Family seeking athletic safety; Plea after death of cheerleader.

Byline: Thomas Caywood

The family of the young Newton woman who died last week as a result of injuries suffered while competing in a cheerleading competition at the DCU Center has called for additional safety steps to prevent such tragedies.

Lauren Chang, 20, was catching another cheerleader tossed into the air as part of a routine last Sunday evening when she was apparently kicked in the chest, causing her lungs to collapse, authorities said. Ms. Chang died Monday afternoon at UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus.

"We hope her death will shed light on the inherent risks of cheerleading, and we hope that additional steps will be taken to insulate against those risks," Nancy Chang, the victim's sister, said yesterday.

Ms. Chang said in a telephone interview her family doesn't want to discourage people from cheerleading - a sport she said filled her sister with joy.

Rather, she said, they wish to ensure adequate safety measures and medical services are in place at cheerleading competitions in which girls and young women are regularly tossed high in the air and caught by their teammates.

Ms. Chang said she doesn't know yet exactly what additional safety steps are needed, but her family has contacted state Rep. Peter J. Koutoujian, chairman of the Public Health Oversight Committee, to help determine that. The Waltham Democrat appeared with Ms. Chang and her brother, Jason Chang, at a press conference in Newton yesterday afternoon.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Koutoujian said even before this latest tragedy he has long been aware of the many broken fingers, fractured limbs and serious sprains suffered by cheerleaders, who don't wear padding or helmets.

"I had my staff begin researching what we can do this morning," he said. "It could be as simple as having medical personal available at these competitions or better medical training for the athletic personnel and coaches or better training techniques."

It wasn't clear yesterday whether the emergency medical technicians who treated Lauren Chang and took her to the hospital were stationed at the DCU Center for the competition or were summoned there after the young woman collapsed and began convulsing near the end of her team's routine. Ms. Chang said the family hasn't been able to determine that yet, but has asked authorities for more information. "We don't know exactly what happened. We're not sure of the sequence of events yet."

Ms. Chang described her sister, a sophomore majoring in biology at Suffolk University, as an "energetic spirit" with "an infectious smile."

Lauren Chang began cheerleading in her junior year of high school and continued in the sport after graduation as a member of a team for the Watertown-based Energized Athletics. Her co-ed team was competing in the Minuteman Mass Championships at the DCU Center when she was injured about 7:15 p.m.

The event was organized by Florida-based Spirit Cheer. The organization's president, Mike Pare, couldn't be reached yesterday.

"Figures show 50 percent of injuries to young women in high school athletics are from cheerleading," Mr. Koutoujian said. "These girls don't wear pads, and they're pushing the boundaries at every turn. While the boys' sports, contact sports, get all the attention, there's a great deal of injuries these young women endure."

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Ms. Chang