California All Stars Cheerleading

Jessica Nickel is the GK Cheerleading Territory Account Manager for Southern California.  She is a Southern California native and currently resides in Wildomar, CA with her husband and three kids. She coaches at Pacific Coast Magic in Murrieta, CA and has been there for 5 years.  Jessica has been in the cheerleading industry for 16 years and enjoys every minute of it!

As a child, Jessica competed in dance and was a level 8 gymnast.  She was also a member of Murrieta Valley High School song & cheer team for 4 years. After High school, she became a member of the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) staff and attended Palomar College where she was a part of the National Champion Coed Cheer squad who won numerous championships. After college, Jessica joined the Champion Cheer Outlaws open team and West Coast Mavericks open team located in San Diego, CA.
 
Jessica was the advisor and Varsity cheer coach for Murrieta Valley high school for three years before her career as an All-Star Coach started from owning her own cheer program Southern California All Stars and coaching at Temecula Valley Stars, TVS Elite and California All Stars. Throughout her many years in the business, she has choreographed and coached numerous High School and All-Star Cheerleading teams in the Southern California area.

Jessica joined GK Elite 7 months ago and says that she truly enjoys her job. "GK Elite's products are amazing and there is no one in this industry who can beat the quality, innovation and customer service that we can. I was amazed at how a GK Elite item was crafted almost all by hand. Our products are like no other and I am truly blessed to be a part of this amazing company. I cannot wait to see what the future has to hold for GK Elite Cheer."

Contact Jessica at jnickel@cheergk.com if you are a Southern California Cheerleading Team and want more information on GK Cheerleading Uniforms.  Contact information for Account Managers in other parts of the country can be found at http://www.gkelite.com/Pages/Information.aspx?keyword=GKS-SR_USREP&pagegroup=GKSalesRepresentatives.

Can’t decide between shorts or a skirt for your All Star Uniforms? Get both, and wear one for prelims and the other for finals! An emerging trend is Two-Day Uniforms, as displayed by the California All Stars, Maryland Twisters, Matrix All Stars. A few of the advantages of having two separate uniforms as opposed to just one are:

• The ability to put on a fresh, clean cheerleading uniform Day 2
• The opportunity to showcase two completely different looks and styles (F5 chose to do Sporty for Day 1 and Elegant for Day 2)
• The choice of which uniform to wear for single day competitions

Assess your team carefully and try to pick a style that is flattering to all of the athletes.
Would crop tops or full tops look better? Shorts or skirts? You want your athletes to look good and feel comfortable in their GK Uniforms, which in turn, will help them to perform their best!

Always order a prototype. 
Nothing is as helpful as seeing the uniform in person! Put it on an athlete and have them jump and tumble. Do you like the way it looks? Now is the time to make any adjustments, so that when you’re ready to order for your team, you’ll have your perfect uniform!

And finally, have fun with the design process!
GK designers are the best in the business! Their goal is to make your uniform concept into a reality, so the process is truly collaborative.

Go with the original, the innovator, the brand that started the revolution. Go with GK.

At just 15 years old, Kiara Nowlin has already made her mark on the world of competitive tumbling and All-Star cheerleading.    She is a nationally ranked tumbler and double mini trampolinist, a member of USA Gymnastics Junior Elite Team and a nationally ranked all-star cheerleader. Only a high school sophomore, Kiara can already boast 3 Gold Medals in tumbling at the World Age Games Competition in 2010, 2009, and 2008!  She is also a member of the highly regarded California All Stars Cheer Team where she cheers in the Unlimited Co-Ed Large Division.

 
On top of all of this, Kiara Nowlin still finds time to cheer on her High School Varsity Squad and participate in American Mensa and the National Charity League.  And just like most other teenage girls, she enjoys shopping, hanging out with her friends and McFlurrys!

Find out more about Kiara at http://www.kiaranowlin.com/ or Follow her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kiara-Nowlin/42211243978. 

“Fierce is in love with our new level 5 cheerleading uniforms! GK worked with us until we found the perfect look for our all-star cheer team. The tops fit perfectly and stay on great. Our favorite part is the detailed rhinestones on the back of the shorts. They are not really pockets but give the pocket look. It makes for a new and different design that we haven't yet seen in cheer uniforms. Thanks to GK!”

