Rah Rah Routines & cheerFIT Announce Partnership

Small businesses focus on opportunities to enhance the cheerleading and fitness industries

New Jersey, (Dec. 8, 2014) - Rah Rah Routines and cheerFIT today announced a working relationship at various events and with programming, combining their expertise of cheerleading and fitness to offer individuals and teams a wider range of services and unique experiences. These services offer a complete solution to help athletes and teams take it to the next level.

"I am excited for the new opportunities ahead as this partnership propels both cheerFIT and Rah Rah Routines to the next level," said Danielle Wechsler, CEO of cheerFIT Training. "As both companies work together to combine both fitness and cheer training with choreography, stunting, and routine advice, we can now offer our clients the complete solution in advancing their season and personal goals. Our visions for the brands and enthusiasm, passion and dedication for the sport pave the path for endless opportunities ahead."

"This partnership is a great way to further provide our customers with positive, new experiences to improve and enhance their cheerleading and fitness abilities," said Christina Hernandez, CEO of Rah Rah Routines. "Together, our mission is to promote confidence, teamwork and hard work, all while in a safe and enjoyable environment."

Check out rahrahroutines.com and cheerfittraining.com for additional updates regarding the partnership, combined services and programs and competitions where both businesses will offer special opportunities for and meet with individuals and teams.

Rah Rah Routines
Rah Rah Routines is a consulting firm specializing in choreography, stunt camps, routine consultations, group tumble lessons and more for cheerleading organizations. We are committed to teaching athletes novice to elite cheer and tumble skills as well as original, creative routines, while fostering teamwork and self-confidence. We believe perfecting the fundamentals of cheerleading and tumbling are the key to achieving excellence.

Contact: Christina Hernandez
CEO of Rah Rah Routines
Email: rahrahroutines@gmail.com
Phone: (908) 494-4592

cheerFIT
cheerFIT offers a unique workout and fitness training experience to help individual athletes, teams and coaches reach their personal and season goals. Combining online training with a personal touch, cheerFIT focuses on strengthening and building the unique muscles cheerleaders need to advance their tumbling and stunting skills, improve endurance and prevent injury. cheerFIT is disrupting the traditional methods of personal training to help cheerleaders build confidence and see results.

Contact: Danielle Wechsler
Founder of cheerFIT
Email: danielle@dfittraining.com
Phone: (908) 472-2639

'America's Got Talent' Kicks Off Milestone Season 10 Open Auditions Sunday, November 2 In Tampa, FL

'AGT' will also make stops in Nashville, TN; Richmond, VA and New York, NY; followed by Chicago, IL; St. Louis, MO; San Antonio, TX; Albuquerque, NM; San Francisco, CA; Boise, ID and Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 16, 2014) - Nothing celebrates the American spirit like "America's Got Talent." Entering into its milestone season 10, auditions for NBC's hit summer series will kick off in November and continue through early 2015:

• Tampa, FL - Nov. 2
• Nashville, TN - Nov 5
• Richmond, VA - Nov. 6
• New York, NY - Nov. 8-9
• Chicago, IL - Jan. 24-25
• St. Louis, MO - Jan. 26
• San Antonio, TX - Jan. 29
• Albuquerque, NM - Jan. 31
• San Francisco, CA - Feb. 7
• Boise, ID - Feb. 10
• Los Angeles, CA - Feb. 14-15

Registration for open call cities is currently underway with online auditions continuing through March 2015. For more information on audition cities and venues, the audition process and tips, or to submit an online video audition for season 10, please visit http://www.AGTAuditions.com/. The website will be updated on an ongoing basis as additional information becomes available.

With celebrity judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howard Stern, along with Nick Cannon, America's Got Talent remained the #1 summer show in total viewers for a ninth year in a row. For the first time in the show's history, America chose a magician as their favorite act - season 9 winner Mat Franco, who recently headlined the "America's Got Talent Live" stage show in Las Vegas.

