Emergency Plan for pratice and competition

Date: Tue Aug 26 9:19 AM, 2008

Emergency Plan for pratice and competition

Date: Tue Aug 26 9:33 AM, 2008

that's nuts about not having one. We have one, just not like the one listed. I like hoe it is for cheerleading specifically.

Date: Wed Aug 27 11:20 AM, 2008

Why wouldn't a gym not have one? It is a safety measurement. Coaches, athletes and even the parents should go through a gym's emergency plan. What to do if A happens at the gym, or if it happens at a competition? Gym owners please make appoint of communicating to you athletes what to do when a member is injured at the time of competiting. Do you continue doing the performance? Do you move the person out of the way? The answer should be NO! I've seen injured girls being dragged off stage by their own team mates. I've heard athletes tell me that their coaches tell them keep going.

Please remember safety first!

Date: Wed Aug 27 11:24 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Why wouldn't a gym not have one? It is a safety measurement. Coaches, athletes and even the parents should go through a gym's emergency plan. What to do if A happens at the gym, or if it happens at a competition? Gym owners please make appoint of communicating to you athletes what to do when a member is injured at the time of competiting. Do you continue doing the performance? Do you move the person out of the way? The answer should be NO! I've seen injured girls being dragged off stage by their own team mates. I've heard athletes tell me that their coaches tell them keep going.

Please remember safety first!

Why would we stop the entire routine because someone is hurt. yes serious issues happen, but its a group of 30 kids not just 1.

Date: Wed Aug 27 2:15 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why wouldn't a gym not have one? It is a safety measurement. Coaches, athletes and even the parents should go through a gym's emergency plan. What to do if A happens at the gym, or if it happens at a competition? Gym owners please make appoint of communicating to you athletes what to do when a member is injured at the time of competiting. Do you continue doing the performance? Do you move the person out of the way? The answer should be NO! I've seen injured girls being dragged off stage by their own team mates. I've heard athletes tell me that their coaches tell them keep going.

Please remember safety first!

Why would we stop the entire routine because someone is hurt. yes serious issues happen, but its a group of 30 kids not just 1.

Are you kidding me?

"Oh Suzi's bone is sticking out of her arm but keep going because you are only 1 of 30, it's not about you."

That's ridiculous and risky, not to mention dumb! furious

Date: Wed Aug 27 2:26 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why wouldn't a gym not have one? It is a safety measurement. Coaches, athletes and even the parents should go through a gym's emergency plan. What to do if A happens at the gym, or if it happens at a competition? Gym owners please make appoint of communicating to you athletes what to do when a member is injured at the time of competiting. Do you continue doing the performance? Do you move the person out of the way? The answer should be NO! I've seen injured girls being dragged off stage by their own team mates. I've heard athletes tell me that their coaches tell them keep going.

Please remember safety first!

Why would we stop the entire routine because someone is hurt. yes serious issues happen, but its a group of 30 kids not just 1.

Are you kidding me?

"Oh Suzi's bone is sticking out of her arm but keep going because you are only 1 of 30, it's not about you."

That's ridiculous and risky, not to mention dumb!

Are you serious? You sound like you have had some major brain washing... it should always be about SAFETY. I think it's sad when you see/hear of an injury so bad the athlete passes out and their teammate drags them off the floor because they are going to get hit by other tumblers. I think it's the coaches job to make sure the music is turned off-- or even step on to the floor-- if someone is badly injured, their life is at sake..it's so not worth it to keep going.

Date: Wed Aug 27 2:30 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why wouldn't a gym not have one? It is a safety measurement. Coaches, athletes and even the parents should go through a gym's emergency plan. What to do if A happens at the gym, or if it happens at a competition? Gym owners please make appoint of communicating to you athletes what to do when a member is injured at the time of competiting. Do you continue doing the performance? Do you move the person out of the way? The answer should be NO! I've seen injured girls being dragged off stage by their own team mates. I've heard athletes tell me that their coaches tell them keep going.

