Cheerleading Article

I read this article and thought it was interesting.  It's about how there isn't enough regulation on cheerleading, which adds risk to an already risky activity.  I guess it would be helpful for starters if cheerleading was viewed as a real sport, because that might ensure coaches get the training they need to handle injury situations, create safe practice conditions, and better report injuries.  I can ensure you that real cheerleading is NOT easy and is physically demanding.  The article points out some of the bad things that can happen (like not catching the person who is flying through the air).  Duh.  I think they put that crap in the article for shock value.  I think the biggest reason people get hurt is because they're trying to do things that are above their level of ability.  Coaches need to flat out tell the girls that something they think would be "a cool thing to do in the routine" should not be done.  Also, creating team camaraderie is important because any bickering between girls could create a loss of focus, which could result in a drop.  Perhaps regulation could train coaches how to handle that stuff. 

Comments

[Melinda]

Yeah. Why don't people think of cheerleading as a sport? It is very much so. It takes a lot of athletics and gymnastics. Pretty dangerous too. I bet a lot of coaches out there are not nearly as educated as coaches of other sports.