GK Elite. Engineered for Cheer.

Welcome to GK - Engineered for Cheer, the official Cheerleading blog for GK Elite Sportswear.  Known as the Choice of Champions in the Gymnastics industry, GK brings almost 30 years of athletic apparel experience to Cheerleading uniforms and workout apparel.

GK saw an opportunity in Cheerleading that no one was taking advantage of - Comfortable Cheerleading uniforms that fit - with stretch fabrics that cheerleaders love.  Find out about GK's Engineered for Cheer Uniforms here.  We’ll keep you up to date on what’s going on in the world of cheerleading and we want to hear from you. Comment, post, upload, and link until you can't comment any more :)

I am Michelle Weaver - GK's eCommerce Manager. I am so excited to have recently joined Elite Sportswear in November 2010. You’ll hear from me regularly in our blog, on facebook and twitter.

Before coming to the Elite team, I worked in both the Retail Apparel and the Sports Marketing industries. Outside of the office, I enjoy coaching recreational level cheerleading and spending time with family and friends!

Express Cheer & Dance based in Frisco, Texas is home to five levels of All Star Cheerleading Teams and their newest addition, Team IMPACT, a recreational All Star team.

Chris Henson, owner of Express Cheer, shared with us, "GK cheer Uniforms are incredible.  The best part about GK is the customer service and my Territory Account Manager, Ruth Hosier, is fantastic! She quotes realistic delivery dates and GK has followed through every time, on time.  The quality and fit of the cheer uniform are impeccable and the construction and materials are remarkable.  My athletes love the uniform design and the extra little sparkle the uniform make them shine every time they are on the competition floor!"

Both pieces of Team IMPACT's cheer uniform are made of Black DryTech, Vinca Mystique, and White Heavyweight Nylon/Spandex.  Their cheer top is Funky Shoulder Uniform Top U143L, an asymmetric, full length cheerleading uniform top with long sleeves and funky single shoulder strap.  IMPACT is spelled out with clear SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS across the chest. Paired with Low Rise Left Hip Panel Cheer Skirt U731L IMPACT's fresh new look is complete and they're ready to give it all they've got!

 

The Speed Athletics All Stars from Westfield, Indianapolis, hit the competition floor at Turbo Jam this past November sporting their new, special order, GK cheer uniforms. Both Level 4 and Level 5 teams have had an amazing season so far with the Senior 4 Coed and Senior 5 Restricted taking 1st place at their latest competition, Xtreme Spirit Mardi Gras. 

The Level 4 and 5 cheerleaders from Speed Athletics chose special order style Open Shoulder Crop Top U140 which they paired with Low Rise Cheerleading Skirt U711L, with a triple stripe hem, left leg slit and elastic waistband.  The men's cheerleading uniform is GK's Men's V Neck Tripe Stripe Top UM113 paired with Men's Triple Stripe Pant UM503.  The fabrics for all of the cheer uniforms are a bold combination of mostly Ocean and White Mystique with just a hint of Sunshine Mystique along the necklines, hems and style lines.  The Speed logo is spelled out on the front of the women's and men's cheer top in clear and mango colored SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.  The Speed Athletics All Stars are ready to win!

Marcie Rode, Owner of Speed Athletics and coach said, "We've had a wonderful experienced with GK.  We love our uniforms!  They quality is great and all orders were received quickly.  GK's customer service and our Territory Account Manager, Rachel Siciliano, are top notch!  We couldn't be happier!" 
 

 

The Penn State Lionettes Dance Team serves as an ambassador for Penn State University, according to the school's Official Athletic Website, modeling a positive image and promoting spirit at athletic and charity events. GoPSUSports.com states the Lionettes were first founded over ten years ago as a kickline team, the group became a club sport in 1995. Current Dance Team Advisor, Sue Sherburne, joined the team in 1997 and she and former Academic Advisor, Don Ferrell, helped the team to gain campus-wide recognition at athletic and community events.  More exposure called for new uniforms and GK was happy to assist the Lionettes with a fresh, new look. 

The Lionettes created a custom Dance Top similar in style to GK's V Open Back Dance Top DM25, a color block dance tank with empire seam and back cut out detail. PSU pride is on display with White DryTech, Silver Mystique and Navy DryTech fabrics. The dance tanks feature navy blue PSU imprinting on the center chest and white Lions imprinting on the center back. The team chose GK's Bootcut Dance Pant DM31 in Navy DryTech to match their dance tops perfectly.

Spirit of South Texas based in Alice, Texas recently competed in their new GK custom cheerleading uniforms.  The coaches sported sparkle and shine in some blinged out GK jackets so they could cheer on their athletes from the sidelines.  Spirit of South Texas competes up to Level 3 and recently their Spirit Elite Level 3 took 1st Place and Grand Champion honors at the Fun Cheer Competition in Robstown, Texas. 

