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Gifts for Cheerleaders: Training Gifts for Flyers, Bases and Tumblers (by Budget)
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Time to read 14 min
The best training gift for a cheerleader depends on where they stand in the stunt. Flyers need single-leg balance and body control. Bases and back spots need a stable stance and strong hips, legs and shoulders. Tumblers need flexibility, recovery and conditioning. Get the role right and a modest gift gets used every week. Get it wrong and it ends up under the bed.
This guide is sorted by role first, then by budget: small gifts under $25, mid-range gear, and the bigger training gifts. We make spring balance boards, so we'll tell you where one fits and where it doesn't. Plenty of good cheer gifts cost less than a board, and a few popular ones are better left to the team.
A standing split on a double spring board. The standing ankle does the quiet work.
Know the role before you shop
If you're not a cheer parent, the positions are easy to mix up. Here's the short version.
- Flyer: the athlete lifted into the air in stunts. Flyers hold body positions on one foot or two while the bases hold them up.
- Base: the athlete who does the lifting. Bases need a solid stance, strong legs and hips, and shoulders that can press and hold.
- Back spot: stands at the back of the stunt group, keeps contact with the flyer's ankles and calls the counts. A back spot needs the same stable stance as a base, plus quick reactions.
- Tumbler: tumbling is the gymnastics part of cheer (handsprings and aerial flips), done from standing or running. Many athletes tumble as well as stunt, so this one overlaps with the others.
Ask the athlete or their coach which role they mostly train. Many athletes do more than one, and that's fine. Pick the role they're working hardest on this season.
Three questions to ask before you buy
- What are they stuck on right now? A flyer who wobbles in a heel stretch needs something different from a flyer who can't get the leg high enough for a scorpion. The first is a balance problem, the second is flexibility. The athlete usually knows exactly which skill is stuck. Buy for that.
- What does the gym already have? Stunt stands, panel mats and bands are common in gyms. Duplicating gym gear at home only makes sense if they'll actually use it between practices.
- Where will it live? A stretch strap and bands fit anywhere. A board or a mat needs a clear patch of flat floor, with a wall or a sturdy chair within reach.
One more check: team rules. Many teams specify shoes, practice wear, bows and bags, so clothing and shoes are the riskiest gifts unless you know the exact size and what the team allows.
Quick picks by role and budget
| Role | Under $25 | Mid-range | Bigger training gift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flyer | Stretch strap | Foam roller, cheer bag | The Bellenae Mini (single-leg balance) |
| Base / back spot | Resistance loop set | Long resistance bands, foam roller | The Bellenae Balancer or Double Spinning Balancer |
| Tumbler | Massage ball, jump rope | Folding mat for stretching and conditioning | The Bellenae Balancer (two-foot balance and landing holds) |
| Not sure | Water bottle, bow storage | Cheer bag | Bellenae gift card |
Prices on third-party gear vary a lot by store, so we've kept to broad bands. Bellenae boards run $199–$500+ CAD, and the gift card starts at $10 CAD.
The Perfect Training Gift
Give the gift of better training: the Double Spinning Balancer in the reel below, one board a flyer and a base can both use.
See the Double Spinning Balancer →Gifts for flyers: balance and body control
Flyer skills are mostly single-leg. A liberty puts the toe of the free leg at the standing knee. A heel stretch pulls the free leg up diagonally in front of the body. An arabesque extends the free leg straight behind. A scorpion takes the foot behind and up as high as it'll go. All of them ask the standing foot and ankle to stay still while the rest of the body is extended. That's what a flyer gift should train.
A single-foot spring balance board
This is the gift that trains the standing-leg job directly. A single-foot board gives the flyer a small, moving surface to hold liberty, heel stretch and arabesque shapes on, at floor level, with no base underneath. The springs push back, so the athlete can hold a position and feel the ankle making small corrections, rather than just reacting to a wobble.
