Apr 03 2007
Recognizing Cheerleading Injury and Protecting Yourself From It
Cheerleading is recognized now as a sport and with the recognition comes an increase in cheerleading injuries. Research shows that cheerleading injuries have doubled in the past fifteen years and 12 to 17-year olds suffer most injuries. Forty percent of these injuries consist of leg, ankle, and foot injuries. These are injuries that are easy to treat; many others are more seriously injured with head, neck, and back injuries. Some can be life threatening or at best life changing injuries. These types of injuries can lead to paralysis and worse.
Why have injuries to cheerleaders risen so dramatically? There are two reasons for the rise. One is the acrobatic skills are increased, but the knowledge of how to do these stunts is lacking. Cheerleading is much more than standing on the sidelines leading the stands in cheers and chants. It has become more acrobatic with stunts and maneuvers that were unheard of twenty years ago. Cheerleaders are doing difficult tumbling passes and acrobatic stunts and as the difficulty goes up, so does injuries. Coaches are sometimes at fault for injuries because there are not enough books or information to show them how to do the stunts safely. Look in any bookstore and you will find shelves of books that deal with the principals of coaching football, basketball, and baseball.ÂÂ
If you are fortunate enough to find a cheerleading coaching book, they do not always stress the importance of safety. Many coaches find they are trying to duplicate stunts done by other teams and without the proper instruction on the moves; the result is injury, failure, and disappointment. Every stunt or acrobatic moves have a specified technique and spotters who should be there for the safety of the one doing the stunt.
Following is a list of common cheerleading injuries and how to treat them.
The most common injuries are strains, sprains, and breaks. A sprain can be serious or mild but it is impossible to tell without an x-ray. The injured limb should be wrapped and be checked out by a doctor. If the injury is in the back or neck area, the cheerleader should be kept as still as possible until they can be treated by a medical team. Ice should be applied immediately to any strain or sprain.
Head injuries could be serious and should not be taken lightly. If a cheerleader has a head injury they should be kept as still as possible and apply ice. Keep them laying on the ground and calm. Keep them awake and be sure they know their name and where they are. Do not move them, and if they are unconscious, be sure they have an unobstructed airway so they can breathe.
It is not unusual to have teeth injured in a cheerleading accident. If this happens apply pressure to the area that is bleeding and put the tooth in a glass of milk until a dentist can see the person.
Pinching the bridge of the nose and tilting the head back should treat a bloody nose.
Apply ice immediately to a black eye.
Back injuries are especially dangerous. You should NEVER move a person you suspect have a back injury. Keep the person laying flat on the ground and ask them if they can feel their arms and legs.
Stay as calm as you can. If those around the injured person are upset and getting panicked, then it will be hard for the injured person to stay calm.
Always call a doctor when a member of your squad is injured. Keep them quiet and as still as possible, ice the injury, and give the injured person as much space as they need.
Cheerleaders should never perform stunts if they are not 100 percent. If they are sick, injured, or tired they should not perform cheerleading stunts.
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I am a parent volunteer that will become the assistant coach for my daughter’s squad. Her squad is part of a recreational league for 5-15 yr olds. Majority of the coaches are parent volunteers with little or no training. This year the county cheer director is trying to implement more difficult stunts. I’m scared as a parent that the injury rate will increase. The reason for this is that we do not train or practice in a gym, we are at the city parks. Also, like I said we are volunteers, this is not our full-time job so we have little time if any for proper training(not the four hour demonstration on the stunting that is being implemented). In my opinion, a recreation league is there to teach the basics and fundamentals of the sport. So in conclusion, I am glad that I have read this article and are more aware. I wish that more parents, more so the county director, were aware of the dangers that are involved in increasing the level of stunting for the little ones.
Hi my name is Logan and I am an all-star cheerleader. This article has informed me alot about our stunts and the people that are hurt. This article is very true when they say the injury needs to be iced and treated with special care!
I am writting a paper on high-school students and middle-school students from doing stunts. What is your outlook on this subject? and Do you think that it is te cheerleaders, coaches, or the stunts fault? If you could e-mail me back that would be great thanks!