Why cheerleaders are receiving worse concussion care than other athletes

This content was originally authored by Galen Moller for the 11/21/19 edition of our Weekly Concussion Update newsletter.

Though cheerleading requires great athleticism, many athletic organizations do not consider it a sport because it does not involve direct competition. In an article published in The Sport Journal, Luis Gude and Gillian Hotz, from the University of Miami, argue that cheerleading involves complex acrobatic maneuvers that put participants at risk for serious injuries—especially concussions; denying that cheerleading is a sport means denying its participants access to the same concussion resources provided for other athletes.

For example, Miami’s concussion program only requires certified athletic trainers (ATCs) to monitor concussions in officially-recognized sports. Cheerleading injuries are “underreported to the ATC as they may not be present at practices or other events, and it is not mandated that the athlete obtains return-to-play clearance.” Of the 29 high school cheerleaders they identified in the Miami-Wade County Concussion Injury Surveillance System, 21 were cleared for return-to-play with an average of 26 days away from the sport, and the remaining eight were lost to follow-up. 38% of the cheerleaders who returned to play ended up having a prolonged recovery of more than 28 days. These results show that cheerleaders' health and wellbeing are more likely to fall by the wayside without official recognition that cheerleading is a sport.