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Community Corner

Michigan Cheerleader Fall Brings Local Safety Into Spotlight

A video showing the fall on the head of a 20-year-old Michigan State college cheerleader may have Ballwin and Ellisville parents wondering how local high schools protect our squads.

Taylor Young, a 20-year-old Michigan State cheerleader, fell during a stunt captured on video last Wednesday. While Young reportedly has since been released from the hospital in good condition, an incident like that can cause a scare.

Since full-ride cheerleading scholarship is the goal of many competitive cheer teams, many young women and men train at the college level, even as highschoolers.

However, such acrobatics don't come without risk. In 2008, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research found that cheerleading accounted for two-thirds of all catastrophic injuries among female high school and college athletes. These athletes, particularly the young women, usually have a passion for pushing the envelope.

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While men usually serve as "bases", smaller women usually serve as "flyers" for more aerial stunts and sometimes switch roles. So how do cheerleading and educational organizations address the inherent risk of flying through the air?

High school and college cheerleading are governed respectively by the National Federation of High Schools and the NCAA. These are the same organizations that govern other school sports.

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The NCAA requires coaches to be certified through the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches, which lists rules on their website and holds various trainings and offers educational resources for parents and coaches. Even coaches for youth-level cheerleading are welcome to join the organization.

Local Cheer-Safety Measures

Marquette High School is a local award-winning cheer team. The school has about 70 girls in their program, spread out among six teams. To address some of the inherrent dangers their squad encounters, Cheerleading coaches Ashley Porter and Abbey Gradle are required to do several trainings annually.

"Every year our coaching staff attends safety and coaching clinics at the Universal Cheerleading Association Cheerleading Camps and at the MCCA Cheerleading Coaches Conference," Porter said.

Pam Mueller, head cheer coach at Parkway West High School also attended the same training. She, too, is CPR/First Aid certified.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association also requires coaches to take a safety test and has a list of responsibilities for cheer coaches, including an emergency plan.

Part of this plan involves contracting parents, trainers, principals, and 911. In addition, "Different girls on the team have a "job" in case of an emergency," Mueller said.

"First and foremost, it is important for cheerleaders to learn proper technique and safety instruction," Porter said. "Cheerleading can be dangerous, but it can also be as safe as any other sport if taught correctly."

Training includes being alert during stunting, appopropriate ways to catch and fall, and mastering basics before attempting to move on to more difficult tasks.

In addition, both Parkway West and Marquette enforce a key principal into their respective squads.

"We also have a very strict rule that the flyer (top girl) never hits the ground," Porter said. "Bases and back spots are taught how to get under the stunt in order to break any fall that might not seem catchable."

Mueller finds that cheerleading is becoming increasingly athletic and sophisticated as a sport, "yet the skills are constantly being evaluated for safety, and coaches need to be sure they are up to date on the current regulations for legal stunts as well as trained in handling an emergency."

Coaches and team members aren't the only ones who should be involved in cheer safety. Parents can educate themselves with the National Cheer Safety Foundation.

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