CEDAR CITY, Utah (May 9, 2026) - The 2026 Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games Cheer Clinic brought 94 athletes, including four cheer teams, to the J.L. Sorensen P.E. Building on May 8 to practice safety and ramp up excitement for the upcoming cheer season.

While cheer has been a part of Utah Summer Games programming in the past, the 2026 year marks the first time that Sport Coordinator Lori Rupp has opted to use a clinic format. A batch of medals were still awarded on the basis of effort, but the priority for participants was safety and growth. The switch proved very successful.

In addition to fielding higher numbers, the clinic allowed teams and individuals to collaborate and receive their safety certifications, which are necessary for stunting throughout the year.

"Combining [our event] with the required safety clinic made it so they could kill two birds with one stone," Rupp said. "They'll get their training and be able to go right into a clinic. They'll go home with some stunting choreography as well as a sideline dance."

While Rupp and her staff certainly didn't expect the athletes to master all 13 stunting skills in one day, they tried to ensure that each athlete — whether base, backspot, or flyer — could execute their stunting and continue to improve in a secure manner.

In the second half of the clinic, participants incorporated their new skills into hands-on routines, learned sideline dance choreography, and put on final performances.

"We wanted to get them excited to get back to practice and start moving forward this year," Rupp shared.

Cheer athletes will now be set up to start early preparations for the new season, and the Utah Summer Games will shift their eyes to a bulky summer schedule beginning at the end of May.

Teams and individuals interested in registering for the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games can visit https://utahsummergames.org/sports/2024/1/3/sport-registration-table.aspx.