STUNT 

Administrators Guide 
 
 
STUNTtheSport.org

STUNTtheSport.org 
 
 
 
 
 
 

What is STUNT? 
STUNT, the fastest growing female sport in the country, removes the crowd-leading element and
focuses on the technical and athletic components of cheer, including partner stunts, pyramids, basket
tosses, group jumps and tumbling. These elements are put together in short routines that both teams must
perform head-to-head on the floor at the same time. The team that executes the skills best wins the round
and the point, and has the opportunity to determine which routine level will be called next. With four
quarters of play – partner stunts, pyramids & tosses, jumps & tumbling, and team routine – STUNT is an
exciting sport to play, coach and watch.
Why STUNT Sport Disciplines
USA Cheer created STUNT to provide a discipline of USA Cheer governs STUNT as a discipline of cheer. USA
cheer that was exclusively focused on competition and Cheer's governance of STUNT as a discipline of cheer is
structured in a way to provide meaningful interscholastic similar to the structure of sports of other national
and intercollege athletic participation opportunities governing bodies.
that schools can count for Title IX. STUNT has done just
For example, NGBs oversee their respective “SPORTS”
that since 2010. STUNT just finished its 10th season at
e.g. Cheer, Basketball, Track and Field, Soccer,
the college level and 8th for high school. More than 100
Gymnastics. Also, the NGBs oversee their Sport
colleges have participated in STUNT since 2011, and more
“DISCIPLINES” that are sometimes considered “Sports”
than 400 high schools have participated, making STUNT
by the NCAA and National Federation of State High
one the fastest growing female sports in the country. School Associations.

FOR EXAMPLE:

• USA Basketball governs the “sport” of basketball.

— Disciplines such as: 5-person basketball, 3 x 3

basketball, Slam Dunk, all female teams, all male
teams, and mixed / coed teams.

— Only all-female and all male teams are considered

“sports” by the NCAA and NFHS.

• USA Soccer governs the “sport” of soccer.

— Disciplines such as: futsal, Team Soccer, 3 x 3 Soccer,

1 x 1 soccer, etc.

— Only Team Soccer falls under the NCAA & NFHS.

• USA Gymnastics governs the “sport” of gymnastics.

— Disciplines such as: Artistic Gymnastics, Rhythmic

Gymnastics, Acro Gymnastics, Trampoline, etc.

— Only artistic gymnastics falls under the NCAA

and NFHS.

STUNT’S GOVERNANCE IS SIMILAR:

• USA Cheer governs the “sport” of cheer

— Disciplines such as: Sideline cheer, competitive

cheer, all star cheer, performance cheer and STUNT

— STUNT is the “sport” discipline USA Cheer is

advancing at the NFHS and NCAA level.
How does STUNT compare to Competitive Cheerleading? 
STUNT and Competitive Cheerleading are two different disciplines of “cheer” that both utilize technical skills in
their sport. STUNT is the discipline that has been recommended by the NCAA Committee on Women’s
Athletics for Emerging Sport status.

STUNT Competitive Cheer

Game Length 45 -60 minute game 2:30 minute routine
Competitive Format Two teams in head-to-head competition. Single teams perform one at a time
at an event with many teams in the
same competition division.
Scoring Objective – Based on execution Subjective/Objective – Based on
routine choreography and
execution
Format 4 Quarter Format Based on Skills – Quarters Based on individual routine
consist of Partner Stunts, Pyramids and Tosses, choreography. Includes crowd-
Jumps and Tumbling. Routines are all leading, and dance elements as
compulsory. well as stunting, pyramids,
tumbling, and jumps.
Season Teams competed as an exclusively Spring sport. Teams compete year-round.

For more information, see the USA Cheer Position Paper on Title IX
 STUNT Programs by Conference 
(v) denotes Varsity program under the athletics department.

American Southwest Great Lakes Valley Conference Mid-American Conference

University of the Ozarks (v) Drury College (v) Central Michigan University
Southwest Baptist University (v)
American Midwest Maryville University (v) North Coast Athletic Conference
Missouri Baptist University (v) Hiram College (v)
Heart of America Athletic
Big 10 Conference Northern Athletics Collegiate
Michigan State University Central Methodist University (v) Conference
University of Michigan Concordia University - Chicago (v)
Purdue University Heartland Collegiate Athletic Dominican University (IL) (v)
Conference
Big 12 Hanover College (v) Ohio Athletic Conference
Oklahoma State University Muskingum University (v)
Texas Tech University Junior Colleges
University of Texas, Austin Riverside City College Ohio Valley Conference
Bakersfield College University of Tennessee Martin (v)
Big Sky Independence CommunityCollege
UC Davis Connors State College PAC 12
Sacramento State Mineral Area College Arizona State University
Cal Poly California
Kansas Collegiate Athletic
Big West Conference Pac West
California State University Ottawa University (v) Concordia University, Irvine (v)
Bakersfield University
Liberty League Southeastern Conference
California Collegiate Athletic Rochester Institute of Technology University of Kentucky
Association
Sonoma State University Lone Star Conference Sooner Athletic Conference
The University of Texas at Tyler(v) Southwestern Christian University (c)
Great American Conference Dallas Baptist University (v) Texas Oklahoma City University (v)
Oklahoma Baptist University (v) Woman’s University (v)
St. Mary’s University (v) Southern Collegiate Athletic
Great Lakes IntercollegiateAthletic Conference
Conference Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Centenary College (v)
Davenport University (v) Association Austin College (v)
Ferris State University Alma College (v)
Grand Valley State University Olivet College (v) Western Athletic Conference
California Baptist University
Great Midwest AthleticConference Mid America Intercollegiate Grand Canyon University
Ashland University (v) Athletic Association
Malone University (v) University of Central Oklahoma West Coast Conference
Tiffin University (v) Northeastern State University Brigham Young University
Ursuline College (v) St. Mary’s College

