What's New in Cheerleading Uniforms

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
 

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

Did you catch the Industry Profile section of the latest Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine (Back to Basics Issue 2010)?


Luke Johnson, Twisted Choreography and Kelly McKeown, GK Elite Sportswear discuss their business relationship and how collaborating with another company can be a win-win situation.

CC&A: Can you tell us how you teamed up with each other and why?

Luke Johnson, owner of Twisted Cho­reography: Let me tell you a little back­ground on Twisted Choreography first. I’ve been choreographing for 10 years and started Twisted Choreography about six years ago. It began when I noticed that most choreographers were focused on themselves and not on the kids. I believe that the kids should be the superstars and when I hire people I make sure they feel the same way and that they understand it is not about them getting the glory. I have 5 choreographers that travel and I have about 12 skill staff.

One of my clients kept telling me about GK Elite and how the company always made their customers feel so great. She insisted that I meet Kelly and was sure that we would get along well because of our shared philosophy of business. Once we met, it was instantaneous; we imme­diately hit it off. It was exactly what we both wanted and had been looking for. Our goals were similar and all of our focus was in alignment. It seemed to work so easily.

Kelly McKeown, executive vice presi­dent of corporate relations, GK Elite Sportswear: We had a mutual acquain­tance that kept telling me that I had to meet Luke and that they were sure we’d work well together since we were both so creative. Finally, we met for lunch one day and hit it off beautifully. We immediately had a connection; we started brainstorm­ing some concepts and decided we were going to collaborate on some projects. That was about a year ago. The relation­ship has worked ever since. We bounce ideas off of one another and it’s two forces of collaboration working together.

CC&A: What do you think has made the business relationship so successful?

Luke Johnson: I feel we both have the same passion and goals. No one is trying to be selfish. I feel that the level of greed with both companies is zero. And with that defining what the two companies are about, it is easy. They (GK Elite) have been very strong on sponsoring cheer­leading and thinking about the future of the sport. We feel exactly that same way. It’s all about the future for us. Our brand­ing is about what is next in cheerleading, where is this going to go and how we can be pioneers in the industry. From the uni­form design technology down to the cho­reography, that’s what it’s about for us.

Kelly McKeown: I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we are committed and excited about the industry, about mak­ing changes and about being innovative, about being leaders and about being cut­ting edge. We don’t want to follow the competition; we want to pave new trails. We want to stay true to who we are and that includes looking forward to what things could be.

We don’t need each other. Both compa­nies do many things independently but there is definitely a crossover where we have felt that the energy could be taken to another level. We have a friendship, a business and a partnership. We both bring different strengths to the table and are coming together to build the industry. As for marketing, we come from two totally different directions yet we pull together and meet in the center. It works for us.

CC&A: Can you tell us what the future might hold for your collaboration?

Luke Johnson: It’s all about the future for both our companies. They are the future in uniforms and we feel like we’re the future in choreography. It’s like we never have to try to make the collaboration work, it’s al­ways been an easy marriage.

I’d like everyone to remember regard­less whether you’re a coach, a business owner or a cheerleader that it’s all about the inspiration and that we are all inspi­ration in some capacity and should stay focused on the greater good of the sport. Cheerleading is about relationships.

Kelly McKeown: I see this path continuing to head forward. The great thing is that there is a constant flow of ideas and com­munication. I don’t think there is a limit to where our relationship can go. One of us is always saying, “I just had an idea, what do you think of this?” I definitely see in­dependent forces here, but I also see syn­ergy that together we can expand our vi­sion and feed off of each other’s ideas. Our collaboration is more high level; it’s more strategic than just design. We both have a forward thinking approach to business. We have a lot of things in the pipeline.

CC&A: What would you like our read­ers to know about your companies that you don’t think they already know?

Luke Johnson: We’re getting into com­petitions and we’re going to change the way they are done. Twisted is all about creativity and we’re bringing that to com­petitions. We’re starting Twisted Athlet­ics where we would like the choreography to be valued at a competition. I feel that choreography is what makes us cheer­leading. We can’t be just a skilled based activity or we’d be gymnastics. In my opinion, the closest sport to cheerlead­ing is figure skating. In figure skating you have the combination of athleticism, it has technical requirements, it’s creative, you use your uniforms and there’s music to enhance your performance. Those are the same elements that make cheerleading so great. With Twisted Athletics we’re trying to bring that creative aspect into it and have teams rewarded for creativity. We’re coining our competitions as the “creative competitions” and we hope to be the next generation of creativity.

Kelly McKeown: We are very innovative. We don’t worry about what our competi­tors are doing and we are forward leaning. We think about what hasn’t been done and what we can do better.

Twisted Choreography 1341 Metropolitan Av. SE Atlanta, GA 30316
www.twistedchoreography.com
Ph: 888-77-Twist

GK Elite Sportswear  P.O. Box 16400 Reading, PA 19612
http://www.gkelite.com  Ph:  800-345-4087


Published with permission from Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine:  www.cheercoachmagazine.com

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