The Bellenae Mini is our single-foot spring board: three professional-grade springs between crystal-clear acrylic platforms, with a non-slip yoga-mat surface on top. The Mini 10" suits smaller feet and younger athletes, and it fits in a bag. The Mini 12" suits larger feet. If you don't know their foot size and can't ask without spoiling the surprise, that's a good reason to go with a gift card instead.
How a flyer uses it at home: a few short sets, a few times a week. Hold a liberty on the board with a hand on the wall, then fingertips, then no hand. Step off and do the same shape on the floor, which now feels steady. Ten minutes is plenty. Our guide to balance board training for flyers has the full drill list.
Who the Mini is not for: a base who mostly needs two-foot stance work, or an athlete who wants rotation. For those, look at the Balancer or the Double Spinning Balancer further down.
An arabesque on a single spring board. The same single-leg job a flyer does at the top.
A stretch strap
Heel stretches, scorpions and arabesques all need flexibility, and most flyers stretch every day anyway. A stretch strap with loops lets them work the same shapes on the floor with support. It's cheap, it fits in any bag, and it gets used. A good stocking stuffer. Pick one with loops along the whole length, so they can shorten the reach as their flexibility improves.
A stunt stand (ask first)
Stunt stands, sometimes called stunt boards, are raised practice platforms that let a flyer rehearse body position without a stunt group. They're static, so they teach shape rather than balance. Plenty of gyms already have one. Check with the coach before buying one for home, and only use it the way the coach has set out.
A stunt stand and a spring board do different jobs. The stand holds the flyer up and still, so they can learn where the arms, hips and free leg go. The spring board keeps the flyer at floor level and makes the standing ankle work. If the coach says the shapes are fine but the flyer wobbles once she's up, the spring board is the closer match.
Gifts for bases and back spots: stability and strength
Bases and back spots don't get as many gift ideas, which is odd, because the stunt starts with them. Their job is a stable two-foot stance under a moving load, with hips, legs, core and shoulders working together.
Resistance bands
A set of small loop bands (for hips and glutes) plus a couple of long bands (for shoulders and presses) covers most home strength work. Loops are one of the few genuinely useful gifts under $25. Buy a set with several resistance levels, so they can move up without buying again. If you're getting a Bellenae board as well, resistance bands are available as an add-on to it.
A two-foot spring balance board
The Bellenae Balancer is our spring balance board for both feet. Flip it over and it becomes a raised flat base with a non-slip mat for two-foot drills. For a base, that means stance holds, squats and slow weight shifts on a surface that keeps moving, so the ankles, hips and core all have to work. It's also the board that covers the most people in a household, because a tumbler or a sibling can use it too.
A simple base routine: feet in their stunting stance, knees soft, hold for 30 seconds. Then slow half squats with the chest up. Then a hold with both arms pressed overhead. The board moves, so the knees have to keep tracking over the toes instead of caving in. That's the habit a base wants under a flyer. If you're stuck between a two-foot and a one-foot board, our Balancer vs Mini comparison lays out the differences.
Who it's not for: a flyer who only needs single-leg work. A two-foot board is a stance tool.
Two feet on a double spring board. Every small shift shows up in the ankles.
Something for the back spot
A back spot needs the same stance as a base, plus fast hands. Bands and a two-foot board cover the stance. A reaction ball, or a plain tennis ball thrown against a wall and caught one-handed, covers the reflexes and costs very little.
A foam roller
Bases spend practice squatting, pressing and catching. A foam roller for quads, glutes and upper back is a practical mid-range gift. A plain, smooth roller is a sensible first one. It's a recovery tool, not a fix for pain. If something hurts, that's a job for a physio.
Gifts for tumblers
A board doesn't teach tumbling, and nothing you buy for home should replace coached tumbling on proper matting. What home gear can do is support the work around it: flexibility, recovery, conditioning and landing control.
- Massage ball. Small, cheap, good for feet and calves after a long tumbling session.
