they won't even give it
club sport
status. It’s even sadder that so many kids miss out on scholarships and even
funding for safety equipment and training. http://www.kwch.com/kwch-news-jlr-cheerleading-not-a-sport-20130307,0,4126497.story
Anyone involved in cheering knows “perfection before
progression” and performer readiness. Coaches, parents and cheerleaders need to
abide by this. Stunts must be hit 10/10 times in order to perform them on the
field, and in order to progress. Cheerleaders must have the strength,
flexibility, and general conditioning to perform what we are asking. They need
to be fully “present” when practicing and performing. The bottom line is if
they are not ready, they must not move forward.
From a physical standpoint, cheerleaders to have the
mobility and stability to perform the skills we want them to. They need to create
length while holding the body tight without moving. They need core stability.
They need to strength train, do the mobility/recovery work, and learn how to
care for their bodies. As a physical therapist, and former cheer coach I want
to help promote a knowledge base for safe cheerleading. I want to help
cheerleaders move away from the conditioning programs of 30 years ago, and
embrace a strength and conditioning lifestyle that will not only keep them
safe, but will allow them to keep progressing and doing fun tricks.
Cheerleading
can be a safe, athletic activity. We just need to do the work