Shelby Magelsen

Co-Owner

Fierce All Stars 

Southern California

Cheerleading Choreographer Luke Johnson from Twisted Choreography sat down for an interview about his business and his philosophy with Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine's Heather Portnoy.


It’s more than 5-6-7-8.

This is the motto of “Choreographer to the Champions” Luke Johnson of Twisted Choreography. At only 31, he has taken the cheerleading world by storm with his revolutionary choreography that will keep you on the edge of your seat with its cinematic appeal. His choreography has helped attain over 15 Worlds medals and multiple Worlds bids, including 40 bids at the 2010 Worlds alone.

The Cheer Coach & Advisor staff met Luke two years ago at the USASF Cheerleading and Dance Worlds. It all began over a Worlds t-shirt. If you have been to Worlds, you know what I am talking about. You’ll see a plethora of creative t-shirts supporting all your favorite programs. The shirt that caught our eyes was “Luke’s Got My Back.” We asked the simple question, “Who is Luke?” and we quickly learned that he was an amazing up and coming choreographer, thus beginning our journey with Luke Johnson. He was innovative, inspirational and blazing the trails with many award winning routines. Luke created the choreography for 27 teams competing at the 2009 Cheerleading Worlds. There was no question this was someone that we needed to meet.

For Luke, it all began with cheerleading. He cheered for a couple of different all star programs and vividly remembers the first time his coach hired an outside choreographer. Luke shares, “Everyone watched in admiration. I was very intrigued and was mentally breaking down everything that he was doing. I could see the pictures that he was trying to create and knew that I could do this.” At the age of 18, Luke took this experience and created the choreography for a local high school cheer team. That year, the team came in first in their state championships. Luke was hooked and choreographed eight routines the following year.

Things have snowballed for Luke ever since. He has had experience in almost every role in cheerleading. He has been a cheerleader, owned a gym, coached, choreographed and managed the Maryland Twisters program. In his early 20’s, he moved to California to pursue dance and became a certified Hip Hop instructor. His heart was still in cheerleading and he quickly returned, bringing with him a dance inspired style that includes leaps and turns not typically seen in cheer choreography. (but brought his knowledge and inspiration from dance. (by using more turns and leaps not typically seen in cheer choreography.)

If anyone lives up to their reputation, it’s certainly Luke. He is an absolute perfectionist, creative genius, and a pure fireball of energy. His joyful personality is contagious. Luke believes in spreading a positive attitude. Known for his trademark v-neck t-shirts and scarf, if you see Luke enter the room, clear the way and prepare to be inspired. He has an innate ability for making people feel comfortable, identifying commonalities and creating a unified spirit. It almost seems that he is the puzzle master knowing which pieces fit together perfectly with each group he meets.

We asked Luke how he is able to make these connections and so accurately fit the right routine to the personality and vibe of each team. He shares, “So much of what I do is based on the energy of the kids. I feed off this energy so much. I take time and connect with the team. Ask each coach what their strengths and weaknesses are. I don’t just focus on the strengths. I work to round out the entire team.”

It’s a natural fit for coaches to be the catalyst in motivating their team. Luke definitely believes that everyone has their own way of doing things but he quickly shared his personal beliefs on getting the most from your teams. “The energy that you possess is how you will affect them. Once they see the personality that you are bringing in, you can get them connected with you and bring them back in. A coaches’ personality and energy changes the game.” He goes on to say, “I am a believer in creating your own reality. If you want the kids to have energy, you have to create that for them.”

Luke spends at least 10 months out of the year traveling throughout the United States and abroad working with powerhouse gyms both big and small. Some of the programs that he works with include: California All-Stars, ACE of Alabama, Cheer Extreme, Illinois Cheer Company, Arizona Power Extreme, Maryland Twisters and Spirit of Texas just to name a few. He has an affinity for every program he works with regardless of size or name recognition in the industry. The affinity is obviously mutual through the conversations we have had with many who work with him and by watching people gravitate to him wherever is he is.



Brad Vaughn, Spirit of Texas Owner, Choreographer and Head Coach shares, “Luke is such a great person! He has managed to stay humble and professional despite his incredible success. He seems to always connect with the athletes regardless of their level or ability. He is one of the most talented individuals in the cheer industry. He is dependable, respectful and above all else, kind. He has a heart bigger than Texas and it shows in everything he does. Luke is one of those rare people that touches the lives of thousands of people across the country. He has made such a positive impact at Spirit of Texas!! His motto is “it’s more than 5-6-7-8” and he lives by it daily.”