Golden State Athletic Conference Wolverine-Hoosier

Hope International University (v) Concordia University, Ann Arbor (v)
Westcliff University (v)
Vanguard University (v)
William Jessup University (v)
 Program Map 
 
 

(As of 5/31/2020. Visit STUNTtheSport.org/college for the most updated program map.)
 
 
As of 7/1/2021. Check the stuntthesport.org/college for updates
 Sample Budgets 
 
Division I

Number of athletes: 30

Per Athlete Team Total

Equipment $9,000

Uniform/Practice Gear/Shoes $400 $12,000

Administrative Costs $1,000

USA Cheer Team Registration $250

Travel $500 $15,000

Meals $200 $6,000

Program Activity $100 $3,000

Recruiting $2,000

Total $48,250

Head Coach Salary $60,000

Asst. Coach Stipend $8,000

Grand Total $116,250

*Scholarships $25,000

Grand Total w/ Scholarships $141,250

These are sample budgets based on actual figures provided by our current programs and will differ depending on
program needs.

The primary initial equipment cost is a carpet bonded foam floor, which then only requires maintenance and
periodic replacement of individual mat strips.

*Scholarships are based on the equivalency model with a recommended range of 7-9.
 Division II
Number of athletes: 30

Per Athlete Team Total

Equipment $3,000

Uniform/Practice Gear/Shoes $400 $12,000

Administrative Costs $1,000

USA Cheer Team Registration $250

Travel $500 $15,000

Meals $200 $6,000

Program Activity $100 $3,000

Recruiting $2,000

Total $42,250

Coaching Salary $45,000

Grand Total $87,250

*Scholarships $25,000

Grand Total w/ Scholarships $112,250

*Scholarships are based on the equivalency model with a recommended range of 7-9.
 Division III
Number of athletes: 30

Per Athlete Team Total

Equipment $3,000

Uniform/Practice Gear/Shoes $400 $12,000

Administrative Costs $1,000

USA Cheer Team Registration $250

Travel $500 $15,000

Meals $200 $6,000

Program Activity $100 $3,000

Recruiting $2,000

Total $42,250

Coaching Salary $30,000

Grand Total $72,250

 Sample High School Budget

Item Cost

Carpet Bonded Foam Mats *$700/mat

 You may already have these for your cheer team
 9 mats make a full floor but only 4 mats are needed to
practice

Uniform Top (Jersey) *$40/jersey

Uniform Bottoms (Spandex shorts) *$30/jersey

Shoes *$90/per pair

USA Cheer Program Membership $149.00

Recommended STUNT Coach Membership $30.00

*Denotes costs that are approximate and can vary due to the product/vendor used
Suggested NCAA Regulations 
 
 
Suggested NCAA Regulations
The College STUNT Association has consulted closely with our
administrators and coaches to come up with recommendations
for how STUNT will be governed by NCAA regulations.
We do realize that this guidance may be subject to change
based on additional input from the NCAA and our school
administrators as we move through the emerging sport process.

