Cheerleading Rules and Regulations

On March 5 of last year the sport of cheerleading was drastically changed. It was during a time out in a Southern Illinois basketball game, that 18 year old Kristi Yamaoka fell from the top of a two and a half high pyramid. Her limp body stunned 14,000 fans into complete silence. After being taken to the hospital it was determined that Ms. Yamaoka suffered from a concussion, a spinal fracture, and a bruised lung. The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators(AACCA) immediately took action, they scheduled a meeting for April 22, 2006 to change the rules and regulations for college cheerleading. On April 22, 2006 AACCA released the new "college safety rules" for the 2006-2007 cheerleading season. Most of the changes that were made occurred specifically in section G the indoor court rules. The type of pyramid that Kristi fell out of, a two and a half high pyramid, is now prohibited on a hardwood floor. All basket-tosses as well as twisting tumbling are now banned on hardwood floor. Lastly all one handed partner stunts extended above the shoulder are prohibited as well.

You may ask why is this a big deal; its all in the name of safety. The thing is to a cheerleader these stunts are a way they express themselves, the way they show their talent. Cheerleaders are athletes; they train to do these stunts just like any other athlete trains to do their job. Football players wouldn't run a play if it wasn't gaining success every time, and cheerleaders wouldn't preform a stunt without feeling comfortable with it. Just like any other athlete cheerleaders pride themselves on their abilities, and talents. These rules that have been forced upon them this year have taken the art and athleticism out of cheerleading at basketball games.

One of the main jobs of a cheerleader is to get the team and crowd pumped up. One way they do this is by entertaining them, ask any fan what entertains them the most and they'll say stunting. By taking these stunts away how are the cheerleaders going to entertain the crowd to get them pumped up at basketball games? They perform these stunts to get the crowds attention so that they can lead them in cheer for the team, how are they suppose to get 14,000 fans attention now?

One college cheerleader Jamie Campos said "I think AACCA acted to hastily by taking our stunts away. If they had taken a little more time to think about it they could have come up with different ways to keep us safe without taking something so significant away from us during the basketball season." There is not better way to say it. Many believe that by simply adding more spotters to the back and front of stunts it would have made a huge improvement to the safety of them. It most likely would have helped Ms. Yamaoka in her fall.

In conclusion I would like to point out that right now its stunt on the hardwood floor, but what happens next time a cheerleader is hurt on the football field? Will they take away our stunts on the football field too? Then what will cheerleading be? Some people might argue, "If cheerleading is so dangerous, why do it?" Well why do football players play football, why do snowboarders snowboard? Its called heart, its called passion, and its called determination. Its what they signed up for.