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For immediate release:
To: College Cheerleading Coaches
From: The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors
Date: March 6, 2006
Cheerleading is an exciting, beneficial and athletic activity. While the
performance of stunts, basket tosses and pyramids are an aspect of cheerleading,
its primary purpose at sporting events is to lead the crowd in support of the
team. Cheerleaders use their athletic skills to help accomplish this task.
Stunts and pyramids are used to raise signs and poms in the air to entice the
crowd to join in the support of the team.
The athletic skills being used to lead the crowd must be carefully considered
by the cheerleading coach. Included in this decision is the environment in which
skills are being performed.
During basketball games, the opportunity for the cheerleaders to perform is
given primarily during timeouts. During this time, there are usually players,
game officials, cameramen and other personnel on the floor. There are also
tables, chairs and benches in close proximity to the playing surface. The
playing surface itself is a less forgiving surface than other venues. Unlike
other venues like football games, the performance is also executed on the actual
game playing surface.
The combination of limited time and space, surface considerations, potential
interference, and the fact that even a minor injury may require assessment that
will delay the actual game requires that the AACCA take specific action to
ensure the safety of cheerleaders and all other personnel in this environment.
Thus, AACCA is issuing a recommendation to all conference commissioners and
tournament managers to immediately prohibit basket tosses and 2 ½ high pyramids
for the remainder of the basketball season, including tournament play.
The topic was already on the regular agenda for the 2006-2007 rules
committees. In light of recent events, AACCA’s Executive Committee determined
that it was important to make this recommendation immediate and effective
through the end of the current season, where the full rules committees will take
up the issue for the 2006-2007 season.
In addition to the specific prohibition of basket tosses and 2 ½ high
pyramids, coaches should consider limiting the skills being performed at
basketball games to those that allow for the use of signs and/or poms. In
addition, all other upper-level and elite performance skills should be
restricted to appropriate venues. Regardless of the skill being performed,
coaches must take extra precaution to ensure that only skills that have been
mastered are performed in public, and that all unmastered skills should be
restricted to a controlled, safe practice environment.
The recent media exposure regarding cheerleading safety has gained national
attention. Even another minor accident will be compounded and exploited by press
coverage, and result in further concern from administrators. While the best
reaction would be to review the program to ensure that it is being properly
supervised and conducted, the initial reaction is often to consider banning
skills altogether, and that is an approach we hope to deflect.
Cheerleading can be a safe activity when the team is properly supervised and
proper progressions are followed. As in any athletic activity, accidents will
happen. Our goal is to manage the risk associated with cheerleading and minimize
the risk to participants while allowing for reasonably safe skills. We hope and
expect that this action will help us all to reach those goals.
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