1. Playing Season —STUNT Season Calendar:

These are our recommended guidelines for Division 9/7 or 4th day of classes – week before finals
II, however each institution will be expected to follow Non-Championship Segment
the NCAA Guidelines for playing and practice season 1/13 – end of the season 5/5
for their respective divisions. Championship Segment
5/6 – 9/7 off season –
• FIRST CONTEST DATE: NO CARA – no contact
A member institution shall not engage in its first date
of competition (game or scrimmage) with outside 2. Competition
competition in STUNT prior to Feb 1st! The • CLASSIFICATION:
championship segment begins January 13th or the
first day of classes. STUNT is considered to be a team sport (e.g.
basketball, softball, etc.)
• END OF REGULAR PLAYING SEASON:
• NUMBER OF CONTESTS – INSTITUTIONAL:
A member institution shall conclude all practices and
competition (games and scrimmages) in STUNT by A member institution shall include a minimum of 8
the conclusion of the NCAA STUNT Championship. and a maximum of 16 athletic contests with outside
competition in STUNT on its total playing schedule
• COUNTABLE ATHLETICALLY RELATED during the institution’s STUNT playing season.
ACTIVITIES:
• ANNUAL EXEMPTIONS:
(CARA) (Bylaw 17.02)
Conference Championship, NCAA Championship,
— During playing season, a student-athlete's Alumni Game, Foreign Team in U.S., Hawaii or
participation in countable athletically related activities Alaska, Fund-Raising Activity, Celebrity Sports
shall be limited to a maximum of 4 hours per day and Activity, U.S. National Team.
20 hours per week (Bylaw 17.1.6.1)
— Non-playing season (fall) CARA hours are limited 3. Coaching Staff
to no more than 8 hours per week • HEAD COACH – One: Implemented immediately
** Option of declaring a 45-day window in which 15 • ASSISTANT COACH – Three: 1 – Implemented
hours/week is allowed immediately; 2 – added within 2 years of sport
— No CARA hours over summer/vacation periods sponsored by 40 NCAA institutions.
(17.1.6.3.5) and during institutional final exam period • Limit on OFF-CAMPUS RECRUITERS– Two:
(17.1.6.3.4) Implemented immediately.
4. Financial Aid 6. Eligibility
• MAXIMUM EQUIVALENCY LIMITS: • FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT (Bylaw 14.1.7):
We recommend between 7 and 9 equivalencies, based Requirement for practice or Competition: To be
on school's ability and budgets. eligible for practice or competition, a student-athlete
shall be enrolled in at least a minimum full-time
5. Playing Rules program of studies as defined by the institution (most
member schools are at 12 units)
• PARTICIPANTS:
• GRADE POINT AVERAGE:
A team is composed of a minimum of 16.
Requirement for practice or Competition: To be
• EQUIPMENT: eligible for practice or competition, a student-athlete
must maintain a 2.0 GPA every grading period.
A player’s equipment consists of the following
uniform: 7. Recruiting
— Jersey: Must have a minimum 4 inch number
located on the front of the jersey and a minimum of 6 • No contact with prospective student-athletes (PSA’s)
inch on the center back. Numbers must be unique to prior to June 15th of their junior year.
an individual athlete. • Additional recruiting legislation to be implemented
— Bottoms: Teams will wear compression shorts. based upon the individual Division requirements for
— All athletes for a particular team must have contact and dead periods.
identical uniforms.
— Team and manufacturer’s logos must conform to
current NCAA standards.
• SCORING SYSTEM:
Teams are awarded points by the execution of their
routine, with the winner determined by which team
executes the routine with the fewest errors. The
winning team of each round in quarters 1-3 receives 1
point and the losing team receives 0 points. In the 4th
quarter, each team may score from 0-3 points per
round of this quarter. Winning the game is determined
by who scores the most points.
• FACILITIES:
Each playing court is a rectangle measuring 54 ft. x
42 ft. area consisting of nine non-spring, carpet
bonded, foam mat panels with a minimum 1-3/8 in.
thickness, referred to as a competition floor. Each mat
panel, 6 ft. x 42 ft. in size, will be connected along its
seams using a 4 in. wide Velcro strip.
High School and Club Participation 
 
 
 
 
 
 

High School Varsity 
and Club Programs 
Soon after we launched STUNT at the college level in
2010, we were inundated with high school coaches and
athletes wanting to play STUNT at the high school level.
STUNT is now being played as a sanctioned sport at the
state and district levels across the country, with additional
teams playing as a high school club sport, some of which
are preparing to petition for state sanctioning.

State Status Teams Athletes Games Championship

CA (California Interscholastic Varsity 150 3,750 900 Yes
Federation)
NC (Wake County Public Schools) Varsity 15 300 160 Yes

AK (Anchorage School District) Varsity 6 60 30 Yes

DC (DC Interscholastic Activities Varsity 6 90 30 Yes

Association)
NY (NY Public Schools Athletic Varsity 32 575 288 Yes
Association)
Oklahoma (Club Sport at the High Club 33 825 225 Yes
School and Junior High level)
Subtotal 242  5,600 1,633

After a 2019 pilot program for club/youth rec STUNT, over 50 teams joined for the 2020 season with a schedule
outlined below. STUNT has a pipeline for athletes from the grass roots through the high school level.
STUNT being played as a club/youth rec league sport
State Teams Athletes Games
California 9 135 22
Michigan 5 75 10
New Jersey 12 200 30
New York 5 75 10
Oklahoma 14 250 45
Washington 7 105 15
Total Youth 52 840 132
STUNT Student Athlete Experience
STUNT student athletes enjoy the same benefits of varsity intercollegiate sports participation as other
student athletes.

STUNT Program Profiles:

To provide you a snapshot of how our STUNT programs operate, we wanted to share some more details on a few
of our programs so you can better understand the student athlete experience and program operations.

Concordia University
Here are some key details about STUNT at Concordia:

