Spirit and Safety Meet: USA Cheer and AACCA Join CDC in Raising Concussion Awareness

USA Cheer and the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators are bringing spirit and safety together as new partners in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Heads Up campaign. This joint effort will help build concussion awareness among cheer coaches, parents, fans and cheerleaders themselves.

Already through this partnership, coaches of the more than 325,000 cheerleaders attending cheer camps this summer received Heads Up concussion information.

Two studies reveal that the ever-growing popularity of cheerleading coupled with the year-round nature of the sport, has led to a higher total incidence of concussions in our sport than in many others.

That’s why we’ve joined this critical campaign and encourage you—our partners and supporters—to get involved and to learn more about concussion by:

• Visiting www.cdc.gov/Concussion
  to download or order fact sheets, the new cheerleading clipboard sticker, and other educational materials about concussion, at no cost;
• Posting the a Heads Up Web button on your website, linking your visitors to a free, online concussion training for coaches; and/or
• Posting www.cdc.gov/Concussion to your website’s resources page or other appropriate pages.

As you know, USA Cheer launched the USA Cheer Safety Council this February to raise the awareness of cheerleading safety and education. Visit www.usacheer.net to learn more about the USA Cheer Safety Council and its safety initiatives; sign the “I Cheer Safe” pledge; and then commit to using CDC’s concussion materials.

Join us in making spirited safety your top priority!