- Jump rope. Works on conditioning and calf and ankle endurance. Easy to use in a driveway.
- Folding mat. A folding panel mat is handy for stretching, core work and drills the coach has approved. It is not a landing surface for learning new skills at home.
- Two-foot balance board. Holding a landing position (knees bent, chest up, arms set) on a spring board works on the ankle and hip control a tumbler needs to stick. The Balancer or the Double Spinning Balancer locked both do this.
Plenty of cheer tumblers came from gymnastics, and the at-home side is much the same. Our guide to balance board training for gymnasts at home covers how to fit short balance sessions around a heavy gym schedule.
A handstand split with hands on a spring board, on the floor with clear space around it.
Hand-balance work on a spring board, like the photo above, is for an athlete who already holds a solid handstand on the floor. It isn't where a new tumbler starts.
When the Double Spinning Balancer is the right big gift
The Double Spinning Balancer is our best seller, and for cheer it's the one board that covers more than one role. It has springs plus a lockable spinning mechanism, and three modes. Here's how they map to cheer:
- Locked: a standard two-foot spring balance board. Stance holds and core work for bases, back spots and tumblers.
- Unlocked: adds rotation. A flyer can practise staying tight, upright and centred through a turn on a moving surface. It won't teach a full up (a stunt where the flyer does a full spin on the way to the top). That's learned with a stunt group. It does give the flyer another way to feel what a tight, centred body is like while turning.
- Flipped: a flat base with a non-slip mat for raised two-foot drills.
Who it's for: an older, committed athlete who trains year-round, or a family with more than one athlete who'll share it. Who it's not for: a younger flyer who just needs single-leg work. The Mini does that job for less. It also comes in several editions, including Marble and Black Smoke, which matters more than you'd think when the gift is for a teenager.
Every spring board we make has three professional-grade springs, crystal-clear acrylic and a non-slip yoga-mat surface, and supports up to 500 lbs, so a parent can step on too. Handcrafted in Canada by five sisters who danced their entire lives.
Double and single boards side by side. Two feet for bases, one foot for flyers.
Cheer gifts by budget
Under $25
- Stretch strap with loops (flyers)
- Resistance loop set (bases, back spots)
- Massage ball or jump rope (tumblers)
- A large water bottle, or a bow organiser for the athlete whose bows live on the car floor
Mid-range
- Foam roller
- Long resistance bands with handles
- A cheer backpack with a separate shoe pocket (check team rules first; some teams issue their own)
- Folding mat for stretching and conditioning
Bigger training gifts
- The Bellenae Mini for flyers (single-leg balance)
- The Bellenae Balancer for bases, back spots and tumblers (two-foot balance)
- The Double Spinning Balancer for the athlete who does everything, or for sharing
- The Bellenae gift card if you don't know their role or foot size
What to skip: cheer shoes and practice wear, unless you know the exact size and the team's rules. Teams often specify both.
By age and level
- Younger athletes, just starting: keep it small. A stretch strap, a water bottle, bow storage. If you do buy a board, the Mini 10" is the one for smaller feet, and an adult should be nearby for the first sessions.
- Competitive team athletes who know their role: this is when role-specific gifts pay off. They know whether they fly or base, and which skill is stuck. Bands, a roller, and a Mini or Balancer that matches the role.
- Older athletes training year-round: often tumbling and stunting both. This is where the Double Spinning Balancer makes sense, because it covers stance, rotation and raised two-foot drills in one board.
- School or recreational cheer: a lighter training load. Recovery gear and flexibility tools usually beat a big purchase. A gift card lets them decide later.
Setting it up safely at home
Balance boards live on the floor, near a wall or a sturdy chair for the first few sessions. Never put one on a raised surface, and don't combine board work with partner stunting at home. Stunts belong in the gym with a coach and a full stunt group. For younger athletes, an adult nearby for the first sessions is sensible.
