Cheerleading As A Sport

A doctor's group wants to label cheerleading as a sport, but probably not for reasons you'd think.

The doctors want it to be called a sport so it gets some of the same benefits of other school sports, mostly in the name of safety.

Cheerleading has changed over the years. Today's teams not only compete, but also incorporate gymnastic type tumbling and acrobatics. And because of that, cheerleaders also end up suffering more injuries than other sports. As a matter of fact, cheerleading injuries have quadrupled since 1980 alone. It also accounts for the vast majority of high school female athlete concussions and catastrophic injuries.

Because of that, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued its first cheerleading safety guidelines. Included are recommendations to designate cheerleading as a sport so cheerleaders will get the same benefits as other sports, which pediatric experts hope will help cut down on overall injuries. Using these guidelines, they are recommending cheerleaders be required to pass preseason sports physicals and to have access to strength training and conditioning coaches. And because of the potential for concussions, they want to make sure that, like other sports, cheerleaders are removed from activities if they have a head injury.

Other groups, namely the National Federation of High Schools and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors have enacted similar rules already, but this pediatric group is hoping their guidelines continue to be a wakeup call for this "sport" so it can still be enjoyable, but also as safe as possible.