Prep in cheerleading: the flyer stands at shoulder height in the bases' hands. What prep level means, who spots, and how to build it safely with a coach.
A prep is the stunt in which the flyer stands with both feet in the bases' hands at about shoulder height — and it is the building block for almost every higher stunt. By the rules, the lowest contact between base and flyer sits above waist height and below extended level [1]. How long it takes to hold a wobble-free prep depends on team and coach. Realistically, think weeks to months — that is experience, not study evidence.
The honest answer up front: a prep looks harmless, but it is a stunt, and stunts are the risk topic of this sport. In a US surveillance study (2006/07 season), 60 % of all injuries came from stunts — and 96 % of concussions [3]. Almost every concussion happened while stunting. And it is not only the flyer: about one in three stunt injuries (34 %) hit bases and spotters [3].
You do not learn the prep against the rules but with them: coach, spotter, mat.
Base, back base, spotter, flyer: everyone knows their job before anyone goes up. The spotter mainly protects the flyer's head, neck, back and shoulders [1]. The flyer trains body tension on the floor.
Milestone: hollow hold for 30 seconds, bases do 10 clean squats.
On command, the flyer steps into the bases' hands, held at waist height. The bases stand on the surface. This is about timing only, not height yet.
Milestone: five repetitions in a row without coach correction.
The bases dip, the flyer springs along, then everyone extends together. Power comes from the legs, not the arms. The flyer stays tight like a board.
Milestone: the team goes up and down five times in sync.
With a spotter and a suitable surface, the team holds the prep for only a few seconds at first. The flyer looks forward, not down.
Milestone: ten stable seconds without the bases re-gripping.
You practise the dismount with your coach. A stunt is only learned when coming down works too (next guide: cradle).
This guide explains and motivates but does not replace supervised training. You do not practise stunts alone or without a coach.
Before the prep, let the flyer say the team's commands on the floor while "making herself long" — that links body tension with timing. Teams that only learn to extend and tighten at the same time inside the stunt lose stability. This is coaching experience, not a study.
In ICU Novice every top person at prep level and above needs a spotter, and in Beginner stunts a spotter is required for every top person above ground level; in higher divisions the requirement applies above prep level [2]. The spotter must come from the same team and be trained [2]. Good teams spot below that, too, in practice.
Not concrete, asphalt, wet or uneven surfaces [2]. Spring floor and thick mats on foam performed best in measurements [5]. Ask your coach about the training surface.
It depends on team, training frequency and body tension. A few weeks to months is realistic; there are no solid studies, this is experience.
Often the prep, or stunts at waist height. In the ICU Beginner level stunts are allowed only up to waist height, in Novice up to prep level [2]. Your coach decides what suits your team.
The Cradle in Cheerleading: The Safe Way Down From a Stunt