"The Most Dangerous Sport: Cheerleading"

[Jen H]

Cheerleading safety efforts have led to modest reductions in the number of serious injuries in recent years, according to a new report about college and high school sports and cheerleading mishaps.

But cheerleading continues to cause more serious and deadly injuries by far than other sports.

Researchers have long known how dangerous cheerleading is, but records were poorly kept until recently. An update to the record-keeping system last year found that between 1982 and 2007, there were 103 fatal, disabling or serious injuries recorded among female high school athletes, with the vast majority (67) occurring in cheerleading. The next most dangerous sports: gymnastics (nine such injuries) and track (seven).

Today, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill released its 26th annual report on the topic. The latest figures are from the 2007-2008 academic year for college and high school sports, male and female. The report defines catastrophic injuries as any severe or fatal injury incurred during participation in the sport.

The new numbers are for the 26-year period from the fall of 1982 through the spring of 2008:

    * There were 1,116 direct catastrophic injuries in high school (905) and college sports (211).
    * High school sports were associated with 152 fatalities, 379 non-fatal injuries and 374 serious injuries. College sports accounted for 22 fatalities, 63 non-fatal injuries and 126 serious injuries.
    * Cheerleading accounted for 65.2 percent of high school and 70.5 percent of college catastrophic injuries among all female sports.

The number of cheerleading injuries fell slightly in the 2007-08 academic year.

"Progress has been slow, but there has been an increased emphasis on cheerleading safety," said the study's author Frederick O. Mueller. "Continued data collection on all types of cheerleading injuries will hopefully show that these safety measures are working to reduce injuries."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090626/sc_livescience/themostdangeroussportcheerleading

[Kong]

Interesting how all of these articles keep recycling the same statistics.  At least this story addressed (VERY briefly at the bottom) the recent decrease in injuries.  There is more information that can be found on the AACCA website, especially at this link which shed some light on a CBS story done on cheerleading about a year ago.

Kong

[SRJCCHEER]

Every time I see an article like this I get really frustrated!  Are these statistics really true?  It just seems quite excessive.  I have never seen some of these injuries with programs I have worked with and find it hard to believe that the numbers could be that high.  However, I do agree that the amount of injuries could be less if cheerleading programs have the right areas and mats to practice in/with and if the coaching staff are trained properly.  I see some local high school programs doing college level and/or illegal stunts and it really makes my stomach turn to think of the injuries that can occur.  Especially since most of these high school coaches are not trained to teach these stunts properly! 
**Sigh**
I only have three more words to say...SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY!

[jandotcom]

One of my girls broke her arm, trying to do a stunt with 3 girls who had never cheered before.  This was done on their own time with no adult supervision.  I wonder if those types of injuries get included in the statistics? 

[chscougarcheer]

i think it's obvious that the stats aren't 100% accurate, which i'm sure no one is exactly claiming them to be.. in fact, i'd bet half or cheer injuries, especially ones to the ankle, are gone unreported. 

on another note, it amazes me how these stats are released repeatedly, yet still much of the population considers cheerleading to be unathletic, or not a sport. drives me crazy !!!

[VarsityMo]

Cheerleading and The Media - Again (and Again)

Click here to read and learn more

[Jen H]

If you want to understand the truth about cheerleading injuries, read this:

Click here to read and learn more

Thank you for that! I am terrible with statistics, so it really helps to have someone break it all down for me in a rational way.

[Kong]

One of my girls broke her arm, trying to do a stunt with 3 girls who had never cheered before.  This was done on their own time with no adult supervision.  I wonder if those types of injuries get included in the statistics? 

Jan, they do.  All they have to do in the ER is ask how you got injured and if you say, cheerleading...BAM statistic. 

Kong