Good morning! Here are the extensive resources I referenced this morning.
Topic: Cheerleading
Before you let your kid join a cheerleading squad, you need to know about the safety plans recommended by these agencies:
1. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
2. Cheer Safe
3. USA Cheer
4. American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators
5. US All Star Federation
6. National Federation of State High School Associations
7. American Academic of Pediatrics made the following recommendations:
These are the same recommendations that I listed in today's show. Before we leave this subject, I gave some information about the uniqueness of females and concussions. Here are some of the facts:
Of course, having coaches and teammates such as these aren't improving the "face" of the sport.
Post-Concussive Syndrome (PCS) is a serious issue as the family of a Ladera Ranch 13-year old learned. It's important to read what they now know about the tragedy of PCS. After their son's death, they became part of the group, Faces of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), who supported the California Bill AB 2108 which failed in committee. The bill would have banned youth tackle football in California.
PCS symptoms include:
As parents, if your child is participating in any kind of contact sport, you must educate yourselves about concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Your primary directive as a parent is to protect your child and keep them alive. Don't rely on anyone else to do that for you.
You ask the questions. Fully 55-60% of athletes who get a concussion get NO treatment at all. They need medical assessment and treatment, behavioral management, balance and vision therapy.
Topic: Cheerleading
Before you let your kid join a cheerleading squad, you need to know about the safety plans recommended by these agencies:
1. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
2. Cheer Safe
3. USA Cheer
4. American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators
5. US All Star Federation
6. National Federation of State High School Associations
7. American Academic of Pediatrics made the following recommendations:
- "Cheerleading should be designated as a sport in all states, allowing for benefits such as qualified coaches, better access to medical care and injury surveillance.
- All cheerleaders should have a pre-season physical, and access to qualified strength and conditioning coaches.
- Cheerleaders should be trained in all spotting techniques and only attempt stunts after demonstrating appropriate skill progression.
- Pyramid and partner stunts should be performed only on a spring/foam floor or grass/turf. Never perform stunts on hard, wet or uneven surfaces. Pyramids should not be more than 2 people high.
- Coaches, parents and athletes should have access to a written emergency plan.
- Any cheerleader suspected of having a head injury should be removed from practice or competition and not allowed to return until he or she has clearance from a health professional."
These are the same recommendations that I listed in today's show. Before we leave this subject, I gave some information about the uniqueness of females and concussions. Here are some of the facts:
- High school and college female athletes take more than twice as long as males to recover from concussions.
- Recovery time for males is 11 days and for females, it's 28.
- It takes longer for females to recover because they lose more eye movement stability than males which takes longer to regain.
- They experience more concussions than males according to the reports from the 5th International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sports.
- Females have smaller necks which don't absorb as much shock as males.
- Females have a higher rate of processing sugar which impacts recovery.
- During menstrual cycles, the sudden drop in progesterone (female sex hormone) might lead to longer healing times.
- Other menstruation-related discomfort such as headaches and cramps might affect the reporting of symptoms.
Of course, having coaches and teammates such as these aren't improving the "face" of the sport.
Post-Concussive Syndrome (PCS) is a serious issue as the family of a Ladera Ranch 13-year old learned. It's important to read what they now know about the tragedy of PCS. After their son's death, they became part of the group, Faces of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), who supported the California Bill AB 2108 which failed in committee. The bill would have banned youth tackle football in California.
PCS symptoms include:
- Sensitivity to lights and sounds
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Executive functioning deficits (task persistence, using memory, planning and organizing)
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Sleep problems
- Blurred vision
- Nausea
- Balance problems
- Aggression
- Erratic behavior
As parents, if your child is participating in any kind of contact sport, you must educate yourselves about concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Your primary directive as a parent is to protect your child and keep them alive. Don't rely on anyone else to do that for you.
You ask the questions. Fully 55-60% of athletes who get a concussion get NO treatment at all. They need medical assessment and treatment, behavioral management, balance and vision therapy.
Topic: The Incel Rebellion
The other very important and unfortunately, dangerous, topic I covered was about the "Incel Rebellion". I learned about it after reading an article from the New York Times regarding Alex Minnasian, 25, who drive his van onto a sidewalk in Toronto on April 23 and killed 10 people and injured many, many more.
On Facebook, he claimed himself to be part of the "Incel Rebellion". This is an ever-growing group of men who hate women (misogynist). Some are mildly misogynist and others are extreme. Here's what's going on...
- They are socially inadequate.
- They have had no sexual contact with women or very limited contact.
- They feel that women "owe them sex" and that they are entitled to "take it" via whatever means possible...rape, other forms of sexual assault, murder and then, have sex with their corpses (necrophilia).
- Their community communicates through 4chan, an online chatroom that includes the "My Little Pony" adult men who find meaning in the "My Little Pony" movies and characters. They're called "Bronies". I've discussed them on the show previously.
- They promote the genocide of people of color and taking rights away from women.
- They treat women as objects, have little, if any, self-awareness, and are blatantly sexist.
- They cannot understand why "ugly" guys have girlfriends and just don't understand that, perhaps, unattractive men might have "something" going for them such as respect for women, a fun personality or that they might be smart and interesting.
- They refer to guys who get sex as Chads and women who reject "Incels" as "Stacys".
- Minnasian referenced Elliot Rodger who killed 7 and injured 14 in a spree attack in 2014 in Santa Barbara. He, as well Chris Harper-Mercer (Umpqua Community College) were enraged that they were being denied sex. Rodger, Harper-Mercer, Nikolas Cruz and Adam Lanza were all initially diagnosed with autism. This is not how autism works. It's my strong belief that they were diagnosed with autism when, in actuality, they were experiencing the emerging symptoms of Schizotypal Personality Disorder which is a combination of social interactional deficits (looks like autism), but then "morphs" into paranoid schizophrenia and possibly, mass casualties. Here's my article on the topic. Estimates are there are 15,000,000 with Schizotypal Personality Disorder in America.
- Here is the New York Times article and here is a definition from the Urban Dictionary.
Have a talk with your high schoolers and college kids about this concept and teach them how to handle themselves if they feel threatened.
MIscellaneous:
1. Henry sent an "Ask Me" question over DrClaudia.net asking about his 10-year old son who is a "stuntman in the making". Among other things, I recommended that he consider a summer camp at Pali Adventures. Looks like a blast.
2. Harvey Davidson Summer Internship comes with a motorcycle!! You have to pass a motorcycle driving course and get a motorcycle endorsement before you're eligible to keep the free bike. If you're a college junior or senior, you're eligible, but the APPLICATION DATE IS MAY 11. #FindYourFreedom. HURRY, HURRY!
3. Your kids can watch astronauts read popular kids books from space! AAAHHH, so fun!!
4. The Wizard of Oz Theme Park is open for 6 Fridays this summer in Beech Mountain, NC. You can skip along the Yellow Brick Road!
5. Cheap fun at movie theaters this summer and beyond!
Enjoy! Don't forget Mother's Day is next Sunday. Make your plans! Spend some time with her. Find out who she was BY...Before You! I offered some ideas from a previous show. Check it out!
Have a great week,
Claudia
