Cheerleading Statistics
Eye-Opening Cheerleading Statistics Underline The Danger Of The Sport
When we address current cheerleading statistics, it is hard to believe cheerleaders used to be a group of girls there primarily to lend support to the team. Now they ARE the team. It is a highly competitive sport.
Of all schools in the United States, 80% have cheerleading in their athletic departments, consisting of more than 1 million cheerleaders between ages 6 to 11 years, 1.5 million aged 12 to 17 years, and .6 million aged 18 years or more. About 15 percent of these girls and women participate at a competitive level.
Most cheerleaders are good students, with a B average or better, and over 60% do another sport in addition to cheerleading.
Cheerleading Statistics - Injuries and Surrounding Circumstances
Cheerleaders incur 50 % of all female athletes’ neck and spine injuries of a serious nature. One death occurred in 2008 at a meet. This was high profile because the girl’s father became an activist in publicizing the dangers in this activity.
Of all cheerleading injuries occurring, the victims were between 5 and 29 years old, and most were in high school. Although somewhat counterintuitive, most of the injuries were on the cheerleaders with 4 or more years of experiences, and all had done warm-ups before being injured. They were also in regular workout and conditioning sessions separate from cheerleading practices or performances, in the same week the injuries took place.
Over 80% were injured at a practice, after the practice had been underway for one hour or longer. Also over 80% happened indoors, and the group called “all-stars” incurred the bulk of the injuries.
The most likely stunt to cause an injury was the cradle, and in most cases, the stunt was one that had been mastered by the person who was injured. About 20% happened to girls doing a stunt the first or second time.
Most were on a spring floor, followed by a tiny percentage happening on concrete or tile. The highest proportion of stunt related injuries took place while the injury victim was spotting another cheerleader, not actually doing the stunt herself. And the specific type of spotting was most frequently catching another cheerleader.
In this same group incurring serious injuries, 20 percent were falls from 1 to eleven feet high, with one falling 10 feet, to a spring floor with no mats.
To Turn Around These Frightening Statistics:
The above cheerleading statistics can and should be rolled back. To that end, the following list is merely a starting point from which to formulate uniform safety guidelines.
Have coaches certified in proper safety guidelines and supervision of cheerleaders to assure guidelines are followed.
Require mats at practice and performances when injury is possible, regardless of the need to place mats on the field at half time and remove them afterwards. Volunteers can be asked to help if the squad members cannot easily do it themselves.
Double the number of spotters per stunt
Do not allow pyramids higher than two levels.
Cheerleading has become a performance like gymnastics, whereas it used to be about yells and dance steps. With any other sport, there are mandated safety standards, and it should be the same with the sport of cheerleading.