Real Sport, Real Injuries

Since many people do not think that cheerleading involves any athletic ability, most people do not know that Cheerleading is ranked number 1 for all female sports, and number 2 for the most catastrophic sports injuries under American football. The skills cheerleaders attempt are dangerous, and if not done correctly can cause serious injury. I myself have been subject to many injuries in my cheerleading career. I have sprained both my ankles a combination of twelve times, sprained my hamstring, developed long term back problems, and tore all the crucial ligaments in my left ankle. Cheerleading is most definitely strenuous to ones body, just like any other sport. The United States Sports Academy stated the following, "A growing body of evidence indicates that the increasingly popular world of cheerleading has become one of the most dangerous athletic activities for women. Evolving from sideline squads that once led fans in school fight songs to high-powered, complex, acrobatic shows to motivate the crowd, cheerleading is racking up sprained wrists, twisted ankles, damaged knees, strained backs and sometimes much worse." With a growing impact of injury the safety regulations have began to become more strict, and more rules are being added ever year. Just  when researching previous information to post in this blog, I have came across new rules that have been put into place since the last time I cheered in 2011.  These new safety rules have even eliminated skills that used to be allowed, but were prone to injury. This is unfortunate because some of the limitations put on some skills, are the skills that give the "wow" factor to a performance, but it is more important to keep the safety of the participants then to wow the crowd. I have seen my share and have been apart of mishaps that occur and result in injuries. This is why is it very important for cheerleaders to always be attentive. Cheerleading is very dangerous because one persons mistake can effect an entire group of people. For example, when performing a pyramid, where each individual stunt is connected to another stunt, so if one stunt goes down than there is a possibility that the entire pyramid can fall. Everyone needs to focus on their own job, and be aware of their surroundings to master a skill. Mastering skills in cheerleading is very difficult, one never knows when something can go wrong or when a stunt can fall. This is why cheerleaders strive to master their skills and be able to perform a skill flawlessly, confidently, and on the spot. I believe that when a person has truly mastered a skill is when one can perform the skill in the correct setting, attire, while being mentally and physically prepared at any given point and time. Striving to master a skill is what leads to injury. Athletes around the world need to go about perfecting their athletic performances with caution, or they can risk the event of injury. Learning techniques the safe and proper way are the keys to success. There is only so much cheerleaders can do. Doctors have suggested that the amount of injuries can be due to coaches and administration rather than mistakes made cheerleaders themselves.  

"Those catastrophic injuries are due to lack of trained coaches, training in proper spotting, and to performing technical stunts like pyramids and tosses on concrete and other hard surfaces, the doctors say. They're asking pediatricians, especially those who advise schools, to push for sport designation, and better supervision and training"(NPR.org). The cheerleading community as a whole needs to put in greater efforts on being safe, but just for all you non believers out there, cheerleaders are real athletes who receive real life injuries because of the dangerous skills they perform.

Here is a video clip of the rise of injuries in cheerleading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbU_T6ZgQR4