A training apparatus for use by flyers in a cheerleading squad includes a stable base assembly, a balancing assembly, and a fixed or adjustable column located between the stable base assembly and the balancing assembly. The balancing assembly includes a deflectably resilient member and a standing surface that promotes proper alignment and mimics the feel that a flyer experiences when being supported by a base cheerleader. The deflectably resilient member provides two degrees of freedom of movement to the standing surface when the standing surface is under an external load. The standing surface preferably provides about the same standing area as that typically provided by a base cheerleader. The column may be a fluid-activated cylinder that moves between a first and second vertical position and simulates a flyer being raised by the base.