Providing a completely open playing field, "America's Got Talent" is the only show where acts of any age and any talent can compete in front of a nationwide audience

"We are really excited to kick off season 10 in some of the most incredible cities in the nation and can't wait to see what this year brings," says Executive Producer Jason Raff. "Celebrating a decade of talent, this next round of auditions is destined to bring us acts unlike anything we've seen before."

"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Syco Entertainment. Simon Cowell, Sam Donnelly, Jason Raff, Trish Kinane and Richard Wallace are the executive producers.

Please visit the official show site at http://www.nbc.com/agt.

For the latest "America's Got Talent" news, videos, and photos, please like on Facebook, subscribe on YouTube and follow on Twitter, Instagram and Google+:
https://www.facebook.com/nbcagt
https://www.youtube.com/agt
https://twitter.com/nbcagt #AGT
https://instagram.com/nbcagt
https://plus.google.com/+nbcagt

Quick Lane Bowl Fundraising Opportunity (MICHIGAN TEAMS!!)

The Quick Lane Bowl is the new football bowl game being held at Ford Field on December 26, 2014. This fundraising opportunity has been extended to schools, sports programs, and any group or organization that would like to participate. It is a great and easy way to raise money for these programs and the winning fundraiser groups will receive some pretty cool prizes!

Click here for more info!

Support the UNC All-Girl Cheerleading Squad

Contributor: Sable Talley (@sabletalley), CEOof National Spirit Network

Doing my part to spread the word to benefit spirit teams across the country

About two weeks ago, I received an email from Emily Hazelton, one of the officers for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill All-Girl Cheerleading Squad. I was very inspired by what she sent me. Here's what she wrote:

Greetings,

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this message.

I am contacting your gym on behalf of the competitive all-girl cheerleading squad at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

My name is Emily Hazelton; I am an undergraduate student here at UNC and an officer this season for the all-girl club cheerleading team. Whether you are a fan of our darker blue or red neighbors down the road from us surely we share the same love for cheerleading. Our team has a love for competitive cheerleading and what it had to offer for us before college. We all desire to carry this experience of friendship and sportsmanship throughout college as well.

Our school team is coed and does not compete. We are not part of the athletic program; we are underneath campus recreation as a club sport here at Carolina, meaning we have to fund everything on our own. We cannot afford to go to as many events and competitions as we would like, so in order to create a larger fan base and grow our squad throughout the community we are looking to do some exhibitions.

This is a huge rebuilding year for us as we were taken advantage of and let down by a negative coach from last season who did not have our best interest in mind. So, as an officer I want try something new in hopes of being able to leave behind a stable program for students to come after I graduate. We want to continue to share our passion and encourage girls younger than us to stay involved with cheerleading.

In summary of all this, please contact our team (through me) if your gym hosts any exhibitions where you would think it would be possible to include us in your schedule. What we could offer (depending on the date, as we have not had full choreography camp yet) is to perform a brief routine, some of our NCA cheers, do a meet and greet/take pictures with fans before or after your teams perform, or even just help out with setup as well as other event needs.

As I stated earlier, we had an unfortunate experience last season and are now running the club as student officers without a coach or much professional assistance. Through this transition we are relying on our prior knowledge, experience, and connections to redeem ourselves and rise to our full potential. If you would like to discuss or inquire about any of this, contact me however easiest for you. If this is something you do not have interest in or cannot help us out at this time please feel free to contact me if anything changes down the road. For example if you would host something like camps/clinics with Carolina cheerleaders at your gym. 

Lastly, if you know anyone else in the “cheer world” that you could pass this information along to it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Emily Hazelton

I was inspired mostly because I admire people who take the initiative to do what's right not only for themselves, but for the people they care about (part of the reason why National Spirit Network exists in the first place). Unfortunately, there are some coaches out there that don't have their team's best interest at heart and I truly applaud Emily and the rest of the team for having the courage to push forward on their own this season.

