National Cheerleading Safety Month
August 1 - August 31
About National Cheerleading Safety Month
National Cheerleading Safety Month takes place throughout August 2026, running from 1 to 31 August. Coordinated in the United States by USA Cheer, the national governing body for the sport of cheer, it is a month-long campaign dedicated to injury prevention, safe coaching practices, and athlete wellbeing across school, club, and competitive cheerleading programmes.
What is National Cheerleading Safety Month?
National Cheerleading Safety Month, also promoted as National Cheer Safety Month, is an annual awareness campaign led by USA Cheer. It brings together coaches, athletes, parents, and programme administrators to focus on reducing injuries and building safer training environments. Throughout August, USA Cheer publishes weekly themes covering topics such as injury data updates, injury prevention through proper skill progression, and athlete welfare issues including body positivity, anti-bullying, and abuse prevention. The campaign is designed to be practical, giving the cheer community concrete tools, toolkits, and pledges they can use within their own gyms and squads.
When is National Cheerleading Safety Month?
National Cheerleading Safety Month is observed every August. In 2026 it runs for the full month, from Saturday, 1 August to Monday, 31 August. The timing is deliberate: August falls at the start of the school and competitive cheer season in the United States, when new squads are forming, athletes are learning new skills, and the risk of training-related injury is at its highest. Marking the campaign before the season gets fully underway gives coaches a window to review safety protocols and embed good habits from the outset.
Why National Cheerleading Safety Month Matters
Cheerleading has evolved from sideline support into a demanding athletic discipline involving tumbling, stunting, basket tosses, and human pyramids. With that athleticism comes risk. According to data compiled from the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, collegiate cheerleading accounts for around 70.5% of all female collegiate catastrophic sports injuries, and high school cheerleading for roughly 65.2% of high school female catastrophic injuries. Cheerleaders carry a substantially higher catastrophic injury risk than participants in many other female sports combined.
Among the most serious injuries, head injuries account for around 52% and cervical spine injuries around 32%, and these are most often linked to basket tosses and pyramid stunts. Concussion is the single most common cheerleading injury, making up roughly 31% of all reported injuries. The national incidence of cheer-related concussions has risen sharply since 2000, partly reflecting greater awareness and better reporting alongside the growing difficulty of routines.
There is genuine cause for optimism, however, and that is a central message of the campaign. Targeted safety rules, better coach education, and restrictions on the most dangerous stunts have driven catastrophic injuries down dramatically, with one analysis showing an 85% fall in the total number of catastrophic injuries between the 2003 to 2014 period and the 2014 to 2020 period. National Cheerleading Safety Month exists to keep that progress moving in the right direction.
How to Get Involved in National Cheerleading Safety Month
Whether you coach a competitive all-star team or run a school squad, there are practical steps you can take during August and carry through the season.
- Prioritise qualified coaching – Ensure every coach holds current, recognised safety certification and stays up to date with the latest stunting and tumbling rules. Trained coaches are the single biggest factor in keeping athletes safe.
- Use trained spotters – Never attempt tosses, pyramids, or advanced stunts without enough qualified spotters in place. Spotters are there to protect the head and neck of the flyer if a stunt fails.
- Build conditioning and strength work into training – Strong, well-conditioned athletes are less prone to sprains, strains, and overuse injuries. Include core stability, ankle and wrist strengthening, and gradual load progression.
- Follow concussion protocols – Learn to recognise the signs of concussion, remove any athlete suspected of a head injury from activity immediately, and follow a structured return-to-play process supervised by a medical professional.
- Train on safe surfaces – Use spring floors, mats, or other appropriate surfaces for tumbling and stunting. Hard or uneven surfaces significantly increase the risk of serious injury.
- Respect skill progression – Athletes should master foundational skills before progressing to harder ones. Rushing ahead of ability is a leading cause of avoidable injury.
- Take the #iCheerSafe pledge – Join coaches and athletes worldwide in publicly committing to safe practice, and share USA Cheer’s weekly themes and toolkit resources with your wider community.
- Look after the whole athlete – Safety is not only physical. Foster a culture free from bullying and abuse, support healthy body image, and make sure athletes feel able to speak up about pain, pressure, or concerns.
History of National Cheerleading Safety Month
Modern cheerleading safety awareness grew out of decades of concern about the sport’s injury rate. As cheerleading became more acrobatic through the late twentieth century, governing bodies and medical researchers began documenting a rising number of serious and catastrophic injuries, particularly among female athletes. This evidence base, much of it gathered through the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, made the case for coordinated national action.
USA Cheer was established in 2007 to serve as the national governing body for the sport of cheer in the United States, with responsibility for safety standards, education, and the development of the sport at every level. As part of its safety remit, USA Cheer developed National Cheer Safety Month to concentrate the community’s attention on injury prevention each year. The August campaign has grown into a structured programme with weekly themes, downloadable toolkits, and a participation pledge that reaches athletes and coaches internationally.
The campaign also reflects a broader shift in how the sport is governed. Rule changes restricting the height and type of stunts permitted at different levels, mandatory coach safety certification, and clearer concussion guidance have all contributed to measurable reductions in the most severe injuries. National Cheerleading Safety Month serves both to celebrate that progress and to remind the community that vigilance must continue.
Noteworthy Facts About National Cheerleading Safety Month
- The campaign is observed every August and is coordinated by USA Cheer, the national governing body for the sport of cheer in the United States.
- Collegiate cheerleading has accounted for roughly 70.5% of all female collegiate catastrophic sports injuries, underlining why focused safety work matters.
- Concussion is the most common cheerleading injury, representing around 31% of all reported injuries.
- Basket tosses and pyramids are linked to the largest share of catastrophic injuries, which is why these skills carry the strictest rules and spotting requirements.
- Catastrophic injuries fell by around 85% between the 2003 to 2014 and 2014 to 2020 periods, showing that safety rules and coach education work.
- The #iCheerSafe pledge invites athletes and coaches around the world to publicly commit to safe practice each August.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Cheerleading Safety Month?
It is an annual awareness campaign led by USA Cheer that focuses the cheerleading community on injury prevention, safe coaching, and athlete wellbeing. Throughout the month it shares weekly themes, toolkits, and a safety pledge.
When is National Cheerleading Safety Month in 2026?
It runs for the whole of August 2026, from Saturday, 1 August to Monday, 31 August.
Who organises National Cheerleading Safety Month?
It is organised by USA Cheer, the national governing body for the sport of cheer in the United States, which sets safety standards and provides coach education and resources.
Spread the Word
Help raise awareness by sharing National Cheerleading Safety Month with your friends, family, and followers. Use the hashtags #iCheerSafe and #CheerSafety2026 on social media. The more coaches, athletes, and parents who engage with the campaign, the safer the sport becomes for everyone.
Related Awareness Days
- National SAFER Workplace Day – A safety and prevention day that, like cheer safety, focuses on building a culture where risk is actively managed.
- Drowning Prevention Week – Another prevention-focused campaign highlighting how education and supervision keep people safe during physical activity.
- National Hydration Day – A reminder of the everyday wellbeing basics, such as staying hydrated, that help athletes train safely.
Links
- Visit the official USA Cheer National Cheer Safety Month page
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
Featured image: Photo by Rojan Maharjan on Unsplash.
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