More Than Fun And Games—

The Competitive Sport Of Cheerleading

By Kendra Bobowick

Etching lines of sympathy on spectators’ faces are athletes’ twisted ankles, awkwardly bent elbows, and muscle-rending collisions. The teammates on the field are not playing soccer or field hockey — they are cheerleaders.

“In Connecticut it was once a sideline cheer sport and the primary function was as a support group,” said Newtown High School Athletic Director Gregg Simon. “But I have seen a metamorphosis, a transformation, and it’s a tremendous competition.”

Two points have become clearer by the season: cheerleading is a sport, and cheerleading is plagued with physical demands, according to those most closely involved.

Stacey D’Amico, a high school coach for the varsity cheerleading squad, understands that cheerleading as a sport may not yet be a common point of view.

“If someone knows absolutely nothing about cheerleading it can very well be misinterpreted. People think we just jump around and look pretty and cheer at games.”

Ms D’Amico also recognizes the evolving activity that cheerleading has become, saying, “Our number one priority as a high school squad is keeping up the school spirit and supporting our high school sports teams, but it is much more than that.”

Giving credit to participants, Mr Simon and Ms D’Amico discuss the skills necessary to compete. Mr Simon described cheerleading as “incredibly gymnastic,” while Ms D’Amico warned, “The types of stunts cheerleaders do are more advanced than in the past.”

Physical abilities become a gauge for who is eligible.

“The requirements for becoming a cheerleader have increased,” Ms D’Amico said. “You must have tumbling, dancing ability, sharp motions, good jumps, strong stunting technique, and very good cardio endurance.”

Like other teams on the high school level, the NHS cheerleading squad competes. They participate in the Southwest Conference Cheerleading Competition. Squads also compete in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC).

For the second year in a row, Newtown’s squads will compete in Florida in a national competition. The NHS team will be leaving on February 10, Mr Simon said.

He supports them, saying, “They are an incredible and talented group of girls. They just may be the hardest working group here.”

The competitive arena is now precisely “what the cheerleaders strive for,” said Ms D’Amico. Offering supporting statistics, she said the squad “practices just as much as any other sport, if not more, and our season is the longest.” She said the time extends from July to roughly March/April.

 

A Mother’s Perspective

Resident Janis Solheim, once a cheerleader herself, has four daughters who cheered. She said injuries “were typical.”

Her girls were involved in levels between Pop Warner and college participation. She said some were “flyers” — the girls who are tossed in the air — while others were “bases” — the cheerleaders who remain on the ground.

Her flyers would often come home from practices with “bumps and bruises or someone dropped her, it was just part of it,” she said. Remembering her “base” daughter’s injury as the worst, she said, “She got an elbow to the nose and bone was exposed. She really got hurt. There were both interior and exterior stitches an ambulance ride, plastic surgery…”

Ms Solheim also testified to cheerleading’s increased competition. “Regiments have increased, they are expected to have tumbling, and the competition is stiff,” she said. “Often outside classes are required.”

 

Raising The Risk Of Injury

“We are actually the number one sport for the most injuries, which isn’t good, but it shows how tough the sport really is,” said Ms D’Amico.

Pulled tendons and bumps and bruises are just a part of the changing face of cheerleading.

Strength and conditioning specialist Cody Foss, who works with Newtown athletes during the week, agrees that cheerleaders are “clearly athletes,” he said. He also points to possible causes for injury.

Mr Foss, a Newtown resident and director of performance programs at the Ridgefield Fitness Club, stressed that “cheerleading has a high impact on joints coming from jumping, landing, twisting.”

Effects are also magnified by poor control, he said.

“If an athlete doesn’t have body control,” injuries are more prevalent. Mr Foss explained body control as an athlete’s ability to “control all the muscles including those that protect the joints. Injuries can be prevented with the right control.”

He also feels that “with the exception of falls if the spotter loses control, all injuries are preventable.”

Unlike contact injuries, “like collisions in soccer,” he holds the theory that, “if more cheerleaders had more body control or training, they could reduce the amount of injury.”

