For the Athletes

Everything you need before your first mat session — what to expect, what to wear, how to make friends, and why it's okay to suck at first.

• ●What your first practice will actually be like
• ●The language of cheer — 20 must-know terms
• ●How to make friends on a new team
• ●What coaches actually want from you

Done defending your sport? This page does it for you. Data, facts, history, and comebacks for every "that's not a real sport" comment.

• ●STUNT became an NCAA Championship Sport — January 2026
• ●Injury rates that exceed most "accepted" sports
• ●The Olympic conversation — where it stands right now
• ●Comebacks to have ready (because you'll need them)

Tumbling progressions, stunting technique, jump drills, motion sharpness. Coach-quality content, written in athlete voice.

• ●Tumbling: cartwheel through double full progressions
• ●Stunting — flyer, base, and backspot
• ●Jump drills: hip flexibility and technique
• ●When to take a skill back to the beginning

Flyer, base, backspot, tumbler, jumper — each role is its own sport within the sport. Find yours, or learn why you don't have to pick just one forever.

• ●What each position actually demands
• ●You're not stuck — positions change as you grow
• ●Coed vs. all-girl differences
• ●What if you don't have a position yet

Pre-comp nerves, perfectionism, comparison culture, skill plateaus, burnout. The mental side of the sport is as real as the physical — this page treats it that way.

• ●Visualization techniques that actually work
• ●What to do when you fall in front of 5,000 people
• ●Perfectionism is killing your routine
• ●When you need more than a pep talk

Fuel your sport, protect your body, and handle the comments no one should ever make. Anti-diet-culture, body-positive, written for athletes by athletes.

• ●Fueling your sport — what to eat (not a diet)
• ●Sleep: the underrated performance tool
• ●Period and cheer — plain talk, no sugarcoating
• ●Scripts for when someone comments on your body

The social side of cheer — how to be a great teammate, handle drama without burning it all down, support your captain, and survive the group chat.

• ●Being a good teammate (it's actually a skill)
• ●Drama, cliques, and the group chat
• ●When you get replaced in the routine
• ●Bullying in cheer — when and how to speak up

Not the parent's comp day — yours. The night before, the warm-up room, stage time, awards, and the weird empty feeling the day after.

• ●The night before: what actually matters
• ●In the warm-up room: energy and etiquette
• ●What judges are actually looking for
• ●The day-after comp blues — and why they're normal

Sock bun tutorials, comp makeup, the slick pony, uniform care, and practice wear. The practical skills every cheerleader actually needs.

• ●The sock bun — full step-by-step
• ●Comp makeup: foundation through false lashes
• ●Makeup that won't melt under stage lights
• ●Caring for a uniform that cost $800+

Thinking about cheering in college? Here's how recruiting actually works, when to start, how to build a skills video, and what STUNT's new NCAA status means for you.

• ●The recruiting timeline — start sophomore year
• ●How to reach out to college coaches (with a template)
• ●STUNT is now NCAA — first championship Spring 2027
• ●NIL and cheer: how athletes are starting to monetize

Personality quizzes, Spotify playlists for every comp day mood, CheerTok spotlights, and bingo cards for your next bus ride to nationals.

• ●What position suits you? (quiz)
• ●What kind of teammate are you?
• ●Hype songs before comp (playlist)
• ●Cheer Bingo — printable cards

What coaches can and can't do. How to use SafeSport. Body comments that cross a line. Hazing. Trust your gut — and here's exactly what to do when it tells you something is wrong.

• ●What coaches are allowed to do — and what they're not
• ●SafeSport: what it is, how to use it
• ●"If something doesn't feel right" — trust that
• ●How to make a report, step by step

A special section for our youngest athletes, designed to be read with a parent or grown-up. Bigger words, simpler pages, and a warm note from Kara.

• ●What is cheer?
• ●Your first practice
• ●How to make friends at the gym
• ●A letter from Kara to our tiniest athletes