| Cheerleading, once a rather tame activity
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| | a "sexist" move. "Cheerleading is
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| composed mostly of pompoms and
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| | considered primarily a female activity,"
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| megaphones, has taken an about face in
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| | said T. Lynn Williamson, adviser to the
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| America over the last few decades. Today,
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| | University of Kentucky cheer team since
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| cheerleaders use gymnastic moves and
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| | 1977. "In our society, it's acceptable
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| athletic ability to flip, somersault and
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| | that every year a number of young men
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| even catapult one another into the air,
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| | will die on a football field. But, my
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| with stunts that can rival the excitement
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| | heavens, if a female breaks a fingernail,
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| of any football or basketball game. In
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| | or her arm, well, then it must be time to
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| fact, "[Cheerleading has] evolved from a
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| | ground them." But the spokesperson for
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| school-spirit activity into an activity
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| | Nebraska, Barry Swanson, felt otherwise.
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| demanding high levels of gymnastics skill
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| | "We didn't eliminate cheerleading or
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| and athleticism," according to a study in
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| | reduce the cheerleading budget in any
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| the journal Pediatrics. It has also
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| | way. All we eliminated was the danger ...
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| become much more dangerous, with the
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| | In football you have helmets and pads,"
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| increasingly complex moves putting
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| | he said. "Cheerleaders do their stunts on
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| cheerleaders at risk of potentially
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| | hardwood floors or turf. We consider that
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| serious head, neck and other injuries.
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| | risk without reason." Other schools that
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| Cheerleading Injuries Double Since 1990
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| | have "grounded" cheerleading squads
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| The Pediatrics study found that
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| | include San Jose State University, which
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| cheerleading injuries have more than
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| | did so in 2004 after an accident, and
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| doubled from 1990 through 2002.
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| | Duke University, which has forbidden
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| Participation, however, grew only 18
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| | stunts since the '80s. How Does
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| percent during that period. Over the
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| | Cheerleading Stack Up? Compared to other
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| 13-year study, 208,800 5- to 18-year-olds
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| | youth sports, cheerleading is still one
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| were treated at U.S. hospitals for
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| | of the safer options. In 2003, for
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| cheerleading-related injuries. Almost 40
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| | instance, 100,000 female basketball
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| percent involved leg, ankle and foot
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| | players visited emergency rooms for
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| injuries. Researchers say the actual
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| | related injuries, while only 25,000
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| number of injuries is likely much
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| | cheerleaders did so, said Jim Lord,
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| greater, though, because the study only
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| | executive director of the American
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| involved ER-treated injuries, not those
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| | Association of Cheerleading Coaches and
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| treated at doctors' offices or by team
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| | Advisors. The seven most dangerous youth
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| trainers. What Makes Cheerleading so
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| | sports in America, based on percentage of
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| Dangerous? Although cheerleaders use a
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| | injuries versus total participation,
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| high level of athletic ability,
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| | include not cheerleading but: Football
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| cheerleading is still not considered a
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| | Mountain biking Basketball Soccer
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| sport by the majority of schools. Because
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| | Skateboarding Baseball Softball
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| of this, it is not subject to the same
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| | Nonetheless, the study researchers
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| safety regulations as other sports, like
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| | recommended several approaches to make
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| football. Meanwhile, cheerleading squads
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| | cheerleading safer: Coaches getting
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| can exist without coaches or with coaches
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| | professional safety training High
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| that have no safety certifications or
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| | schools and cheerleading associations
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| training. Some schools also do not have
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| | adopting uniform safety procedures
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| the proper equipment or space for
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| | Developing a national database for
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| cheerleaders to practice safely. Said
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| | injuries The American Association of
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| Brenda Shields, the study's lead author
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| | Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors also
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| and an injury researcher at Columbus
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| | has a safety manual for cheerleaders and
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| Children's Research Institute in Ohio,
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| | safety courses for coaches. "It's not
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| "[Cheerleaders may] practice in hallways
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| | that the sport is dangerous, but it's
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| and practice on hard surfaces instead of
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| | people trying skills they shouldn't,"
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| mats. So when they fall off a pyramid or
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| | said Lord. "We are by no means minimizing
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| from in the air and they land on hard
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| | the injuries; we are simply putting them
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| surfaces, the chances for injury are
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| | into perspective. When compared to other
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| drastically increased." Some Cheerleaders
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| | sports, cheerleading is a low-risk
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| Get 'Grounded' In response to safety
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| | activity," he maintained.This article was
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| concerns, some schools are choosing to
| |
| | provided by the world's #1 most popular
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| prohibit stunts and keep cheerleaders
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| | and trusted holistic living e-newsletter
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| safely on the ground. The University of
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| | -- FREE to you right now at The old way
|
| Nebraska has prohibited pyramids and
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| | of thinking: "holistic living" pertains
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| other gymnastic stunts since 2002. The
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| | only to personal health. The new way of
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| decision to keep cheerleaders
| |
| | thinking: "holistic living" means
|
| "ground-bound" came after a cheerleader
| |
| | prevention of the negative and adherence
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| landed on her head while doing a double
| |
| | to the positive in all SIX practical
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| back flip at practice in 1996. She has
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| | areas of life: relationships, finances,
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| only limited use of her arms and legs,
| |
| | career, home environment, safety and
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| and the school settled a related lawsuit
| |
| | health. With the e-newsletter, you will
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| for $2.1-million. The move was
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| | get holistic wisdom from the world's top
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| controversial, as many cheerleaders
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| | experts in all six of these areas --
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| seeking scholarships will avoid schools
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| | completely FREE with a simple sign-up
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| that don't allow stunts. Other called it
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