April 2, 2007 — -- As high school and college cheerleaders face increased pressure to perform gravity-defying leaps and flips, they are becoming vulnerable to permanent injury -- even death.

Cheerleading showed 1.05 injuries per 1,000 athletic exposures, nearly half the average sports rate of 2.03 per 1,000 AE and lower than eight other girls’ sports.

Cheerleading has developed into a very disciplined and competitive sport. It incorporates much of the athletic demands of gymnastics but without mats. There has been a significant rise in injuries ...

High school cheer teams nationwide are reporting fewer lower-body injuries after adopting performance-supportive footwear. Athletic training records and budgets now show a trend toward cheer-specific ...

CHICAGO (AP) -- Cheerleading isn't just jumping and waving pompoms — it has become as athletic and potentially as dangerous as a sport and should be designated one to improve safety, the nation's ...

HOUSTON — Sophia Neylon, 21, has been in competitive cheer and acrobatics since the first grade and had been relatively injury-free until a tumbling run at the end of high school. “I landed a little ...

Cheerleading isn’t as aggressive as high-impact sports like football or hockey, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. According to a report published in the journal Pediatrics by the American ...

DALLAS (KTVT) — A fight between two individuals at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Saturday led to several poles being toppled, creating a loud noise and triggering panic at the National ...

Injury rate comparisons also tell a compelling story. Based on surveillance data from High School RIO (Reporting Information Online)—a national system that tracks injuries via certified athletic ...

CHICAGO (AP) - Cheerleaders catapult in the air, climb human pyramids and catch their tumbling teammates as they fall to the ground. They also make lots of emergency room visits. Research indicates ...