Cheer Outfits

This month, the Competitive Cheer Squad from the University of Maryland hosted Fairmont State at a National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) meet.   The undefeated Terps, the former NCA All-Girl National Champions, now compete exclusively under NCATA, which sanctions meet-style competitions in which the squads are judged not only on their routine, but also on individual stunt groups, tumbling passes, basket tosses, and separate pyramids.

UMD’s Tricia Fitzgerald gives her take on the Terps and the new type of competition: 

Favorite part of NCATA:

  "I'd say my favorite part of NCATA meets is the back and forth interaction with the other team. It’s great to be able to make a comeback and be able to emphasize each team's strengths. "

Hardest part about NCATA, compared to a traditional college cheerleading competition:

   "I think the hardest part about the meets is that it really levels the playing field because we send our best out against their best. It makes it more exciting and challenging; it keeps us on our toes throughout the whole meet. "

How had you been preparing for the meet against Fairmont?

   "In preparation to compete against Fairmont we spent a lot of time working on all of the events and improving in difficulty and execution from our previous meets. "

Terps’ Biggest Strength:

 "I think our biggest strengths are the tumbling and team routine events. One of the things that’s great about UMD is the depth we have on our team. "

Thoughts on your GK Cheer Apparel:

 "The GK cheerleading outfits are great! We really love our new black and yellow uniforms this year, and enjoy coming out to the song "Black and Yellow" when we wear them!"

In the end, it was a victory for the Terps, who received a final score of 275.846, ahead of Fairmont’s 270.178. Congrats on your win, UMD! You girls looked fierce!!

The East Coast Nitros, who in 2010 outfitted their team in GK Cheerleading Uniforms, were featured in an article in The Cheer Leader Magazine.


"East Coast Nitros All-Stars of Middletown, Delaware"
By Blake Johnson From The Cheer Leader Magazine

Representing the "first state," the fearless and dynamic East Coast Nitros are gearing up for another explosive season.  Located in Middletown, DE, East Coast Nitros open its door nine years ago.  After just a few short years in business, they quickly became the leader in All-Star Cheerleading, Dance and Tumbling in the tri-state area.  Setting the standard to which all others follow-Focus, Tradition, and Excellence.  Always remembering that with a little bit of hope and working hard, anything is possible.

Former NFL Cheerleader and Baltimore Ravens Most Valuable Cheerleader Award recipient Stephanie Sutch founded the program.  She dared to achieve her dreams, and share her secrets to help assure others success in cheerleading.  The East Coast Nitros was established as an all-star cheerleading team in a progressive manner to compete against other teams while promoting good sportsmanship, self esteem, self discipline, leadership, commitment, dedication, responsibility and team unity, in a fun family atmosphere; where honesty and integrity are vital elements in East Coast Nitros philosophies.  Sutch, and her husband Glenn are the co-owners and program directors.  They realize that the long-term effects of life skills learned through the sport of cheerleading will better the kids of their "Nitro Nation."  "We strive not only to produce the strongest athletes, but the strongest individuals with the most positive influence and progressive training available," said Stephanie, in an interview with The Cheer Leader Magazine.
 

They continue to use the traditional motto, "training excellence in action, inspiring excellence for life, and building champions one child at a time," which has led them into their ninth successful season.  The program has 20 teams this season and has also opened a second location in Laurel, Delaware.  Glenn and Stephanie attribute the success of the gym due to the compassion of their staff; they care about each and every kid as if they were their own. "We are in it for the kids one hundred percent.  We have a lot of kids in our program; my husband and I know each and every one of them by name, talent level, where their skill sets are today and where they need to be for the following season.  We absolutely love what we do and it shows in our kids.." stated Stephanie.  When asked what she feels set their program apart from others, Stephanie answers with confidence, "We are one Nitro Nation.  That is what we call ourselves.  We are all one big family. You just feel the love and support when you walk through the gym doors!"

The Nitros compete at about 12 events during the competition season.  In May, they had 4 teams win the East Region in the US Finals competition.
 

Their mini level 2 (Firecrackers) and junior level 5 (Atomic) teams finished on top, taking the number one spot in the country!  In their 09-10 season, they won 73 first place finishes, 16 National Championships, 14 State Championships, 4 Grand Championships, 4 US Finals East Region Championships and 2 US Finals Overall Championships.  Two seasons ago, they were the first team from the state of Delaware to make it to the Cheerleading Worlds.  "So our catch phrase was, 'The first team from the first state for the first time,' Stephanie added with a huge smile on her face.  They competed at the Cheerleading Worlds last season as well.  This season, the Nitros are trying to bring three teams to the Cheerleading Worlds.

The East Coast Nitros not only just compete; they also participate in many local events to do their part in supporting their community.  Just recently they participated in the Middletown Big Ball Marathon.  The goal of the Big Ball Marathon is to raise money to assist individuals, families in need, charities and organizations in the Middletown/Odessa/Townsend (M.O.T.) area.  The Big Ball Marathon has raised almost $350,000 for local charities over its twelve years including a record $50,000 in 2008!
 

"We also have great relationships with a lot of other all star teams along the East Coast and we are a part of Operation I Promise this year.  I think this is a great program that USASF has offered this year and I am looking forward to watching this program grow", said Stephanie and Glenn.