 Coaching: STUNT head coaches receive a full‐time salary specifically 
for coaching STUNT. 
 Practices: STUNT teams play and practice STUNT exclusively 
during the STUNT season. 
 Recruiting: The head coach recruits specific athletes for the 
STUNT team primarily from the huge pipeline of high school 
athletes playing STUNT in California. Once those athletes have 
started the application process, they are marked as a STUNT recruit in the institutions system for admissions and 
financial aid purposes. 
 Athletic Benefits: STUNT athletes are fully integrated into the intercollegiate varsity sport experience at their 
institutions, receiving the full benefits of athletic participation including: 
— The STUNT athletes receive all of the same benefits as the other athletic 
programs on campus including their own team athletic trainer, full access 
to the athletic training facility, insurance coverage, their own designated 
locker‐room, 2 full‐time head coaches (with their own office in the athletic 
department), a position on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee – SAAC 
(our STUNT athlete currently holds a board position). 
— Inclusion in awards and recognitions consistent with other NCAA sport 
athletes: The STUNT athletes are able to be nominated and win all of the 
same awards as any other athlete on campus. This past year, a STUNT 
athlete won the most prestigious award at the Senior Athlete Banquet. She was 
awarded this because of her outstanding academic, athletic, and 
community achievements. 
— Opportunities for athletic scholarships: STUNT is allotted 2.5 equivalencies 
— Promotion on school athletic websites and other communications consistent 
with other NCAA sport athletes: STUNT is on the website in accordance with all other athletic programs at 
Concordia including the roster, schedule, live streamed events, and media stories. 
 
 
 
 
 
STUNT Program Profiles continued: 
 
 
 
 

California Baptist University 
Here are some key details about STUNT at CBU:

 Coaching: STUNT head coach receives a full-time salary. Coach

is exclusively coaching STUNT.
 Practices: During the STUNT season, STUNT athletes exclusively
play and practice for STUNT.
 Recruiting: The STUNT head coach recruits athletes year-round for the STUNT team nationwide from
high school, community colleges, and all-star cheer gyms.
 Athletic Benefits: STUNT is a varsity sport under athletics. STUNT athletes receive the full benefits
of athletic participation including:
– Designated athletic trainer
– Full access to athletic training center and
athlete gym
– Practice facility exclusively for STUNT
with private lockers
– Insurance coverage
– Athlete representation on the Student
Athlete Advisory Committee - SAAC
– Opportunities for athletic scholarships
– Priority class registration
– Inclusion on awards and recognitions
consistent with other NCAA sport athletes
– Promotion on school’s athletic website
STUNT Program Profiles continued:

Southwest Baptist University

Here are some key details about STUNT at SBU: 

• Coaching: STUNT has its own coach specifically designated STUNT 
coach who receives a salary specifically for STUNT. 
• Practices/Facilities: STUNT practices are stand‐alone practices for 
the STUNT team only and do not overlap with any other sports. 
• Recruiting: Head STUNT coach attends STUNT recruiting combines all over the country to identify talented 
athletes who are capable of competing at the next level. SBU STUNT team also holds STUNT recruiting clinics on 
campus to bring in potential athletes to learn about STUNT as well as participate with the team by learning new 
stunting skills and showing off their current tumbling ability to get recruited. 
• Athlete Benefits: STUNT athletes are fully integrated into the intercollegiate varsity sport experience at the 
institution, receiving the full benefits of athletic participation including: 
— Scholarships ranging from $500‐$20,000 
— All uniforms and practice clothes provided 
— All travel expenses, per diem, etc. covered 
— Practice at University provided facility 
— All athletic training provided before, during, and after practice 
— All NCAA eligibility rules are followed by all athletes 
— Academic support and tutoring available for athletes 
— Athletic department hired staffing of Head coach 
— STUNT listed as varsity womenʹs sport under athletics website 
• Eligibility for Awards: Bearcat awards given out at the end of the year 
SBU athletic banquet. Teams and individuals can receive awards to be 
voted on by athletic department! STUNT athletes are also recognized 
for their academic performance making honor roll like all other athletes. 
• Promotion on school athletic websites and other communications 
consistent with other NCAA sport athletes: STUNT is listed on athletic 
website and the school SID follows and promotes all STUNT games, 
tournaments, recruiting clinics and awards! 

• All NCAA eligibility regulations are followed and monitored by our 
director of compliance. 
 STUNT Program Profiles continued:
 
 
 

Oklahoma Baptist University

Here are some key details about STUNT at OBU:

• Coaching: STUNT has a coach that is specifically assigned

to STUNT who receives a salary/stipend specifically for
coaching STUNT.

• Practices: STUNT practices are stand-alone practices for the

STUNT team only and do not overlap with any sports.

• Recruiting: STUNT Coaches attend STUNT recruiting

combines in Texas, Oklahoma, and California to identify athletes. Additionally, the coaches leverage contacts
and the recruiting pipeline of STUNT athletes with high school coaches and senior athletes.
• Athletic Benefits: STUNT athletes are fully integrated into the intercollegiate varsity sport experience at their
institutions, receiving the full benefits of athletic participation including:

— Scholarships ranging from $2000-$20,000

— All uniforms and practice clothes provided

— All travel expenses, per diem, etc. covered

— Practice at University-provided facility

— All athletic training provided

— All NCAA eligibility rules are followed by all athletes

—Eligibility for Awards: The Bison Sports Awards and the

end of the year Athlete banquet and recognition is
provided for all NCAA sports and their athletes. The 
STUNT athletes are also listed on the Athletic Director 
Honor Roll. 
— Promotion on school athletic websites and other 
communications consistent with other NCAA sport 
athletes: STUNT is listed on athletic web site and the 
school SID follows and promotes all STUNT games, 
tournaments, and awards. 
— All NCAA eligibility regulations are followed and monitored by the School compliance director and 
reported through CARA (Countable Athletic Related Activities) 
 STUNT Program Profiles continued:
 
 
 

Hiram College
Here are some key details about STUNT at Hiram:

• Coaching: The STUNT head coach is a full‐time employee at the 
college with a salary comparable to other coaches in the athletic 
department. Her main responsibility is the STUNT program.

