<p>Didn’t know where else to put this: [Kevin</a> Signo, Baylor University student, dies from backflip injury](<a href=“http://now.msn.com/kevin-signo-baylor-university-student-dies-from-backflip-injury]Kevin”>http://now.msn.com/kevin-signo-baylor-university-student-dies-from-backflip-injury)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this is one of those freak accidents that can happen. Such a shame.</p>
<p>I notice they are careful to describe it as a “bizarre” and “freak” accident. </p>
<p>It always impresses - and scares the crap out of - me when I attend a high school basketball game and watch the cheerleaders, even the JV cheerleaders doing back flips on the hard wood floor, often from a dead standstill (not only after a series of handsprings to gain momentum). It seems so easy to me to land on your head, especially when the hands are tucked in to help the body rotate.</p>
<p>Back flips can be performed relatively safely if done by someone who has many years of experience. It’s unclear whether this boy had experience or not.</p>
<p>In gymnastics, and cheerleading as well, you work your way up to back flips. Through core exercises, back handsprings, practice mats, coaches spotting you. Over and over and over. Those kids are in the gym every day for hours and it takes years to work up to the back tuck. Even then something awful can happen and you can throw it wrong and bam, land on your neck. </p>
<p>Not sure if this person was trained, but by the time you see kids doing flips on the floor, they’ve surely done one a thousand times. However, you’ll never see gymnasts doing such a stunt with no mat.</p>
<p>so sad. What a tragedy.</p>
<p>Life is so fragile. It really gives me pause to think that just seconds before the accident happened, this young man assumed he had his whole life ahead of him. Unfortunately, he had no idea it was all about to be over. It’s scary to think that such things could happen to any of us at any moment.</p>