Is strength and conditioning for athletes enough?
Sports medicine specialist Dr. Jordan from THE SPORTS POD team comments on things he’d like to change about cheer, and that there is more to strength and conditioning for athletes that you need to consider in dealing with these young prospective pros.
A morale booster will truly be helpful with a support system of people that surrounds them, whether that’d be a sports medicine doctor, the coach, grandma, and grandpa, or the gym owners all working together for their well-being. Watch the full video below and know more coming from one of the top sports medicine specialist in Dallas Dr. Jordan has to say.
From competetive cheer to a sports medicine Doctor.
I’ve been in Competitive Cheer since 2015 as both a coach and an athlete. And from that perspective of being on both sides of the spectrum, there are 3 things that I would love to change about the sport.
Number one is the culture around athletes being afraid to tell their coaches that they are injured with the fear of being removed from that spot or being replaced altogether. I’ve seen it countless times where athletes hide their injuries or play them down because they’re terrified of being removed from that spot, just because they think that there’s always someone right there to take the spot from them.
Secondly, I think we were progressing athletes too quickly through Cheer. Seriously, what is the rush?! For example, if little Susie gets a backhand spring and the summer of 2020, just because she has the skill doesn’t mean that it’s time for us to move on to the next skill, such as a tuck or a series of at Cannes spring, we should be perfecting that single back handspring in order to make sure it’s nice and solid. A skill she is so confident in, that she can do 10 out of 10 times. There are so many benefits to taking it slower. It increases confidence, decreases anxiety and stress around the skill, and most importantly, it allows the body to adapt to the stress and force of the skill, thus decreasing injury!

Not just you're regular sports Doctor.
Lastly, I would like to see the coaches, athletes, parents, and anyone else involved in that athlete’s realm be on the same side. There seem to be some times where the coaches and parents are pushing the athlete to go a little bit further, or the parents and the athlete are telling the coaches that they can’t do this because of X, Y, and Z.
Having a more cohesive unit of support system for that athlete will allow for them to have a longer duration in the sport. I have noticed this more since I have become a member here at The Sports Pod. We have become a great objective listening board on both sides. Being able to communicate to coaches on what the athlete’s body needs and teaching our young athletes to be champions of their own health. It has made the dynamics much better and for the benefit of the longevity of the athlete in Cheer!