High school teams throwing unsafe stunts

[Kong]

The best advice I can give anyone when it comes to dealing with inconsistencies between AACCA and NFHS rules is to follow the more strict set of rules.  Hypothetically speaking, if someone is injured doing a skill that one organization says is legal and the other says is illegal and someone does decide to file a lawsuit, you would have the defendant cite the more conservative rules in a court of law.  If you were following the more conservative rules, they would not have that point to make in court.

Kong

[ucaCHEERalum]

WORD TO YOUR MOMMA, KONG!

[melpv1]

Well let me put it this way. . . I know for a fact that PIAA recognizes NFHS rules.  We are not actually held to any rules since there is no governing body for cheerleading in PA.  However, since PIAA governs other sports, I have chosen to follow NFHS rules since those are the ones instituted by our District's AD's at the District Cheerleading Championship.  On the basis of those facts, I think it's a safe assumption to follow NFHS rather than AACCA rules, particularly since the differences are few and rather negligible.

[ucaCHEERalum]

I'm a proponent of cheerleaders getting to stunt at games...I never want to see that privilege taken away.  But just because your state isn't really regulating things doesn't mean you should feel free to do whatever you want.
 
I was very disheartened a few years ago when the NCAA and AACCA decided to limit stunts/pyramids at the collegiate level.  However, after a few years of operating without basket tosses and full downs on the hardwood, I can honestly say that it was the right move.

You need to ask yourself whether full downs on a basketball court (or for that matter, during any game you are cheering) are worth it.  Do they help you to lead the crowd better?  Do they implore your fans to yell with you?  If so, then great...keep doing them. 

However, if an accident happens (and you're being naive if you think they won't happen to you, even the best programs have accidents) and someone asks, "Why were they doing that particular skill?"  What will your answer be? 

Why not have the prettiest, highest straight cradles?  Wouldn't that accomplish the task of dismounting your top?

Now more than ever coaches are being held accountable for their decisions and its a good idea to police yourself before someone does it for you.

[cobwebbedroses]

This may seem odd, but the reason stated above is basically why I don't even teach skills that are illegal on the basketball court. We only cheer basketball, our school doesn't have football or any other sport where we would be cheering on grass or rubber track. We don't compete. We can't afford to buy a game mat right now. We have several old tri-fold ones we use when learning new stunts, or we'll learn them outside on the school lawn. Most of my girls don't have the money to go to all-stars or outside tumbling, so it's extremely rare for someone to cheer in college.

We don't need the skills to do our job, so we use that practice time to perfect the ones we do use.  I'm the first coach they've been allowed to stunt with in years, so I'd rather stay at the lower levels and prove we can do those solidly to the admin. Once we save up for a game mat, and the school trusts us and respects that we'd like to be a more athletic program, then we can start moving on to more advanced skills and thinking about competing.

[CheerHounds]

I also coach in northern california, and my thoughts are regardless of what rules we are actually "required" to follow, I say if it's illegal through any safety administration, or by any state, I'm going to save my own butt and I will not let my girls do it. I don't care if my girls have perfect double downs and have never dropped a girl, I refuse to let them full down and basket toss on a basketball court still!

Besides, as high school cheerleaders shouldn't we be saving the dramatic high--level stunts for the competition floor anyway? How are you supposed to lead a crowd doing basket tosses and full downs anyway? If your crowd wants to see higher difficulty stunts during games, tell them to go to your competitions!

[JTlives4JC]

I personally think we need sanctions or prohibitions from competing in State level competitions for schools who blantantly break the rules with no regard for safety. We also need to get AACCA and NFHS on the same page so the rules are the same. Our state follows NFHS but I am also AACCA certified...frustrating to say the least.

Also, anyone thought about your liability when schools perform illegal stunts in your gym? I asked someone about this and turns out that in their opinion we are negligent if we fail to address this with squads. For example, there are certain rules across the board that qualify as illegal at the high school level, 2-2-1, basket tosses on the gym floor, doubles on the gym floor, or inverted stunts. We should be taking a hard line when these issues arise. I sent a letter out prior to last season addressing this issue and surprisingly had no problems. It was very helpful and alleviated some of my stress. 

One question that I have been contemplating...any feedback on teh types of mats you think are appropriate for baskets on the floor. We have been carrying mats with us to every game for each individual stunt group so we can twist and toss....

[RPCmme]

In our state (I can't speak for other states), which ever school is hosting an event is responsible for ALL spirit infractions.  If a visiting teams performs an illegal stunt and injury occurs, the host school is looked at first. 

I like what coachscoops said about talking to coaches prior to a game.  You can begin on a very positive note by discussing time-outs, practice/warm-up areas, and so forth.  As a visiting coach walking into an unfamiliar venue, I would appreciate someone welcoming me and giving me some information about their hosting facilities.

Here's the protocol in our state for illegal moves (and don't forget about hair, jewelry, gum, and so on):
Step #1:  cheer coach and administration speak to coach and discuss NFHS rules (we're NFHS, not AACCA)
Step #2:  if coach still does not adhere to regulations, cheer coach and administration send memo/letter to coach's administration
Step #3:  contact state board with coach's name and school and note any and all infractions

I've only gone to step #3 once before, and it was a very sensative situation.  However, the illegal moves have stopped, which is what will keep our student athletes safe.

[CoachErin]

Talk about frustrating, I run a choreography company and I did the choreography for a high school in my area (Northern California). Recently I went back to do a follow up with them and the coach asked me about a new stunt they had learned and if I thought she should add it to the routine. The stun they learned was a prep, extension, prep, extension, prep. The extensions bumped down and then tossed and did back tucks while braced by the preps and then caught and when to hitch libs. Ummmmm...excuse me, illegal pyramid! She had no idea and had we not talked about it, she probably would have went right ahead and added it into the routine. The WORST part of it all, they were taught this pyramid by an instructor for a (non-Varsity brands) cheer company that is popular here in California. I just could not believe that an instructor, who should know the rules, would do that. It's one thing when a completely clueless coach does it, but for someone who is supossed to be a professional in the industry just blatantly disregard safety regulations like that is just plain gross negligence and it makes me so mad. Grrrrr.......