They say, “education is the foundation upon which we build our future.” This quote could not ring more true not only in our schools, but in sports. The best cheerleading we see are from athletes who respect the basics and build a foundation of sustainable stunting, jumping, and tumbling.

In fact, it is one of the core values my business, Rah Rah Routines, focuses on when teaching stunt technique to organizations throughout the Northeast. It is imperative that we incorporate educational elements to promote positive habitual behavior during our stunt camps. This ensures that all athletes fully understand the concepts of performing basic to advanced stunts.

OUR THEORY:

“If the mind doesn’t get it, the body can’t perform it — knowledge is power.”

With that, at the start of every stunt camp we host a competitive, multiple-choice-type of game that explains our stunting principles, or what we like to call The ABC’s of Stunting. With these simple ground rules, we reenforce the importance of safety and technique. This allows athletes to start building a solid foundation in cheerleading powered by knowledge and education.

While we can’t divulge all of our secrets, check out The ABC’s of Stunting and how this could help you become a more knowledgable stunter:

A = Awareness

Cheerleaders who have a safety-first mindset have a lower injury rate compared to their peers, and have tremendous growth and improvement in cheerleading skills. Athletes who are aware of their physical and emotional surroundings learn from teachable moments and fully understand that safety is a top priority.

B = Body Control

Cheerleaders who learn how to correctly use their muscles and bodies can improve overall health and the technique of the stunting skills performed. And that’s exactly why, Founder Danielle, created CHEERFIT. A demonstration of good body control is when a flyer can keep their hips squared to enhance their tightness and balance when in the air or when an athlete finishes a backhandspring with a hollow body, engaging the core.

C = Communication

I strongly believe that most of the stunting mistakes that happen are because of a lack of communication, such as miscounting or listening distractions. Effective and efficient communication among teammates leads to superior teamwork and improved listening skills. This enhances their success rate to achieve more advanced stunts and progress to higher competitive levels.

And there you have it. Comment below to let us know which tip was most helpful, and if you have a tip you’d like to share..leave it in the comments!

Happy Workout! Leave a comment to let us know what your favorite exercise of this workout is!

Christina Hernandez — Founder & Head Choreographer; Rah Rah Routines

is a cheerleading and tumbling aficionado who has led senior-level all star teams to multiple local, regional and national titles and has more than 25 years of experience as a Pop Warner, high school and all star cheerleader. She is contracted to work as a tumble instructor at several cheer and dance organizations in New Jersey, and is a longstanding choreographer for reputable recreation, high school, and all–star competitive teams throughout the Northeast region. She is a member of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA), USASF, and NFHS. Christina is USASF certified in Building and Tumbling Levels 1-5, and assists USASF in credentialing other all star coaches. She is a certified Varsity judge for all-star competitions, and a freelance writer for Cheer Professional magazine.