Keep board sessions short and stop when form slips. Tired ankles wobble, and practising the wobble isn't the point.
Delivery timing
Every board is handmade to order in Ontario, Canada and ships from Ontario in 3–9 business days, plus transit time. For a holiday or a birthday, order early. If you're cutting it close, the gift card is delivered by email and has no expiration, so it can go in a card the same day.
For Flyers and Bases
Locked, it gives a base a moving two-foot surface for stance holds and squats. Unlocked, it lets a flyer practise staying tight and centred through a turn. One board a flyer and a base can share.
See the Double Spinning Balancer →The Short Version
Buy for the role, not for "cheer" in general. Before you shop, find out three things: which role they train most this season, which skill is stuck, and whether the gym already has the gear you're thinking of.
- Flyer: single-leg balance and flexibility. A stretch strap under $25, the Mini as the bigger gift. A stunt stand only if the coach says so.
- Base or back spot: stance and strength. Loop bands, long bands, a foam roller, and the Balancer for two-foot work.
- Tumbler: recovery and conditioning. A massage ball, a jump rope, a folding mat for stretching, and a two-foot board for landing holds. Nothing at home replaces coached tumbling.
- Does a bit of everything, or siblings sharing: the Double Spinning Balancer, locked for stance, unlocked for rotation, flipped for raised drills.
- Not sure: the gift card, from $10 CAD, by email.
Skip shoes and practice wear unless you know the size and the team rules. Boards go on the floor, near a wall, away from stunting. Order boards early, because each one is made to order.
Buying for a whole stunt group, as a team parent or a coach? A set of loop bands for each athlete is the one gift every role uses. A shared board for the gym is a conversation to have with the coach first, not a surprise to drop off at practice.
Three young dancers by a pond at golden hour, boards beside them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good gifts for cheerleaders?
Start with their role. Flyers get the most from single-leg balance and flexibility gifts, such as a stretch strap or a single-foot spring board. Bases and back spots use resistance bands, a foam roller and two-foot stability work. Tumblers use recovery and conditioning gear like a massage ball, a jump rope and a folding mat for stretching. If you don't know their role or foot size, a gift card or a water bottle is the safe choice. Skip shoes and practice wear unless you know the size and the team rules.
What is a stunt board, and does a flyer need one?
A stunt board or stunt stand is a raised, static platform a flyer uses to rehearse body positions without a stunt group. Because it doesn't move, it teaches shape rather than balance. Many gyms already have one, so check with the coach before buying one for home and use it only the way the coach sets out. A spring balance board does a different job: it keeps the flyer at floor level and trains the standing ankle to stay still on a moving surface.
Is a balance board good for cheerleaders?
For flyers, yes. Most flyer positions are held on one foot, and a single-foot spring board works on that standing-leg control at floor level, with no stunt group needed. Bases and back spots get two-foot stance work from a double-foot board, and tumblers can use one for landing-position holds. It adds to coached training rather than replacing it, and it does not teach tumbling or stunts like a full up. Keep it on the floor, near a wall, away from partner stunting.
Which Bellenae board is best for a flyer, and which for a base?
For a flyer, the Bellenae Mini, a single-foot spring board in 10 inch (smaller feet, fits in a bag) or 12 inch (larger feet). For a base or back spot, the Bellenae Balancer, a spring balance board for both feet that flips over into a raised flat base. For an athlete who does both, or siblings sharing one board, the Double Spinning Balancer works as a two-foot spring board when locked and adds rotation when unlocked.
Will a Bellenae board arrive in time for a holiday or birthday?
Every board is handmade to order in Ontario, Canada and ships from Ontario in 3 to 9 business days, plus transit time to you. For a holiday or a birthday, order early rather than in the last week. If you're cutting it close, the Bellenae gift card starts at 10 CAD, is delivered by email and has no expiration, so it can be printed or written into a card the same day and redeemed later.
The Bellenae Collection
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