Cheerleading isn't just jumping and waving pompoms - it has become as athletic and potentially as dangerous as a sport. In my opinion, it should be designated one to improve safety. The nation's leading group of pediatricians agrees.
The number of cheerleaders injured each year has
climbed dramatically in the last two decades. Common stunts that pose risks
include tossing and flipping cheerleaders in the air, and creating human
pyramids that reach 15 feet high or more.
In a new policy statement released online Monday
in the Journal of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics says school
sports associations should designate cheerleading as a sport, and make it
subject to safety rules and better supervision, which would include on-site
athletic trainers, limits on practice time and better qualified coaches, the
academy says. Just like other athletes, cheerleaders should be required
to do conditioning exercises and undergo physical exams before joining the
squad.
"Not everyone is fully aware of how
cheerleading has evolved over the last couple of decades. It used to be just
standing on the sidelines and doing cheers and maybe a few jumps," said
Dr. Cynthia LaBella, a sports medicine specialist at Chicago's Lurie Children's
Hospital and an author of the new policy. Cheerleading often results in
injuries that include severe sprains, broken arms and legs, neck injuries and
concussions.
Last year, there were almost 37,000 emergency
room visits for cheerleading injuries among girls aged 6 to 22, according to
data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That's more than four times
higher than in 1980, when cheerleading was tamer.
While there are still traditional cheerleading
squads that support schools' athletic teams, some schools and private clubs
have separate cheerleading teams that compete against other teams. Lisa
Kluchorosky, a sports medicine specialist who works with the academy and the
National Athletic Trainers Association, said the new policy will help erase
misconceptions that cheerleading is not very athletic. "The
statistics are compelling and you can't turn your head from that," she
said.
THE EXPERTS ARE RIGHT. As a personal injury lawyer in phoenix, there are countless examples of how injuries in sports are growing. One being Cheerleading.
Cheerleading has become a very demanding, physical and demanding "sport". Even as young girls, cheerleaders are trained to do more and more jumps, flips, throws and stunts. The injuries are increasing, and with such, the safety rules need to be better. There need to be national standards. At present, there really are none. Coaches need to be educated and trained to adhere to the standards. The health of these young girls is far too important.
In addition, coaches who fail to adhere to the standards need to held liable. It will not stop accidents, but it likely will cut down on them substantially. It will teach the girls, and provide them a fairer chance to avoid being injured.
What do you think?
