Exploring Well-Being and Thriving Among Elite Youth Athletes in Competitive Cheerleading

Abstract

Competitive cheerleading, like many youth sports, has increasingly adopted professional- style practices such as early specialization, intensive training, and an emphasis on competitive success. While research in sports like gymnastics, swimming, and soccer has linked professionalization to risks including injury, burnout, and social isolation, little is known about how these pressures are experienced in competitive cheerleading—a similarly high-intensity but under-researched sport. Guided by the thriving framework, which conceptualizes thriving as the joint experience of development and success, this study explored how athletes at Allstar Cheer Elite (ACE) interpreted and experienced well-being and thriving within their sport. Using a qualitative case study approach grounded in constructionism and symbolic interactionism, the study examined how gym culture, coaching practices, organizational structures, peer relationships, and parental influences shaped athletes’ interpretations of well-being and success. Data were collected through interviews, participant observation, and document analysis at ACE, a purposefully selected elite cheerleading gym. Seven key themes emerged: coaching practices and power dynamics; pressure to win and perfectionism; athlete demands; team dynamics and peer relationships; parental and family influences; organizational culture and leadership; and athlete reflections and meaning-making. Findings revealed that athletes often equated thriving with sacrifice and the endurance of physical and emotional strain, reflecting the influence of professionalized structures and win-at-all-costs culture. This study highlights the need for coaches, administrators, and sport organizations to challenge harmful cultural norms and foster environments that prioritize athlete well-being alongside competitive goals. Keywords: competitive cheerleading, youth sport culture, athlete well-being, thriving, professionalization