All-Star "breaking" Cheerleaders In The Splits

[catlady]

ACL injuries have gone up in just about every sport. Mostly a combination of overtraining, poor body mechanics, and unbalanced muscle structure around the knee.
Which the same can be said for Tommy John's. Some of both of those injuries has to do with the huge increase in sport specialization at such young ages.

The following article "The Epidemic that's Ruining Youth Sports" is recent and touches on everything you said:

The epidemic that’s ruining youth sports | New York Post

 

[luv2cheer92]

The following article "The Epidemic that Ruining Youth Sports" is recent and touches on everything you said:

The epidemic that’s ruining youth sports | New York Post

It really is a huge issue that I don't see slowing down anytime soon unfortunately. Something I see way too often in my profession. Every parent wants their kid to be the next best thing in their sport, and they think the best way to do that is for the child to do that one sport 24/7/365. When really, that is the absolute worst thing you can do for them.

 

[quitthedrama]

It really is a huge issue that I don't see slowing down anytime soon unfortunately. Something I see way too often in my profession. Every parent wants their kid to be the next best thing in their sport, and they think the best way to do that is for the child to do that one sport 24/7/365. When really, that is the absolute worst thing you can do for them.

Cross training is so key. My youngest plays lacrosse from March - May, and she is always in the best overall shape when she is combining the sport with cheer. I wish she would play field hockey or cross country in the Fall instead of high school cheer for that very reason.

 

[HappyGirls]

ACL injuries have gone up in just about every sport. Mostly a combination of overtraining, poor body mechanics, and unbalanced muscle structure around the knee.
Which the same can be said for Tommy John's. Some of both of those injuries has to do with the huge increase in sport specialization at such young ages.

Maybe time for cheerleading to encourage use of a prevention program... ACL injuries in women's soccer show significant reduction with the implementation of a prevention program. This article gives a short summary:

PEP Exercise Program Reduces ACL Injuries in Female Soccer Players | MomsTeam

 

[luv2cheer92]

Maybe time for cheerleading to encourage use of a prevention program... ACL injuries in women's soccer show significant reduction with the implementation of a prevention program. This article gives a short summary:

PEP Exercise Program Reduces ACL Injuries in Female Soccer Players | MomsTeam

Yes, I am very familiar with PEP, it has been successful. My dream job is to go around to gyms across the country and introduce similar injury prevention programs for a variety of injuries as well as educate coaches/athletes/parents on this kind of stuff. Just got to figure out the best approach for it. I believe that there is a huge need for it.

 

[XtremeWpg]

It really is a huge issue that I don't see slowing down anytime soon unfortunately. Something I see way too often in my profession. Every parent wants their kid to be the next best thing in their sport, and they think the best way to do that is for the child to do that one sport 24/7/365. When really, that is the absolute worst thing you can do for them.

Not only from an injury view, but how on Earth can you love something and want to do it if you never, ever miss it? Especially at young age kids should be doing anything they find interesting and developing interests instead of doing one thing, hating it, and never having anything else in their lives.

This is an older article, and about hockey, but it's absolutely still applicable
The real scandal in hockey - Macleans.ca

 

[luv2cheer92]

Not only from an injury view, but how on Earth can you love something and what to do it if you never, ever miss it? Especially at young age kids should be doing anything they find interesting and developing interests instead of doing one thing, hating it, and never having anything else in their lives.

This is an older article, and about hockey, but it's absolutely still applicable
The real scandal in hockey - Macleans.ca

That's a great article. Something I've seen fairly often as well. It also hit on something that bothers me. Some parents will spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to make sure that their kid is the best in order to get a college scholarship, when they could have just saved that money and paid for it.
Tying what you said back into injuries. If a kid spends all this time dedicated to one single sport and that's the only thing that they depend on in life, what happens when they do get injured, they have nothing. I had a psychology of injury class in undergrad that spent a lot of time talking about this and the impact it can have on somebody can be huge.
Burnout is another big issue that comes with sport specialization so early. The athlete spends so many years in the gym every single day, that's a lot not only physically, but mentally as well. They get all this pressure on them to be successful in this one sport, and in turn it just makes them want to quit.

