Abstract
Cheerleading is now a competitive sport that continues to gain popularity all over the world, not just in the United States.1As the sport evolves to include a higher number of participants and more complex routines, incorporating increasingly risky maneuvers, there is potential for a higher incidence of injury in athletes participating in this sport.2 This Independent Study will assist in the development of knowledge in the sport of cheerleading, the biomechanics and proper technique for completing various stunts; common mechanisms of injury and types of injuries that cheerleaders incur; prescribing or implementing resistance training (RT) programs which would increase the cheerleader's preparedness (addressing power, strength, flexibility, and endurance) and reduce the athlete's risk for injury. In addition, appropriate therapeutic exercises for rehabilitation of injured athletes in order to "return to play" as early and as safely as possible are discussed along with how various surfaces affect the probability of incurring a catastrophic injury and to be able to suggest appropriate training/competition surfaces for various types of routines. Because injury prevention begins with an athlete being in adequate physical condition for sport performance, this study will include parameters for a periodized resistance training program designed for a high school competitive cheerleader. Incorporated within the paper will be a case study describing the mechanism of injury of a professional cheerleader as well as risk management techniques to address injury prevention. By conducting a thorough investigation of all of the above topics related to competitive cheerleading and being proactive on educating the cheerleading community, it is hoped that safer conditions for athletes and a reduction of the incidence of injury in this athletic population can be made.