Where is the evidence? I am thinking that in one of our previous debates, you mentioned that you are a nurse. If so, I know you have filled out your share of incident reports. I average one per shift in my nursing career. I can't be the only coach who is responsible for doing this in my coaching capacity. I fill out a report every time I put ice on an ankle. Those reports don't just go to our athletic office. They are entered into a system and tracked through the NFHS. I feel certain the NCAA/NAIA/etc has a similar tracking system. Failure to fill out the incident report could nullify your insurance coverage.
The rules committee doesn't create rules based on what the best of the best can perform. Rules are created to prevent injury. Regardless of what your experience has been with 10 years in all stars and 4 years in college cheer, there is trending information on these reports to indicate a need for a change. Obviously that information would indicate that in cheerleading, not acro, not other activities, there is evidence to support more stringent restrictions when females are tossing versus males. This is likely due to all of the reasons mentioned here previously. No matter how you look at it, males are typically stronger than females, and the extra height allows for completion of the skill in question more easily. There will likely be more changes next year that begin to streamline the two, but for now this is what we have to deal with.
Public institutions have a much lower tolerance for risk and bad publicity than private all star companies. Duke University had an athlete suffer an injury before I was even in high school. They haven't allowed a stunt since. The entire state of Nebraska went ground bound after the University of Nebraska went ground bound following an injury in a tumbling pass. The NCAA banned 2 1/2 high pyramids on hardwood following the broken vertebrae suffered from one fall off a 2 1/2 high pyramid during a game at Southern Illinois University. The AACCA followed suit shortly thereafter. I'm not even sure that Oregon State had a kid suffer a catastrophic injury, but they went ground bound about 10 years ago just because of risk and the amount of time athletes were spending in the trainer's office. Every catastrophic injury that brings negative publicity to our favorite activity increases the possibility that insurance companies are going to say "to hell with this," and write us off, or make our premiums such that no one can afford to pay them any longer. When that happens all of our beloved skills will go by the wayside.
