Despite
what some people may think, cheerleading has become more than just catchy
cheers and pompoms. Cheerleading has
become increasingly popular over the last 20 years with over 400,000
participants in high schools according to the National Federation of State High
Schools (keep in mind this does not include colleges, all star teams or other
non-school based programs at any level).
Today cheerleading has become more about stunts and the flyers who
perform them and less about cheers and basic dance moves. The stunts are typically
crowd pleasers, but as flyers are tossed higher and higher in the air the risk
of injury increases. Injuries can range
from minor sprains and strains to the catastrophic ones (including concussions
and neck fractures). On average, five
cheerleaders annually will suffer a catastrophic injury. Catastrophic cheerleading injuries account
for 65% of all catastrophic injuries at the high school level and 70.8% at the
college level for girls. To address the safety
concerns associated with cheerleading and its complex stunts the American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued some safety recommendations.
The
position statement issued in November of this year, Cheerleading Injuries: Epidemiology and Recommendations for
Prevention, discusses the current trends in cheerleading
injuries and makes several recommendations to improve the safety of all
participants. An overwhelming majority
of participants are girls/women (96%) and injury rates have been steadily rising
over the last 20 years. The average
injury rate 1 in 1000 athletic exposures, but tends to increase with age and
competitive level. Case in point, the
injury rate for college cheerleaders is 2.4 in 1000 exposures. Overall, sprains and strains account for 53%
of all injuries with lower extremity injuries more common in older participants
and upper extremity injuries more common in younger participants. Head and neck injuries (including
concussions) account for 4% of all injuries.
Of those injuries seen in the emergency department, concussions (and
other closed head injuries) account for 4-6% of injuries while head and neck
injuries account for 15% of all cheerleading injuries.
Considering injury rates and risk factors (BMI, type of floor surface, coach with low
training or experience), the AAP has made recommendations to improve
cheerleader safety. Some key highlights
are below, for the full list click HERE.
- requiring that cheerleading be designated as a sport so it must follow safety guidelines and have access to medical care (such as pre-participation physical, athletic trainers, physicians)
- requiring coach training and certification
- requiring strength and conditioning for participants
- avoiding stunts and tumbling on hard surfaces
- enacting specific rules for performing technical skills
- appropriate spotter training
As a
parent of a cheerleader it is important to know whether the program your child
is participating in follows these recommendations. While all of these recommendations should be
followed, initial inquiries should focus on whether cheerleading is designated
as a sport and about the training of team coaches. Currently most colleges and over 20 of the
states do not recognize cheerleading as a formal sport, making it difficult to
oversee program safety and track injury rates.
Often times, if cheerleading is not considered a sport, participants are
not screened annually (pre-participation physical exam) or provided regular
medical care and coverage like other teams.
Additionally, training and certification for coaches may not be required. Education and awareness will be your most
effective tool for prevention. Make
sure you know what the safety situation is for your cheerleader and help
reduce the potential for injury.
For a video
discussing the recommendations, click HERE.
Submitted by Heather L. Clemons, MS, MBA, ATC
