Free seminar to educate cheerleading teams on concussions
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Youth concussions are pretty commonly associated with sports. In fact, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center estimates 1.7 million to 3 million concussions occur every year due to sports and recreation, half of which go unreported or undetected.
Many relate concussions with contact sports like football, soccer or basketball, but it often gets overlooked when it comes to arguably one of the most intense sports out there: Cheerleading.
"6 to 10% of cheerleaders by the statistics documented in our research is what happens each year during the season of cheer," Cassandra Sauther Teaching Faculty with the Eastern Idaho Medical Center says, "I think this is actually an underestimation just based off of the fact that we don't have healthcare professionals at each and every practice."
Athletic trainers are heavily involved in football and basketball practices, especially in most high schools. But cheerleaders do not get that same assistance.
Olivia Burnside was a high school cheerleader for three years at Highland High School in Pocatello. Her senior year, right before her homecoming performance, her flyer fell on her face resulting in a concussion. "I just remember my neck snapping back and I kind of like blacked out for a few seconds, says Burnside, "And then the next thing I knew, I was just on the floor and there was people around me and I was just kind of like, 'Oh, like I'm fine. Like, I don't know what happened.'"
She says before her concussion, she was not totally familiar with the severity and long-lasting effects.
That's why the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center is hosting a free Concussions in Cheerleading seminar to educate cheerleaders and coaches about the severity and how to protect the team. It is on Thursday evening from 6:00-7:00 p.m. They will teach participants to reduce the risk, notice the symptoms and provide information on the laws and regulations surrounding concussions.