Get a similar look with with GK's Open Shoulder Crop Top U140, a halter style cheerleading uniform crop top with triple stripe long sleeves and exposed shoulders and back paired with a cheer skirt similar to our Double Bank V Waist Skirt U718V.  Both pieces were made of mostly Black Nylon/Spandex with Royal Nylon/Spandex with Silver Mystique and Iced Zebra accents.  They completed their look with clear jewels on the logo, along the sleeves and binding.
Congratulations Spirit of South Texas and good luck with the rest of your season!  Do your all stars need some new sparkle? Browse our all new 2012 Cheer Catalog here!  Inside you will find our Cheer Design Studio, Women's In Stock Cheerleading Uniforms, and Men's Cheerleading Uniforms.

GK cheer uniforms are created for optimum fit and performance.  You'll be able to feel the difference with our exclusive four-way super-stretch fabrics and proprietary fit formula.  Be fierce at your next competition with GK's infinite customization options from fabrics and colors to jewels, sequinz™, embroidery and imprinting.

Valley Elite Cheerleading Training Center in Easton, Pennsylvania is home to the Valley Elite All Stars. In addition to being named the Best Level 2 Team in the country last season, the Valley Elite All Stars have earned 16 Grand Champion titles and 24 Nationals titles since 2007.  When the time came for new custom cheerleading uniforms, Valley Elite wanted something that no one else had at the time. 

The design project grew out of a collaboration of ideas brought to GK by Valley Elite and new Territory Account Manager, Cory Hines, who, along with the expertise of the GK design team, created a trend-setting custom uniform with elements that are now seen among GK's Special Order uniform choices.


Valley Elite All Stars' custom cheerleading uniform top is most similar to our current Double Cross Star Crop Top U145 which echos Valley Elite's original collaboration of a halter style cheerleading uniform crop top with long sleeves, exposed shoulders and funky back.  They chose a cheer skirt similar to GK's Low Rise 1 Stripe Skirt U725L, with narrow single stripes on both sides and an elastic waistband.  The fabrics Valley chose were White DryTech, Red Mystique and Black DryTech.  The Valley logo on the front chest shimmers with clear crystals on a Red Mystique background.  The style lines of the cheer top and skirt sparkle with hand-set clear SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS.

The dynamic halter cheer top with open shoulders and long sleeves has become the starting point for many custom uniforms and continues to be among some of the favorite picks for custom cheerleading tops. 

Assisting our customers in bringing their design vision to life is what GK does best.  Whether starting from scratch, or customizing a special order GK uniform, we'll partner with you every step of the way! 

Visit our Cheer Design Studio to bring your vision to life or browse our new 2012 Cheer Catalog for ideas. 

Central Jersey All Stars in Kenilworth, New Jersey, is a nationally renowned, highly competitive all star cheerleading program for girls and boys of all ages and ability levels.  Since the program's inception in 1996, CJA has captured numerous local, state, regional, national and international championships titles.  CJA chose GK this season to create their new custom cheerleading uniform. 

Angel DeJesus, a Cheer Coach and Choreographer for CJA, told GK, "We are ecstatic about our new Level 5 uniforms from GK! This was our first season working with GK and our Territory Account Manager, Lynne Mensack, who made communication easy and Julia Kline from the GK Design Department was awesome! They both worked with us to achieve our ultimate goal of a clean and polished new look, but with a little extra flair to allow us to stand out like never before!  We debuted the new uniforms on December 11 at Cheersport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  It was a huge confidence booster for our athletes. We won 1st Place!  Our team was also crowned BEST OF LEVEL 5!  GK truly stands alone and we can't wait to work with you again in the future!"

Following the Cheersport competition, the Senior 5 Team went on to take 1st Place and Grand Champions at the Gotta Cheer Snow Globe Competition and then secured an AT-LARGE BID TO WORLDS at JamFest this month!  Congrats CJA!

CJA's cheer top is stunning from every angle.  Similar to Special Order 3 Strap Open Back Crop Top U136, CJA's cheer top features long sleeves, arm banding detail and a strappy open back.  CJA designed a cheer skirt similar GK's Corner Accent Cheer Skirt U709R with triangular corner detailing and side slits.  For variety, CJA also choose a cheer short similar to Low Rise Faux Belted Short U520L, a low rise cheerleading short with faux belt loops along the front and back of the comfort waistband.  All three pieces were made with Black, Rich Royal, and White Mystique and blinged out with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS across the shoulders, at the cuffs, on the front of the short and scattered over the Black Mystique portions of the skirt. CJA is boldly spelled out across the front of the cheer top in Rich Royal and White Mystique with an added layer of clear SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS to tie it all together.  Now that is a winning combination! 



