National Cheer Safety Month Toolkit

Help us create awareness and share the importance of cheerleading safety!

NCSM 2026 Theme

This year’s theme is “Start Every Season with Safety!” The beginning of a new season sets the tone for everything that follows. This is when athletes build fundamentals, coaches establish expectations, and programs create the culture that will carry them through the year. By making safety the first priority, we help athletes develop healthy habits, reinforce proper technique, encourage positive team environments, and ensure everyone is prepared to recognize, minimize, and respond to potential risks. Safety isn’t just something we practice. It’s the foundation for confidence, performance, and long-term success. That’s why this year’s National Cheer Safety Month theme is Start Every Season with Safety.

Monthly Action Items

Aug 1 – Kickoff! Start by promoting the iCheerSafe Pledge, where we encourage coaches, athletes, and parents to take the pledge themselves or with their team and sharing it on social channels. Feel free to join in and share the pledge as an organization!

Week 1 (Aug 3) – Get Season-Ready!
Kick off the season by making safety your first priority. Review your program policies, complete required training (heat illness, concussion, athlete protection, and rules), and ensure your Emergency Action Plan is in place before athletes take the floor.

Week 2 (Aug 10) – Focus on Injury Prevention
Build a strong foundation for a healthy season by emphasizing proper conditioning, strength and mobility, skill progressions, rule compliance, and healthy habits that help reduce the risk of injury.

Week 3 (Aug 17) – Protect the Whole Athlete
Support physical and mental well-being by fostering positive coaching, body positivity, athlete protection, and a culture of respect.

Week 4 (Aug 24) – Put Safety into Practice
Discover the tools and education available to help your program succeed. Explore safety resources from USA Cheer, NFHS, and other trusted organizations, including rules education, coaches’ clinics, and training opportunities. Share the resources your organization offers, tag us, and help spread a culture of safety.

We’ll wrap up by sharing the National Cheer Safety Month quiz!

Keep Learning. Keep Leading.
Great coaches never stop learning. Explore USA Cheer safety resources, rules education, coaches’ clinics, and partner training opportunities. Share your favorite safety resources, tag us, and encourage others to make safety a year-round priority.

Safety Special!

All month long, the USA Cheer Safety Manual and NFHS Rules Book combo is an additional $5 off! Stacked with the usual combo discount, that drops the total to $30, a $10 savings over buying separately! As always, shipping and handling is FREE.

How Can I Cheer for Safety?

Post to your membership about the importance of cheerleading safety and direct them to the National Cheer Safety Month homepage at https://usacheer.org/ncsm for more information.  Be sure to follow our socials and share our content this month!

Help us kick off NCSM by sharing our content and what your organization does for cheerleading safety. Require that all adults entering your athlete areas are members of an association like USA Cheer, USASF, etc. that utilizes screening processes, provides athlete protection training, and requires members to agree to a code of conduct, and promote that!

Make sure your coaches are members of professional organizations (like USA Cheer!) and are aware of National Cheer Safety Month and the resources we are sharing. Reach out to your coaches to find out what they need from you for safety! Be sure to publicly acknowledge the efforts your coaches are making in keeping their athletes safe.

Forward the information we post this month to your parents and athletes via your team communication tools. Be sure to use this month to review your policies, procedures, training methods, and overall program to help keep your athletes safe!  Acknowledge your team’s safety work and share their iCheerSafe pledge, pictures practicing your emergency plan and training.

Know and follow the rules, policies, and procedures that are in place to help keep you safe. If you feel uncomfortable with a skill or a situation, say something so it can be safely addressed.  Cheer on your teammates to do a great job with safety and spotting.

Be aware of the safety policies that are in place for your children. Make sure your coach is properly trained and up following procedures. If there are issues, bring it to someone’s attention.

Start Every Season with Safety, and Safety Will Follow You All Season Long!

Social Media

Follow, share and tag us!

FB: @usacheer
Twitter/X: @usacheer
Insta: @usa_cheer

Hashtags to use:

Depending on the amount of space available, use the following hashtags.

#cheersafetymonth
#usacheer
#cheersafe

Graphics

The logos below are approved for use. Any other use of the NCSM Logo or USA Cheer logo must be approved prior to use. For approval, email your graphic in its entirety to jlord@usacheer.org

(right-click and “Save As” to download)

Full Color on White Circle
Download Image

Resources

NCSM Homepage

Cheerleading Safety Data

Safety & Risk Management Course