All-Star Usasf Major Changes

[yojaehs]

No problem. I'm quite partial to the charts and break down of high school vs college vs all star

Seems to be stunting is the issue. Since Varsity created "STUNT" I don't see them acknowledging those issues anytime soon or their "sport creation" might not look so hot.

 

[cheermommaRN]

That's what I noticed in all of the studies, injuries were from tumbling collisions and stunting. Yet none of the new "rules" addressed either one of these.

 

[nccheerdad]

Seems to be stunting is the issue. Since Varsity created "STUNT" I don't see them acknowledging those issues anytime soon or their "sport creation" might not look so hot.

I really don't think Varsity gives a rat's behind about STUNT. It was just created to stop the NCATA from grabbing all of the college teams and to protect their college championships and summer camps. But, that's another topic.

 

[njallday]

so i went onto my college's online journal database, and vaguely searched the word cheerleading. Lot of results. I then selected peer reviewed journal publications and the number of articles went down to 91. about 80% of those are on gender roles, homosexuality, body image/eating disorders, sexual exploitation, and the one gem on the eroticism of cheerleading in schools

of those about injury, SheCheers posted the first 3 that came up, and then there wear about 4 more.

one simply titled "Cheerleading Injuries and Safety" in the Journal of Athletic Training states that "of the 29 catastrophic injuries looked at, 9 were from pyramids and 8 were from basket tosses. - 17 had severe head injuries resulting in 13 skull fractures and 2 deaths, and 8 were cervical fractures. To reduce injuries in cheerleading.. better training of spotters, mandating floor mats for stunts, restricting complex stunts when surfaces are wet and encouraging certification of coaches." The article also recommends 15 solutions to reduce injury, which are quite interesting.

1. cheerleaders should be trained by qualified coaches with certifications and training in gymnastics and partner stunts.
2. cheerleaders should be exposed to proper conditioning programs
3. cheerleaders should receive proper training before attempting gymnastic skills
4. if it is not possible to have a physician or certified athletic trainer on premises, emergency procedures should be provided
5. risk management plan should be in place
6. future research needs to be done.

I just paraphrased, but i saved the pdf to my computer if anyone wants me to email them the whole article. interesting that a group of athletic trainers who are not a part of the sport figured out all of our problems so quickly. also interesting, that i felt like i was reading kingston 's thread about proper warm-up areas and what types of mats should be required threads.

there is also an article on the potential from brain injury on selected surfaces from the journal of athletic training (also saved if anyone wants)

however, not one peer-reviewed journal article on twisting or bounding skills.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

FYI--just copying these as I see them--yet another study that doesn't mention tumbling----

I really don't mean any harm but the data used in this report is 10-30 years old. Tumbling has progressed tremendously, and stunting has become more regulated in the last decade.

 

[ztaprincess]

Seems to be stunting is the issue. Since Varsity created "STUNT" I don't see them acknowledging those issues anytime soon or their "sport creation" might not look so hot.

I know that this has to do with the USASF, but you saying this makes me wonder if the NCAA has seen these and how they would feel about NCATA or STUNT with the findings that stunting is more dangerous then tumbling when the two focus more on stunting. Hmmm interesting.

 

[coachrah]

I know that this has to do with the USASF, but you saying this makes me wonder if the NCAA has seen these and how they would feel about NCATA or STUNT with the findings that stunting is more dangerous then tumbling when the two focus more on stunting. Hmmm interesting.

The NCAA stopped insuring sideline cheerleading at the collegiate level several years ago for competition and the practice of competition. Anyone choosing to go to NCA or UCA nationals can buy Varsity brands insurance and their gap policy.If they don't buy it, unless their University is covering them (a question every parent should ask) there is no catastrophic. So if full twisting baskets, 2 1/2 high pyramids and bounding passes is insurable by Varsity why is bounding tumbling skills being removed for Allstars? Didn't mean to go off topic, but clearly the NCAA chose not to insure competition skills.

 

[yojaehs]

The NCAA stopped insuring sideline cheerleading at the collegiate level several years ago for competition and the practice of competition. Anyone choosing to go to NCA or UCA nationals can buy Varsity brands insurance and their gap policy.If they don't buy it, unless their University is covering them (a question every parent should ask) there is no catastrophic. So if full twisting baskets, 2 1/2 high pyramids and bounding passes is insurable by Varsity why is bounding tumbling skills being removed for Allstars? Didn't mean to go off topic, but clearly the NCAA chose not to insure competition skills.

I think that had more to do with the fact that cheer leading, competition or sideline is not a sport, therefore not sanctioned by the NCAA being pointless for them to get further involved ESP if it could save them money.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

Yeah but everyone and their mother wants to take a team to worlds instead of going to the division they need to be in (restricted 5).


I haven't looked at the studies yet, but are they posted by an actual medical journal? If not then they don't hold much value.

Pub Med is nothing but journals (medical)

plus one of her posts has the link to the journal posted at the top (Am Journal of Sports Medicine)

 

[xtremeteal4life]

I really don't mean any harm but the data used in this report is 10-30 years old. Tumbling has progressed tremendously, and stunting has become more regulated in the last decade.

Then show me the most recent peer reviewed studies on tumbling in cheerleading and maybe they might have a leg to stand on...problem is I'm pretty certain they don't.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

I really don't mean any harm but the data used in this report is 10-30 years old. Tumbling has progressed tremendously, and stunting has become more regulated in the last decade.

2007 is only 5 years ago..one of the journals SuzyB posted about 2 pages ago

 

[a0159945]

we all know certain stunting is much more dangerous

Exactly!!!!!!!!! The most serious severe injuries I have seen, know of, & have heard of are from stunting including concusions & even fatal injuries.

I remember reading about university where a girl was not caught her stunt partners in basket toss and she died. Everyone remembers see the cheerleader that was dropped from a stunt and carried out on a strecher still cheering.

 

[yojaehs]

I want to be clear, I am NOT for limiting stunting! I am for pointing out the flaws in the reasoning that these rules are changing. If its safety, it's NOT whip doubles or standing to doubles (yes injuries happen but these aren't the major ones) of our industry has an image problem then we need a plan and it starts with coaches education. If the sport is losing kids we need to make it cheaper not make kids walk around an arena in t-shirts bc guess what, those kids ARE paying. Smokescreens and baindaids won't change anything!

 

[yojaehs]

Oh and changing age gids every year definitely isn't PROMOTING involvement. If WE cant figure it out and understand and SUPPORT it how is a new parent looking to enroll their kid in cheerleading supposed to?

 

[TheUltimateFan]

Just a thought, but how difficult would it have been/would it be for USASF to post polls on each rule to see what the industry sentiment is before they make their decisions? kingston has managed to successfully segregate coaches/athletes/parent sections here. Each group could be polled separately.

Why couldn't they do the same on their website (plus an EP-restricted poll) and take the time to ASK what the majority of their customers want? At least then they would be making an educated decision, even if they decided it was in the best interest of the sport to go against popular opinion. And then they would make those decisions knowing they had better be prepared to justify them.

This would also resolve the small gym complaint that they can't afford to travel to the conferences or that their voices aren't heard. Their numbers are very large and they are undoubtably the majority vote.