 

[Momager]

In gymnastics we had regional clinics that featured judges, coaches and trainers and there was a mandatory session for athletes on injury prevention techniques.

 

[CheerBank]

That's a great article. Something I've seen fairly often as well. It also hit on something that bothers me. Some parents will spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to make sure that their kid is the best in order to get a college scholarship, when they could have just saved that money and paid for it.
Tying what you said back into injuries. If a kid spends all this time dedicated to one single sport and that's the only thing that they depend on in life, what happens when they do get injured, they have nothing. I had a psychology of injury class in undergrad that spent a lot of time talking about this and the impact it can have on somebody can be huge.
Burnout is another big issue that comes with sport specialization so early. The athlete spends so many years in the gym every single day, that's a lot not only physically, but mentally as well. They get all this pressure on them to be successful in this one sport, and in turn it just makes them want to quit.

Unfortunately what I have found is that it is very hard to play more than one sport - even at a school/rec level - because you are essentially running from one practice/game to another. My now 13 year old played football/soccer in the fall and lax/soccer in the spring for many years through our town leagues. It was exhausting. Now in middle school he plays school soccer in the fall but his outside club soccer is more mellow until the school season is over. He played school lax last season as well and we were always running to make soccer practice. It is also very difficult to get involved in a new sport at the ripe old age of 9 or 10 because all the kids have been playing since 3 or 4.

Burnout - 100%. My friends' son has played soccer since the womb. He played on a very competitive team this past season where they were commuting at least an hour each way to practice 4 nights a week plus games far and wide every weekend. He planned on trying to play in college. Now? He is not playing any club because he does not want to. He may play for school and that is all, and does not want to pursue it after high school. So all those years of training and planning, he could have been home with his home friends and saving more $ for college.

 

[ErinS]

And most of them, daughter included, are from a skill they do all the time, not because of doing anything unsafe.

When my sister was in high school a girl got set out of a stunt and tore hers.


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[HappyGirls]

[QUOTE="luv2cheer92, post: 1180789, My dream job is to go around to gyms across the country and introduce similar injury prevention programs for a variety of injuries as well as educate coaches/athletes/parents on this kind of stuff. Just got to figure out the best approach for it. I believe that there is a huge need for it.[/QUOTE]

Let us know when you kick this off! I will definitely request this at the gym my girls go to...

 

[cheermomforever]

When my sister was in high school a girl got set out of a stunt and tore hers.


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I was talking about AS mainly not HS.

 

[ErinS]

I was talking about AS mainly not HS.

I was simply illustrating the ease at which someone has torn theirs doing a routine (simple and easy) skill. It very well could have been on her AS team...or her HS team, but none the less she tore it getting set out of a stunt


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[SL&AM]

Eventually your eyes roll so far backwards they pop out...I'm in that phase regarding his statements.

9news.com | Fired cheer coach takes to Facebook, says he'll take a break from his activities

 

[DaniV]

This is frustrating - "
Due to the news coverage currently ongoing about me, it is unfair to attempt to teach, mentor, or perform with this press situation and the pressures it would place upon my students, my mentees, and my sponsors. With that, I have made the difficult, yet appropriate, decision to postpone my tumbling and cheer related activities and engagements. I have great respect and adoration for all of my athletes, and I want each one of them to feel safe participating in the sport we love.

Please know that in my absence, I will be working diligently to reflect upon the criticism of my training and teaching methods. I will strive to open the lines of communication and provide a supportive, healthy, safe training and teaching environment for my athletes.

For Parents and Athletes: I know an interruption in your training schedule is an inconvenience, and one I do not take lightly. Please know I will work with you to provide make-up sessions, or refunds/credits where appropriate.

Thank you for your support.

Coach O."


So....He is saying that he is only stopping coaching at the moment because of the press coverage? How about that he recognizes that he has made a severe error in judgement in the safety of the children who trusted in him. Reflecting upon the criticisms that were made against him isn't good enough in my opinion. So he'll never "break" someone in splits again - I'm sure that wasn't the only thing that he had athletes do that was questionable or inappropriate as a coach. I hope this was an eye opener for his existing clients and they take their money elsewhere.