Research into the types of catastrophic injuries suffered by cheerleaders and their specific causes have come a long way in the past two years beginning with the release of the 25th Annual Report from the National Center for Catastrophic Injury in August, 2008.
Cheerleading Considered the Most Dangerous Girls' Sport
With this report came the realization that the sport of cheerleading is the most dangerous sport for girls and young women. This news brought a great deal of attention to the sport of cheerleading from researchers and medical professionals in the field of sports medicine.
The Catastrophic Injury Report revealed that the majority of catastrophic injuries occurred on hard surfaces from basket tosses or pyramid stunts in which flyers (cheerleaders who are tossed into the air) had fallen directly on to gym floors or other hard surfaces.
Flyers are tossed from 15 – 20 feet into the air on a routine basis. If the bases (cheerleaders who are designated to catch the flyers) do not catch them, then the athlete can take a direct fall on to his/her head, neck, shoulder, arm or other body part.
Critical Height Research on Surfaces Used by Cheerleaders
Recent research published in the Journal of Athletic Training revealed that grass surfaces, rubberized track, dirt, and artificial turf are no safer than hard wood floors (Shields, B., & Smith, G., 2009). This research was based on the science of determining “critical heights.”
Critical heights are defined as “an approximation of the fall height below which a life-threatening head impact injury would not be expected to occur” (Shields, B., & Smith, G., 2009). This study determined that there were only two safe surfaces for advanced stunts and tumbling and they include a landing mat on foam floor and a spring-loaded floor.
This research has huge implications for athletes of all ages competing in the sport of cheerleading. The primary implication is that cheerleaders should only stunt on mats on foam floors or spring-loaded floors.
This information should impact all cheerleaders who stunt on sidelines of sporting events and who perform stunts on gym floors, dirt, grass, rubberized track, and artificial turf. Advanced stunts such as basket tosses and pyramids should not be performed on sidelines at events because safety mats/flooring are not available.
Stunting on Safe Surfaces
The overwhelming obstacle facing sports medicine professionals is how to change the mindset that stunting on hard surfaces is safe. Because there is no national body that oversees cheerleading (in part because cheerleading is not considered a sport), there is no organizational structure to send out information or to ensure that safety rules are adhered to.
Although there are rule books currently in use at the high school level (National Federation of State High School Association's Spirit Rules Book and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators' Rule Book), these rule books are now out-of-date with the current research. Both state that high risk stunts are permitted on appropriate mats, grass, rubberized and soft-yielding surfaces (NFHS 2009-2010 Spirit Rule Book).
The goal of the catastrophic injury research is to prevent future catastrophic injuries in the sport of cheerleading. The first step to preventing future injuries is to recognize that there is a problem. This was done with the 25th Annual Report from the National Center for Catastrophic Injury.
The next step is to educate cheerleaders, their parents, coaches, and administrators as to the dangers of stunting on hard surfaces and surfaces that were once considered safe. Allowing cheerleaders to only stunt on safe surfaces would be one significant way to reduce catastrophic injuries in the sport of cheerleading.
References:
ABC News. (January 5, 2010). The Most Dangerous Sport of all May Be Cheerleading. Aired on Nightline.
American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (2007). High School Safety Rules 2007-2008. http://www.aaccaa.org/hssafety.asp.
Mueller, F., & Cantu, R. (August 18, 2008). National Center for Catastrophic Injury: 25th Annual Report. University of North Carolina.
National Cheer Safety Foundation (June 29, 2009). Experts Call for Congressional Hearing on Cheer Injuries. Press Release: http://www.nationalcheersafety.com.
National Federation of State High School Associations (2009). Spirit Rules Book 2009-2010. NFHS: Indianapolis, IN.
Shields, B. & Smith, G. (November, 2009). The Potential for Brain Injury on Selected Surfaces Used by Cheerleaders. Journal of Athletic Training, 44(6).
Terry Zeigler - Educating through writing with over twenty-five years of experience as a Kinesiology Professor and Certified Athletic Trainer.
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