Photo courtesy of UNC All-Girl Cheerleading Facebook Page

Photo courtesy of UNC All-Girl Cheerleading Facebook Page

Photo courtesy of UNC All-Girl Cheerleading Facebook Page

As you know, National Spirit Network doesn't host any of the events listed on our website, but if we did, I'd definitely invite them to perform. So now I'm reaching out to you! If you've got an event that you'd like to invite the team to, contact Emily Hazelton at ehazelt0@live.unc.edu! You can also check out their website for more information about the team.

Good luck, ladies! I know you all have what it takes to make this season one of the best yet!

Featured Contributor

Sable Talley (@sabletalley) is the CEO of National Spirit Network (formerly U.S. Cheer & Dance Directory). Her experience with cheerleading and dance goes back as early as 2000. Cheering in jr. high and school developed her passion for the sport, which carried on through her college and early adult years coaching and administrating recreational and high school cheerleading. She also received coaching and judging certifications through AACCA, USASF and Cheer Ltd. After hanging up her coaching and judging caps, she continues to thrive in the spirit industry with the National Spirit Network.

What to Eat, When to Eat It

Contributor: Danielle Wechsler (@cheerFITworkout), Founder of cheerFIT

An essential guide to navigating the cafeteria, eating the right foods at the right time and how to make the most out of your 4-day cheerleading camp experience

Cheer camp is an unforgettable experience. It's filled with countless hours spent perfecting stunts, choreographing routines and team bonding. In order to stay to stay fueled and energized, make the most out of your 4-day stay by following these nutrition tips:

Breakfast
Everyone knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day but how do you eat enough to be fueled and energized for a full day of dance classes, stunts and baskets without feeling too full and uncomfortable?

Tip #1: Think functional foods that will work with your body and help to provide the nutrients it needs. It is important to eat the right amount of food with enough time to digest before working up a sweat. A 200- to 250-calorie breakfast with 30-50 grams of carbohydrates will let you work out harder and burn more calories.

Tip #2: Stay away from sugary cereals, refined carbs or fatty bacon. These foods will cause a sugar crash and sluggish feeling because your body will use energy to metabolize these hard to digest foods. Save your energy for your stunts!

Breakfast Suggestions:

• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on whole wheat toast and 1 piece of fruit - This combination will boost blood-sugar levels and stop hunger pangs. Natural peanut butter supplies heart-healthy fat with no added sugar.
• Fat-free plain yogurt (about 6 oz.) mixed with 1/2 cup blueberries - The natural sugars in the yogurt and blueberries give your muscles a speedy energy source. The blueberries are also antioxidant powerhouses!
• 1/2 to 1 cup of oatmeal or whole grain cereal and handful of fruit - Fruit contains glucose which will provide a fast burst of energy. Oatmeal or whole grain cereal will provide glycogen which improves your stamina and keeps you feeling full, but not stuffed.

Snack

It's just a few hours past your early-morning breakfast and you are still a while away from lunch - but you are beginning to feel your energy take a nosedive. It is definitely time for a snack, but how do you grab a healthy snack on the go?

Tip #1: Plan ahead of time. Bring some healthy snacks from home, or grab some extra fruit or cereal from the cafeteria at breakfast.

Tip #2: Don't wait too long until snacking. Eating small meals throughout the day will stimulate your metabolism, keeping you energized and ready to go!

Snack Suggestions:

• Pre-cut fruit or vegetables
• Nutrition bar (you want to go with a bar that offers more fiber, less sugar and has an adequate amount of protein)
• Light string cheese
• Rice cake with peanut butter

Lunch
It's lunchtime! Time to relax a bit and recharge as you get some food with your teammates, however, the cafeteria can be a daunting place. How do you pick the right foods when there are so many options?

Tip #1: Make sure your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach. Try grabbing a smaller plate instead of a large tray. Filling a smaller plate will ensure you are still full and energized, without overindulging. Don't forget you still have the fight song prep, pep rally review and open practice later in the day.

Tip #2: Stick with foods you know. The cafeteria has so many choices, but it might not be the best time to try something completely new. You don't want to be at stunt coaching and discover your body doesn't react well to something new you ate!

