As announced in last week’s edition of The Forest-Blade, the month of March is recognized as National Cheerleading Safety Month, which means this is the perfect time to spread awareness about cheerleading safety. Cheerleading first became official sport in the 1920s and has vastly evolved from a community inclusion of patriotism to an athleticism of tumbling, acrobatics and strength. When a cheer squad takes the mat, there are a lot of safety protocols and factors in place that each cheerleader is well educated on well before each season starts.
At every competition, each cheerleading group representing schools throughout the state “take the mat,” as cheerleaders say it, to give an outstanding performance. From choreographic dancing, to tumbling and team stunt building, each cheerleader strives as a team to give their very best, all while hyping up the crowd with school spirit with hopes of receiving a high score and making the top placement list, first place preferably!
To be the top elite squad with the best score possible, each dance move must correspond as instructed by the choreographer; each stunt must go up at a certain time as practiced numerous times; each tumble must “stick” when completed… Nothing is allowed to fall and hit the mat – that rule applies to both the cheerleader and her bow. If you mess up, there’s no time to stop and ask for a redo. The clock is still running down, the music is still blazing over the speakers, and your fellow cheerleaders are continuing with the repetitive 8-count performance. The crowd is still watching and so are the competition judges who critique every move throughout the performance, both good and bad. When an error takes place, a true cheerleader knows only one thing – The show must continue to go on! When faced with small, unexpected errors that are bound to happen at some point in time, stopping mid-routine is not an option. However, larger performance errors that lead to injury can shut down the team’s performance faster than it started. That’s why cheerleaders are not only trained on minor mishap recoveries, but they are also trained on safety practices that prevent devastating injuries as well; and the coaches are held responsible for upholding and promoting the same standards.
There are many safety measures in place that some people may not be aware of. Georgia High School Association (GHSA) puts forth rules and regulations to ensure that student athletes are protected from potential injuries while they are involved in this high-risk activity. By implementing safety protocols during its first season back in action in many years, the Emanuel County Institute Competition Cheerleading team had a very successful return to mat!
“GHSA has a rules clinic that every coach participates in and then they complete a test to receive coaching credentials. The rules include what is allowed for pyramids, stunts, etc. in an effort to protect participants from injury,” Emanuel County Competition Head Coach Tabitha Downer explained. “Athletes must be cleared with a doctor's sports physical before students can even tryout for the squad. It is the coach’s responsibility to maximize student performance while always considering the risk factors and ability of each athlete,” she furthered.
After leading a successful first season since the rebirth of the school’s competition squad, Coach Dowd, a first-time competition cheerleading coach, expressed much appreciation for the expertise advise she received from Swainsboro High School Cheerleading Coaches Luci and Bob McNeely during her this new tenure for not just herself, but the cheerleaders as well. Coach Downer says the McNeely’s have helped guide in her finding the best methods for developing a winning team as well as future plans to achieve advance future performances. “We try to gain more advanced material through proper skill progressions as the athletes are ready to move on,” Coach Downer stated.
During her new tenure as the competition squad’s head coach, Downer says she is also thankful for the assistance of Deidra Kearson who helps with the squad’s workout routines, focusing on conditioning and strength training. These training techniques are used to ensure proper exercising, strengthening and flexibility practices take place that promote each cheer athletes’ ability to reach their peak performance. In addition to overall physical fitness of the Bulldog Cheerleaders, Coach Dowd says it’s just as important to practice proactive measures to promote the overall well-being of the cheerleaders. Coach Dowd attests that, “It's also imperative to address small injuries before they develop into more serious complications.”
Having received such great support from a leadership level, the ECI Varsity Competition Cheer Squad delivered an exceptional performance throughout the 2021, making numerous placements in competitions throughout the 2021 season that led to the team receiving a region champ status receiving their ticket to compete at state-level.
“As a new coach in competition cheerleading, I have been amazed at the athleticism of our students. At ECI we have a great group of athletes who also excel in the classroom, academically. These students are dedicated to their sport but they realize that academics come first. Being able to balance academics and extracurricular activities such as cheerleading is not always easy. However, it's very rewarding when students are able to find a happy medium. Our first year back at competing has been very successful for the Bulldogs. We have managed to secure Region Champions and made an appearance at State. For the upcoming school year, we hope to work hard and do even better.”
