National Cheer Safety Month is Here!!

Why did we move National Cheer Safety Month to August?

As cheer and STUNT continue to grow and more young people than ever are participating, we want to make sure National Cheer Safety Month is as effective as possible. We moved NCSM from March to August to have a better impact on cheer safety. August is when we have our new teams. It’s when we are gathering to prepare for and start our seasons.

We are excited to share important updates and tips across the spectrum of cheer safety all month-long, Join us here and on our socials and help spread the word! #cheersafety #cheersafetymonth

Aug 29: Athlete Protection Reminders!

Create and maintain a program where athlete protection comes first. Set policies and educate everyone in your program as to the red flags of grooming to prevent abuse and misconduct and how to report it if it occurs.

  • Create a safe & positive environment
  • No 1-on-1 contact
  • Know the red flags
  • Prevent, identify & report

Aug 25: Schedule it! Bullying Prevention Day is October 2nd!

Mark your calendars for October 2nd and follow us for Bullying Prevention Day 2023. Be a force for change in your own program and throughout your school and community.

Aug 24: Schedule your EAP drills now

Emergency Action Plans should be practiced regularly to make sure everyone is ready to act quickly, and to find out if any part of your plan needs to be updated. Schedule drills on your calendar now for your entire season.

Aug 23: Stay diligent by reviewing safety protocols often and be on the lookout for red flags

Always be alert to the red flags of grooming behaviors by those who come into contact with your athletes. Your athlete protection policies must be followed by everyone in your program, including yourself, and reviewed often.

Aug 22: Following an injury, adhere to all protocols for return to play

Allowing for a safe return to play from a concussion or any other injury helps prevent future recurring injuries and potentially more severe injuries occurring. Work with your athlete’s doctor’s recommendations and athletic trainers to bring athletes back into participation.

Aug 21: Share our content with athletes and parents!

Throughout the year, USA Cheer shares safety information from ourselves and our partners like TrueSport, TeachAids, and others. Share that information with athletes, parents, and administrators to keep messaging about cheer safety year-round.

Aug 18: Create connections to your medical staff

Get to know your athletic trainer, counselors, and any other staff who may be a resource for your safety program and schedule sessions for them to speak with your team on their safety topics.

Aug 17: Create a Positive Culture!

Hazing and bullying aren’t just wrong, they hurt team progress. Everyone should feel welcomed and important in your program. Use positive teambuilding exercises and end any traditions that don’t build people up.

Resources:

Aug 16: Practice your Emergency Action Plan today!

You never know when you’ll need to put your EAP into action. Be prepared by practicing the plan, making any necessary changes, then practice it occasionally throughout the season. 

Resources:

Aug 15: Progression after proficiency!

Start with the skill basics each year and don’t progress that athlete or stunt group until they have shown that they can repeatedly perform the skill safely. This process creates a muscle memory of movement as well as ensuring that everyone knows the building blocks that will be needed in the more advanced skills.

Resources:

Aug 14: Create athlete protection policies and share them with your staff, team, and parents.

Strong abuse prevention policies include prohibiting any 1-to-1 communication and requiring that all interactions are observable and interruptible. Be sure everyone knows and abides by these policies.

Resources:

Aug 11: Accidents can happen! Learn how to create and implement an Emergency Action Plan.
An effective, practiced Emergency Action Plan is one of the most important elements of an overall safety plan. Work with your school nurse and/or athletic trainers to create a plan to address injuries as quickly as possible. Learn more at usacheer.org/eap

Aug 10: USA Cheer is proud to partner with groups like TeachAids to provide concussion awareness for coaches, athletes and parents.
Proper training for coaches, athletes and parents helps ensure concussions are recognized and properly managed. Removing athletes from play and following a safe return to play helps protect athletes from further injury which could be life-threatening. USA Cheer has partnered with TeachAids to provide their “CrashCourse” concussion education for free. Other concussion resources below!

CrashCourse Concussion Education Image

Aug 9: Stay up to date with rules courses available at USA Cheer
The NFHS/USA Cheer High School rules courses are available now at usacheer.org. New coaches should complete the comprehensive course. Returning coaches can take the “changes only” course.

Aug 8: Have you completed the Safety & Risk Management Course?
USA Cheer’s Cheerleading Safety Manual is in its 4th edition since 1990! Over 24,000 coaches have completed their safety training to help minimize risk in their cheer and STUNT programs. This important course covers the topics of safety awareness, legal responsibilities, medical responsibilities, environmental safety factors, safety equipment, spotting, performer readiness, skill progressions, and levels of participation.

Week 2: Educate! Learn how to prevent abuse and injuries in cheer by educating yourself and all involved in your program. 

Aug 7: Everyone is responsible for athlete protection – learn your role by completing athlete protection education and training.
Prevention is the key to protecting athletes from abuse. Verify you are up to date on best practices and policies by completing an athlete protection course like the one at USA Cheer (link). Ensure all parents and athletes also complete an age-appropriate course and know the prevention steps and red flags to keep athletes safe as well as reporting procedures. 

Athlete Protection Courses:

Aug 4: Know the Facts about Cheer Injuries and Help Keep Cheerleading Safe
High School cheer injury rates are consistently on the lower end in the nationwide study done by the NFHS. Catastrophic injuries in cheer have trended downward since 2010 to nearly zero! We want to celebrate that and recognize the efforts that helped us get here so we can all continue to make cheer a safe activity!

Learn more at usacheer.org/research

Aug 3: Following the rules for your level helps minimize risk
Cheerleading rules are in place to help minimize risk and should be followed at all practices, games, competitions, and performances. Each rules level (ie: college, high school, youth/rec) has a committee and process for submitting and commenting on rules changes.

Links to Cheer Rules:

Aug 2: Cheer Safety is more than just injury prevention
Cheer Safety goes beyond just preventing injuries in cheer. It’s every aspect of athlete wellness including abuse prevention and mental wellness. As we begin National Cheer Safety Month, remember our “why” and use a 360 degree approach to protecting athletes.

Aug 1: Let’s go! Take the iCheerSafe Pledge to kick off the month! 
Start the month off by taking the pledge and sharing it with your team. Once you’ve taken the pledge, you can share on your socials to let everyone know you’re all in on cheer safety. We’d love to see your team #iCheerSafe pics this month. Share and tag @usacheer!

Take the Pledge!