All-Star Usasf Major Changes

[Labegg]

What I want to see are TRUE injury statistics. By level and by circumstance. Nothing else, no bells and whistles.


D. I'm a klutz and sprained my ankle while flipping my hair and doing a AWESOME shimmy.

I think this happens more than one would think...When my CP was 6 she broke straight thru both forearm bones when she stood up after a cartwheel and then fell over. Of course if could have broke when she was doing the cartwheel, who knows would I classify that as a type "C" break or a type "D" break?

She also broke two fingers doing a seris bhs during a competition during the beginning of the rountine. What was wrong was that she finished the routine that included team tumble and basing all her stunts . She had totally mastered her bhs and had been doing it for at least a year, it just happened. It wasn't bad coaching, it was just a bad outcome.

What was wrong was that she finished the routine that included team tumble and basing all her stunts. We need to stop telling these kids that the had to work thru the pain. When your hurting, STOP. Coaching have to not go ballistic when I kid says they are hurting. Overuse=injuries and when you tumble and work as much as these kids do injuries happen. If you throw something 100 times simple statistics say one of those time you are gonna do something not exactly right. It can happen at level 1 or level 5.

 

[munchkinmom]

-More of you guys need to watch the Penn and Teller show about cheerleading and how the industry is purposefully taking steps to make sure they're not labeled a sport.

Youtubed it. Oh.my.wow. thank you. I understood a lot of the issues from the various sides, but this brings all it together in a way that really clicks.

 

[wcdad]

D. I'm a klutz and sprained my ankle while flipping my hair and doing a AWESOME shimmy.

I think this happens more than one would think...When my CP was 6 she broke straight thru both forearm bones when she stood up after a cartwheel and then fell over. Of course if could have broke when she was doing the cartwheel, who knows would I classify that as a type "C" break or a type "D" break?

She also broke two fingers doing a seris bhs during a competition during the beginning of the rountine. What was wrong was that she finished the routine that included team tumble and basing all her stunts . She had totally mastered her bhs and had been doing it for at least a year, it just happened. It wasn't bad coaching, it was just a bad outcome.

What was wrong was that she finished the routine that included team tumble and basing all her stunts. We need to stop telling these kids that the had to work thru the pain. When your hurting, STOP. Coaching have to not go ballistic when I kid says they are hurting. Overuse=injuries and when you tumble and work as much as these kids do injuries happen. If you throw something 100 times simple statistics say one of those time you are gonna do something not exactly right. It can happen at level 1 or level 5.

It may sound strange, but as a whole we need to stop glorifying injuries. What are we telling the world, Win at all Cost?

 

[notimeforthat]

It may sound strange, but as a whole we need to stop glorifying injuries. What are we telling the world, Win at all Cost?

Shimmy 100000xxxxxxxxxxx
its ridiculous how kids feel they need to push through pain or disguise the fact they are injured for this sport.... and the parents are just as responsible.... shame shame

 

[Future]

A total of 79 fall-related injuries were reported during the 1-year period. Most occurred during practice (85%, 67/79) and were sustained by high school cheerleaders (51%, 40/79). A stunt or pyramid was being attempted in 89% (70/79) of cases. Fall heights ranged from 1 to 11 ft (0.30–3.35 m) (mean

=

4.7 ± 2.0 ft [1.43 ± 0.61 m]). Strains and sprains were the most common injuries (54%, 43/79), and 6% (5/79) of the injuries were concussions or closed head injuries. Of the 15 most serious injuries (concussions or closed head injuries, dislocations, fractures, and anterior cruciate ligament tears), 87% (13/15) were sustained while the cheerleader was performing on artificial turf, grass, a traditional foam floor, or a wood floor. The fall height ranged from 4 to 11 ft (1.22–1.52 m) for 87% of these cases (13/15).

This post is critical….thanks for re-introduction of this topic….
AACCA still states grass is an ACCEPTABLE surface to stunt, tumble on. The studies (like the one listed above) show and dictate that grass is NOT a safe surface. WHY IS IT STILL ALLOWED? Well, if the "major player" in the summer camp business had to bring in mats to hold summer camps on…there goes the profit. AACCA, while listed as a 501(c)6, is a trade organization controlled by Varsity. The 990 tax returns list the Varsity address, the 990's are completed and submitted by a Varsity paid employee…but yet they (Varsity) states they do not "control" this group…hmmm.

Bottom line, grass must be an okay surface because it is needed for the profit line for the "largest cheer organization in the world". Forget what the studies show….the scientific studies….the cheer industry is controlled by one company. Period.