Go with GK and choose any fabric and any color combination to design a cheerleading uniform for your own custom look.  Add your team name or logo in your choice of jewels, sequinz™, appliqué embroidery or imprinting. Ready to design?  Visit our Cheer Design Studio or browse through the new 2012 Cheer Catalog for inspiration!

The Senior 4 Envy Team of the Pittsburgh Pride All Stars out of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania have given their GK cheerleading uniforms a workout so far this season.  The team recently took 1st Place at Cheersport in Pittsburgh on December 3, 2011.  Other victories include 1st Place at PA States and 1st Place at COA's at Shaler High School. 

Chrissie Bianco, Director and Owner of The Pittsburgh Pride All-Stars said, "We absolutely love our GK cheerleading uniforms.  The fit is fabulous!  The girls look amazing but are also comfortable enough to do all of their tricks without feeling restricted.  The cheer uniforms have washed up beautifully and even when their hot red lipstick meets their white sleeve, it has come out every time!  Thank you for making a quality uniform that meet our athlete's' needs!"  

Some members of the Pride, Marissa K, Casey C, Celia G, and Alicia R, sport their GK special order uniform, GK's Side Panel Halter Crop Top U118, a cheerleading uniform crop top with long sleeves, side panels and back cut outs, and GK's Low Rise Wrapped Around Band Cheer Skirt U707L, a low rise cheerleading skirt with side slits and elastic waistband.  The uniform top and skirt are mostly purple mystique, black nylon spandex, and white mystique with a hint of red shimmer along the neckline.  The team's name was embellished in clear crystals across the center chest and ruby crystals down the right sleeve.  Pittsburgh Pride blinged up their unis with clear scattered jewels on the sleeves and clear jewels lining the seams of their uniform top and skirt.

The Fierce team from D&H Cheer Company of Franklin, Indiana just took 1st Place at the Americheer Indiana State Championships.  Awesome skills and long hours of practice, and not to mention, their FIERCE new cheerleading uniforms from GK, helped them stand out from the crowd.

Crystal Dyer and Sara Hawkins, co-owners of Fierce All Star Cheer, were excited to say, "We cannot overstate the value of working with GK and having Rachel Siciliano as our Representative!  The GK team makes the process to differentiate yourself from the other squads simple.  They take your vision and bring it to life.  We were able to create our custom uniforms, bows and warm ups in just a few simple steps leaving us more time to focus on what matters most...our cheerleaders!  GK and Rachel are great assets to our gym.  They are a prime example of QUALITY products and GREAT customer service!  GK is FIERCE!"

The Fierce All Stars proudly show off their win in their custom cheer top and skirt made of Ocean and Black Mystique and Black Nylon/Spandex with Lime Mystique asymmetrically winding down the top and skirt.  Clear jewels along top and skirt style lines as well as sprinkled down the right sleeve provide sparkle at every angle.  The Fierce Logo is Appliqué Embroidery in Black Nylon/Spandex with clear SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. The coordinating 2 Layer Striped Hairbow tops it all off.

In love with the Fierce GK Cheer Uniform?  Check out GK's Funky Shoulder Cheer Uniform Top U143L paired with Low Rise Left Hip Panel Skirt U731L and configure it in your team's colors.  Do you want your own, completely different, cheerleading uniform? Let GK make it easy for you.  Shop our Special Order Cheerleading Uniforms and see what you can create.  Need help?  Find your GK Cheer Territory Account Manager here.

GK cheer uniforms are created for optimum fit and performance.  You'll be able to feel the difference with our exclusive four-way super-stretch fabrics and proprietary fit formula.  Make a statement at your next competition with GK's endless customization options from fabrics and colors to jewels, sequinz™, embroidery and imprinting.

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

The Varsity Cheerleaders of James B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois debuted their GK Custom Cheer Uniforms at the Joliet West Regional Cheerleading Competition. Dana Musinski, Head Varsity Cheerleading Coach sent GK a picture of the team looking fantastic!

Their cheer top is similar in style to GK's Exposed T Back Uniform Top U167L, a full length cheerleading uniform top with funky exposed T back.  The coordinating skirt, similar to Wrap Around Band Skirt U707R, is a regular rise cheerleading skirt with wrap around band, side slits and elastic waistband.  Showcasing their Conant Cougar pride, Red, Navy and Silver Mystique fabrics were chosen and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS were added to the cheer top for just the right amount of sparkle!

XCC is a cheer team that competes and performs at events to highlight the high skill level and fun attitude of staff and select campers from Woodward Camp.  Team XCC's primary purpose is to serve as public relations ambassadors of Woodward Camp and its cheer program. XCC supports the cheerleader's current All Star or College cheer team career. Woodward XCC competes in the Level 6 Open Coed division.  For XCC, the main goal of competition is demonstration, entertainment, and fun!

