Roles

• There are three essential roles in cheerleading stunts: the base, the mounter and the spotter. The base is a person who supports another person. When forming a pyramid, the base can also be a mounter if the pyramid is more than two people high. The mounter is a person who stands on top of another person. The mounter is normally small, light and able to maintain balance well. The spotter is there to help protect the mounter. If the mounter loses her balance and falls, the spotter needs to be there to help catch her. All stunts require spotters.
  
  

Process

• In every pyramid stunt, no matter how difficult, there will be three parts: the setup, the execution and the dismount. In the setup, make sure everyone knows their responsibility during the stunt. This is very important not only to the execution of the stunt, but also for the safety of those involved. The next step is to execute the stunt, which means to actually make the pyramid. The last step is the dismount. During the dismount, any mounters are brought safely back to the ground.
  
  

Double-Base Elevator

• Cheerleaders can create many different pyramids. One is the double-base elevator. This stunt requires two bases, one mounter and one spotter. The bases face each other, bend their knees slightly and hold out their hands for the mounter. The mounter holds onto the bases' shoulders for stability and steps into each of the bases' hands. The hands of each base should be side by side, one hand supporting the mounter's heel and the other supporting the front half of the mounter's foot. The mounter crouches until both of the bases extend their legs and stand up straight. Then the mounter stands up straight as well. The spotter should be behind the stunt at all times to catch the mounter if need be.
  
  

Other Variations

• Bigger pyramids that are used in competitions are variations of basic pyramids like the double-base elevator previously described. The important thing in all pyramids is to have the basic elements of each stunt mastered so that the pyramid is formed successfully and safely. Once these basics have been learned, beginner cheerleaders can move on to more complicated forms.
  
  

Safety Considerations

• Cheerleading is progressively getting more dangerous. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 1980 about 4,954 cheerleaders were hospitalized due to injuries. However, in 2007 the number was 26,786. Frederick O. Mueller of the University of North Carolina has said this increase in injures is because cheerleading has become a "contact sport." These are important statistics to keep in mind when doing stunts like pyramids, because safety and effective technique must be paramount.