• Practices: The STUNT teams gets priority of facility usage during their season. Our practices do not overlap with 
other sports.

• Recruiting: STUNT coaches actively recruit around the nation. They attend STUNT combines in California and 
Ohio to evaluate prospective student‐athletes. They also travel to California and New York to scout at high 
school STUNT games. Through high school coach contacts and scouting events, coaches are in touch with 
seniors who begin the recruitment process and roster spots are filled in that way.

• Athletic Benefits: Student‐athletes are supported financially and athletically.

—Full‐time head coach and assistant coach 

—Insurance coverage 

—All uniforms and practice gear provided 

—Full access to athletic training staff and equipment 

—All  travel  expenses  provided  for  games 

—Practice space at college 

—Locker room during STUNT season 

—Recognition at awards banquets: The Terry Awards and 
Senior Student‐Athlete Banquet are hosted every year by 
the athletic department. STUNT athletes are honored 
with all other NCAA sports. 

—Promotion on college athletic website: consistent with other NCAA sports, the Sports Information Office 
publishes the roster, schedule, coaches biographies, game previews, game recaps, community service 
stories, and awards for STUNT. 
 
 

What Our Programs Say

From our coaches, administrators to student athletes—participants in STUNT love the sport and their
experience.

Click here to find out why athletes, coaches and fans love STUNT: Why I Love STUNT

 
 

Athletic Directors: Coaches:

“O BU is proud ofthe opportunities STUNT is bringing to wom enon “The goalof STUNT at O BU is to give fem ales the chance to
ourcam pus.The program is recruiting a large num beroffem ale com pete at the NCAA levelwhere they are recognized for their
athletes who would have potentially notchosen O BU otherwise. talents on the sam e playing field as theirpeers.O BU is proud to
W e are excited to see whatis in store forthe future ofSTUNT.” be one of the pioneers in the varsity sport STUNT and look
forward to the future of what STUNT can offer our athletic
Robert Davenport,
Athletic Director, Oklahoma Baptist University departm entand studentathletes.As we approach ourfourth yearas
an established athletic program ,we plan to continue to rise in the
rankings of success and provide a topnotch program and
“O urSTUNT team atDavenportUniversity has been an incredible education forourathletes.”
addition to ourexisting varsity athletic program s.This group of
Jessica Stiles, Coach, Oklahoma Baptist University
studentathletes represents them selves and ouruniversity with
the utm ostclass and pride.Each yearourHead STUNT Coach “Iam excited forthe opportunity to partake in this new and growing
recruits a new class of student athletes to cam pus raising not sport.Adding a STUNT program opens up m any opportunitiesfor
only the num beroffem ale student-athletes on cam pus,butalso fem ale athletes to com pete on a collegiate level and be
supports the overallenrollm ent expectations ofnew students to recognized notonly as a team butas individuals based on their
DavenportUniversity.W e look forward to continuing fullsupportof athletic abilities.Ibelieve by adding a STUNT program thatSBU will
STUNT.Ithas been an awesom e addition to ouroverallwom en’s see an increase in fem ale studentathletes and bring in a new and
sportofferings.” excited fan base dedicated to the sport.”
Paul Lowden, Athletic Director, Davenport University Kayla Duffey, Coach, Southwest Baptist University

“The student-athletes that are part of the STUNT program are “Pursuing STUNT forem erging sportstatus is powerful.Em erging-
highly respected on the m at,in the weightroom ,in the classroom , sport status is essentially the transition between club sport and
and throughoutthe Alm a College com m unity.The gam es createan NCAA-sanctioned sport. W hen STUNT becom es an NCAA
exciting atm osphere and once fans watch,they are hooked.The sport,thatwillallow the team to recruitwith resources outside of
Alm a student- athletes under the direction of head coach, Stillwaterwhich would only furtherthe success thatthe program
M ichelle Sabourin, have built a nam e for them selves nationwide has had.This big picture m indsetis one thatm any ofthe STUNT
and continue to prove whySTUNT is a growing sportnationally.” coaches have for the sport. W e want to elevate these fem ale
Sarah Dehring, Athletic Director, Alma College athletes to the nextlevel.”
Lindsay Bracken, Coach, Oklahoma State University
Student Athletes:

“STUNT provides fem ale athletes with the m ost am azing “STUNT has given m e the opportunity to continue doing what I
opportunities to be able to com pete at the collegiate levelin a love and to be treated as an athlete like m y peers.The sporthas
version ofthe sporttheyhave grown to love throughouttheirlives.Itis taught m e to challenge m yself physically and m entally, earning
com petitive,head to head and so m uch fun!” m yself several executed skills I never thought possible. M y
greatesttake a ways are those thatIuse in m y currentinternship,in
Mackinley Prentice, Alma College
the classroom ,and in everyday life— how to handle adversity
and how im portantitis to focus on the little details.Iam so thankful
“Ihope to see STUNT approved forNCAA Em erging SportStatusso Hiram added STUNT as a varsitysport.”
thatfuture offem ale athletes can continue to grow and be eligible Dawn Condeza, Hiram College
for college scholarships. Ithink STUNT is continuously going to
pick up m om entum because it is fun, crowd engaging and
intense to com pete in and watch.”
Zoey Hoffman, Davenport University

Athletic Training for STUNT Athletes:

Here are examples from a few of our STUNT program’s Athletic Trainers on thebenefits that
their STUNT athletes receive at their universities.

