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Candid Coach: Kelly Helton of Cheer Extreme

In the Industry/ Web Exclusives

Candid Coach: Kelly Helton of Cheer Extreme

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Anyone who knows Kelly Smith Helton of the popular Cheer Extreme franchise knows that she is blessed with a creative mind. As owner of the gym’s Raleigh location, Helton believes in positive reinforcement and has an innate talent for coming up with fun ideas to get her athletes involved and reaching their full potential. (In fact, Helton is so good at inspiring loyalty that more than 200 of her athletes and gym parents attended her wedding ceremony.) Learn more about Helton’s offbeat approach and why it works.

Making the Transition

Mind, Body & Soul/ Web Exclusives

Making the Transition

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As a gym owner, Kim Braasch of Cheer Tyme gets plenty of requests from athletes and parents alike. But when a talented young athlete named Paul asked to wear the girls’ uniform, it was a situation she hadn’t navigated before—yet one that’s becoming increasingly common.

Like many young athletes who identify as transgender, Paul planned to change his gender and his name, becoming “Crystal.” Not only was Braasch supportive, but so was Crystal’s father, who inspired everyone at the Fairfax, VA-based gym with his incredible support.

But what happens when a parent isn’t supportive?

More Power To You: Power Tumbling & Trampoline

Down to Business/ Web Exclusives

More Power To You: Power Tumbling & Trampoline

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Power tumbling and trampoline have long been part of the gymnastics world, and in recent years, gained major traction in the all-star cheerleading world as well. Many cheer gym owners are now incorporating trampoline and tumbling into their programs with amazing results. Like any new endeavor, it takes patience, time and discipline to get the program up and running, but the results are often well worth it.

In a nutshell, power tumbling is a specialized discipline that involves trampolines, rod floors and double minis. Like gymnastics and cheer, it’s divided into different skill passes or levels, from beginner to advanced.

Down to Business/ Web Exclusives

The Last Chapter: Angel Phyre All Stars

After running Angel Phyre All Stars in Larkspur, Colorado, for three seasons, owner Jessica Maynard was focused on the future. She moved into a huge new facility, bought an $18,000 spring floor—and then took a good, hard look at her financials and decided it was more practical to close the gym than to start a new season. See what Maynard had to say about how everything changed so fast, and what she learned along the way.

Owner’s Manual: Carlos Onofre of West Coast Rush

Down to Business/ Web Exclusives

Owner’s Manual: Carlos Onofre of West Coast Rush

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Early on, I started coaching and judging in Mexico—that’s how it all started for me. Now the events have grown so big it’s hard for me to attend all of them, so I have gotten a lot of people to go judge over there. The places making the biggest progress with cheer are Mexico and Canada, and in many cases, they’ll pay what you are worth in the U.S. In some instances, you can actually make a fair amount of money.

Game Changers: Kentucky Reign

In the Industry/ Web Exclusives

Game Changers: Kentucky Reign

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Some might say Jessica Bugg Smith is doing everything wrong at her Danville, KY-based gym, Kentucky Reign All-Stars. Somehow though, things are going very right. Instead of going the group-classes-with-additional-private-coaching route, Kentucky Reign primarily offers one-on-one time with coaches, with all-star athletes practicing together as a group a couple of hours a week. It was a risky move, but one that has paid off. Since making the change in August, Kentucky Reign’s roster doubled within months.

“It has been amazing,” says Smith, a Danville native. “Our kids are getting more one-on-one attention, and we are able to get results faster that way.”

Liquid Courage: How Safe Are Energy Drinks?

Mind, Body & Soul/ Web Exclusives

Liquid Courage: How Safe Are Energy Drinks?

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Hannah is a typical 15-year-old cheerleader. She spends eight hours a day at school, comes home to do her homework and then heads to the gym for cheer practice. With exhaustion setting in, she picks up an energy drink on the way to give the boost she needs to get through the grueling schedule of stretching, stunts, tumbling and dance. Sound familiar? It’s a common practice with many athletes—and cheer professionals, too.

But do energy drinks even work?

Show Me the Money: Smart Collection Strategies

Down to Business/ Web Exclusives

Show Me the Money: Smart Collection Strategies

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When most cheerleading coaches decide to open their own gyms, they do it for love of the sport, a desire to make a difference with young athletes, a competitive drive to be the best. They don’t do it because they love chasing down accounts every month, but that’s exactly what they’ll have to do if they want their gym to stay open.

“One gym called us for advice and was $100,000 in the hole,” says Tanya Roesel, owner of Midwest Cheer Elite. “And I was like, how did you get there? People will pay what they have to pay for. If you let them think they’re at the bottom of the ladder, they will treat you like that.”

Spotlight: Jamie Parrish

In the Industry/ Web Exclusives

Spotlight: Jamie Parrish

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Imagine a pyramid of cheerleaders that morphs into a human poker player dealing blackjack, Las Vegas-style. How about a pyramid of cheerleaders whose uniforms suddenly transform into hockey jerseys in a straight up homage to a hip-hop dance crew, or an all Lady Gaga-themed routine?

Luckily, cheer fans don’t have to imagine such curious and jaw-dropping spectacles. Jamie Parrish makes them happen.

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