Being an inspiration to coaches is very important to Luke. He believes his actions trickle down to the team. “The energy that I share will keep going down from kid to kid to kid and create a positive effect that isn’t there all the time,” says Luke. As for what inspires Luke’s creativity and passion, he answered, “I have had many inspirations in my life which include God, family and friends. However, my cheerleading inspirations date back to when I was younger, and range from Top Gun’s endless innovation to Spirit of Texas’s visual creativity and seamless transition work. But the bulk of my creative juices comes from the cheerleaders themselves.”

On the flip side, how a coach disciplines their team can be equally important. Luke certainly has a wide array of experience watching the different discipline techniques of coaches throughout the world. “I’m so patient. I don’t discipline kids by doing things to them. I feel if the kids aren’t paying attention and giving 100%, instead of getting mad and making them do conditioning, I simply stop teaching. I don’t raise my voice. I stop teaching and sit there quietly unless I have their undivided attention,” says Luke. When asked if this was realistic for coaches who are with the team year round Luke shares, “I don’t think anyone should ever teach by fear. You should teach by respect. You earn respect by knowledge. Conditioning should be a training tool.”

When it comes to cheerleading safety, Luke feels the industry is making the proper strides. He is a firm believer in ‘Perfection Before Progression’ and appreciates the new cheer safety video created by GK Elite Sportswear, Shawn Johnson, and Top Gun. Luke shares his thoughts, “I feel this video is something everyone needs to watch and is spot on. If you don’t do this, you are setting everyone up for injury. I see so many ranges of this as both parents and kids are working to get to the next level. I have even seen coaches that tend to forget this.”

Another natural fit is for a choreographer to help identify the right music mix for the routine. Finding the right music is the critical final step for a routine. Luke believes, “It’s the icing on the cake. Music is as much of a delicacy in this sport as choreography, uniforms and proper training. People know who to go to when looking for good music. We are an industry that talks all the time. People know who does what music and who people are.”

Luke’s passion for cheerleading, standards of excellence, and desire to continue revolutionizing the spirit industry can be an inspiration to any coach. He thrives off traveling the globe “twisting” every team he meets. He recognizes that key to success is the team effort of choreographer, coach, and cheerleader. “I am humbled by the intensity this sport has in affecting people’s lives and in that, I find great inspiration from the athletes themselves. I feed off their energy and passion for the same amazing sport that so graciously allows me to be here, doing what I love every day.”

*Visit http://www.cheercoachmagazine.com for full video.

Photos and article Reprinted with Permission from Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine. Check them out online at http://www.cheercoachmagazine.com

Who is the name behind the face of the girl on the GK Cheer Uniforms Catalog.


Name: Victoria Solorzano

Nickname: Tori

Age: 16

Grade: 10 (Sophomore)

Cheer Team Name: California All Stars Cheerleading - Small Senior 5 All Girl

Coach’s Name: Shawn Miller and Tannaz                   

City/State: San Marcos, CA

How long have you been in Cheerleading: Around 13 years

Have you been in All Stars Your whole time in Cheerleading: I’ve been at CA for 9 years

Have you Cheered for Rec or School programs: No, I have not

What do you do on your team: I am a flyer

What is your favorite part of being a cheerleader: Being able to compete in front of a large crowd

What are your thoughts on your new uniforms: I love them. They are so comfortable and cute.

How long have you known about GK: Since I was around 13, so just around 3 years

How many competitions do you attend per year: 10-12, depending on the season

What is the furthest you have gone for a competition: Orlando, FL

Future aspirations: I would like to go to college, but I have no idea what I want to do after, because I keep changing my mind

Extracurricular activities: When I’m not busy with cheer, I try and hang out with my friends and go to school events

Do you plan on cheering for College: I would love to. It’s always been a dream of mine.

FOR FUN: Fav TV show/Fav movie/Music on iPod: TV show: Mystery Diagnosis. Movie: Anything Nicholas Sparks. Music: I have a new obsession with country, but Classic Rock is the best.