With all the glitter and pom poms, cheerleading doesn’t look that dangerous. But recently, life-changing injuries in the high-flying sport have been making the headlines. Broken necks, fractured spines and sprained bones have resulted in comas, paralysis and death.
An article in the
Baltimore Sun explained how emergency room statistics show the dangers of cheerleading, with more than 30,000 hospital visits coming from injured cheerleaders.
A test done by Fox Sports proved that when flyers (aka, the girls that get thrown in the air) fall, they feel an impact of 2,000 pounds. NFL linebackers (those 250 pound, gigantic men) only hit at a force of 1,800 pounds (and they’ve caused some serious damage to other football players).
The dangers of the sport come not only from the physical difficulties, but also inexperienced coaches. Middle and high school cheer coaches are often untrained teachers who know little about the sport.
Like any sport, in cheerleading it’s important to be physically capable and knowledgeable about the stunts you might perform. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something, talk to your coach and don’t do it. Part of feeling secure is knowing that your teammates are capable as well as your coach. If they aren’t, remember it’s not worth the risk of life paralysis or death.
By: Liz Lebbeda