All-Star Listen To The Pain!

[Jfear]

My friend's daughter had never had a previous injury. She collided with another athlete in a tumbling pass. She got a very severe concussion. She can never cheer again, which is the least of her worries. Now more than a year later she still struggles with her memory, ability to concentrate, and severe headaches. She went from being a strait A student to having to be home schooled. That is from one concussion.

Thank you so much for sharing! To this day, she still can't balance on one foot and will be in the middle of something and completely forget what she is doing. Giving up cheer was so difficult for her (started at age 4, injury at 16). It really made me take off my rose color glasses and admit to myself that out of all injuries, this by far has been the worst.

 

[RaRaMama]

I'm so glad to see this topic being discussed. Every year our high school has mandatory safety meetings for all student athletes and parents, and part of that includes concussion awareness training. By putting it out there, I assumed they meant business. Unfortunately, the cheer coach does not. Those girls (and guys) are pushing through a lot of stuff they shouldn't be. One girl got a concussion two years ago by being knocked down by a flyer (her head hit the gym floor) and the coach told her she was fine, to go ahead and get back up and keep stunting. Another had a concussion last year-same thing. Ended up in the hospital for 2-3 days and out of cheer for 4-6 weeks. We had another girl that postponed hip surgery until after States because coach told her she couldn't let her down. I believe in pushing yourself, but this stuff gets way beyond that in my opinion. When the coach has a greater desire to win then to maintain the health of his/her team, that is a problem.


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[Official OWECheer]

I'm so glad to see this topic being discussed. Every year our high school has mandatory safety meetings for all student athletes and parents, and part of that includes concussion awareness training. By putting it out there, I assumed they meant business. Unfortunately, the cheer coach does not. Those girls (and guys) are pushing through a lot of stuff they shouldn't be. One girl got a concussion two years ago by being knocked down by a flyer (her head hit the gym floor) and the coach told her she was fine, to go ahead and get back up and keep stunting. Another had a concussion last year-same thing. Ended up in the hospital for 2-3 days and out of cheer for 4-6 weeks. We had another girl that postponed hip surgery until after States because coach told her she couldn't let her down. I believe in pushing yourself, but this stuff gets way beyond that in my opinion. When the coach has a greater desire to win then to maintain the health of his/her team, that is a problem.


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That's incredibly disturbing.

 

[RaRaMama]

That's incredibly disturbing.

Unfortunately it's a all part of the culture she has created. Kids are deathly afraid to let her down, and they don't dare tell her they are hurt. My CPs tumbling coach finally had to tell her to take a break because she could tell she was in pain but was afraid to quit because she didn't want to appear weak.


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[Official OWECheer]

Unfortunately it's a all part of the culture she has created. Kids are deathly afraid to let her down, and they don't dare tell her they are hurt. My CPs tumbling coach finally had to tell her to take a break because she could tell she was in pain but was afraid to quit because she didn't want to appear weak.


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That's so sad.

 

[cheerisloving]

All athletes in our school district get base line IMPACT testing done freshman and junior year before tryouts. And again if there has been a questionable injury.
We're fortunate because our school did all 6th grade students. Does anyone know if these need to be updated as children get older?

I took the base line as Junior and freshman, and several times as a Senior when I had a concussion. Our athletic trainer said that it just test your brain function on a good day, and the excercises are not something too complex so I wouldn't see why you would have to. My scores as a senior were compared to my Junior year scores which in reality the score I got as a second semester Sophomore in HS . I help with tryouts and I believe my trainer wants all cheerleaders tested each season.

My school (D1) actually didn't make us take a baseline until a recent incident. Before we went on a case by case basis and you had to report previous incidents.

I'm guilty of working through an injury. I got hit the week of HC senior year and had a pretty nasty black eye. I never thought concussion until I started having foggy memory and headaches. I didn't get tested till weeks later (comp season was over) and didn't get cleared to before Christmas break. I was allowed to cheer sidelines but not do any actual skills. My grades were awful, because I couldn't retain info. And despite having amazing parents and coaches, they never took my injury as serious because I didn't look sick nor did I act like it. But I think we have to remember kids who truly want to cheer don't want to sit out. So while I wanted to stunt and tumble, and physically could, that's not to say my brain wasn't being rattled around everytime.