Please remember safety first!

Why would we stop the entire routine because someone is hurt. yes serious issues happen, but its a group of 30 kids not just 1.

Are you kidding me?

"Oh Suzi's bone is sticking out of her arm but keep going because you are only 1 of 30, it's not about you."

That's ridiculous and risky, not to mention dumb!

If you've never been on the competition floor before when performing a routine, it's hard to explain how fast everything is moving. You're talking about a 2 minute and 30 second routine where things are moving incredibly fast and there is so much going on. Combine that with music blaring, camera's flashing, fans screaming and the pressure of being judged and it's hard to really process everything that is happening. Cheerleaders are trained to do the routine with no mistakes and nothing stopping them from finishing. If they touch down, they're supposed to keep going. If they drop a stunt, they're supposed to keep going. If they miss a motion, they are supposed to keep going. They're supposed to act as if everything was all a part of the show.

Now imagine that a cheerleader is performing a routine and 45 seconds into it one of her teammates breaks her arm in front of her. With everything that is going on her training tells her to keep going on. But now you've thrown a wrench in the mix it may freeze her. In most cases the cheerleader will finish the routine until told not to.

In cases like this its important for the coach to make the call. But again, you're talking about things that are moving so quickly its hard to really process whats going on. Hopefully in just a few short seconds the coach can assess the injury, make the smart decision whether the routine should continue on or stop, and how to approach everything while keeping everyone's safety in mind. But even then the coach may not be in the right spot to make the call. They may be right in front cheering on the routine while someone else who isn't the coach is at the music table having no idea what to do. Or maybe the coach doesn't even see the injury until the routine has 30 seconds left.

There are so many differnt things that could happen that go into deciding whether a routine should stop or not that no one can just say, "The routine must be stopped" or "The show must go on".

Date: Wed Aug 27 2:33 PM, 2008

as a cheerleader, if one of my fellow team members was to become injured out on the floor and couldnt walk, i would stop to tend to her. I care about my team as if they were my family. I know the coaches tell you to keep going. If i was to be injured, depending on the severity i probably would however i am sure that if i broke a bone out on the floor i would stop. Sprains, i would cry.

I remember usa nationals not this past season but the one before, when texas lonestar and pro spirit came. I was watching texas lonestar and one of there flyers was limping through the routine half way through. Mind you it was the first day of competition. She carried on with the routine limping around. It was her right ankle. She still had to fly and she stuck all her stunts without flinching. I remember watching her after the routine finished and severely limping when one of the boys on her team picked her up and carried her off. When they came on the next day she had a brace on her ankle and still did everything full out. That to me, means a lot. I like to think i would have the same amount of heart that this girl put into her routine by finishing the routine injured and all for her self and her team. I am sure i will never forget this.

i also remember being at american grand three seasons ago and watching american have a girl open up on her tuck and land on her neck. I was completely mortified. She walked off the floor holding her back. The girls did not stop in the middle or anything, they kept going.

i know that one of the junior/junior coed teams at worlds had a girl dilocate something on the first day of competition within the first 20 seconds of their routine. The team kept going, she walked off. She was a backspot and the team covered it up very well. The front spot of her group ran around to the back for baskets and the "extra" kids filled in. I believe they dropped one stunt which did not allow them to move to finals however they should have been proud of what they did.

i do think that every gym should have an emergency plan. I can honestly say that i have n idea if my gym has one because i have never seen or heard of it. If we dont we need one.

anyways, sorry for going on.

Date: Wed Aug 27 5:58 PM, 2008

Thats is why it is SO IMPORTANT that your coach or gym owner goes through these types of scenarios.

Date: Wed Aug 27 6:09 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why wouldn't a gym not have one? It is a safety measurement. Coaches, athletes and even the parents should go through a gym's emergency plan. What to do if A happens at the gym, or if it happens at a competition? Gym owners please make appoint of communicating to you athletes what to do when a member is injured at the time of competiting. Do you continue doing the performance? Do you move the person out of the way? The answer should be NO! I've seen injured girls being dragged off stage by their own team mates. I've heard athletes tell me that their coaches tell them keep going.