Lunch Suggestions:

• Salads and lean protein - Salads are always a healthy option, but beware of the salad bar trap: creamy dressings, cheeses, croutons, bacon bits, and pasta salads add up the calories and the fat.
• Turkey sandwich or wrap with a piece of fruit - A lean turkey or chicken sandwich on whole wheat bread with mustard gives you energy-boosting carbs, plus boosting protein you need for a good snack.

Dinner
The day is winding down and you are tire, hungry and your body is physically exhausted. You keep on track and eat a healthy dinner, but the unlimited ice-cream machines and tables of cakes are calling your name. How do you keep a healthy diet with so many temptations?

Tip #1: Rethink dessert. Sometimes we all need something sweet to finish off our meal, but that doesn't mean you need to go crazy. Satisfy your sweet tooth without the bulge and swap the sweets for fruits and natural sugars.

Tip #2: Beware of fried and oily foods. Oils and fats make athletes lethargic, which can cause a lack of concentration and also leaves an uncomfortably full feeling in the stomach. Remember you still have electives, open practice, stunt classes and jump workshops after dinner!

Dinner Suggestions:

• Grilled chicken with brown rice and spinach - Half the plate should be filled with vegetables, a quarter should be lean protein and the other quarter should be high-fiber complex carbohydrates such as a small baked potato, brown rice or whole-wheat couscous or pasta.
• Whole-grain pasta and vegetables - This healthy dinner option fills you up and fuels your body for the remainder of the day's activities.

After Dinner Snack

Whew! The day is over and after all that hard work, you're hungry again. Who can blame you? So now the question is what can you eat that won't sit heavy in your stomach all night?

Tip: Avoid late night snacks. It is ok to have a little something to satisfy those hungry cravings, but overeating before bed will cause your body to store all those calories as fat.

Snack Suggestions:

• Vegetables and hummus
• Greek yogurt
• Celery and peanut butter
• Plain popcorn

Make the most of your summer cheer camp experience! The quality of your nutrition will affect your performance, results and recovery. Remember, you are there to have fun, learn new skills and enjoy the memories, so fuel your body in order to be the best athlete you can be!

For more information and fitness tips, check out www.cheerfittraining.com.

National Spirit Network Mailing List Members: Schedule a 30-minute video consultation with cheerFIT for only $30.00. Click here to join our mailing list!

Featured Contributor

Danielle Wechsler (@cheerFITworkout) is a fitness enthusiast, who is highly energetic and extremely motivated. Through challenges and experience, Danielle has learned that with a positive attitude and pure determination, you can accomplish anything. Believing in the phrase "become your dream", Danielle least with the passion to motivate, and inspire others to get results while having fun.

The 3 Secrets Behind Better Stunting, Tumbling & Building Endurance

Contributor: Danielle Wechsler (@cheerFITworkout), Founder of cheerFIT

Ever wonder what gives teams that competitive edge? It's not running through routines for hours, it's not attempting a stunt hundreds of times, and it's not tumbling over and over again. No, the answer is FITNESS, and cheerFIT is here to share some secret fitness tips!

As a former D1 cheerleader, current personal trainer to the pros, and founder of cheerFIT, Danielle has a few secrets to help your team take it to the next level! Follow these fit tips and insider secrets to make every practice count.

Tip #1: How to Prevent Injury When Trying New Stunts
Attempting a new stunt over and over again leads to fatigue, injuries and frustration. Instead of trying a new stunt hundreds of times - strengthen your core, quads, and shoulders and you will hit your stunt the first time around.

How To: Complete each exercise for 45 seconds (sign up for how-to videos: http://www.cheerfittraining.com/freeworkout.html)

• Squat to Knee
• Pulse Push Up
• Alternating Bridge
• Alternating V Up
• Squat to Reach

Tip #2: How to Master New Tumbling Skills

Perfecting a new tumbling skill can be difficult at times - not only are you thinking about jumping higher, rebounding stronger and focusing on technique, but also flipping down at the same time.

