Your Preseason Checklist for Cheer and Dance

The weeks before a new season are when you set yourself up for the whole year. This checklist covers what to sort out before the first practice: health paperwork, conditioning, gear that meets the rules, and the dates you can’t miss. It’s written for cheerleaders, but most of it applies to dance team athletes too. Once the season starts, see our guide to staying healthy during cheer season.

6 to 8 Weeks Out: Health and Paperwork

• Book your sports physical. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends scheduling it at least 6 to 8 weeks before the season, to leave time for any follow-up. Fill out the health history form honestly, especially the heart and family history questions, and bring your team’s medical form to the appointment.
• Collect team paperwork. Medical forms, consent forms, insurance information and fees often have deadlines. College programs may need more. Clemson, for example, asks candidates for sickle cell test results, which it notes are required by the NCAA.
• Check academic requirements. Some programs set minimum grades. Auburn and Arizona’s college programs, for example, require at least a 2.0 GPA.
• Clear old injuries. If you’re coming back from an injury or concussion, get cleared by a health professional before full practice.

Conditioning Before the Season

USA Cheer recommends that all squads adopt a comprehensive conditioning and strength program. Build your base before the season so practices feel easier:

• Endurance: regular cardio and full-out routine-style sets help you get through long practices and games. Try our conditioning workout for home.
• Strength: the AAP says strength training is safe for young athletes in well-supervised programs, starting with technique before weight and avoiding one-rep maximum lifts before physical maturity. Bases, backspots and flyers need different emphases. See our strength training guide.
• Flexibility: stretch most days, especially for jumps and body positions. See our stretching guide and split stretches.
• Tumbling: if you’ve lost skills over the break, rebuild them at a gym with a coach. USA Cheer says skills that haven’t been mastered should be done only in a supervised practice setting.
• Rest: the AAP advises young athletes to take 1 to 2 days off a week and 2 to 3 months off a year from a sport. Ramp up gradually rather than jumping straight into heavy training.

Gear Checklist

Check your gear against your team’s rules. USASF rules for all-star cheer and USA Cheer’s college rules share some basics:

• Cheer shoes: soft-soled athletic shoes are required. Dance shoes, boots and gymnastics slippers aren’t allowed under either set of rules. Replace worn-out pairs. See our cheer shoe guide.
• No jewelry: jewelry isn’t allowed while cheering. Medical ID tags or bracelets are the exception.
• Short nails: USA Cheer’s college rules require fingernails, including artificial nails, to be kept short.
• Practice wear: fitted athletic clothes you can move in, in the colors your team asks for.
• Hair supplies: hair ties, bobby pins and a bow if your team wears one. See our cheer bow guide.
• Water bottle and gym bag: a refillable bottle and a bag that keeps shoes separate. See our cheer bag guide.
• Basic first-aid items: athletic tape, pre-wrap and blister pads. Any braces you use should follow your rules. USASF requires altered braces to be padded.
• Home mat (optional): useful for stretching, jumps and drills you’ve mastered. Learn new tumbling at the gym. See our home cheer mat guide.

Mental Preparation

• Set two or three specific goals, such as a new jump, a cleaner tumbling pass or a leadership role, and share them with your coach.
• Connect with teammates before the season. Trust off the mat helps on it.
• Plan your schedule for school, work and cheer before it gets busy.

Dates to Put on the Calendar

• Sports physical and medical form deadlines
• Tryout and clinic dates
• Registration, fee and paperwork deadlines
• First practice
• Camp dates, if your team attends one
• Competition dates and any housing booking deadlines (see our competition weekend checklist)

Quick Preseason Checklist

• Sports physical booked 6 to 8 weeks before the season
• Team forms, fees and medical paperwork submitted
• Conditioning, strength and flexibility plan started
• Shoes, practice wear and hair supplies checked against team rules
• Jewelry out and nails short
• Season dates on one calendar
• Two or three goals written down

For more preparation, see our warm-up routine, cheerleading tryouts guide and cheer dance guide.

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org), Sports Physical, Strength Training and Burnout in Young Athletes; USA Cheer, 2026-27 College Cheer Rules; USASF, Cheer Rules (effective June 1, 2026); Clemson Cheerleading, 2026-27 Recruitment Information; Auburn Cheerleading, 2026 Tryout Information Packet; Arizona Cheerleading, 2026-2027 Tryout Information. Last checked October 1, 2026.