• learn about camp
• have the ability to join a high level team regardless of location
• Have a repertoire of role models in the cheer community with the ability to work alongside and learn from them

The team is open to any past/present camper or staff member that will be 16 or older by January 2012.  Tryouts will be held during the summer of 2012 or by video submission.  For complete XCC tryout and registration information, click here!

Check out what XCC members are saying about the team...

Alli Purvis said, "XCC is one of my favorite teams I've ever been on! It was an amazing experience!"  Eugene Tunaya, another XCC member, said, "One of the best experiences of my life! Meeting new friends, having another family spread throughout the states, it's pretty amazing!"

GK's 2012 Cheer Catalog is here!  At GK, we are committed to being the athlete's first choice.  Maybe that's why in just three years we have turned into the fastest growing apparel company in the industry.  We have engineered a cheerleading uniform so unique, well known teams from all over the world have chosen, competed and won in GK.
What you will find in the 2012 Cheer Catalog:

• Special Order Cheer Uniforms - Your team. Your look. Your Way. Design in your fabrics and colors.
• SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS - GK uses the highest quality crystals - the best in the world!
• New for 2012 - Special Order Headbands!
• Product Partners: Bowdacious Cheer Bows and Wink Performance Cosmetics
• In-Stock Uniforms, Spirit Wear and Warm-Ups
• Infinite embellishment possibilities with sequinz™, embroidery or imprinting

What makes GK DIFFERENT?

• Made in the USA - all manufacturing is done under one roof at GK to maximize quality control.  And, what is better than having our products made under one roof?  Products that are Made in the USA, of course.
• Z Stitch - what is so special about Z Stitch?  Our sewing technology enables us to create more creative and intricate designs that are stitched on using a precise Z Stitch application.
• DryTech - DryTech is GK's performance fabric with moisture wicking and anti-microbial characteristics.  Stay cool and dry with special order and in-stock garments made of DryTech.  When you feel better, you perform better.
• GK uses SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS exclusively, the premium brand for the finest crystal elements.  Austrian made, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS can be added to your apparel for maximum sparkle.  The MADE WITH SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS label on products serves as a sign of authenticity and the highest standards of crystal design.

The Maryland Twisters blew into the JAMfest cheerleading competition on December 3, 2011 in Upper Marlboro, MD and took home 1st Place in the Level 3 Small Junior Division.  It was the first competition of the season and the first time they wore their new, custom GK cheer uniforms.

One of the Blast members, Morgan S., said, "My teammates and I are excited to be a part of the Maryland Twisters family and we love our GK uniforms!  We stand out at every competition we attend!"  Check out the Twisters in action in the picture that Morgan submitted.


The Twisters started in the Cheer Design Studio to come up with their own cheer top and coordinating skirt.  They added their team colors with Black DryTech, White and Ocean Mystique fabrics and then blinged out the style lines with Brilliance crystals.  Twisters was then spelled out on the chest and their logo was embroidered on the back of the cheer top.

Tiffany's Cheer and Dance Studio in New Whiteland, Indiana, just south of Indianapolis, is a small gym with big stars!  Their Mini Cheer Champions recently brought home First Place, Grand Champions in Level 1 Overall and a U.S. Finals Paid Bid at the Jamfest Nationals in Chicago.  The new GK cheer uniforms were a great way to celebrate Tiffany's 10th Season celebration!


Tiffany Messersmith, owner of Tiffany's Cheer & Dance Studio, said, "We have been with a local vendor for the past 5 years due to poor customer support in the past.  We saw GK uniforms at competitions and in the catalog and fell in love with them.  We decided to give GK a shot.  I have had great customer support, the cheer uniforms were made perfectly and shipped on time.  We love our GK cheer uniforms!  We have had no problems and GK responded to any minor issues right away.  Thank you GK for putting your customers first and for making such a great product.  We are so happy with our decision to chose GK!"
 Rachel Siciliano, GK Cheer Sales Representative for Indiana and Northern Indianapolis, assisted Tiffany in designing the Cheer Champion's new look.  The cheer top is a custom design similar to GK's Side Panel Halter Uni Top U118L which they made their own with Zany Zebra, Black Mystique and Berry Mystique fabrics.  Champions spelled out in Clear jewels across the front of the top is a dazzling addition.  The Cheer Champs paired the top with a GK special order cheer skirt, Low Rise Binding/Slit Skirt U719L, customizing the fabric to coordinate with their tops.  The glistening Clear jewel crown on the back above the cut-out is the finale of this cheer masterpiece!