If you’re looking for a cheerleading near me, consider enrolling in a local program, school, or gym that offers beginner-level classes or clinics. These training sessions focus on fundamental cheerleading techniques and choreographed routines, allowing you to learn basic stunts, jumps, and tumbling maneuvers and improve your endurance and flexibility.
Despite its beauty and glamour, the sport of cheer can be physically demanding. A recent study found that women who participate in competitive cheering are at a greater risk for serious head and spine injuries than those who play basketball or soccer. Moreover, cheerleaders often live with a heightened sense of self-importance and social pressure to perform. This can lead to unhealthy body image issues, resulting in eating disorders and substance abuse.
In the early 1990s, Kristin Foster was a part of the hard-partying cheer community that brought raucous frat parties to stadiums and clubs across America. But when she became a mother, she saw the impact that the culture of cheer could have on her children. Her daughter’s dedication to her squad led to injuries, a lack of sleep, and a host of other problems that eventually landed her in the hospital.
Now, Kristin’s son is on the verge of graduating from high school. And she’s rethinking whether he should continue his commitment to the sport of cheer. She’s worried that a move by the American Medical Association to officially designate cheerleading as a sport will increase safety protocols, but also put him at increased risk for head injuries.