How To: Hitting that new tumbling skill requires two things

1. Visualize yourself going through the motions of each tumbling skill and landing each flip with perfection. The power of visualization helps improve tumbling and builds confidence.
2. Focus on plyometric exercises to improve power, endurance and performance for each tumbling pass. Some great plyometric exercises include burpees, jump squats and plank jacks.

Tip #3: How to Get Through Your Routine Without Gasping For Breath at the End

Between stunting, tumbling, dancing, cheering and choreography - cheer routines require a lot of endurance! Improve your endurance not by running on the treadmill for hours, but with interval training. Interval training is a burst of intense activity followed by intervals of lighter activity, improving aerobic capacity. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you'll be able to get through intense routines in a breeze.

How To: Complete each exercise 30-45 seconds of intense effort, followed by a 15-second light jog in place (repeat 3 times)

• Mountain climbers
• Toe touch jumps
• Bicycle crunches
• Sprints

Now are you ready to see the results? Incorporate these fitness tips and insider secrets into your daily routine and be prepared for awesomeness!

For more cheer workouts and fitness tips visit http://www.cheerfittraining.com/fitness-tips.html or email danielle@dfittraining.com. I'm happy to help!

Featured Contributor

Danielle Wechsler (@cheerFITworkout) is a fitness enthusiast, who is highly energetic and extremely motivated. Through challenges and experience, Danielle has learned that with a positive attitude and pure determination, you can accomplish anything. Believing in the phrase "become your dream", Danielle least with the passion to motivate, and inspire others to get results while having fun.

The Key Element to a Back Handspring: Jump

Contributor: Christina Hernandez (@rahrahroutines), Founder of Rah Rah Routines

There are many key elements to make a back handspring successful: stretched shoulders, fast feet over, open-to-closed hips, a neutral head position - and the list goes on. There is no silver-bullet solution on how to achieve a back handspring. All of these elements are necessary to accomplish the skill, but through my experience as a tumble instructor, I believe there's one element tumblers struggle with the most: the jump.

I was taught to teach tumbling with progressions, having a tumbler perfect simpler versions of a more advanced skill. For example, an instructor will teach the backward roll and the handstand as two separate components before teaching a back extension roll. The jump - pushing through the toes and bending-to-straightening knees to remove feet quickly and evenly off the ground - is a critical progression step from the back walkover to the back handspring.

The back walkover is a slow shift of body weight from the feet to shoulder/hands in a hip-over-head flip. This shift is achieved through a rocking motion performed in the middle of the skill, known as the backbend or arch. The back handspring requires a faster transfer of body weight from feet to shoulders/hands through jumping, properly positioning the feet and hips in line with the upper body to easily whip over for the landing.

The jump is vital to mastering the correct technique in a back handspring. For instance, the jump gives the arms ample time to get the shoulders stretched above the head before the body impacts the floor in an arch. The jump also forces the body to elongate and tighten before hitting the inverted position, resulting in a decrease of longstanding, serious injuries on the back and wrists.

A step-by-step picture on how to perform a back handspring

I have observed many tumblers learning the back handspring achieve the skill much quicker when the importance of the jump is stressed with the other elements mentioned in the beginning of this article - everything just clicks!

Featured Contributor

Christina Hernandez (@rahrahroutines) is a cheerleading and tumbling aficionado who has led senior-level all star teams to multiple local, regional and national titles and has more than 23 years of experience as a Pop Warner, high school and all star cheerleader. She is contracted to work as a tumble instructor for several cheer and dance organizations in New Jersey and is a long-standing choreographer for reputable recreation, high school and all star competitive teams throughout the Northeast region. Christina is a current member of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA), USASF and NFHS.

A Cheer Down Memory Lane

Contributor: Sable Talley (@sabletalley), CEO of National Spirit Network

I used to be a cheerleader. I don't like to brag though. Honestly, it's a little hard to believe since when I look in the mirror, the word "cheerleader" never crosses my mind. These days, it's words like "school", "workout" or "sleep". Though sometimes, I like to reminisce on the good 'ol days when my only responsibilities were to go to school and cheer practice. It wasn't always so easy though. I had to work for my spot on the team for three years, but it was definitely worth it.

