Dear Coaches,

Wow, it's amazing how fast the years go by. I can't believe it's already over! After all the sweat and the tears; after all of the ankle braces; after all of the hairspray and bobby pins; the two-a-day's and the hour drive each way; the shuttle sprints and teh endless V-ups; after all the fun, it's actually over. To tell you the truth, I can't really imagine life without Cheer Central three days a week. I know that I am going to miss it so much, from practice to performance and everything in between; but especially the people. One of the most amazing things about a gym like ours is the FAMILY we have grown into. There is no other group of people in the world who I would be more proud to call my second family. I have learned so much from you and being part of the Suns Family has had such a huge impact on the way I am today, so thank you!! Thank you for everything - for believing in me when I didn't, for pushing me as hard as you did, and for teaching me everything that you have. Not only have I successfully learned how to set and pull a standing tuck, or double out of a scorpian, but I have learned so many other little things - like how to work with a group of 25 other kids and somehow form a TEAM with them... How to trust and earn trust... How hard work always pays off... How 110% is always easier than 90%... How my actions will always effect those around me... How to win and lose with a HEAD HELD HIGH... How to hit it, learn from it, and get back up to try again... How my attitude will make or break the attitudes of people everywhere... How dedication and commitment bring individuals together... How regret is the worst possible feeling... How we really only have ONE CHANCE to make it worth it... And how confidence in myself is all I need to ACHIEVE ANYTHING I DESIRE. Even if I can't throw a back handspring sprint in 20 years, these are the little things that I will remember forever! And every time I think of the gym and all of the things I carried out of it, I'll remember you guys (probably your voices more than anything) and I will definitely smile, not only because I have been trained to, but also because CHEER CENTRAL WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART. So thanks again for everything! Good luck next year. I promise I will be in that new gym as much as possible to check up on things!

Love Always,

Melissa D - Senior Coed 2003-2006

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; Not by what life brings to us, but the attitude that we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain of positive thoughts, events, and extraordinary results!"

I just wanted to say "Thank You" you have done for me this year. You pushed me more than I ever thought I could be pushed and taught me how to push myself out of my comfort zone. You have taught me so much about believing in myself and in a family of 30-some other people - my team. You taught me mental, emotional, and physical toughness. You showed my how hard work reallly does pay off and how all my actions really do affect everyone around me. This list could go on forever, but I will remember everything I have been taught over the last year because it made this year one of the best years of my life and I will never forget it! I couldn't imagine a better senior year. Thank you for being such an amazing coach and having such an amazing influence in my life.  - Ashley B - Senior Coed

Dear Julie, Wendy & Cheer Central Suns Coaches,

In August of 2004, I remember walking into the gym (to only find out information on tumbling) and seeing co-ed watching a video from nationals and Coach Julie asking if I wanted to try out for the senior novice team. At the time I had no clue what senior novice was but all I did was watch a piece of that video playing and saying to myself “one day I will be that good.” I know I’m not the best cheerleader in the world and I know I never will be, but to me of have accomplished more in two years then I have ever thought possible. When I was little I cheered for young Olympians and then I cheered for junior high and I even made varsity my freshman year, but I was always the girl standing in the back row never knowing my motions, and forgetting my cheers and the one that couldn’t tumble, and then I was introduced to Cheer Central. Something about your program has changed who I have become inside and out and I want to thank every single person who has made that happen. I have shocked so many people with whom I have become and no one ever thought I could do what I am doing today yet none of that could have happened with out my coaches. Every time I show up to practice, the encouragement I get from my coaches makes me feel so amazing.  My first year with senior novice coach Mike always believed and me and helped me whenever I need help, which at the time seemed to be a lot. Coach Kyle was my tumbling coach for most of the two years and with out him working with me 100% all the time, and helping me I would have never been able to do even a cartwheel. Yet I guess that’s how it is with all of the coaches you all seem to see something in each individual cheerleader, and you seem to give everyone a chance, even when that cheerleader won’t even believe in herself. I have gained so much trust with every coach at the gym, even the ones who haven’t been my actual team or tumbling coach. Like with out coach Danielle to this day I probably still wouldn’t have threw my standing two back handsprings. Yet cheerleading isn’t just a sport based on being amazing on the floor its so much more then that, which is the most important thing I have learned. You have all taught me to be a leader and to fight for what I want which is something you have to learn in life, and that’s what will help you reach your dreams. I have become so strong mentally and physically because of your outstanding program. The memories will live with me forever and I thank you all so much for that. I really just want to thank all the coaches who helped me keep my head help high and tell me every practice what I needed to complete my goals, and who have helped me work for them such as coach Shannon, Brittany and Mike. This letter was to tell you all how much I love Cheer Central and everything that all of you have all taught me will be with me forever. My life has changed and I want to say thanks to everyone who believed me when I couldn’t even believe in myself. I hope to cheer college and I also hope to major in sports administration (maybe returning to work for Cheer Central in the future!), and all of that is in large thanks to Cheer Central. I have worked so hard to be the best that I could be inside and out and it’s all because of the program you have all created.

