How To Reduce Cheerleading Injuries

This High School Activity Has Little To No Regulation

Dec 26, 2008

Cheerleading Injuries Are Becoming More Serious, ablestock.com

While routines are growing in complexity and also becoming more dangerous, no one is keeping track of just how many injuries are occurring.

Cheerleading is a long-standing tradition at football and basketball games. A squad of identically dressed girls leads the crowd in cheers to motivate and energize the team. Cheerleading is right up there with mom and apple pie—it’s Americana.

Is Cheerleading A Sport?

But, recently, cheerleading has evolved into a sport-like activity that supports another sport. The routines are becoming so physically challenging that some would like to have cheerleading classified as a sport. Cheerleading competitions are viewed on television with scoring and competition for the top seats. Some cheerleaders are coming home from games with more bruises than their siblings are on the football field.

American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators

There is an entity that monitors cheerleading. The AACCA is implementing a safety certification program that would monitor safety in cheerleading. The problem is that no one is monitoring the regulation to make sure it is followed.

Cheerleading Accidents More Serious

The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research has been keeping data on high school female cheerleaders for twenty years. The center kept records from 1987 to 2007. The data was not reassuring to parents of cheerleaders. During those twenty years, the center found

Two deaths
21 permanent disabilities
44 serious injuries
General bumps and bruises

The journal, Pediatrics, published data in 2006 that revealed injuries from 1990 to 2002 in cheerleading. In that span of time, it recorded 22,900 injuries.

52.4% strains or sprains
18.4% soft-tissue injuries
16.4% fractures and dislocations
3.8% lacerations
3.5% concussions
5.5% miscellaneous injuries

Cheerleading As A Sport

Some argue that if cheerleading was considered a sport, regulations would be mandatory and this would improve safety. Others doubt that it would decrease injuries. Summer camps could be offered for cheerleaders and coaches and everyone receive training on safety maneuvers.

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators has some advise to improve safety.

Have a coach that is certified through a safety program.
Do background checks.
Does the coach follow restrictions on basket tosses and the use of mats?
Does the coach follow accepted performance guidelines?
Does the coach insist that skills be taught in the proper sequence?
Are all members of the squad instructed on proper spotting techniques?
Is there an emergency plan in place?
Does the coach balance practice times with other school activities?
What is the past injury record of the coach?

With so many injuries and even deaths associated with cheerleading, the time has come to treat it as a sport, impose regulations, and monitor injuries.

Sources: Jessica Meyers, dallasnews.com, "Texas cheerleading accidents may fly under the radar," September 5, 2008

National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research; Pediatrics

American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators.

The copyright of the article How To Reduce Cheerleading Injuries in Student Health Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish How To Reduce Cheerleading Injuries in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.