Stretching is almost the single most important thing a cheerleader MUST do every single day! Stretching, just like tumbling, is a skill that must be learned, mastered, and done safely. What I’ve noticed more and more often is that cheerleaders do not completely stretch or do not stretch at all! Most of the time they tend to be girls or guys who are new and do not understand the importance of stretching or the extremely dangerous risk that can occur from a lack of stretching.
Surprisingly, I’ve noticed that we see the same lack of proper stretching from veteran cheerleaders as well. A lot of veteran cheerleaders slack on stretching because they are “too good,” or they “already stretched.” No cheerleader is too good or too advanced to stretch. Improper stretching can and eventually will lead to several severe health problems and can even result in paralysis. Here are a few injuries caused by improper stretching, or not stretching at all: Nerve damage, groin pull, herniated muscles, herniated discs, severe muscle strains, severe sprains, etc.
Sometimes it’s really tempting to get to practice and just start throwing up stunts and doing back handsprings; please remember that every time you practice without stretching, you ARE putting your health and future of cheerleading on the line!
Think Smart and Think Safe!