The Nitro family is proud to say that their program produces more than just a cheerleader, but, a well rounded, responsible, and strong individual."

Stephanie finishes with, "We will continue to FOCUS only on cheerleading, dance and tumbling and provide a quality of EXCELLENCE that has been established as the program's hallmark."

The Cheer Leader Magazine is an up and coming Cheerleading publication worth watching (and reading). Check out their website http://www.thecheerleadermagazine.com  or "like" them on Facebook
 

For the jewels, we sell two sorts of jewel kits:

• Clear Glass Jewel Kit (includes 1,000 clear jewels and glue)
• Brilliance Glass Jewel Kit (includes 1,000 brilliance jewels and glue)

The Story Behind the GK Cheerleading Uniform

How Revolution Began

Since entering the all-star cheerleading market a little over a year ago, we, at GK, are frequently asked, “How did you decide to get into cheerleading?”  While we’d love to say we had some special foresight, it was really a right place, right time situation. 

We had been supplying warm-ups to the Maryland Twisters Cheerleading for a few years prior.  The Twisters (who have a reputation for being innovative) were looking for something different to wear.  They were familiar with our position as the market leader in outfitting gymnasts worldwide and wanted something similar to what our Olympic athletes wore.  So we set about engineering a cheerleading uniform that would fit great, be comfortable to wear, and look amazing under the lights.  The result was the original F5 uniform.

We received such overwhelmingly positive feedback on this one uniform that we decided we better take a closer look at this all-star cheer industry.  What we found amazed us!

On the one hand, the progression of all-star cheerleading routines over the years was phenomenal, with stunting and tumbling skills being much more complex and requiring a lot more athleticism.  It was immediately apparent to us that cheerleading is a sport……and cheerleaders are real athletes!

On the other hand, when we started researching the cheerleading apparel side of things, were less than impressed with how little the cheerleading uniforms had kept up with the advancement of the sport.  They still resembled the sideline variety your mom wore when she was a varsity cheerleader for the football team.  They were predominantly made of heavy 100% double-knit polyester, were covered with restrictive, non-stretch binding, and even had zippers! 

So here’s what we did.  We took our 30 years of experience outfitting Olympic athletes and created the next generation cheer uniform:

·         We used four-way super-stretch fabrics developed exclusively for GK and our proprietary pattern technology to engineer a garment designed for maximum performance, fit and comfort.

·         We eliminated zippers, binding, buttons, or anything else that would restrict movement while practicing or competing.

·         Finally, we designed a cutting edge look that would set our teams apart from the others on the competition floor.  Our styling included an athletic cut, a wide range of performance fabrics in eye-catching colors, funky backs, crop tops and design lines, and lots of bling!

And that is how the revolution began.

• Fresh New Designs
• Comfortable Fit
• Fabric Choices
• Color Choices
• And lets not forget customization options!

See GK’s New Cheerleading Apparel online at:

www.GKCheerUniforms.com

About.com: Cheerleading  - The Cheerleading Newsletter on About.com had a chance to review GK's new Cheer Uniforms.


from Valerie Ninemire

Welcome to this week's issue of the About.com Cheerleading newsletter, Cheers. I just had an opportunity to review GK Elite Sportswear's new line of cheerleading uniforms. In a word, they are "awesome." Also, if you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, don't miss the article on Spirit Celebration's upcoming Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' Clinic and Championship (see more below).
Cheers!

The Bottom Line

The quality, workmanship and the thought that went into the GK Elite Sportswear uniforms I reviewed was nothing short of outstanding. I love that have taken 28 years of experience in the gymnastics market and applied it to cheerleading.

Pros

- Unusual designs that will stand out on the performance mat
- Great quality and workmanship
- Engineered for performance
- Large variety of fabrics and colors
- Reputable company

Cons

None

Description

- Unique designs available.
- Tops come in two styles; full tops or crop style tops.
- Skirts are available in regular rise or low rise.
- Wide variety of fabric available. Just a sample of some fabric choices include velvet, foil, sparkle and metallic.
- Wide variety of color choices.
- Free fabric swatches upon request.
- Special Order Design Studio available online.
- Reasonable delivery considering the uniforms are custom made.
- Pieces can be embellished with jewels, embroidery, and imprinting.
- Free catalogs can be ordered online if you are a dealer or have a GK Elite customer# or supply all business information.

See GK Cheer Unis Online Now

Guide Review - GK Elite Sportswear Cheerleading Uniforms

The top and skirt I reviewed were of the highest quality workmanship. The fabrics had a nice stretch to them but still bounced right back to their original shape after many washings. This, along with the flat seams, added to the comfort of the pieces as well as the functionality. GK Elite Sportswear has put their 28 years of outfitting gymnasts into making outstanding uniforms for cheerleaders. These are definitely not your mother's cheerleading uniforms. They are innovative in design and most importantly, they are engineered for performance. One note: as with any cheerleading uniform, you should follow all washing, drying and care instructions.

Check out the review on About Cheerleading and sign up to receive their newsletter by Clicking below:

http://cheerleading.about.com/od/cheershopping/gr/GKElite_uniforms.htm?nl=1