Cheerleaders In Danger
As cheerleading squads across the country gear up for a rousing fall football season, coaches should begin now to convince their squads that safeguarding their voices from damage is as important as guarding against shin splints or ankle sprains.
(PRWEB) August 11, 2005 -- “No other sport requires as much from the throat
and body at the same time,” says Renee Grant-Williams, a leading voice coach and
communication-skills expert. “As exciting as it is to root for the home team,
leading yells can seriously damage your vocal chords. At a minimum, you risk
becoming hoarse or losing your voice. At worst, you can develop voice-altering
nodes that could call for surgery.”
“One thing coaches can’t do is tell
these yell leaders to tone down the volume on their cheers. It’s simply not
going to happen,” says Grant-Williams. “So, if you want to help them, you have
to recognize that ‘cheer softly’ is not an option.”
What coaches can do
is urge cheerleaders to take other precautions to guarantee that their voices
last as long as the season does. For instance, cheerleaders can learn to use
their bodies – not their throats – to protect their fragile voice
mechanisms.
“Cheering routines draw heavily upon gymnastics and dance
techniques,” says Grant-Williams. “Why not use similar lower body strength and
physical control to support their voices? If cheerleaders would breathe low and
support their yells by standing with a solid grip that presses into the ground,
it would help take the pressure off their throats.”
Cheerleaders are
routinely exposed to conditions, such as rapid body temperature changes due to
intense spurts of activity and unpredictable weather conditions, that
practically invite the common cold. They should take steps to prevent upper
respiratory ailments.
“Just as in football, the best defense for your
voice is a good offense,” says Grant-Williams. “Don’t wait until you wake up one
morning without a voice to take care of it.”
Grant-Williams offers tips
for keeping cheerleading voices in top form:
· Drink
plenty of fluids. If it’s cold, use warm liquids to soothe your
throat.
· Eat a good balance of protein and carbohydrates.
· Stay away from alcohol and caffeine which dehydrate your
body.
· Layer clothing so you can add or remove garments as
the weather dictates.
· Have a scarf handy during cold
weather to keep your throat warm.
· Get enough rest and
sleep to keep your body’s immune system functioning.
· Chew
gum, a piece of hard candy, or throat lozenge to keep the juices
flowing.
· Gargle with warm salt water to reduce swelling
if your throat becomes swollen.
“If you’re sick, stay home in bed until
you feel better,” says Grant-Williams. “You and the rest of your cheering squad
will be better off in the long run because you will have dodged a bullet,
preserved your voice, and not put others at risk.”
Grant-Williams offers
advice in her book, “Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and
Command Attention” (AMACOM Books, New York). She coaches business executives,
sales professionals and celebrities including Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks,
Linda Ronstadt, Tim McGraw, and Christina Aguilera. She presents speaking
programs to organizations throughout the United States and has been quoted by
Business Week, AP, UPI, Cosmopolitan, TV Guide, Southern Living, the Chicago
Tribune, the Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle. She has appeared on
broadcast outlets including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, Bravo, USA, MTV, BBC, and
NPR. Grant-Williams is a former instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory of
Music as well as the former director of the Division of Vocal Music at the
University of California, Berkeley.
For more information or to schedule
an interview with Renee Grant-Williams, call 615-259-4900.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/8/prweb271001.htm