Cheerleading has a real injury problem at the high end of the sport, and most of the serious injuries happen in stunting. The sport is not inherently dangerous. Poorly run programs that skip skill progressions, pressure athletes past their readiness level, and use untrained bases are where the injuries happen.
Understanding the structure of stunting helps parents evaluate whether a program is running it correctly.
Stunt groups typically consist of a flyer (the athlete lifted into the air), bases (the athletes lifting), and a back spot (who provides stability and catches the flyer). Everyone in the group has a defined role and specific technique. When all four people are trained correctly and trust each other, stunting is controlled. When they are not, it is not.
Progression is the key word in stunt safety. A program that builds skills in order, starting with shoulder-level stunts before attempting extended stunts, requiring a clean extension before adding a cradle dismount, and requiring demonstrated stability before adding a liberty or similar advanced skill, is running the progression correctly. A program that puts a flyer at extension height before the bases have consistent technique is running a risk that is not justified by the skill level.
AACCA (American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators) and USASF (US All Star Federation) publish specific skill level rules for what is allowed at each division. For middle school programs, those rules prohibit certain overhead skills that are allowed at higher levels. Ask the coach which ruleset governs their program and whether they follow it in practice.
What to ask when evaluating a cheer program: Are coaches AACCA or USASF certified? Is there a skills progression ladder that athletes advance through before attempting higher skills? Is matting used for new skills? Are athletes ever pressured or shamed into attempting a skill they say they are not ready for?
That last question is the most important one. A program where athletes are pressured to attempt skills they are not comfortable with has a safety problem that no amount of certification paperwork covers. Your kid should always be able to say “I’m not ready for that” and have the coach respond with a plan to build the skill correctly rather than a push to just try it.
If your child reports feeling forced into a skill, or tells you a teammate got hurt doing something they had not fully learned, take that seriously. Talk to the coach directly. If the program culture normalizes skipping safety steps, find a different p