The words "human pyramid" and "basket toss" might strike fear into the heart of the average person, but for the women of the ASU Stunt Devils, these skills are two of many that they perform and perfect for every routine and competition.
ASU's club stunting team brings a competitive edge to traditional gameday cheerleading, showcasing tumbling, partner stunting and group pyramids while working to push the sport beyond club status.
While the skills needed to create a high-scoring routine are difficult — and often dangerous — to hone, the team focuses on building a sense of confidence in each other to facilitate strong performances and seamless stunting.
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"It's really a very team-based sport," Cady Koffman, club president and a senior studying computer information systems and accounting, said. "We're always literally throwing people in the air. We have to build that trust."
The team practices every other night, running through routines and perfecting individual skills with coaches and teammates.
With 21 total competitions and a fifth-place ranking to uphold in its club division, the team knows it must put in the hours and work to achieve greatness. However, each athlete brings a dedication that makes it easy to push for that shared goal.
"I don't have to force them to want to be perfect," assistant coach Avis Ebron said. "They already know good enough isn't good enough."
This discipline is not only reliant on the expectations of the coaches but also on Koffman, who, as club president, alongside the executive board, foot much of the responsibility for holding the team accountable during practices and competitions.
"No one can miss any practices, no one can miss any events," Koffman said. "Managing all those things and setting all the expectations is how we keep our team to that standard."
Alongside the time that goes into building a competitive team in a sport that has only come forth within the last 20 years, Stunt Devils are pushing toward becoming a higher-level sport both at ASU and in the college athletics community as a whole.
Stunt was designated an "emerging sport for women" by the NCAA as a way to provide more openings for women in sports as well as opportunities for sponsorship and continued development. Other sports that previously received this designation include ice hockey, water polo and beach volleyball.
The effect of this decision is clear, as the sport recently gained NCAA championship status, meaning that stunt championships will be organized by the NCAA starting as soon as 2027 for DI, DII and DIII programs.
This upgraded status is a testament to the work the Stunt Devils have put in season after season, establishing a stronger and persistent presence in college stunting, one routine at a time.
"Next spring will be the first NCAA National Collegiate Championship for stunt, which is amazing," head coach Kayla Ewing said. "It is something that we've been working on for eight, nine years now."
Ewing has been the coach of the Stunt Devils since the team's creation at ASU in 2018. While she does not like to take credit for the growth the club has seen in less than a decade, she's certainly played a significant role in keeping the team's presence strong.
"The athletes have built this culture and this program that other people want to be a part of," Ewing said. "I've just been the mainstay that's kept it going."
For Ewing as well as the entire team, pushing for funding and endowments is the next step toward creating a more permanent role on campus and ensuring the future of the Stunt Devils at ASU.
However, for the next two months, the team is focused on those pyramids and tosses, practicing every routine with the precision necessary to challenge top-ranked competitors.
"The top three teams are teams that we're very comparable with, that we can hold our own against," Ebron said.
Victory, dominance and greater recognition are shared sentiments between the coaches and athletes. Yet, in her senior season with Stunt Devils, Koffman wants nothing more than for the team to take pride in the performances it puts forward.
"Just being proud of our performance is my main goal," Koffman said. "No matter what the scores end up being against different teams."
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at bcsmit41@asu.edu.
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Brooklyn Smith is a sports reporter for The State Press and an English Literature and Economics student at ASU. She is in her 2nd semester with The State Press.
