For many, high school cheerleading is synonymous with school spirit, pep rallies, and Friday Night Lights. Cheer teams dance, stunt, tumble, cheer, and, most importantly, slap a bright smile across their faces. Behind the high-energy routines lies a more serious side of the sport—one that many cheerleaders know all too well. According to Neulife.com, a study conducted by the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (NCCSIR) found that high school cheerleading accounts for 65.2% of all high school female sports injuries. They also added that high school cheerleaders will experience an average of 3.8 injuries throughout their careers. Acknowledging these statistics, St. Andrew’s could showcase some injured cheerleaders. 

At St. Andrew’s, the cheerleaders take on stunting, tumbling, dancing, and cheering. The Saints Cheerleaders range from 5th to 12th graders, which means sometimes a hurt cheerleader will be the outcome of a practice or performance. “I broke my left ankle,” Senior Cheerleader Danielle Bretheim said. “I fell out of a stunt, and was out for five to six months.”  Not only did this take a toll on her physical health, but also her mentality. “There are still certain things I struggle with,” Bretheim said. “On the mental side, learning and trying new things.” In the cheer world, hurting feet and ankles are incredibly common. Even though they can be more serious, most of the time it is the repetition of being hard on their feet that causes problems. “I hurt my foot,” Junior Cheerleader Caitlin Penton said, “after practicing stunts and a long practice, the constant coming down on my feet caused them to hurt.” 

When doing any physical activity, there is the risk of injury. However, to counteract these injuries, the St. Andrew’s Cheer Teams take precautionary measures to ensure safety. “I always put my athletes in the best position so they do not get hurt as much,” Cheer Coach Lee Marshall said. “But still when it does, the team becomes more alert and better as far as protecting everyone.” For example, when trying something new in a stunt, they surround the stunt with spotters in case someone falls. “I always love having spotters around when trying something new,” Penton said. “It helps with the entire stunt’s confidence and success.” Before showing off their jumps, the cheer teams stretch their legs really well to make sure they don’t pull something. Also, when they are trying something new in tumbling they make sure to have the coach spot their new skill. 

Although Saints Cheer has experienced past injuries, the cheerleaders remain spirited and supportive of their school. “I will always love to cheer for the Saints,” St. Andrew’s Cheer Captain Tai Harris said. “I hope in the future we can keep all of our cheerleaders safe.”