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School Safety / Cheerleading: Sport or no sport, it's time for someone to step up to the plate...

By Megan Roth

As one can see by simply perusing the website, Injuryboard can generate some controversial opinions. It was just a week ago that I posted “Cheerleaders dropping like flies;” and several different viewpoints have been brought to light in lieu of that post. I’m going to use today to address those comments in one concise article rather than a scattering of separate comments.

It seems to me that many of the individuals who are responding are doing so based on the goal’s and responsibilities of the organization with which they are affiliated (makes sense…) However, I feel some of the comments being made are being taken personally and the response are being distributed more as a defense mechanism (or even an attack tool, in some cases) rather than actually being used to address the issue at hand. So, I’m going to use today’s article not as an attack on any individual (so don’t take it as such). Instead, I intend to bring the central issue back into focus – an issue that seems to have been lost in the fray but sits at the center of this controversial debate. That issue? WHO should accept responsibility when a cheerleader is injured? The issue isn’t who has accepted responsibility, or who will accept responsibility (those questions can all be addressed separately and we can even look back in time at past incidents to answer those questions for ourselves).

I think what really needs to be debated and resolved is who should be held responsibility in the event that a cheerleader is paralyzed (or worse…) in a cheerleading accident.

The National Cheer Safety Foundation, which was founded by parents, claims “cheerleading has evolved into an increasingly competitive athletic endeavor.” Agreed. The organization also states outright on their homepage: “As the parents of cheer athletes, ultimately we are responsible for our childrens’ safety.” The National Council for Spirit Safety & Education (so-called the cheerleading spirit and safety authority) intends to “provide comprehensive safety training and certification programs for the educational development of coaches and advisors through a national council of industry leaders.” Seems like a lot of responsibility, to me; however, the NCSSE seems willing to take on that responsibility (considering the council knowingly refers to itself as the “spirit and safety authority.” Suppose the NCSSE’s training and safety courses were required by all high school and collegiate athletic associations. If the courses were mandatory, the NCSSE could serve as the central force (the so-called “spirit and safety authority,” if you will) of the sport; and as the governing body providing the courses required of all instructors, the NCSSE would assume the role of the responsible party in the event that an accident should happen. Seems reasonable for the spirit authority to take on that role, does it not?Not agreed. That’s a pretty lofty responsibility to accept; I, personally, feel cheerleading athletes’ safety should be the responsibility of one central governing organization, NOT the sole responsibility of the parents. In one comment, a mother commented: “Parents can only do so much…bottom line: parents are not coaches, and kids are paying the price.” Well, do be quite frank, I couldn’t agree more.

Or perhaps that responsibility would rest better on the shoulders of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, the non-profit association that has educated over 70,000 cheerleading coaches across the country. The AACCA is “dedicated to the safe and responsible practice of cheerleading” and has established positions on many issues surrounding the sport of cheerleading. In addition, the npo has established rules at the college, high school, and all-star levels; quite obviously, they’ve established their ground within the cheer realm. But is that position enough to justify parents and administrators holding them responsible for safety-related incidents in cheerleading?

Or, perhaps, cheerleading should be regulated and enforced by state high school and collegiate athletic associations (I realize federal standards are a stretch, at this point…start small and work up, right?) Whether any of the above mentioned organizations or affiliations (or any other, for that matter) accepts the aforementioned responsibilities remains to be seen; however, whether one of them should step up is blatantly obvious.

As concerned citizens, parents, administrators, participants, or __________ (fill in the blank with the term most clearly defining your relationship to the sport), we not only need to have one governing force to take responsibility when a safety-related incident occurs, we deserve it. That’s not to say we should be able to point fingers at that organization or hold them liable every time an incident occurs; it’s merely stating that one individual organization should be accountable for establishing and enforcing a set of clear guidelines and safety requirements that are applicable to all related parties/squads. I’ve no doubt this will spark some commentary. Keep it clean, keep it focused, and let me know if I’ve got bases to support me or if I’m performing this stunt alone…

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Megan Roth

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on October 02, 2008 (boomark / email).