 

[TealArmySparkle]

A year and a half ago I busted a front punch at a competition and landed on my head/neck before being thrown forwards due to the momentum of it. I had been having headaches from the onset of the injury which was first diagnosed as a mild concussion by the doctor, so I was told to wait out for two weeks and then I could cheer again. However the headaches never stopped and it took nearly 6 months after the injury to discover that I had muscular tension in my neck and I was sent to physio for about three sessions to give me "basic exercises" to do to relieve the pain. However that had also not worked and their advice of "taking paracetamols" also does not help so I'm stuck in a never ending cycle of excruciating neck headaches, muscular tension, pins and needles in my shoulder and arm. My parents had actually come to the conclusion that I had suffered from whiplash and although I have tried to get somewhere with the doctors since that I've gotten nowhere. Never have I once had an X-ray, MRI or even a specialist look at the issue as the NHS will do nothing for you (I also cant afford to even consider going private so its nhs or bust). So basically a small injury manifested into something that will probably not go away in the near future and the front punch that I busted was an "I had to do it" to make up points on a scoresheet thing. I hate doing them and have had issues with them for years but the coach put it in the routine for the whole squad and I was under no circumstances to fake one. Must just have some really bad luck going on :(

 

[KPep]

A year and a half ago I busted a front punch at a competition and landed on my head/neck before being thrown forwards due to the momentum of it. I had been having headaches from the onset of the injury which was first diagnosed as a mild concussion by the doctor, so I was told to wait out for two weeks and then I could cheer again. However the headaches never stopped and it took nearly 6 months after the injury to discover that I had muscular tension in my neck and I was sent to physio for about three sessions to give me "basic exercises" to do to relieve the pain. However that had also not worked and their advice of "taking paracetamols" also does not help so I'm stuck in a never ending cycle of excruciating neck headaches, muscular tension, pins and needles in my shoulder and arm. My parents had actually come to the conclusion that I had suffered from whiplash and although I have tried to get somewhere with the doctors since that I've gotten nowhere. Never have I once had an X-ray, MRI or even a specialist look at the issue as the NHS will do nothing for you (I also cant afford to even consider going private so its nhs or bust). So basically a small injury manifested into something that will probably not go away in the near future and the front punch that I busted was an "I had to do it" to make up points on a scoresheet thing. I hate doing them and have had issues with them for years but the coach put it in the routine for the whole squad and I was under no circumstances to fake one. Must just have some really bad luck going on :(

Something very similar happened to me. I suffered two whiplash, and the second one extended to a part of my back. The first time I went to the hospital, they said well yeah just take this and this and you'll be fine in a week. So I went back to the gym a week later, thinking I was fine...

It got so worst then one night, I just couldn't move. I was paralysed by pain for the bottom to the top of my spine. I couldn't move my arms or my legs. I never, EVER, felt a pain so strong. Laying down wasn't an option, sitting either and standing up was worst.

Now because of that, my neck has become a permanent issue. It is something that will never go away. The pain comes back from time to time because of the way I sleep, or what moves I did during the day. I look creepy when I have to turn my head slooooowly because of the pain hahaha!

 

[Official OWECheer]

I don't know how anyone could read this thread and come away still thinking that forcing a skill is worth it.

 

[TealArmySparkle]

Something very similar happened to me. I suffered two whiplash, and the second one extended to a part of my back. The first time I went to the hospital, they said well yeah just take this and this and you'll be fine in a week. So I went back to the gym a week later, thinking I was fine...

It got so worst then one night, I just couldn't move. I was paralysed by pain for the bottom to the top of my spine. I couldn't move my arms or my legs. I never, EVER, felt a pain so strong. Laying down wasn't an option, sitting either and standing up was worst.

Now because of that, my neck has become a permanent issue. It is something that will never go away. The pain comes back from time to time because of the way I sleep, or what moves I did during the day. I look creepy when I have to turn my head slooooowly because of the pain hahaha!

I just tend to go to bed and curse my existence. Helps every time ;)

but seriously the "take ibuprofen" thing never works, stupid doctors.

 

[TealArmySparkle]

I don't know how anyone could read this thread and come away still thinking that forcing a skill is worth it.

Learned my lesson from that, big style.

 

[dawgshow]

I don't know how anyone could read this thread and come away still thinking that forcing a skill is worth it.

Because it will never happen to them...

 

[Official OWECheer]

Because it will never happen to them...

Of course. After all, these are just stories.

 

[nicolee]

As far as I'm concerned, coaches can make medical decisions when they graduate from medical school.

It should NEVER be up to the coach to diagnose a child's injury, tell them to 'work through the pain', get them to take a brace or support off, or basically to make any medical decisions whatsoever. Don't give me any of this "I'm experienced in the cheer world, I can recognize injuries" crap.