Citation

Nakajima M, Valdez JM. J. Phys. Educ. Recreat. Dance 2013; 84(1): 20-25.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance)

DOI

10.1080/07303084.2013.744926

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Cheerleading used to be about standing on the sidelines waving pom-poms. Now, cheerleaders are thrown 10 feet in the air and perform high-level gymnastics skills. For this reason, cheerleading has become the leading cause of catastrophic sport injuries in the United States. Football, which is one of the most dangerous sports, has abundant access to medical personnel, and efforts are made to make the sport safer for athletes; this is not the case for cheerleading, despite its high injury rate. This article demonstrates why the lack of access to medical personnel has increased the risks, and how athletic trainers can have a positive effect on preventing and managing injuries in cheerleading by reducing the risks at practices, games, and competitions.

Keywords: American football; Cheer; Cheerleading; Gymnsatics

Language: en