17 World Championships. 13 Silvers. 10 Bronzes.
Cheer Athletics (CA), a prestigious competitive cheer gym, is big in every sense of the word.
Big gym. Big bows. Big enrollment. Big hair. Big rhinestones. Big trophies.
Yet, it has an even bigger reputation, holding the highest amount of World Championship titles out of any other gym in the nation, according to Angela Rodgers CA co-founder and co-owner.
Based in Plano, TX, this gym does not have your everyday pom-pom, kick, jump, "GO TEAM" cheerleaders seen at sporting events. No.
Competitive cheer is a highly intense sport, with routines comprised of stunting, jumping, dancing, and tumbling that are performed at different competitions in the hopes of making it to the pinnacle of cheerleading: the Worlds competition.
At the end of May, the season begins with tryouts for all-star competition teams, and training continues through the summer, until Worlds in April of the following year. Along the way, Cheer Athletics attends 5-7 other competitions.
Just to make it onto one of the CA competition teams is an impressive accomplishment in itself.
"It's not like walking on a red carpet, it's like walking on a blue one," Addison Siegrist, Fiercekatz team member said. "If anyone ever asks you what gym you go to, and you say Cheer Athletics, you just get gasps. You almost feel famous."
But these girls and boys don't just tumble into the success. Hard work, sweat, and tears go into training. Siegrist, only 15 years old, spends upwards of 15 hours per week at CA.
"I don't really do anything else," Siegrist laughs.
Brand new to CA this year, a "Best of the Best" camp was held July 7-9, bringing cheerleaders from across the nation (even from Alaska) to come train at CA's gym. It was the first elite camp, requiring a level 5 status and a full, a difficult tumbling technique.
"We wanted to hone specifically to the elite athletes and give them a little bit more individual attention," Rogers said.
As usual, training is a main part of the camp, but there's something else in it for the cheerleaders.
A competition was held at the camp through four different categories: standing tumbling, running tumbling, dance, and jumps. The highest scorer in each category won the first place overall award of $500. Second place won $100.
But the message from CA is not one of just trophies and cash prizes, as shown by the mandatory leadership class Rogers gave at the Best of the Best camp.
"Everyone is important," she said. "We care a lot more that just about the trophies. We use this opportunity to create great people."
By Annabel Thorpe, Special Contributor
