All-Star "cheering All The Way To The Er" Article

[CoachKelly]

It's a great question. She was at the girls state basketball tournament cheering. It's wasn't the cheer state tournament. But they don't restrict the skills at those events and they don't have athletic trainer or emergency response teams for cheerleaders. Same response to her as if she was a spectator.
Now that being said. The state and district tournaments are not better. There is not an athletic trainer on site. One competition they ran a girl broke both ankles during the routine. She crawled off the floor they finally helped her off the floor and then the routine continued without her and without any pyramid they still one first because they would have had they not has the injury:(..it's bad. The IHSAA only took over the districts and championship to make money not to help sanction or make safer. If there are standards they are not provided or responding to me with them as I have been asking under the recent circumstances. I'm looking for advice too if anyone has an idea of how to better go about getting them to do something. I've written letters, met with athletic director, met with the district AD. Nothing :(.. It's disappointing for my child and the entire sport here. I'm pushing as many kids to all star that I can

Don't take this wrong but 3 concussions and you're still letting her cheer? What is happening to cause these injuries?

And I agree if his response was his first article it would have been received so much better.

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[Goosepatrick]

I don't take it wrong. They are valid questions. She is not cheering anymore. She has not cheered since the accident on February 14. Her senior year is next year and she won't be cheering.
I'm an educated cheer person and recognize what is a natural consequence of the sport and what is lack of education, training and good judgement. . Two of the concussions were due to lack of good decision making by the coach. Competition was the ultimate goal. To reach that goal the girls performed skills outside of the safety of a matted environment. the third concussion was at a tumbling practice. She fell short of a standing back tuck and smacked her forehead on the mat. Coach wasn't present, only tumbling coach was and he didn't recognize that as a concussion situation and never told the coach of the situation. I found out when my daughter told me she didn't feel well and I asked her what happened. Two could have new prevented. I don't want to see the entire state get grounded. I just want to see the IHSAA step up and help the girls do what they do well while keeping them safe to live, walk, and have futures. If they can't do this, I would like to see club cheer be the option and sideline cheer be the only thing allowed in our state. Those states that have done a good job at making HS cheer safe I applaud and I have reached out to a couple for advice on how I can help our state do better.

 

[CWcoach]

I got a response that was very similar to the rest of yours. "Hi Mariah -

Thanks for your thoughtful response.

First, I want to clear up the article was not at all directed at AllStar, Extreme or other club cheer organizations. It was written solely about HS cheer (sideline cheer) in Idaho, an activity not sponsored by the HS Association.

Clearly I failed to communicate this. That is on me.

When I was using the term "competitive cheer" it was in reference to HS kids practicing and performing Level 2 and sometimes Level 3 stunts over hardwood floors - not what you are doing.

I am not against AllStar cheer. I am against a lack of sanctioning and oversight for HS cheer.

Again, you are correct for reading it as an indictment of your sport. That was never my intention, and that is my failing as a communicator.

I recently saw a severe cheer injury at our state basketball tournament, and that cheerleader is 100 percent on her own. If she were a tennis/volley/track athlete (or Kevin Ware for that matter) she would have financial and medial support. That's my beef. Not all of competitive cheer.

If there is going to be competitive cheer representing High Schools, it is my belief they need to sanction it and install safety guidelines. If not, the sport needs to be limited to club cheer where safety regulations are taken seriously and implemented. Otherwise it is reckless, in my opinion.

My wife was a high school cheerleader. My daughters want to be high school cheerleaders as well. But if they want to do it, I will encourage them to join one of our local club cheer teams.

Again, thank you for your response. Despite feeling disrespected, you responded with respect. You took the high road and are a fine ambassador for your sport. You would be surprised at some of the nastiness."

I'm not sure how I feel about it but I am pleased to get a response.

I got this same exact response.

 

[weheartcheer]

I'm looking for advice too if anyone has an idea of how to better go about getting them to do something. I've written letters, met with athletic director, met with the district AD. Nothing :(

You can call Kimberly Archie w/ the National Cheer Safety Foundation. She's always willing to help if she can! 800.596.7860 ext 301

 

[BowsnBling]

You can call Kimberly Archie w/ the National Cheer Safety Foundation. She's always willing to help if she can! 800.596.7860 ext 301

Is this the mom that lost her daughter when she was doubling out of an extended skill ? I feel like this happened in the Northwest?

