STUNT is quickly emerging as one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, captivating athletes and spectators alike with its competitive format. As a four-quarter game version of competitive cheerleading, STUNT offers a structured platform that highlights the athleticism and teamwork inherent in cheerleading. Its unique format and growing popularity are propelling it to new heights in the athletic community.
What is STUNT?
STUNT is a team-based sport derived from traditional competitive cheerleading, designed to remove the crowd-leading aspects and focus purely on athleticism and competition. It consists of four quarters, each dedicated to specific cheerleading skills, and ends with a team routine that showcases all elements together. This format allows athletes to demonstrate their abilities in a highly structured and competitive environment, making it a thrilling sport for both participants and spectators.
The Unique Structure of STUNT
STUNT’s game format is meticulously designed to showcase the diverse skills of cheerleaders across four quarters, each emphasizing different elements of the sport:
- First Quarter: Partner Stunts
- Teams perform choreographed lifts and holds, demonstrating strength, balance, and coordination.
- Judges score based on precision, synchronization, and execution, making every second count.
- Second Quarter: Pyramids and Tosses
- Focuses on the creativity and teamwork required to build complex pyramids and execute high-flying tosses.
- Teams are evaluated on their ability to perform these intricate maneuvers safely and seamlessly.
- Third Quarter: Jumps and Tumbling
- Highlights the explosive power and agility of athletes through synchronized jumps and tumbling passes.
- Precision and difficulty are key scoring factors, showcasing the gymnastic prowess of the participants.
- Fourth Quarter: Team Routine
- Combines all elements into a final, high-energy routine that includes partner stunts, pyramids, tosses, jumps, and tumbling.
- This quarter is the culmination of the game, where teams demonstrate their overall skill, coordination, and endurance.
Emerging Sport Status
STUNT has received approval as an NCAA emerging sport for Divisions I and II, with Division III up for a vote at the 2024 convention. This recognition is a testament to STUNT’s rapid growth and the increasing opportunities it provides for athletes.
An emerging sport is defined by the NCAA as a women’s sport that helps schools offer more athletic opportunities for women and expand sport-sponsorship options. The goal is to help these sports achieve NCAA championship status. For a sport to be considered emerging, it must meet the following criteria:
- Meets the Definition of a Sport: Recognized athletic activity with structured rules and competition.
- Accepted by the NCAA: Approved through divisional governance processes as an emerging sport for women.
- Provides Opportunities: Adds athletic opportunities for female student-athletes, demonstrating the NCAA’s commitment to gender equity.
USA Cheer created STUNT to help colleges, universities, and high schools meet Title IX requirements by providing a new format for the over 500,000 high school cheerleaders in the U.S. to continue their athletic careers. STUNT’s focus on technical skills such as partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, group jumps, and tumbling allows athletes to compete head-to-head in short routines, with the best execution winning each round.
Levels of Play
STUNT offers opportunities across various levels of play:
- Club: Non-school-affiliated programs, such as competitive and all-star cheerleading, typically competing from summer to fall (July 1 – December 5).
- Youth Rec: Non-school-affiliated programs like Pop Warner, competing in the spring (February 1 – May 31).
- High School/Junior High: Programs affiliated with schools, also competing in the spring (February 1 – May 31).
- College: Programs affiliated with institutions, competing exclusively in the spring.
STUNT vs. Competitive Cheerleading
While both STUNT and competitive cheerleading utilize technical skills, there are key differences:
- Event: STUNT is a 45-60 minute game with two teams competing head-to-head, while competitive cheerleading involves single teams performing 2:30-minute routines in events with many teams.
- Scoring: STUNT uses objective scoring based on execution, whereas competitive cheerleading involves a mix of subjective and objective scoring based on choreography and execution.
- Format: STUNT’s format includes four quarters based on specific skills, with routines being compulsory. Competitive cheerleading routines are based on individual choreography and include crowd-leading and dance elements.
The rapid rise of STUNT as one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation is a testament to its unique blend of athleticism, competition, and teamwork. By focusing on the technical and athletic components of cheerleading, STUNT offers a thrilling experience for athletes and spectators alike. Its structured format, NCAA emerging sport status, and alignment with Title IX regulations have opened new doors for female athletes, providing unprecedented opportunities at the high school, college, and club levels.
As more schools and organizations adopt STUNT, the sport’s popularity continues to soar, creating a vibrant and supportive community. The future of STUNT looks incredibly promising, with ongoing efforts to expand its reach, enhance its competitive structure, and potentially gain Olympic recognition.
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