 

[NoOneSpecial]

The last 3 -5 years there has been an increase in demand of skills in all aspects of the score sheet and with that came an increase in braces. Everyone wants to cry the rules that were brought forth where bandaids to the root of the problem. One can look at all these braces we see on the floor as bandaids as well. What have coaches, parents and athletes done to prevent or rehabilitate the athletes to reduce the number of braces we see on the floor to date?

I would assume if we want to be recognized as a sport we can't have these athletes in braces. It doesn't look good for the sport. I also believe this could hinder the growth of our sport as well. If I wasn't already in the sport and was watching worlds on ESPN and saw all these braces I would think to myself "wow this must be a dangerous sport" and have no interest in my child participating.

The increase in demand for skills from stunting to jumps to tumbling to pyramid has placed added stress on these athletes. A couple years ago stunts were straight up and twisting only occurred on the floor in tumbling. Now we twist in the air and increased the twisting options in tumbling. Something has to give to keep these kids healthy and our sport to continue to grow.

 

[Rudags]

Id like to put out there.... from MY experience... Most of my injuries happened OUTSIDE of cheer. A lot of kids in Missouri run track. Shin splints, rolled ankles, etc. Other do volleyball and various other sports. Heck, some even broke legs and arms wrestling with their older siblings. Just because there is a brace on the floor doesn't mean it happened at cheer.

 

[5-6-7-8]

I was watching the ladies NCAA basketball tournament today. At one point when I counted, I think 5/10 girls on the floor had on various braces (knees mainly). My HS basketball coach used to make ALL of us centers / forwards wear ankle braces as a preventative measure (now, not saying that is right, but it was common practice then.) Look at NFL football players, some linemen are wearing braces that border on looking like bionic knee joints.

And I agree with UltimateRudags, many of the braces worn by athletes that I know were from injuries that happened outside of cheer.

 

[NoOneSpecial]

I agree injuries occur outside the cheer world. I would hope one would rehabilitate and strengthen to sustain the demands of the routine without having to use a brace (understood there are exceptions). But if this was the case I could accept 1 or 2 but when you are looking at a team of 36 athletes sporting 8-10 braces or a team of 20 with 3-5 it seems more to me than outside related injuries. On top of that athletes social twitter and conversations with other cheerleaders across the country paint a different picture .

It's not a proper comparison to compare us to college level or nfl players. These are teenagers. They don't have the years of wear and tear on their bodies as they do. I have 2 other boys that play competitive sports and rarely do I see their teammates or opponents in braces of any kind.

 

[cljacks99]

Do you think that kids sometime just get comfortable wearing the brace? I have seen some kids wear an ankle brace for an entire season. I highly doubt that their doctor said it needed to be worn for 10 month for that rolled ankle. I think counting braces is not the same thing as counting recent injuries..

 

[mom24girls]

Do you think that kids sometime just get comfortable wearing the brace? I have seen some kids wear an ankle brace for an entire season. I highly doubt that their doctor said it needed to be worn for 10 month for that rolled ankle. I think counting braces is not the same thing as counting recent injuries..

I agree a lot of kids wear braces that don't need them. A lot of girls go out and buy a brace and put it on and leave it there all season without ever visiting a doctor to see if it's needed.

 

[cljacks99]

I agree a lot of kids wear braces that don't need them. A lot of girls go out and buy a brace and put it on and leave it there all season without ever visiting a doctor to see if it's needed.

I just hope that any current rules are revised, it's based on real numbers. Not counting braces.. My cp wanted an ankle brace once, she was 7, and "all her friends had one" ;)

 

[SDawn427]

Do you think that kids sometime just get comfortable wearing the brace? I have seen some kids wear an ankle brace for an entire season. I highly doubt that their doctor said it needed to be worn for 10 month for that rolled ankle. I think counting braces is not the same thing as counting recent injuries..

I wore both of my knee braces the whole season when after a few weeks I only needed one, but i got comfortable with it so I decided to keep it on for the whole season.

 

[Level5Mom]

Do you think that kids sometime just get comfortable wearing the brace? I have seen some kids wear an ankle brace for an entire season. I highly doubt that their doctor said it needed to be worn for 10 month for that rolled ankle. I think counting braces is not the same thing as counting recent injuries..

My CP's brace is preventative only (right foot turns out naturally, so brace helps correct it a bit). She also wears orthotic inserts to help.

 

[cljacks99]

My CP's brace is preventative only (right foot turns out naturally, so brace helps correct it a bit). She also wears orthotic inserts to help.

I think there are quite a few people like this. :) I'm glad she found something that works for her. Its frustrating to me that the "higher ups" are using something like counting braces to back their rash decisions...