He suggests that members “strengthen muscles around the joints.”

Practice and training could prevent harm, and, “if girls have bad form when landing over and over, it increases the chances of getting hurt,” he said.

Unfortunately little research has been conducted into cheerleading and associated injury, he said.

“I think it’s recognized as a private club, and not a lot of studies are done. It doesn’t get the attention of professional sports like football and basketball,” he said. “I hope people have a better appreciation for what it is. I feel it’s a sport.”

Assessing athletic ability also ranks high on his list of preventative measures against injury.

Mr Foss said assumptions are dangerous, especially if “you look at someone and assume they’re athletic without a physical screening. You should find out their abilities. Before they’re spotting or jumping, I want to know they’re able to do it.”

Prescreening is a topic that needs to be addressed, he said.

Hidden Dangers

Beware of pitfalls, advises Mr Foss. He said, “The fact that they’re asked to have a certain appearance and then perform [gymnastic] movements does not fit all body types.”

Yet appearance “is scrutinized,” he said. “A lot of nutritional problems” may come along with pressures to fit in. Problems are not always obvious, said Mr Foss. “Young ladies’ eating problems at that age are hard to detect,” he said.

Frightening to Mr Foss is the fact that “girls are doing challenging movements and they may not have the best nutrition. Poor nutrition compromises the body’s ability to function.”

He said eating and nutrition problems “are hard to pick up. It’s a big secret.

“It would help and could change things” to increase awareness of cheerleading’s demands and pressures, said Mr Foss. “If more people could see it as a sport I think things would change.”

Ms D’Amico confirms her belief in hidden dangers, stressing, “I think there is a lot of pressure on girls to stay in shape and to portray that cheerleader persona.” However, she thinks, “On a high school level that part of cheerleading has decreased.”

She also confides, “As once being on a competitive college squad, it was very much a part of being a cheerleader. There was a certain weight you had to maintain and a certain look you had to portray.”

An unfortunate picture emerged from Ms D’Amico’s recollections.

“It became very competitive just on looks to stay on the squad. Eating disorders are very common because of the way they think they need to look.” Offering some good news, she said, “I think it was more of an issue then than it is today. I have not run into it at all on the high school level.”

She does think that a stress exists for girls to “maintain that ‘pretty, bubble’ cheerleading persona,” Ms D’Amico said.

Preparing for their national competition in Orlando Florida next week, Ms D’Amico is looking forward to the trip near Walt Disney World.

 

Behind The Cheers

Recent articles in sources such as Jane Magazine and Associated Press stories suggest that cheerleading injuries have increased in recent years. Stunt formations include human pyramids, climbing, and tumbling.

An article in the September 2005 issue of Jane highlights injuries, eating disorders, and pill dependency as side effects of meeting the perceived cheerleading standards. Information also describes a higher athletic standard, which also contributes to injury rates.

More information is available at cheerleading.about.com, which outlines nutrition, ideal practice advice, and safe training information.

Mr Foss offers several ideas for training techniques, indicating resources for injury prevention from the National Athletic Trainers Association (nata.org). He also refers to National Strength and Conditioning Association (nsca-lift.org) for strength and conditioning. Readers are invited to contact him at strengthtraining@sbcglobal.net

He said “some exercises that will greatly help the competitive cheerleader” are:

Front Squat — creates total body strength and ensures that core is strengthened with the legs.

Push Press — creates total body power with an emphasis with an overhead press.

Single leg Squat — creates lower body control as each leg must control itself.

DB Bench Press — creates upper body strength while challenging the stabilizing muscles of the shoulder.

Pull up or lat pull down — creates lower body strength and if done properly will address important posterior postural muscles.

Core — will address the muscles that protect the lower spine and hip region.

Cody Foss is currently offering strength coaching three afternoons a week at Newtown High School, and has an enrollment open to multiple sports. He also runs a program on speed, agility, and quickness for middle school students, which is offered through the Parks and Recreation Department.