A Denham Springs representative is asking the LHSAA to make dance, cheer and lacrosse sanctioned high school sports under its authority. Republican Roger Wilder’s resolution passed in the House Education Committee unanimously and heads to the full House for further discussion. Wilder told the committee he was alerted to the issue by a constituent.
“I received a phone call from a parent at one of our local high schools, asking us to consider this. And then when I looked into it and what the requirements are to be considered sanctioned, I think there are some safety concerns for me,” Wilder said.
Wilder says he especially noted how hazardous cheerleading can be, given the routines they do on hard surfaces.
“We’re throwing these teenage girls 15 feet in the air, or the cheerleading team is, and there’s no safety protocols for that right now,” Wilder explained.
Wilder says by placing cheerleading under LHSAA authority, along with dance and lacrosse, there could be safety protocols in place to protect the participants.
“When you’re a sanctioned sport, there are certain factors that come into play. A couple of them would be insurance and health & safety requirements,” Wilder noted.
Unlike a bill, a resolution is non-binding. This one is a concurrent resolution, which means if it passes in the House, it will move to the Senate for its approval.
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