According to the 25th Annual Catastrophic Sports Injury Report funded by a grant from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, American Football Coaches Association, and the National Federation of State High School Associations, high school and college cheerleaders accounted for more than half of 112 catastrophic injuries sustained in girls and women sports during the past 25 years.

What was once a service club has now become a highly competitive sport. The demands on these young athletes have significantly increased with strength, balance, and tumbling being primary requirements for many teams. On any given weekend across this nation, thousands of young girls compete in cheerleading competitions sponsored by a variety of cheerleading organizations.

Injuries Resulting from Basket Tosses

Athletes are routinely tossed up to 15 feet in the air and expected to be caught by their peers (basket toss). After reviewing the data from the Catastrophic Sports Injury Report, many of the injuries documented occurred to “flyers” tossed high into the air by their peers and then dropped onto the gym floor.