Do you know the most common injuries in Cheerleading?
Quick and explosive movements, catching their teammates from great heights, getting thrown up to pyramids, doing acrobatic elements both on the ground and in the air, being flexible and energetic.
A cheerleader should be able to do all of this with great precision and timing, and at the same time smile the whole time. It takes countless of hours of practice to perform a perfect routine, so no wonder the majority of all cheerleading-related injuries occur during practice. In addition to endure both the physical and the mental aspect of training, the athletes need to be equipped to handle anything from unexpected landings in jumps and tumbling, to uncontrolled falls from stunts and pyramids that didn’t work out the way they planned to. As a cheerleader your whole body is involved, so having a strong and solid core is necessary to endure the work of learning new skills as well as all the repetitions it takes to master the skills perfectly.
With acrobatic elements, powerful, quick movements, and landings from heights being such a big part of the sport of cheerleading, ankle sprains, facial injuries, concussions, hand- and finger fractures and knee injuries are naturally among the most common injuries. Stunts and pyramids include an even bigger load for the body, and therefore also increasing the risk of longterm back pains and overuse injuries in wrists and shoulders.
You will be able to prevent many of the injuries we often see in cheerleading today by focusing on strengthen your whole body through basic physical exercise, follow the rules for your team’s level and taking a few precautions like practicing on a foam floor surface, using correct shoes, having extra spotters and following the correct progression.
Read more about the common injuries in cheerleading.
- Ankle sprain
- ACL and other knee injuries
- Facial injuries
- Concussion
- Hand and finger injuries
- Back pain
- Shoulder injuries
- Osgood-Schlatter and Sinding-Larsens syndrome