Cheer College Competitive


Posted by Admin

Cheer College Competitive

Cheer College Competitive

Catastrophic injuries in cheerleading have skyrocketed in the past decade. While those in the sports medicine industry have uncovered the most probable causes for the high rate of injuries, many cheer coaches currently working in high school programs are unaware of the recommended basic safety precautions.

A number of underlying causes of catastrophic injuries in cheerleading have recently been documented in the literature (sportsmd.com, 2010) including:

  • Cheer coaches with little to no training and experience in tumbling/stunting/spotting techniques
  • Athletes performing advanced stunts without proper prerequisite core strength and training
  • Lack of protective mats during practice and sideline performances
  • Lack of knowledge of “critical height” and its implications in stunting
  • Lack of a program emergency action plan
  • Lack of first aid/CPR/AED certification
  • Lack of on-site certified athletic trainers

A recent research study looked at the current practice of cheer safety and regulation among high school cheer coaches in southern California. The study was undertaken to gather data on the actual practices of high school cheerleading programs to determine if safety practices are known and being practiced by high school cheer coaches.