Three Cheers for Cheerleading Safety Tips

Cheerleaders such as bases, flyers, backspots and tumblers need agility, strength, and frequent practice to fine-tune routines and prevent injury. Unfortunately, the frequency of cheerleading injuries is rising with the increasing complexity of stunts. 

How can cheerleaders, advisors, parents and coaches reduce these injury risks?

• Practice should take place in proper environments: use mats to practice landings and dismounts, and have high ceilings for jumping and throwing routines.
• Experienced and knowledgeable instructors should be consulted to teach the basics of cheerleading in an individualized and step-wise fashion for all participants.
• Coaches should be trained in first aid, CPR, and not hesitate to collaborate with sports medicine personnel such as certified athletic trainers to prevent, evaluate, and properly manage cheer-related injuries.
• A base must know how to support a flyer without hurting him/herself, while the flyer must know how to land safely.
• Teach flyers rolling and landing techniques over and over again.
• Bases need to work on using their legs, buttock and posterior hip regions for proper lifting and holding techniques that reduce cumulative trauma to shoulders and the back.
• Tumblers should develop appropriate strength in the back of the shoulders and hip regions to take pressure off elbows, wrists, and knees.
• Pre-season conditioning is essential with focus on shoulder, hip and back strengthening exercises. An athletic trainer, physical therapist, or sports medicine physician can demonstrate and recommend appropriate conditioning programs.
• Encourage necessary recovery by regularly scheduling rest periods (at least one off day a week during season and at least 2-3 months a year off of cheerleading activities).
• Avoid multi-level pyramids or throwing of cheerleaders unless all participants are comfortable and well-trained in these skills. One weak link can ruin the routine for all others.
• If there is pain or discomfort with any portion of a routine, do not compromise personal safety or the safety of teammates. Work with a coach or obtain medical evaluation before returning to practice or competition.
• Once returning from a injury, a cheerleader should go through a progressive step-wise return by first working on individual skills such as tumbling, kicks, and tucks before moving to group activities and finally stunting.

Click here for more cheerleading safety tips.

Do you have any more suggestions for cheerleading safety tips? 

Cheering for Cheerleading to be Classified as a Sport

Add the American Medical Association to the growing list of prominent medical groups advocating for cheerleading to be formally classified as a sport.

This policy adoption at the annual AMA meeting this week in Chicago recognizes the rigors and risks of cheerleading to be as demanding as many other high school and collegiate level sports. The AMA statements reinforces the findings of a well-documented American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness Policy Statement that describes the epidemiology of cheerleading injuries and provides sensible recommendations for injury prevention. (Full disclosure: I was on the committee that reviewed this paper and approved the findings and recommendations).

As a sports medicine professional who sees a fair number of bases, flyers, spotters, and tumblers, the designation of cheerleading as a sport would have a multitude of benefits:

• Cheerleaders would have better and essential access to certified athletic trainers (ATC) for injury prevention and evaluation along with assistance in return to activity progression. Deciding how to return any athlete or performer can be a difficult and individualized concern, but doing it without an on-site medical professional such as the school-based ATC is even more overwhelming.
• Requiring cheerleaders to have pre-participation athletic screening exams affords the opportunity to identify medical and orthopedic concerns and develop comprehensive management plans before these issues become major problems. A timely pre-participation exam could tag team with starting an appropriate strength and conditioning program focusing on common shoulder, back, wrist, knee, and ankle issues.
• A sport designation would hopefully lead to safer facilities including use of mats and not inappropriate types of flooring, higher ceilings, and institution of emergency action plans in the event of injury.
• Encouraging coaches to follow rules for execution of technical skills set forth by national cheerleading governing bodies
• Including cheerleading injuries in national injury monitoring programs to increase information on the type, frequency, and severity of cheerleading-specific injuries at the high school and collegiate levels.

Today's cheerleaders often start well before high school and participate on competitive cheer teams in addition (or in many cases, in place of) to cheering for particular schools and teams. The high level of skill and training asked of these performers places them at risk for both acute and overuse injuries often at similar levels to contadt or collision sport athletes. Denying cheerleaders the right to appropriate medical care and supervision only increases the chance for catastrophic outcomes.

That would be something no one would cheer about...

Click here for more information about cheerleading safety and injury prevention.