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There IS danger in all sports and activities. I don't know if I'd call "cheerleading" a "sport" but on the teams that actually DO SOMETHING they ARE very talented and athletic. Both of my daughters wanted to do cheer this year so last spring they tried out. Both made it with one for peewee football - and I'll tell ya what, my peewee CHEERLEADER is FAR MORE athletic than a lot of those boys were. The other is thru her school. The peewee stuff was CRAP and nothing but a bunch of mothers trying to live thru their daughters. WAY TOO MUCH drama. The "director" of their squad was a mom and she had ZERO experience of being a cheerleader, gymnast, dance, whatever.
For the oldest her teacher was pretty strict on them. They were not allowed to do stunts because of the danger and them still "developing" (this is 8th grade) and she did not want them getting seriously hurt. She is trying out for high school cheer.
My youngest is now taking a cheer class and wants to try out for the competitive teams. Those kids are VERY athletic and their coaches are VERY WELL trained and the facility is top notch with all kinds of safety practiced. Both of my daughters are athletic as well. Both played soccer with the youngest still playing as a forward or mid-fielder. She CAN RUN! So can the older daughter as she is on the school track team, good long distance runner and also competes in the pole vault. If anyone saw my daughters cheering and said they are not "athletic" they would be blind. Now, if you saw me I DO NOT SCREAM "Cheer Mom"...... ugh. NO WAY!!! We actually laugh about those types and the girls and I have a great attitude towards their activities and good prespective on the "sport". Even when out shopping my daughters will see some hideious outfit or shoes and say, "mom, here are your cheer mom shoes you need to get". We crack up over my make believe "cheer mom" outfit. One of these days for Halloween I AM going to dress up like that just to poke fun at them.
If you want to see the more athletic cheerleaders then you need to watch the competitive teams. My money would be on those girls if they ever got into a fight. Not an ounce of fat on them, solid muscle and they are not bone skinny either.
My daughters are ONLY doing it because THEY wanted to.
Now, where did I put my skin tight "Cheer Mom" t-shirt in leopard print and 6" platform shoes?????
Hey, maybe I can join you in my pants with "Gymnast Mom" across the butt!!!!
My daughter was in cheerleading in High School and I really never thought it was dangerous and didn't think twice about it. Then one day I got a call after school when they were practicing and she was the smallest girl and was the "flyer", on the top when they did formations. in one of the routines they were doing she was being brought down and one of the girls who was suppose to be in formation to catch her got scared and backed out and my daughter was dropped, she was able to catch most of the weight on her right hand but endedd up totally pulling her wrist out of the socket. It took months after the cast came off and lots of physical therapy to get her back to about full motion with it. It has been 7 years since this accident and when it is winter and real cold, it still bothers her, I knew it would never be 100% again. What amazed me was the doctor who set it told me cheerleading accidents were far more common then football accidents, I had no idea. She went back to cheerleading because she didn't want the squad to see her as a quitter but I wouldn't let them use her as the flyer after that.
Hey, maybe I can join you in my pants with "Gymnast Mom" across the butt!!!!
OH GOODY!!! I always wanted to get the little booty shorts that said,
"DANCER" on the butt.
Now, you want to hear something SAD! This competition cheer stuff is available to women IN THEIR 30'S!!! One person that works at one of the cheer supply places told me there is a push to get the age RAISED to go to 45 WHO THE HECK WANTS TO SEE A FORTY SOMETHING YEAR OLD CHEERLEADER!!!
My daughter was in cheerleading in High School and I really never thought it was dangerous and didn't think twice about it. Then one day I got a call after school when they were practicing and she was the smallest girl and was the "flyer", on the top when they did formations. in one of the routines they were doing she was being brought down and one of the girls who was suppose to be in formation to catch her got scared and backed out and my daughter was dropped, she was able to catch most of the weight on her right hand but endedd up totally pulling her wrist out of the socket. :
Your daughter got VERY LUCKY!!! While she still sustained an injury at least it was not to her neck or head. A few years ago a jr high cheerleader got dropped and ended up w/ a neck injury. My daughter was the flyer in camp last summer and one of the girls was not on time and my daughter hit the floor on her back. She was sore but no damage or injury at all...... scared me when she told me about it afterwards. She wanted to be the flyer still but it ended up being another girl that did it (I was okay with that move).
My oldest was told about a spot on the gym floor at school......... she went and looked and sure enough there it is. There is a GASH OUT OF THE WOOD FLOOR in the gym. What had happened was one of the cheerleaders years ago that was the "flyer" MISSED and hit the floor and it was her TOOTH that did THAT to the floor. Of course it knocked out her teeth as well. When she told me that my teeth were hurting. That HAD to be painful.
Ouch. My daughter is really small for her age and we always joke that if she were to cheer, she would probably end up on the top due to her relatively small size. Now I hear all about "flyers" and how they get injured quite a bit and am kind of hoping she prefers other activities. So far she is more interested in gymnastics and dance.
One of my daughter's gymnastics coaches used to say that most injuries are caused by the person "bailing out" or getting scared after already starting the stunt. He always spotted for quite some time, but even after that he would say that you are far less likely to get injured if you follow through and go for it, than if you bail in the middle!
On that note, I notice at our gym, the few injuries that we get are usually done while walking across the floor - you know, stubbed toes, tripping over their own feet and falling! It is funny how someone can be so graceful on a 4" beam, but can't walk without falling!
momof2dfw - That is rather amusing about the cheer clothes for older "cheerleaders"! One of the male cheer coaches at our new gym came over and had my daughter stand on his hands, then raised her up like that and threw her in the air and caught her (I'm sure this has a name, but I don't know it!). She thought it was very cool. Well, then he came over to me and said "Now it's mom's turn", and I quickly informed him that that we won't even go there - that would probably change the vision of cheerleading forever!
I have to disagree about cheer being a sport. It is physically demanding. I think the problem is any ex-cheerleadering mom can be used as a coach without training, and that isn't a good thing.
I don't have daughters, but my son was recruited out of the gym to join the coed cheer team at his college. He had to be able to lift a 120 lb. partner over his head using only one hand. The other hand had to be free to catch her if necessary. Colleges always use spotters, and certain routines that are ok for the football field aren't allowed inside, such as at a basketball game.
College cheer is a great way to see the country. He traveled to lots of away games, and was given the same 1st class accommodations that the team players got. He also received a small stipend used for books.
It would be difficult to convince me that cheerleading is a sport, for one. Then you would have to convince me it is more dangerous than, oh, like high diving, motocross, downhill skiing, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, horse jumping, extreme sports, etc., etc., etc..
Because the regulations are lax doesn't mean it's more dangerous. Because there are injuries doesn't mean it's more dangerous, it just means that precautions are not taken to prevent those injuries.
Now, where did I put my skin tight "Cheer Mom" t-shirt in leopard print and 6" platform shoes?????
Hey, maybe I can join you in my pants with "Gymnast Mom" across the butt!!!!
Only if I get to join you with KICKBOXING MOM across my butt. Oh wait, my ex-husband used to say it should be WIDE LOAD.... Can you imagine why he is the EX-husband??
Join right in Okpondlady!! We'll show ex-husband what he is missing!!
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. We crack up over my make believe "cheer mom" outfit. One of these days for Halloween I AM going to dress up like that just to poke fun at them.
One person that works at one of the cheer supply places told me there is a push to get the age RAISED to go to 45 
. Well, then he came over to me and said "Now it's mom's turn", and I quickly informed him that that we won't even go there - that would probably change the vision of cheerleading forever
!
!! We'll show ex-husband what he is missing
