KINGSTON – A nationwide increase in the number of cheerleading injuries requiring hospital treatment has prompted a local law firm to sponsor a free safety clinic available to all cheer coaches in Luzerne County.

The half-day clinic on Nov. 4 in Wilkes-Barre will feature an instructor from the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, one of several cheerleading organizations nationwide that provide safety training programs.

The clinic is sponsored Hourigan, Kluger and Quinn as part of the firm’s Foundation for Children’s Advocacy, also known as HKQ Kids.

The firm, which has represented families of children killed and injured in accidents, founded HKQ Kids last year to promote child safety, said Sue Greenfield, project coordinator.

Greenfield said the firm opted to sponsor the cheer safety clinic in response to a study issued this year that showed cheerleading injuries requiring treatment at emergency rooms more than doubled from 1990 to 2002. Participation in cheerleading grew by 18 percent during the same time period.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, attributes the increase to several factors, most notably the introduction of complex gymnastics that have significantly increased the degree of difficulty of cheer routines. Back flips and basket tosses, in which cheerleaders are tossed high into the air, are common in many cheer programs today.

“My son is a very active football player. When I go to the games and see these girls being thrown up in the air, I hold my breath every time until they land,” Greenfield said.

Concern over safety recently prompted the National Collegiate Athletic Association to require all college cheer coaches to have safety certification. There is no such requirement for high school and youth programs in Pennsylvania, although a number of programs voluntarily seek certification.

Jim Lord, executive director of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, said the clinic will touch on legal issues, as well as how to teach teams to properly spot during stunts and skill progression.

Hourigan, Kluger and Quinn will cover all costs for the clinic, including the $75 per coach registration fee. The safety certification is good for four years.

Tammy Blannard, one of the coaches of the West Side Starz, an all-star cheerleading team based in Larksville, said the half-day training is a good start, but she would encourage local coaches to seek additional training.

“It will definitely help. Coaches will know they’re legally responsible for a child’s safety. There are proper methods they should be following and if they don’t they can be held responsible,” she said.