All-Star Will Eps Validate Teams Against The Usasf Athlete Membership System?

[yojaehs]

It is funny how in all of these posts, there are companies and groups always mentioned. But not once, not ONCE are there discussions about the changes that are best for the ATHLETES. All of these different factions will forever have differing opinions when it comes to molding the profit model…what is best for ME…..and it will not happen until all groups are willing to put the athletes first. What is best for them….example: Critical height studies by the medical community have determined that grass is not a safe surface….yet AACCA still says it is. The statistics for catastrophic and major injuries and concussions are from height skills onto these surfaces, including grass….so why is this still an acceptable surface? Hmmm…let's examine this. Varsity, NCA, UCA, USA…all of the Varsity camps need to have outside camps…they use fields at schools. If AACCA were to remove the grass is a safe surface and declare it what is really should be…unsafe…then Varsity would now have to ship in mats to each camp….majorly cutting into a profit margin…they could not raise the price of the camp as it would be too expensive to absorb this cost. When the groups mentioned above decide that the health of our children is the MOST IMPORTANT THING, then you will see motivation for change.

How much of this I agree that I am annoyed that a " FOR profit" company has way too much influence on a non-profit body. I do think you are way over estimating the cost of bringing in strips of floor (MAYBE at a HUGE camp, $500) small camp maybe $100 and probably only the cost to transport. In no way would it influence the ultimate bottom line and out price a camp. I think that the "grass" issue has more to do with football games. My ultimate issue is that an idiot coach is allowed to coach (which is why the kid fell on her head to begin with) but that's a WHOLE new ball of wax.

 

[BlueCat]

How much of this I agree that I am annoyed that a " FOR profit" company has way too much influence on a non-profit body. I do think you are way over estimating the cost of bringing in strips of floor (MAYBE at a HUGE camp, $500) small camp maybe $100 and probably only the cost to transport. In no way would it influence the ultimate bottom line and out price a camp. I think that the "grass" issue has more to do with football games. My ultimate issue is that an idiot coach is allowed to coach (which is why the kid fell on her head to begin with) but that's a WHOLE new ball of wax.

If all Varsity cared about was money (and IF they controlled who made the safety rules), they would simply create a Varsity spring floor company, then declare that all cheerleading was required to ONLY happen on a spring floor. They would make a fortune.

 

[King]

If all Varsity cared about was money (and IF they controlled who made the safety rules), they would simply create a Varsity spring floor company, then declare that all cheerleading was required to ONLY happen on a spring floor. They would make a fortune.

I slightly disagree. That would create too much opportunity for smaller companies to provide cheap alternatives.

 

[Future]

How much of this I agree that I am annoyed that a " FOR profit" company has way too much influence on a non-profit body. I do think you are way over estimating the cost of bringing in strips of floor (MAYBE at a HUGE camp, $500) small camp maybe $100 and probably only the cost to transport. In no way would it influence the ultimate bottom line and out price a camp. I think that the "grass" issue has more to do with football games. My ultimate issue is that an idiot coach is allowed to coach (which is why the kid fell on her head to begin with) but that's a WHOLE new ball of wax.

This company would either 'rent' the floors…and they need more than one, or they would purchase. If they offer over 420 camps per summer…that means there are MULTIPLE camps happening at the same time. So this means a duplication of may floors, not just per camp, but for all camps. Grass is an issue at camps…no way around it…the danger of grass does not go away.

 

[Future]

If all Varsity cared about was money (and IF they controlled who made the safety rules), they would simply create a Varsity spring floor company, then declare that all cheerleading was required to ONLY happen on a spring floor. They would make a fortune.

IF they controlled who made the safety rules…not a matter of "IF"….they do…look at the board members, look at who owns what…look at IRS….look at state documents. When ALL of the companies and organizations involved in safety, competitions, certifications, are all run and owned by the same circle of people…how do you spell monopoly?

 

[Future]

I would say that you have correctly and perfectly captured the current situation we find ourselves in. At one of the very first meetings almost 10 years ago that I was at and a "worlds championship" was discussed, I was literally amazed how difficult it was to get event producers to agree to anything without something in it for themselves (at the time, I was one, so I do kind of know what I am talking about here). And it was not just money issues. It was simple things, like division names....(we call ours little sprites, you call yours little people, I call mine mighty mites, etc. = ridiculous). Not all event producers are like this btw, just like nothing is an absolute. But it was the owners/coaches who brought the idea of Worlds to the event producers. Not the other way around. And while I can never see Worlds going away, I sure can see other big events (i.e. US Finals, All Levels) going away because most of us just want a consistent and well governed end of season event. Perhaps the make up of the board should tilt strongly towards gym owners (large and small) and coaches with a small minority of event producers and companies. I do realize that you can be a gym owner, coach and an event producer, but in this case, you can't be both.

When the cheer world decides that the safety of its athletes are their number one priority and not profits…until they change the structure from a trade organization (working for the good of the members business) and opt for a true non profit governing body organization…this will never change. Who are the victims? The parents….who really pay for the gym owner to receive a "family plan" rebate…and the athlete…for training and competing under rules that are not safe. Who is willing to stand up and shout this is wrong….I am listening….

 

[cheersafety]

This is Kimberly Archie, founder of the National Cheer Safety Foundation. I have been standing up for safety and what's best for the cheer athletes in the media with my identity know since 2005. I don't hide behind mysterious or phony identities. I have put myself out for slaughter so to speak because I believe in cheer being a sport and in the safety of the athletes.

Myself and many of our spokespersons have been interviewed by countless national media outlets from E!True Hollywood Story to Nightline to Penn & Teller to 100s of newspapers and magazines standing up for safety.

I continued to stand along side the 300+ catastrophically injured cheerleaders and their families, Dr Mueller plus 38 other doctors and lawyers who stand for safety first at the NCSF.

We continue to create educational materials, collect injury data and conduct research in hope of a better, more safe future of the gymnastics skills set of cheerleading: acrobatics and tumbling.

If anyone wants to ask me a question or share your point of view, you can email me [email protected] or call me anytime 1-800-596-7860 ext 301.

 

[cheersafety]

Playground equipment have these studies….also go to ASTM (product testing). Dr. Mueller from National Center of Catastrophic Sport Injury Research http://www.unc.edu/depts/nccsi/
And http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775360/

The Journal of Athletic Training in 2009 published a study specifically to falling on cheer surfaces: grass, hard wood floor, mats and spring floors.

I used the two links cited as my argument to Brenda Shields and Children's Hospital to do further study in critical height in falls since the Cheerleading RIO study showed a sizable portion of injuries were stunts on hard surfaces. So not only is there fall studies dating back to the 1950s but I made sure we had new current data based on cheer not just playgrounds or falls in the work place. This study and journal is no longer available online without NATA membership, but I do have it in a PDF if you are interested in seeing industry specific studies email me and I can send it to you. [email protected]

 

[Future]

The Journal of Athletic Training in 2009 published a study specifically to falling on cheer surfaces: grass, hard wood floor, mats and spring floors.

I used the two links cited as my argument to Brenda Shields and Children's Hospital to do further study in critical height in falls since the Cheerleading RIO study showed a sizable portion of injuries were stunts on hard surfaces. So not only is there fall studies dating back to the 1950s but I made sure we had new current data based on cheer not just playgrounds or falls in the work place. This study and journal is no longer available online without NATA membership, but I do have it in a PDF if you are interested in seeing industry specific studies email me and I can send it to you. [email protected]

All of the links have been provided by the National Cheer Safety Foundation. They recognized this problem way before it was popular…let's hope it increases even more in popularity…it needs to be addressed! Thanks, NCSF!