Today’s cheerleaders are more than a sideline pep squad. For many cheerleading teams, stunts, jumps, tumbling and intense physical stamina are required. The sport of cheerleading can be competitive, demanding and potentially dangerous. So it is important to consider the safety of your child’s cheerleading program.
The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research reports that two-thirds of all catastrophic sports injuries, such as fractured vertebrae and paralysis, by high school and college girls in the United States are related to cheerleading. However, it is also a sport that can be fun and safe when the following guidelines are in place:
– Cheerleaders should practice and perform either on grass (real or artificial) or on mats – not on concrete or the hare gymnasium floor.
– Each cheerleader should wear soft-soled athletic shoes and no jewelry.