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Candid Coach: Jon Rolle

Candid Coach, crimson heat, jon rolle November 6, 2014

For Forestville, MD-based gym Crimson Heat, “spirit” has more meanings than one. The faith-based gym builds both moral foundation and athleticism, with Jon Rolle acting as both Travel Cheer Program Director and head coach of its Worlds team. Calling on more than 15 years of experience, Rolle has taken Crimson Heat to Worlds for the past four years—reaching a peak of ninth place in 2012. Recognizing the spirited approach Rolle embodies as a coach and encourages in his athletes, Rolle was nominated by USASF for 2014 Coach of the Year.

In the Industry/ Two Sides/ Web Exclusives

Hot Topic: Stay-to-Play

cheersport, stay to play, Tanya Roesel November 3, 2014

Ever since The Aloha International Spirit Championships in Honolulu began requiring stay-to-play in 2005, event producers have been following suit. As more competition companies start to shift their policies toward stay-to-play, the industry has reached a heated crossroads. Gym owners are fighting for the right to reserve their own hotel rooms, while event producers maintain that it’s necessary that they require programs to book room blocks at designated hotels. As the new season takes shape, the question remains: how exactly will this growing practice affect the world of all-star cheer?

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Parent Cheer Teams

cheer time revolution, hot cheer, Maryland Twisters, parent teams October 27, 2014

The lights dim, as a local gym’s newest squad takes the floor to show off their newly acquired tumbling skills, jumps and stunts. An MC introduces the group as AC/DC’s “Back in Black” begins to rail from the auditorium speakers. A crowd of teenage athletes holds up signs and begins to cheer wildly for individual members of the squad. Someone proudly yells out, “That’s my mom!” and a team of parent cheerleaders begins to perform.

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Our First Year: TNT Cheer

starting a gym, tnt cheer October 20, 2014

Anyone who’s read our “Starting a Gym 101” series on theCheerProfessional website knows that launching a new all-star program can be a massive undertaking—from setting up the logistics to securing the right insurance to attracting clients. To find out what it really takes for a successful start-up, we spoke with three cheer professionals who’ve just completed their first year at the helm. See how TNT Cheer’s first season went…and what they learned.

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Wrap the Year Up Right

end-of-year banquet October 13, 2014

At Sebring, FL-based Edge Cheer, athletes and their families end the year with a formal banquet full of awards, trophies and certificates. Owner Jenny Rowe says, “In this particular industry where it’s all about the team—and sacrificing and doing what’s best for the team—it’s a really big deal to get to individually recognize the strengths of these kids. We give them an opportunity to stand up in front of their parents and peers, [so they can have] their own particular moment of glory.”

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Owner’s Manual: Patrick Fogarty of Cheer World

charity, cheer world, patrick fogarty, Philanthropy October 9, 2014

We have been doing charitable work since the day our doors opened. At Cheer World, we are a family and we believe in being life coaches first and cheer coaches second. To that end, we band together as a family and get involved in our community in any way we can. Anyone can coach a back handspring. We pride ourselves on working on many other aspects of the kids, not just the athlete. We do it because it’s the right thing to do—both for our involved gym families and the community. Does volunteering at a festival bring attention to our program? Of course.

A day in the Life/ Web Exclusives/ webexclusive2

A Day in the Life: Debbie Love

day in the life, debbie love October 6, 2014

8:00 am: I do a devotional every day when I wake up; that’s really important to my life, because I’ve been given all these gifts. Everything I do, I want people to see Christ in me.

8:15 am: One of the first things I do is take care of social media stuff: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Messenger is a new one that’s kind of nice. I’m pretty active on social media, especially for my age! About three years ago I decided to post a tweet once a day, either inspirational or informational, about a skill. I’ve been doing that for three years—it’s called #debtips.

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Choreography: To Hire or Not to Hire?

choreography September 29, 2014

Your teams have the same skills as the competition, but your competitors are always getting higher scores. Is it time to hire a choreographer to work full-time at your gym? Or is it a smarter move financially to bring in an outside choreographer to craft one killer routine for the season? Each option has its pros and cons.

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Our First Year: Ideal Cheer Elite

September 24, 2014

Anyone who’s read our “Starting a Gym 101” series on the CheerProfessional website knows that launching a new all-star program can be a massive undertaking—from setting up the logistics to securing the right insurance to attracting clients. To find out what it really takes for a successful start-up, we spoke with three cheer professionals who’ve just completed their first year at the helm. See how Ideal Cheer Elite’s first season went…and what they learned.

In the Industry/ Web Exclusives/ webexclusive2

Cheering For Charity

charity, giving back, Philanthropy September 22, 2014

“If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble,” funnyman Bob Hope once quipped. It feels good to give back, but that might seem like a tall order if your weeks are filled with classes, meetings and competitions. Still, finding time to do philanthropic work can benefit your gym and, most importantly, your athletes.

Many gyms realize this and manage to make giving back a priority. In fact, according to Cheerleading.org, more than half of all cheer teams currently participate in community charity events.