Please remember safety first!

Why would we stop the entire routine because someone is hurt. yes serious issues happen, but its a group of 30 kids not just 1.

Are you kidding me?

"Oh Suzi's bone is sticking out of her arm but keep going because you are only 1 of 30, it's not about you."

That's ridiculous and risky, not to mention dumb!

Are you serious? You sound like you have had some major brain washing... it should always be about SAFETY. I think it's sad when you see/hear of an injury so bad the athlete passes out and their teammate drags them off the floor because they are going to get hit by other tumblers. I think it's the coaches job to make sure the music is turned off-- or even step on to the floor-- if someone is badly injured, their life is at sake..it's so not worth it to keep going.

haha.... I think you just described one gym that had all of those things happen to them in one season.

ACEDAD · GURU

Check with your gym and see if they have or are getting the USASF certification. That gym certification requires the gym to have an emergency plan along with several other items.

https://secure.usasf.net/Documents/pdf/GymCert/application%20and%20instructions%20gym%20cert.pdf

Date: Wed Aug 27 7:53 PM, 2008

oh, well then never mind. haha my gym has been certified since forever. Well, at least the first year of worlds. Anyways, i guess i just havent ever heard of it. Thanks AceDad.

Date: Wed Aug 27 11:06 PM, 2008

Actually the USASF just changed that a couple of months ago, and added the emergency plan requirment in their gym certification. In what some would call in reaction to Lauren Chang's death. There is an emergency plan on the varsity website, but is nothinglike the listed on here. This needs to be passed on to all of the gyms and competition companies. Did you see they are giving away a free website if you register that you rehearsed the plan.

Frankly, I am impressed by the emergency plan and scared of the personal stories.

Date: Wed Aug 27 11:12 PM, 2008

Here is the 911 call from Lauren Chang's accident

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV0Fg-RmLHI

listen to this 911 call...

This is insane! Every gym better start rehearsing this now. Why are kids calling 911. where are the competition staff?

UNBELIEVABLE -

Warning - not for the faint at heart

Date: Thu Aug 28 7:34 AM, 2008

Every cheer parent needs to hear that 911 call. Unbelievably unorganized. Heartbeaking, too.

Date: Thu Aug 28 7:36 AM, 2008

acedad you must be on Varsity's payroll , you are so biased

Date: Thu Aug 28 8:58 AM, 2008

I was reading posts and thinking, flyer falls on neck and is unconcious. Kids pull her off floor so routine can be finished. Flyer gets wheelchair for rest of her life, when maybe stablising her neck would have made a difference. I know if moves fast, but a plan in place is good.

Date: Thu Aug 28 11:28 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

acedad you must be on Varsity's payroll , you are so biased

If you took him that way, trust me hes not. He is kind of a big deal in the cheer industry though. He started the special needs and parent action committee under the usasf. He knows what hes talking about.

Date: Thu Aug 28 2:17 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

acedad you must be on Varsity's payroll , you are so biased

If you took him that way, trust me hes not. He is kind of a big deal in the cheer industry though. He started the special needs and parent action committee under the usasf. He knows what hes talking about.

Just seems his opinions are always in line with Varsity aka AACCA aka USASF aka ICU aka USA Cheer. Just don't think that is a coincidence. Just my opinion, but I am not a "big deal" in the cheer industry though.

Date: Thu Aug 28 3:33 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

acedad you must be on Varsity's payroll , you are so biased

If you took him that way, trust me hes not. He is kind of a big deal in the cheer industry though. He started the special needs and parent action committee under the usasf. He knows what hes talking about.

Just seems his opinions are always in line with Varsity aka AACCA aka USASF aka ICU aka USA Cheer. Just don't think that is a coincidence. Just my opinion, but I am not a "big deal" in the cheer industry though.

I've always found ACEDAD to be a good guy on this board and a source of good information.