High School Cheer Uniforms

Kyle Gadke graduated from Lindenwood University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and a Minor in Psychology.  Kyle also cheered while at Lindenwood, bringing home a 2nd place title in 2007 - the highest in the school’s history - in NCA Division II Large Coed.  He was captain of the cheer team in his Junior and Senior years.

Kyle is currently responsible for GK’s Illinois and Wisconsin territories.  He came to GK with 9 years of coaching experience and is a coach at Ultimate Athletics in the Chicago West Suburbs.  Previously, Kyle was at Platinum Athletics in Saint Louis, MO until 2012.  In their second year, Platinum attended Worlds on a Full Paid Bid and were Worlds Finalists, placing 18th in the World, the highest win in the State’s history.  Kyle currently resides in Naperville, Illinois.

Kyle is USASF credentialed and certified in Levels 1-5 with stunts, tumbling, and baskets.  He owns Spirit FX, a choreography and skills building summer camp business which services several high schools, colleges, recreational teams, and all-star gyms across the country.  If that doesn’t keep him busy enough, Kyle is a Production Manager for an events company and has recently found a new interest in announcing and DJ’ing at cheer events.  He has served as a cheer judge on numerous panels throughout the Midwest.

Kyle’s is most passionate about representing GK as a Cheer Territory Account Manager and working with people in the industry.  According to Kyle, “I was just in awe when touring the GK facility and learning how the cheerleading uniforms are made.  I love the GK style and that you can tell a GK cheer uniform apart from any other brand.  The uniforms are ‘Engineered for Cheer,’ and I love that I don’t have to make my clients work with contracts.”  Kyle further shared that the best part of his job is seeing a coach’s or athlete’s face when they put on or see their new GK cheerleading uniform for the first time.  “It’s like Christmas morning, or seeing Top Gun Large Coed for the first time!”

Looking for Cheerleading Uniforms in the Illinois and/or Wisconsin areas?  Contact Kyle at kgadke@cheergk.com for more information.  Outside of Kyle's area?  Find your GK Cheer Territory Account Managers in other parts of the country here.

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

Kyle Gadke graduated from and cheered for Lindenwood University, bringing home a 2nd place title in 2007 - the highest in the school's history - in NCA Division II while receiving his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and a Minor in Psychology. Kyle was captain of the cheer team in his Junior and Senior years.  He is currently responsible for GK's Northern, Central, and Eastern Missouri territories as well as the Southern half of Illinois.

Kyle came to GK with 9 years of coaching experience and most recently was head coach at Platinum Athletics in Saint Louis, MO. The gym was new, receiving an At-Large Bid to the Cheerleading Worlds their first year open in 2010. This past season – their second year – they attended Worlds on a Full Paid Bid and were Worlds Finalists – placing 18th in the World, which was the highest in the State’s history.  Kyle currently reside in Chicago, Illinois and is a coach at a first year gym – Famous Athletics. In their first year of business, Famous had over 120 athletes try out.

Kyle is USASF credentialed and certified in Levels 1-5 with stunts, tumbling, and baskets. He also owns a small freelance choreography and skills building business which services several high schools, colleges, recreational teams and all-star gyms across the country.  If that doesn’t keep him busy enough, Kyle also works part time as Production Manager for a small cheerleading events company and has recently taken interest in announcing and DJ’ing at cheer events.  He also has served as a judge on numerous panels throughout the Midwest.

Kyle's favorite thing about being a GK Cheer Account Manager is working with people within the industry that he has a passion for.  According to Kyle, "Learning about GK and how the cheerleading uniforms are made just put me in awe.  I love that GK does not have zippers, buttons, etc.  The uniforms are ‘Engineered for Cheer,’ and I love not having to work with contracts."  He also told us that the best part of his job is seeing a coach's or athlete's face when they put on or see a GK uniform for the first time. "It's like Christmas morning in their eyes!"

Looking for Cheerleading Uniforms in the St. Louis or Southern Illinois Area?  Contact Kyle at kgadke@cheergk.com for more information.  Contact information for GK Cheer Territory Account Managers in other parts of the country can be found here.

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

Lynne Mensack is a 24 year veteran of the cheer business.  She resides in Drexel Hill, PA.  For those not familiar with the area, that's right in the middle of Villanova University and the City of Philadelphia.  Lynne has been coaching/choreographing since the age of 17 when she was in her senior year of High School.  She then coached at a few high schools in the Philadelphia area before settling at Archbishop Carroll in Radnor, PA where she is part of a 5 woman coaching staff along with 64 great Varsity and JV Cheerleaders.

In addition to her high school gig, Lynne is co-owner and Director of Liberty Cheer Institute in Broomall, PA which is the home of the PA Spirit Explosion All Stars.  Along with their Cinnaminson, NJ gym, they make up 18 teams and a coaching staff of almost 24 for the 2011-12 season.  Lynne told us that she wouldn't say that cheerleading defines her, but she does believe that it has helped to shape who she is today.  She is a passionate Phillies fan as well as a fan of all the other sports teams in the City of Brotherly Love.

Lynne's GK sales territory is Northeastern and Southeastern PA, Central and Southern NJ, Southern NY, Staten Island and Long Island.   She looks forward to working with your team in reaching your goal for an affordable, comfortable and quality cheerleading uniform.  Lynne says, "Whether you are a High School, Rec, College or All-Star Cheerleading Coach, I can assure you that GK and I will make it work for you!"

Contact Lynne at lmensack@cheergk.com if you are looking for cheerleading uniforms in her territory and want more info!  Contact information for other GK Cheer Territory 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.

Valerie's cheerleading years began in a small town in Illinois, before the days of All Star Cheerleading.  Her most memorable cheerleading moment was when her high school team was asked to cheer at a St. Louis Cardinals football game.  Valerie said, "Back in the day, they used to invite three schools to cheer at their home games, and it was very exciting to be on the field with a professional football team."  A photographer took a picture of Valerie at the game and it was featured on the front page of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.  A very big deal for a small town cheerleader!

Most of Valerie's career has been in outside sales and sales administration.  Most recently, she worked as a representative for Capezio Dancewear in Texas and Louisiana.  As a Territory Account Manager for GK Elite Cheer, Valerie tells us that her goal is to promote the company's high standards and values, to provide exceptional customer service, and strive to exceed my customers expectations.  She is looking forward to the opportunity to helping all of her Houston, Texas area customers with their cherleading uniform orders!

Contact Valerie at vdunn@cheergk.com if you are looking for cheerleading uniforms in the Houston, Texas region and would like more information!  Contact information for GK Cheer Territory Accounty Managers in other parts of the country can be found at http://www.gkelite.com/Pages/Information.aspx?keyword=GKS-SR_USREP&pagegroup=GKSalesRepresentatives.

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.

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