Growth spurts can be tough on cheerleaders — especially when knee or heel pain starts to show up.

In this episode of The Cheer Athlete Podcast, I break down two of the most common growth-related injuries in young athletes: Osgood Schlatter’s disease and Sever’s disease.

You’ll learn:

• What’s actually happening at the knee and heel growth plates

• Why stretching alone isn’t the answer

• The difference between soreness and red-flag symptoms

• When your athlete should modify practice

• How crawling, core stability, and hip strength reduce pain

• When it’s time to seek professional help

These injuries are common during growth spurts — but they don’t have to sideline your athlete.

If your cheerleader is limping after practice or landing differently in jumps, this episode is for you.

👉 Grab the Injury Prevention Starter Kit
👉 Check out my book Strength and Conditioning for the Cheer Athlete
👉 Use the “Ask a PT” form if you have questions

And remember: when in doubt, breathe out.

In this episode of the Cheer Athlete Podcast, we’re talking about a tough—but important—topic: catastrophic injuries in cheerleading.

While these injuries are relatively rare, cheerleading accounts for a significant percentage of catastrophic injuries in female high school sports. In this episode, I break down what “catastrophic injury” really means, the most common types seen in cheer (including concussions, spinal and neck injuries, fractures, and ACL tears), and why many of these injuries occur during practice—not competition.

We’ll cover:

• What qualifies as a catastrophic injury in cheer

• Why cheerleading carries unique risks compared to other sports

• Concussions vs. traumatic brain injuries

• Spinal and cervical injuries and why awareness matters

• Fractures, ACL injuries, and season-ending orthopedic trauma

• How strength, preparation, and proper progressions reduce risk

• The importance of recognizing symptoms and following return-to-play protocols

This episode isn’t meant to scare you—it’s meant to educate, empower, and protect athletes by helping parents and coaches understand risk, readiness, and prevention.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with another cheer parent or coach.
Have a question or topic you’d like covered? Use the Ask Your PT form HERE
Check out the Injury Prevention Starter Kit for Cheer Parents to learn how to better support your athlete all season long. HERE

Most cheerleading injuries don’t happen from one big fall—they build up slowly over time.

In this episode of The Cheer Athlete Podcast, we break down what overuse injuries are, why cheerleaders are especially at risk, and how parents and coaches can spot the warning signs before a small issue becomes a season-ending injury.

You’ll learn common overuse injuries in cheerleading, why repetition and limited recovery play a role, and three simple things you can start paying attention to right away to keep athletes healthy and on the mat.

Check out the Injury Prevention Starter Kit Here

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