Millbrook cheerleaders perform during a timeout against Wakefield during a game Tuesday, January 27, 2009, at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, N.C. (Photo by Grant Halverson)
Jun 13, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS — Almost 400,000 individuals are participating in high school cheerleading, according to a new survey conducted this spring by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
This first-of-its-kind, comprehensive survey of the NFHS member state high school associations measured participation in cheerleading at the freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels. With 18,922 high schools in the 51 member associations, the new figure of 394,694 translates to an average of 21 cheerleaders per school.
The only national participation figure for high school cheerleading in the past has been one for those boys and girls involved in competitive spirit squads. The 2007-08 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS indicated a total of 113,980 boys and girls involved in competitive cheer.
The new survey not only includes those individuals in competitive cheer, but also everyone involved in sideline cheerleading at the high school level throughout the United States.
"This figure of almost 400,000 provides a more accurate portrayal of student participation in cheerleading," said Robert F. Kanaby, executive director of the NFHS. "This adjustment is particularly noteworthy in relation to reports on cheerleading injuries. The NFHS will begin tracking the incidence of such injuries through our partnership with Dr. Dawn Comstock at Ohio State University."
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