Cheerleaders use trampolines to improve balance, air awareness, and body control. Practicing on trampolines builds spatial coordination, reduces injury risk, and accelerates skill Cheerleading is one of the most physically demanding and technically complex athletic disciplines out there. 

Whether you’re launching a basket toss, sticking a full layout, or hitting an inversion in a hand-in-hand stunt, it all hinges on one thing: aerial control. 

The right trampoline training program bridges that gap by combining repetition, spatial drills, and real-world air timing, so when you’re off the trampoline and on the mat, you already know how it feels to move with control.

The 3 Pillars of Aerial Performance in Cheerleading

1. Balance: The Foundation Behind Every Skill

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Balance is about staying aligned while in motion. In cheerleading, that means maintaining control as your body rotates, ascends, or absorbs impact. 

Whether you’re pulling a liberty or holding a scorpion mid-air, balance begins with spatial symmetry and continues through the landing.

What makes trampoline work so valuable is that every bounce naturally challenges balance. Small deviations in posture are magnified, forcing the athlete to engage the right muscles to stay centered. This constant recalibration develops real-world body awareness, even without a stunt group present.

How can I train flyer balance without a stunt group?

👉By bouncing solo, athletes naturally train posture, core tension, and symmetry under motion, three variables that translate directly to stunt consistency.

2. Air Awareness: Reacting in Real Time

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Elite cheerleaders not only memorize movements, they feel them mid-flight. That’s air awareness. It’s the sense of where your limbs are, how your rotation is unfolding, and whether you’re in control of your own airtime. It’s the difference between a layout that floats and one that flops.

Trampolines offer an unmatched training space for this. The vertical feedback, soft repetition, and consistent energy return allow athletes to internalize timing cues and learn when to correct, not just how to move.

In-ground trampolines are especially effective here. Their lower profile removes fear of high falls, encouraging athletes to commit fully to shapes, twists, and exits.

I know what to do but can’t feel it midair.

👉This is where repetition wins. Trampoline reps build the neuromuscular instincts required to adapt mid-skill, before it’s too late.

3. Control: Knowing When to Let Go

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In cheerleading, power is nothing without control. Stunts collapse not from lack of effort, but from mistimed release, early snap-downs, or hesitation. That’s why control is about timing, precision, and body discipline.

Trampolines allow athletes to experiment with tempo and form in ways the floor doesn’t. They reduce the risk of injury while extending airtime, letting athletes fine-tune transitions like cradles, tosses, and layouts. Control is learned through feel, and trampolines deliver that feedback loop.

Add visualization and cue-based training to the mix, and athletes begin to connect movement patterns with mental clarity, one of the most overlooked performance drivers.

Key Trampoline Drills for Flyers and Bases

For Flyers

Flyers need air-time confidence. Drills like air tuck holds and progressive shape-pulls train them to initiate and lock their forms mid-flight. Practicing these consistently builds strength in the core and hips, two regions that often break down under pressure.

Precision landing drills, like touching down on marked zones, sharpen coordination and reinforce midair body corrections. These reps strengthen, and they teach the body to self-correct on command.

For Bases

Base work is all about timing and control. On a trampoline, using resistance bands and bounce-height markers lets bases drill synchronized power without risking injury to a flyer.

Pair that with off-trampoline core coordination drills, and bases start matching explosive lift with mid-rep stability. This matters, because in real stunts, timing mismatches can send the flyer off-center or even out of reach.

Practicing together on a trampoline builds rhythm. Practicing solo builds readiness.

Choosing the Right Trampoline for Cheer Training

In-Ground vs. Above-Ground for Cheerleaders

The surface you train on shapes everything, from bounce timing to psychological readiness. 

• In-ground trampolines are particularly well-suited for cheerleaders, especially flyers just learning to control their body in midair. Because the bounce starts closer to ground level, there’s less fear of a high fall, which allows athletes to focus on form, not fear.
• Above-ground trampolines, on the other hand, and are easier to relocate or adjust. For advanced teams working on height and control at once, this versatility can support group and solo drills alike.

Whether you’re choosing in-ground for safety or above-ground for elevation, what matters most is build quality. At AkrobatUSA, every model meets strict durability and performance benchmarks, so you’re not guessing whether your equipment can keep up with your skill progression.

Size, Shape & Spring System Matter

Not all trampolines are built for cheerleading, and using the wrong one can do more harm than good. Size, spring style, and mat design directly influence how an athlete lands, absorbs energy, and times their release.

Overcoming Fear & Mental Blocks Mid-Stunt

Fear often shows up as hesitation. That split-second delay in committing to a twist, the subtle loss of tension in a cradle, the extra mental loop before going for the layout. These moments are about trust, trust in your body, your training, and your equipment.

Trampolines help rebuild that trust by giving athletes a repeatable environment where the risk is low and the learning curve is honest. When cheerleaders drill on trampolines, they get the reps they need without the fear of hard landings or uneven catches. That kind of exposure, consistent, controlled, and forgiving, reprograms confidence where fear once lived.

To take it further, mental rehearsal and visualization can bridge the gap between fear and flow. Practicing movement cues, breath control, and feel-based reps on a trampoline trains athletes to anticipate success, not brace for impact.

Trampolines Are the Missing Link in Cheer Mastery

Mastering cheerleading stunts takes more than strength, it takes body awareness, controlled timing, and fearless execution. Trampolines bring all three together in a setting where athletes can experiment, fail, and grow quickly.

For flyers, they sharpen balance and shape control. For bases, they build timing and core stability. And for tumblers, they reduce wear and tear while increasing reps. Whether you’re mid-season or just starting out, the right trampoline setup turns progress into performance.

When you train on trampolines that mirror the physics of real stunts, you train smarter. And that’s exactly what we believe in at AkrobatUSA.

Take the Leap with AkrobatUSA

The same midair control cheerleaders need is what dancers seek in ballet conditioning: alignment, lift, and flow. Whether you’re landing a back tuck or pirouetting into a développé, the foundation is the same, body awareness in motion.

AkrobatUSA provides industry-leading trampolines designed for exactly that. We offer:

• In-Ground Trampolines: Safer fall heights, better form training, ideal for flyers overcoming fear.
• Above-Ground Performance Models: Higher rebound for advanced drills and team training.
• Exclusive AkroSPRING® and AkroVENT® Systems: Smoother bounce, reduced joint stress, and certified materials built to last.

Invest in the same equipment used by elite training facilities across Europe, built by Akrobat, backed by AkrobatUSA’s expert guidance, fast delivery, and obsessive commitment to quality.

Explore AkrobatUSA Trampolines to train the way you perform. Start with the right foundation.