August is National Cheer Safety Month presented by USA Cheer! Learn something new each week through articles and social media posts about how to keep your athletes safe this upcoming cheer season & beyond! The theme of National Cheer Safety Month is to cheer for safety. We want to be vocal about the improvements the cheer community has made in reducing serious injuries and keeping cheer as one of the sports with the lowest injury rates.

This week will highlight injury prevention. You can take several easy steps to ensure your athletes can progress quickly and safely throughout the year. 

• Find the National Cheer Safety Toolkit Here
• Read More About The Progression Of Safety In Cheerleading

Week Two: Injury Prevention

Here are some steps you can follow according to USA Cheer:

Follow The Rules Of Your Level 

Levels are in place to align with athletes' skill levels to minimize injuries especially to the head, neck and back.

Click here for the 2025-2026 NFHS/USA Cheer High School Rule Changes 

Use Skill Progressions and Stay Within Your Ability Level 

Know your athletes' limits- and your own. Follow proper skill progressions when introducing new stunts and tumbling elements. Focus on mastering the fundamentals first, and build from there. A progression chart can be a great tool to organize skills for every level in your gym.

*View the USA Cheer Website for helpful resources*

Use Spotters and Matting Effectively 

Even with proper progressions, falls and accidents can occur. Ensure coaches are trained, confident spotters, and use mats to help prevent a simple fall from becoming a serious injury. 

Require and Maintain Coaches' Education 

Ensure coaches are continuously aware of new rules, levels, and progressions. Coaches should know how to spot and train lower level skills before moving to higher levels.

Provide Access To Athletic Trainers 

Athletic trainers play a vital role in promoting program-wide safety. They can develop and implement injury-prevention programs, educate athletes, and provide immediate care when injuries occur. In addition, they track injuries and analyze data to help strengthen safety measures across the entire program. 

Follow Protocols For Emergency Plans and Return to Play 

Injuries happen. It is important to have an emergency plan and protocol in place in order in case of a serious injury. 

Come back next week to learn about body positivity, anti-bullying, and athlete abuse prevention! 

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