Southwest Baptist University, MO

• STUNT usually practice times were 6-9 P.M. and would • Post-treatment consists of evaluations, modalities,
consist of pre-practice treatment done during the cryotherapy etc.
day and for about an hour, we would cover all Stunt
practices on campus and post-practice treatment to • All athletes will be put on a rehabilitation plan if any sort
attend to ongoing treatments and injuries that may have of injury occurs. This plan is madeby me (their ATC) and
happened during practice.  will be done with me in the clinic multiple times during
the week. This program will continue to progress until
• Game days consist of pre-treatment and post-treatment the athlete is back to their optimal strength.
as well. We have only had the opportunity to host one
game so far. I don’t think we have the full scope of what a
full competition would look like, but was very similar to
any other sport we would host on campus. “I’m excited for STUNT to have the opportunity to com peteas
Ithink itstrengthens their place/role within athletics. O ur STUNT
• I would say I have to allocate about 30-40 hours a
student-athletes are considered just as the others and will
week in season to cover everything that is needed for
these student-athletes. continue to be m ore integrated as our program grows and
com petes ata continually higherlevel.”
• Pre-treatment consists of heating, stretching, modalities,
taping, bracing, rehab, etc. Mike Wolhoy, MS, ATC
Head Athletic Trainer, Southwest Baptist University
Athletic Training for STUNT Athletes continued:

Concordia University, Irvine, CA

A normal day working in the STUNT world is pretreatment • Injury prevention in the clinic is a little different. I make
for about an hour and a half to two hours prior to practice, sure strength and flexibility is within normal limits for
being in the gym with the team during their two hour that specific athlete and “nip it in the bud” if it isn’t their
practice and providing post treatment for approximately norm.
one to two hours depending on the athlete’s needs.
• All athletes will be put on a rehabilitation plan if any sort
• Game days consist of pretreatment and post treatment of injury occurs. This plan is made by me (their ATC) and
as well. As we host a lot of games I offer my services to will be done with me in the clinic multiple times during
the other team if they are in need of anything medical the week. This program will continue to progress until
wise. During the game, I have set up a med table for the athlete is back to their optimal strength.
evaluations if necessary. I stay in the gym/arena during
the whole game in case of injury. After the game, I
provide post treatment for any athlete who may need it.
“This past year Ihave been blessed to be offered to work with
• I work approximately 30-35 hours a week specifically CUI’s STUNT team and ithas broughtm e nothing butan im m ense
with the STUNT team. am ount of joy!Ilove CUISTUNT. These girls are athletes and
• STUNT needs just as much as any other sport that I have deserve EVERYTHING thatthe othercollegiate sports receive.”
worked with. They are an intense group of girls who put
Kaleigh Biedron, LAT, ATC
their hearts on the mat. They are true athletes.

• Pretreatment consists of heating, stretching, modalities,

taping, bracing, rehab, etc.

• Post treatment consists of evaluations, modalities,

cryotherapy etc.

• Injury prevention in this sport is very important. Strength

and conditioning is required at CUI. That is a big part of
injury prevention. Understanding proper biomechanics
when lifting is huge and that is taught in conditioning.
Athletic Training for STUNT Athletes continued:

Hiram College, OH
STUNT athletes at Hiram receive pre-practice treatment • If an injury occurs, athletes will begin a rehabilitation
about an hour prior to practice, depending on the specific plan. As their athletic trainer, I make their plan to be
needs of the athlete. Treatment times are also scheduled completed in the athletic training room multiple times
throughout the day for those who need help recovering during the week. Typically, the athlete will continue this
from an injury. Our goal is keeping the athletes safe and plan until they have regained their strength and are fully
feeling well yet getting them back to competing and cleared to participate. Another rehabilitation plan will
practicing as soon as safely possible like we do with all be created to maintain the well-being of the athlete.
athletes.

• Game days required more attention. We have hosted

a few games and I will offer my medical attention and “This past year was m y first year working with Hiram ’s STUNT
services to all the teams that need assistance. I help tape team , and Iabsolutely love this group of wom en. They are so
the other teams when needed. During the game, I will dedicated to their sport and im proving them selves every day. It
stay in the gym in case of an injury or any other medical
has been great getting to work with them and getting to know
attention needed. Following the game, I will provide
post treatment for any athletes that need it. m ore aboutthe sportofSTUNT. G am es are so fun to watch!I
look forward to working with these athletes again this season and
• As an athletic training staff, we are not assigned to
helping them grow to theirathletic potential.”
specific teams. However, due to my interest in the
sport and my rapport with the team members, I get the Bethany Cera, MA, AT, ATC
privilege of working with the STUNT team the most. This Assistant Athletic Trainer, Hiram College
was my first year working with them, as it is a new varsity
program on campus, and they deserve and obtain as
much attention from our athletic training staff as any
other sport at Hiram. They dedicate a great amount of
time to their sport and are highly respected as athletes.