It all started in sixth grade at our first pep rally of the football season. I was a bit of a tomboy and thought cheerleaders were too girly and whiny for me to hang around. But as soon as they hit the floor, something in me changed. Next year, I was one of those girly (but not so whiny) cheerleaders rooting on our 38-season (or something like that) undefeated football team. Back then (in 1999), "tryouts" was a very loose term for middle school teams. All you really had to do was show up and do the cheers as best as you can in front of the judges to earn a spot. The only team we were really trying out for was Tiger Squad, the team that cheered at all of the away games.

I was so proud to be on the sidelines and I made tons of new friends. I even made the Tiger Squad in 8th grade. Then high school tryouts came around. We all looked up to the high school cheerleaders because they did all the cool stunts and basket tosses. I was one of only two girls that decided to tryout. Honestly, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Those first three days of learning the material was rough. I definitely wasn't in middle school anymore. But somehow, I pushed through it and did the best I could in front of the judges. I didn't make the team, but I was pretty realistic about my odds. Over forty girls tried out for only 20 spots. I was a little upset, but figured I'd take my freshman year to train (after marching band practices- which I wasn't to happy about, but I wanted to get into the football games for free so it was my only other option) for next year.

Next year came and went. I didn't make the team. I started training harder and at tryouts for junior year, I believed I had a spot in the bag. Nope. I think that year, I took it the hardest. I thought about giving up. I thought, "Maybe cheerleading isn't for me. Maybe I'm just not good enough." But despite all my negative thoughts, I had my mind set on a spot for my senior year.

Tryout week finally came and I was pumped. I had trained for about three months and I was ready to go. Then something bad happened. During gym class, I was stretching and one of my classmates decided to "help" me with my straddle stretching. She got behind me and pushed me all the way down and I heard something crack. It was my right hamstring. I flipped out. I was angry and in pain, but I knew I couldn't go to the nurse's office because she'd tell me I wouldn't be able attend tryouts.

So I limped through my last few classes and got ready for day one of tryouts. My leg hurt so bad, but I pushed though the pain and did the best I could. That whole week flew by. I was worn out, but I was so close to that spot, I could feel it, even more than the pain in my leg. This was my year. I don't really remember what happened while I was trying out. All I remember from that day was driving by hours later and seeing my name on that banner. I made it. I was so thrilled. All that hard work paid off... finally!

Senior year was amazing. Cheer camp, football games, basketball games... I'd never been so happy to go to school every day. Most of it is just a blur to me today, but I was so proud that I set a goal for myself and accomplished it. I still never got my hamstring checked out though. I guess over the years, it's healed on its own. Of course, I continue to at least try to stay in shape to prevent any further injuries with running and yoga.

I guess the whole point to me writing this is to remind everyone that most things aren't just handed to you, you have to work for them. And if you give up too easily, maybe it wasn't something you really wanted in the first place. I was also inspired to write this because of a video that I came across this morning. It's a video of a girl that set a goal to learn how to dance in a year. It's amazing and so inspiring.



I get a lot of emails through the website from young girls trying to find out how to join a cheer or dance team. I used to be those girls. Sometimes I wish I could train them myself, but the most I can do is give them words of encouragement and tell them to contact gyms or studios in their area.

I never thought that my passion for cheerleading and dance would stay with me long enough to coach recreation and high school teams, judge competitions and start a business. I guess it just goes to show that you never know where your dreams will take you in life. So stay hopeful, ambitious and dedicated because you never know where your hard work will take you!

Featured Contributor

Sable Talley (@sabletalley) is the CEO of National Spirit Network (formerly U.S. Cheer & Dance Directory). Her experience with cheerleading and dance goes back as early as 2000. Cheering in jr. high and school developed her passion for the sport, which carried on through her college and early adult years coaching and administrating recreational and high school cheerleading. She also received coaching and judging certifications through AACCA, USASF and Cheer Ltd. After hanging up her coaching and judging caps, she continues to thrive in the spirit industry with the National Spirit Network.