 

[Goosepatrick]

Thank you!!

 

[weheartcheer]

Is this the mom that lost her daughter when she was doubling out of an extended skill ? I feel like this happened in the Northwest?

No, Kimberly is my mother actually lol However we did work with the mother than lost her daughter in 2005, Ruth Burns, when we first got into cheer safety.

 

[Goosepatrick]

I've already downloaded the emergency plan that I will share with my school and district and contact her. This is the great part of forums. The networking we create to hopefully drive positive change in the support of the sport we love. Thank you!

 

[garretttt]

I got the same response too.

 

[Ems]

I just don't understand why this response couldn't have been the content of his piece. He speaks quite clearly about how the sport needs to be sanctioned and regulated - things we all agree with and why the American Association of Pediatrics has said that cheerleading should be recognized as a sport. But he didn't say any of those things. He said that cheerleading should go back to standing on the sidelines looking pretty, shaking their poms for the crowd's pleasure. Which is just demeaning. This isn't the 1950s anymore.

This is my problem with it. I feel like he wrote the article to get attention and get some limelight. With him saying that cheerleading can be dangerous and should be regulated much more than it is in all of his email responses show that he's clearly educated on the matter but when about writing it in a completely wrong way.
I remember a few years ago I was listening to a radio show where on of the DJ's said something offensive and I ended up emailing him. The response the DJ wrote back basically said "I didn't really mean that, I just said it to get people's attention." I feel like this is one of those cases.

 

[Daniellerae]

Safety is the only perk of Michigan cheer. We can't go out of state, we can't have music, we can't have props, we can't have guys, but at least we have the safety standards of all the other sports.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Safety is the only perk of Michigan cheer. We can't go out of state, we can't have music, we can't have props, we can't have guys, but at least we have the safety standards of all the other sports.

Can't have guys? There's a Title IX lawsuit brewing if they're specifically excluded due to gender with no comparable athletic option.


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[gimmeoneminute]

It's a great question. She was at the girls state basketball tournament cheering. It's wasn't the cheer state tournament. But they don't restrict the skills at those events and they don't have athletic trainer or emergency response teams for cheerleaders. Same response to her as if she was a spectator.
Now that being said. The state and district tournaments are not better. There is not an athletic trainer on site. One competition they ran a girl broke both ankles during the routine. She crawled off the floor they finally helped her off the floor and then the routine continued without her and without any pyramid they still one first because they would have had they not has the injury:(..it's bad. The IHSAA only took over the districts and championship to make money not to help sanction or make safer. If there are standards they are not provided or responding to me with them as I have been asking under the recent circumstances. I'm looking for advice too if anyone has an idea of how to better go about getting them to do something. I've written letters, met with athletic director, met with the district AD. Nothing :(.. It's disappointing for my child and the entire sport here. I'm pushing as many kids to all star that I can

Our state is somewhat "overseen" by a group. Unfortunately, this group and the schools will back an inexperienced coach 100%. High school cheer is VERY dangerous as is now. As a parent of a child on a high school cheer competition team I strongly feel this sport needs to be gone from high school, as HS competition cheer is ran now. I also have NEVER in 7 years of all star cheer have seen the number of injuries as I had in ONE year of high school cheer.

There are ways to fix this but in my personal experience, schools will NEVER change a thing. Schools don't see a problem. There is no problem, coach said so.

 

[Jadie_Loves_Cheer]

If you're going to write such a rude article, at least have some solid background knowledge of the subject and decent facts supporting your opinion. And also, why are people so closed minded to accepting cheerleading as a sport?! We train, sweat, bleed, and compete just like every other athlete in the world. Why do people get so upset about what we do being considered as a sport? It's not like it really affects them anyway. Grrrr... I could go on for hours!!!

 

[Daniellerae]

Can't have guys? There's a Title IX lawsuit brewing if they're specifically excluded due to gender with no comparable athletic option.


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Really? That's interesting, since I somewhat remember a team that was disqualified for competing with a male one or two years ago... Yeah, Michigan cheer has its flaws. We had a judge this past season scold our coach for putting a skill on the score sheet he's never heard of. It was a back extension roll.