• Pre-practice routines consists of heating, stretching,

modality treatment, taping, bracing, rehab, etc.

• Post-practice routines typically consist of cryotherapy

and evaluations, with the occasional modality treatment.

• Injury prevention in this sport is very important due to

the repeated impact on joints. Coach Campbell works
with us to strengthen injury prone parts of the body in
hopes of preventing injuries. Team lifting sessions is
where this prevention happens most, and proper lifting
techniques are stressed.
Safety and Risk Management 
 
Safety and Risk Management
Nothing is more important than the safety of the athletes who play STUNT. This document will outline the risks
involved in the sport of STUNT and the measures that are taken to minimize those risks.

STUNT Risks

All sports have inherent risks. STUNT involves athletes participating in partner stunts, pyramids, tosses, jumps,
and tumbling. These skills include height, inversion, and rotation of the body as well as working in coordination
with other athletes to perform these skills. Special care should be taken by supervisory staff to ensure that skills
are taught in a progressive manner, requiring proficiency before advancing to skills with higher difficulty.

The Myth of Cheerleading Injuries

As STUNT is based on the skills found in cheerleading, one of the first issues to address is the unfounded
perception that cheerleading is somehow more dangerous than other sports, including football.

Without getting into details for the purposes of this article, many years ago a news article from Yahoo Sports
inadvertently left off an important piece of information in a report it presented. It said that cheerleading had 67%
of catastrophic injuries in all sports. The key mistake there is that the data was only of female sports, which have a
significantly lower number of injuries than males sports. This mistake was then copied by the 300+ outlets that
cited Yahoo Sports, including false headlines such as “Cheerleading is more dangerous than football”, obviously
leading to the misperception that cheerleading is more dangerous than football. Yahoo updated their article, but
few of the outlets that shared the information did. The data is simply not supported.

Additionally, even within cheerleading, the number of catastrophic injuries has been reduced dramatically over
the past decade (see Chart 1 below). Very few news outlets have decided to share this information, leaving an
information gap that still purports that cheerleading is dangerous.

Chart 1 - Cheer Catastrophic Injuries by Year

Further, an ongoing 10-year study by the National Federation of High Schools has included cheerleading in its
reporting, and throughout this study, cheerleading has ranked amongst the safest of the 20 sports studied in terms
of injury rates, coming in 4th safest in the latest 2019 study (See Chart 2 below). In the same study, cheerleading
shows a lower concussion rate than 8 other sports, including women’s soccer, lacrosse, and basketball (See Chart
3 below).

Chart 2 - High School Sports Injury Rates Chart 3 - High School Sports Concussion Rates

Finally, cheerleading emergency room visits are lower than several female sports, though the cheerleading figures
are often cited in articles without any mention of these other sports for any type of perspective (See Chart 4
below).

Chart 4 - Emergency Room visits by females ages 12-18

All of the available cheerleading injury data can be found at https://www.usacheer.org/safety/research

What has STUNT done to minimize risk?

The format of the STUNT game vs. cheerleading leads to an even further decrease in risk.

In a cheerleading competition, teams are allowed to perform any skills within the allowed rules structure. This
includes making up new skills and attempting the most difficult skills allowed, regardless of ability level. All
athletes are on the floor at the same time, attempting to perform the most difficult skills they can perform in order
to gain points. Scoring is based on execution and difficulty, Coaches training includes risk minimization, and
penalties for falls help encourage teams to stay within their ability levels.

How the STUNT format minimizes risk:

1. In a STUNT game, teams perform pre-choreographed compulsory routines. There is no “making up new
skills” to see who can come up with the most difficult and creative skill. Since each team is performing
the same routine at the same time, difficulty is not considered in scoring. Technique and execution of
skills is rewarded in the scoring system.
2. Skill modification is allowed, which gives the coach the opportunity to substitute an easier skill that will
result in a smaller penalty than if the skill failed and created a safety issue. As the season progresses and
individual skills get better, they may change the skill back to the original skill. This format encourages
coaches to take the safer option.
3. The routines in each quarter are focused on a specific area of skills; quarter 1 is Partner Stunts, quarter 2
is Pyramids and Tosses, and quarter 3 is Jumps and Tumbling. The 4th quarter puts those routines back-
to-back in a longer format, but utilize the same compulsory routines. What this means is that an athlete
who is good at building or spotting partner stunts is not pushed to also perform tumbling skills. Likewise,
an athlete with a gymnastics background can be used for the Jumps and Tumbling quarter, but does not
have to build stunts or pyramids. A comparison would be using specialized athletes on a kickoff or
receiving team that may not participate in other parts of the game.
4. Each of the routines in the quarters involves a different level of difficulty. Lower-numbered routines have
an easy difficulty level, which progresses steadily up to the higher-numbered routines with more
difficulty. This format allows a coach to place athletes in routines that fit their ability level. Newer
athletes may be involved in lower-numbered routines while more experienced and talented athletes
participate in higher-numbered routines.
5. A team can forfeit a round. If a team determines that a higher-level routine is beyond their difficulty level
and that performing it would be unsafe, they can simply forfeit that round. The opposing team would get
the point, and the forfeiting team gains possession - the ability to determine which level of the routines
will be played next. This not only keeps her team from being in an unsafe position, it allows her to call a
routine that fits her team’s ability level for the next round.

