Cheerleading injuries can be more severe than football injuries. Research from the journal Pediatrics recently revealed that competitive cheer injuries tend to be more serious than injuries sustained in other high school sports (like baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, cheerleading accounts for the majority of "catastrophic" athletic injuries to high school girls and female college athletes. 

 

When looking at the proportion of injuries that cause players to miss weeks or even a full season, cheerleading comes in second only to gymnastics. Stunts can put participants at risk for concussions and fractures. Splits, Tumbling passes, and other gymnastic and acrobatic work can also put significant strain on the body.