Tumbling is one of the most rewarding skills in all star cheerleading. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of watching your athlete finally connect that round-off back handspring or land their first tuck. But along the way, it’s common for athletes to hit plateaus. Parents sometimes start asking: “Why isn’t my athlete moving forward?” or even make the decision to take a break from tumbling or switch to privates only. Here’s the truth: progress in tumbling takes consistency, effort, and repetition. It’s not an overnight achievement, and every athlete’s journey looks different. Think about popcorn. All the kernels sit in the same pot, under the same oil, with the same heat – but they don’t all pop at the same time. Some pop quickly, some take longer, and some seem stuck until suddenly they burst open. Athletes progress the same way. And just like pulling a kernel off the heat too soon, taking your athlete out of classes, reducing their training, or leaning on unsafe shortcuts will only slow the process. If your athlete isn’t progressing the way you’d like, here are the most common reasons why – and what you can do to help.

Attendance Gaps: Missing Classes = Missing Progress
Tumbling skills build on one another. Each class is structured around progressions, drills, and conditioning that stack from week to week. When an athlete misses even a single class, they lose valuable reps, corrections, and building blocks. Over time, those gaps create slower growth. It’s just like school. If your child missed every other math lesson, they would struggle to keep up with multiplication and division. Tumbling works the same way. Consistency matters. When athletes show up regularly, they reinforce their skills, build muscle memory, and stay in rhythm with their coaches’ teaching progressions.

Solution: If your athlete misses a class, look for a make-up option, an open gym, or a private lesson to fill the gap. This helps them stay on track and prevents missed steps from snowballing into stalled progress.

Effort in Class: What You Put In Is What You Get Out
Being at class is one thing – but how hard an athlete works while they’re there makes all the difference. Tumbling is tough, both physically and mentally. Athletes who stay engaged, listen to corrections, and push themselves through conditioning and shaping drills progress much faster than those who coast through practice. Parents can play a big role here. It’s easy to celebrate the big moments – like when a new skill is landed – but equally important to celebrate the effort behind the scenes. When your athlete is giving 100% in drills, focusing on body positions, or powering through conditioning, that’s progress too.

Solution: Ask your athlete after practice, “What’s one correction your coach gave you today?” and encourage them to focus on applying it next time. Over time, consistent effort compounds into breakthroughs.

Outside Reinforcement: Work at Home Matters
One hour in the gym each week simply isn’t enough to reach higher-level tumbling goals on its own. Tumbling relies on strength, flexibility, and body control – all things that can and should be developed outside of practice. Athletes who stretch regularly at home, build core strength, and practice safe shaping drills see significantly faster progress than those who only work during class. Think of it as “homework.” The classroom (your tumbling class) provides the teaching and structure, but the practice at home reinforces it and makes it stick.

Solution: Talk to your athlete’s coach or stop by the front desk for a list of safe, recommended drills and stretches they can do at home. That way, their extra work is structured and effective, not random.

Unsafe Shortcuts: Backyard Tumbling Can Set You Back
One of the biggest mistakes athletes make is rushing into skills they aren’t ready for – often in the backyard, on trampolines, or at a friend’s house. While it comes from excitement, it often leads to poor technique, unsafe habits, or injuries. The problem is that bad habits are much harder to break than they are to form. If an athlete learns a back handspring with bent arms or a tucked head outside of class, coaches often spend weeks – sometimes months – retraining those patterns. Not only does this slow progress, but it can also damage confidence and create fear.

Solution: Encourage your athlete to practice only the drills and skills they’ve been cleared for by their coaches. If they want to do extra at home, focus on strength, stretching, or shaping – not throwing advanced skills without supervision.

Creating the Right Mix: Classes, Privates, and Open Gyms
Even if your athlete is consistent, focused, and working safely, sometimes one class a week simply isn’t enough to build the volume of reps they need. Tumbling is like lifting weights – you wouldn’t expect to become a bodybuilder by going to the gym once a week. Progress takes multiple workouts, repeated effort, and exposure to quality reps. The athletes who move forward fastest are the ones who combine group tumbling classes with other opportunities, such as privates and open gyms.

A few effective combinations include:

Team Athletes
2 team practices + 1 tumbling class + 1 private lesson
2 team practices + 2 tumbling classes
2 team practices + 1 tumbling class + 1 open gym
Non-Team Athletes
3 tumbling classes per week
2 tumbling classes + 1 private lesson
1 tumbling class + 1 private + 1 open gym

There isn’t just one “right” mix – what matters is consistency and frequency. More touches each week mean more progressions, more corrections, and more confidence.

Final Thoughts: Trust the Process
If your athlete feels “stuck,” the answer isn’t to take a break or rely on privates alone. The answer is more opportunities, done consistently and correctly. Fill attendance gaps with make-ups or open gyms. Encourage maximum effort in every class. Reinforce strength and flexibility at home. Avoid unsafe shortcuts. And when possible, add an extra tumbling class, private lesson, or open gym to increase reps. Every athlete has their own “popcorn moment.” With consistent effort, safe progressions, and multiple touches each week, your athlete will pop in their own time – and when they do, the results will be worth every ounce of work that went into it.