In addition to the game format, STUNT coaches are required to complete the USA Cheer Safety and Risk
Management Course, which is required of all NCAA cheerleading coaches and most state high school athletics
associations who require coaches’ sport-specific training. They are also trained on the rules and regulations of
STUNT, including the coaching strategies outlined above that can reduce risk while factoring into their overall
game strategy.
The STUNT format has shown positive results.

Sport Practice Game Source

STUNT 0.89 0.46 See below (1)

Soccer 16.4 5.2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941298

Basketball 7.68 3.99 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941290

Gymnastics 15.19 6.07 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1941288

1. As STUNT is a new sport, it has not been included in external formalized studies or the NFHS or NCAA
Injury Surveillance System up to this point.

The latest internal study showed that STUNT injury rates were favorable to those found in other college
women’s sports. The STUNT data below was collected from Athletic Trainer reports collected from STUNT
games from 2010-2015. A 2016-17 Injury Survey was sent to coaches to include practices and games to
determine practice injury rates. The game data collected from athletic trainers in 2010-15 supports data
collected from coaches in 2016-17 (0.46 AE vs 0.42 AE), which provides some level of confidence in the
coach reporting of practice injury rates.

A more formalized study was put in place for the 2020 season, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was not
able to be utilized. We are looking forward to implementing this study in the upcoming 2021 season.

Insurance Premiums:
One of the questions asked most often is whether there is an increase in insurance premiums when adding a
STUNT program. Our Varsity programs report a very slight increase, if any, to their existing premiums after
adding a STUNT program, commensurate with adding any additional athletes.
Demographics Data for
STUNT Participants
12b | Demographics
Data for STUNT
Participants
STUNT PARTICIPANTS
STUNT has a diverse coach and athlete ethnic
demographic. The gender makeup of STUNT coaches is
overwhelmingly female. In addition to ethnic diversity,
STUNT attracts female athletes of all body types and
socioeconomic backgrounds.

2018-19 ETHNICITY PERCENTAGES FOR STUNT - COLLEGE

American Native
Indian/ Hawaiian/
Alaskan Black, Non- Hispanic/ White, Non- Pacific Two or More Nonresident
Native Asian Hispanic Latino Hispanic Islander Races Other Alien

M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

Head
Coaches
0.0 0.0 0.0 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 8.7 82.6 0.0 4.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Asst.
Coaches
3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.4 6.9 0.0 3.4 3.4 62.1 0.0 2.9 0.0 13.8 3.4 0.0 0.0 0.0

Athletes 0.0 0.1 0.0 3.7 0.0 14.1 0.0 9.1 0.0 67.6 0.0 0.3 0.0 4.7 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1

Demographic data compiled from post-season survey to head coaches. College results are from 23 college programs. Figures may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.

College Head Coaches College Asst. Coaches

12b | Demographics Data for STUNT Participants

College STUNT Athlete Demographics

2018-19 ETHNICITY PERCENTAGES FOR STUNT – HS/JH/Youth

American Native
Indian/ Hawaiian/
Alaskan Black, Non- Hispanic/ White, Non- Pacific Two or More Nonresident
Native Asian Hispanic Latino Hispanic Islander Races Other Alien

M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F

Head
Coaches
0.0 3.5 1.8 3.5 0.0 1.8 1.8 8.8 1.8 64.9 0.0 0.0 1.8 8.8 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0

Asst.
Coaches
0.0 3.2 0.0 1.6 0.0 4.8 4.8 12.9 1.6 61.3 0.0 1.6 0.0 8.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Athletes 0.0 4.7 0.0 8.1 0.0 7.6 0.0 18.7 0.0 52.2 0.0 1.2 0.0 5.9 0.0 0.9 0.0 0.7

Demographic data compiled from post-season survey to head coaches. HS/JH/Youth results are from 2 youth programs, 1 Junior High program, and 57 high school programs.
The majority of high school teams and survey respondents are from California where STUNT is a state sanctioned sport. Figures may not add up to exactly 100% due to rounding.
12b | Demographics Data for STUNT Participants

HS/JH/Youth Head Coaches HS/JH/YTH Asst. Coaches

College STUNT Athlete Demographics

Next Steps 
If you are ready to start a STUNT program at your institution, visit the “Start a STUNT Team” page
under the “College” section at STUNTtheSport.org. It will guide you every step of the way and have
you prepared for the next season of STUNT. Reach out to other administrators in your conference and
introduce them to STUNT to move toward conference play!

If you have any questions that aren’t answered in this guide, please reach out to one of our staff listed
below and they will be glad to assist you!

Contact Us

Lauri Harris, lharris@usacheer.org

Executive Director, USA Cheer

Amy Haney, ahaney@usacheer.org

Director of Expansion and Media

Jessica Chatto, jchatto@usacheer.org

Assistant Director, USA Cheer

STUNTtheSport.org