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Blog

Dallas Conference 2025

Thanks for checking out Next Gen. We’re excited to host the #1 conference in all star cheerleading again this year...

Next Generation Gym Owners and The Open Championships Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Gym Owners and Cheer Competitions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 17, 2025 Next Generation Gym Owners and The Open Championships Announce Strategic Partnership to Elevate Gym...

Lessons from Two Gyms: What I Learned About Opening a Second Location

In 2015, my gym had two locations. We were in just our second year of business, and less than a...

Patience Pays: The Secret to Thriving as a Cheer Gym Owner

Have you ever heard the fable about the goose that laid the golden egg? A man and his wife had...

The Digital Dilemma: Do Cheer Gyms Need Social Media Policies?

Many gyms have social media policies in place for their athletes and staff. In fact, we all see stuff on...

The Hiring Dilemma: What Do You Really Need in a Director

This is a follow up from the Cheer Biz Podcast, “Hiring a Director Won’t Solve Your Problems” published on Spotify...

Building Champion Teams: What Really Matters?

Yesterday, I shared how a local cheer mom’s question—“What does it take to build competitively successful teams?”—sparked some great conversation....

Franchise or Small Gym? Why Systems, Not Size, Create Champions

Sometimes cheer parents ask questions that make me laugh—like whether their 7-year-old can be on a Worlds team. But every...

A Step-by-Step Guide to Proshop Planning for 2025

Tired of watching parents DIY their own gym apparel because they can’t find what they need in your proshop? A...

Protect Your Brand: How to Stop Parents from DIY Gym Apparel

Picture this: It’s your first competition of the season, and there’s Suzy’s mom proudly sporting a shirt with your gym’s logo. The...

Why Perception Matters: Addressing Parental Concerns About Favoritism

If you’ve coached for any length of time, you likely can think back to athletes who impacted you as a...

Respecting Life Beyond Cheer: How Flexibility Boosts Staff Retention

Recently, someone asked two questions about staff in one of our Next Gen groups: How do you maintain a consistent...

Divided Loyalties: When Siblings Cheer at Competing Gyms

Years ago, our gym had a large family with five girls. One had recently graduated, three were in all star,...

When Bigger Isn’t Better: Why More Athletes May Not Solve Your Gym’s Problems

Earlier this year, my gym hit an all-time high of 700 athletes. For a gym in a town of just...

The Cost of Compassion: When to Extend Grace and When to Stand Firm on Payments

One of the top reasons gym owners find themselves short on cash each month is because of the large number...

5 Traits Every Great Gym Owner Shares (Hint: They Have Nothing to Do with Cheer)

What makes a great gym owner? Maybe the first thing that comes to your mind is, “knowledge of cheerleading” or...

What You Can (and Can’t) Ask When Checking References & Conducting Interviews

Recently during a call, a client told me about a strange situation he was facing with a potential employee. He...

No More Idle Time: How to Keep Your Gym Staff Productive Between Classes

I often hear from gym owners that their staff members sometimes push back on extra tasks they’re told to do....

The Reality of Business Partnerships: Lessons from My Ventures

In 2012, when I started preparing to open a gym, I was overwhelmed. I had coached cheerleading for many years,...

When Coaches Leave Midseason: A Gym Owner’s Guide to Handling the Unexpected

It’s not all that uncommon to lose coaches midseason. Life happens. They transfer colleges, get married or pregnant, or may...

Why Coaches Must End Practices on Time—Every Time!

No group on Facebook gives me better blog ideas than the Crazy Moms of Cheer. You may not believe it,...

When a Doctor’s Clearance Isn’t Enough: Protecting Injured Athletes in Your Gym

A few weeks ago I was listening to an episode on one of my favorite podcasts, “Let’s Talk Cheer.” I...

Half-Year Teams: How I Plan to Prepare Parents Amidst Mid-Season Chaos

This month has been busy. Like busy busy. I feel like I’m three days behind at any given time. Not...

Coaches’ Favorites: The Truth Behind Why Some Athletes Stand Out

Something I see often in “Cheer Mom” Facebook groups is parents complaining that the coach isn’t giving fair treatment and...

Stop Doing Drop-In Tumbling

This is a transcription from the episode: Stop Doing Drop in Tumbling that aired on Apple Podcast and Spotify, Oct....

What Comes After Listening: Why Parents Expect More from Gym Owners

Recently, I told you why I believe our gyms are so important based on my recent experience with high school...

The Untold Side of Coaching: Navigating the Challenges of Difficult Athletes

If you’re dealing with a difficult athlete on one of your teams this year, you’re not alone. Every season, we’ve...

When Schools Fall Short: How Cheer Gyms Can Provide the Support Athletes Deserve

This past week, I had an experience that helped me truly realize the importance of gyms like ours—and the extensive...

Your Words Can Destroy Your Business: Tips for Careful Communication

This week I had an especially hard conversation with someone. The majority of the conversation had to happen by email,...

Solving the Daily Challenges We Face With Cheer Parents

Yesterday, I talked to you about the questions I used to ask myself about cheer parents before I had kids...