Love Always, 

Danyelle P. - Senior 2

Cheerleading

It doesn’t matter if a person chooses to refer to it as a sport or as an activity, to me, cheerleading is the part of my life that has impacted me the most because it has taught me more than any other activity or sport I’ve participated in. It has taught me the importance of hard work, dedication, commitment, team work, sportsmanship, presentation, and most of all it has taught me how to be “headstrong”, or mentally tough. Headstrong was the motto of my 2003-2004 squad and it’s now the motto that I choose to live my life by. Headstrong is never giving up, even when it looks like there is no way out. It’s pushing through all the hard times, knowing that when you finally get through, everything will be better. It’s knowing that nothing lasts forever so eventually the rough road will end and at the end of that road is a bright new road to follow.

Team work is another important lesson that cheerleading has taught me. To me, team work means having faith in others even after they make mistakes, learning how to forgive and forget, learning how to love people for being unique, and especially learning how to ignore differences that you have with a person, keeping in mind that you all have the same goal and working together is vital to achieve this goal. Cheering competitively has taught me the rewards that come from hard work, dedication and commitment. I’ve learned that without these things, nothing great is ever accomplished. In order to truly work hard at something, you have to be dedicated to trying again and again until you get it right. Along with this dedication comes commitment to practice and practice as much as it takes to get things the way you want. Of course, this isn’t easy; truly being dedicated and committed to something is very hard work. However, if it was all easy, the rewards wouldn’t ever be as sweet. Because of the highly competitive nature of the cheerleading squad I chose to be a part of, I’ve also learned the true importance of sportsmanship and respect. Mom’s and Dad’s always tell you that you can’t always win but you never realize the pain of losing until you do; and when all you want to do is scream, I’ve come to see that you can’t. Instead, holding your head high in second place and congratulating the team in first is a much more classy and mature response. Also I’ve discovered through the years that training in second place is a great way to win first. I’ve learned how to make any situation fun in some way or another. I’ve taken a new pride in myself and my team mates and I’ve developed a new self-confidence. I’ve realized that it all comes down to having the right attitude and knowing you can do whatever you set your mind to. Finally, cheerleading has taught me respect. It has taught me to respect everyone, including myself.

Throughout my sixteen years, I’ve spent two of them cheering with the Cheer Central Suns and in those two years I’ve learned more than I think I ever will in one place. The importance of hard work, dedication, commitment, team work, sportsmanship, presentation, and  being “headstrong” are all lessons that I believe will be carried with me throughout the rest of my life. This is why cheerleading is so important to me; it’s what I’m all about!

-Melissa D - Senior Coed

I have been meaning to write to you forever! I miss you all so much. The only thing I have struggled with is keeping up my confidence, but whenever I get down on myself I always think about what you would tell me. No matter what happened you always knew exactly what to say to me. You knew how to motivate me and inspire me to be the best I could be. I would not be where I am today without all of you at cheer central. It is funny how you would tell us that we would miss the team dynamic we had last year and it is very true. I truly miss all of my teammates and the cheer central family! Say hi to everyone for me! I will continue to strive to get better and I will keep in mind everything you have taught me. I hope everything is going well with you! I wish all the teams at cheer central the best of luck for this competition season!!! I look forward to coming home and seeing all of you! Thanks again for everything! I will keep in touch!

Sincerely,

Rachel S. - Senior Coed

Hey Coach! 

I just want to let you know that I will do whatever it takes to be on the team again...whether it's next season or even my senior year. If i absolutely cannot find a way, then i will certainly do my best while im here to help the team when i return. In any case, I am so grateful that you gave me the oppurtunity to be a part of something so great. Not many people have done as much for me as you have as well as Kyle and the entire Cheer Central organization. Thank you to all the coaches and the team. I hope to see you all again. The sooner the better! 
Yours truly

~Jordan S. - Senior Coed Male

Dear Coach,

I know I don't always speak up in practice and I don't always let you know how I feel but the last couple have weeks have made such an impact on my life that I thought I would share it with you.

I never knew that I could fall so in love with a group of people. You guys have been telling us from the beginning what a special team we have and I can honestly say that all of those times you told us that, my thoughts were "Yea she's right" but i never really knew until now. I wish you could have seen the practice we had last night. We pulled together like a team I have never imagined before. I thought we were going to fall apart. But we didn't. If anything, we grew closer. We took a huge step together and I'm still amazed when I think about it now.

Cheer Central really is like a second family to me and when my life got really hard a few months ago, the team was there to catch me. And I really did let myself fall back on them. So I just wanted to say thank you. Along with not knowing how much I care about the team, I also did not know how much I care about you and Kyle. When you were gone, I felt like I was missing a parent. And there were so many nights I wanted to just call you and have you yell at me for a few seconds. I deffinatly never thought I would miss that as much as I have.

Cheer Central has become such a huge part of my life and I just want you to know that even though I don't always say it or show it, I am so thankful that I can be a part of such an amazing family. The list of things that I have learned in the past two years from this team in never ending. All of the nights that I thought I wanted to run out of the gym and never come back have definitely paid off and even though I know the next week is going to be hard....I am so excited because I know we'll get through it.

Thanks Again for Everything

Your the Best

Love Always

Melissa - Senior Coed

Coaches,

Thank you very much for a wonderful year of cheer! You have taught me so much and made me a lot stronger! You pushed the team to a point that we never thought we could go and in the end it all paid off!! This year is one that I will never forget. Through everything, we pulled through as a TEAM!

Thank you!

Megan - Sr. Coed

When I first began cheerleading I was told that I would love it, and I truly do. From the first day of tryouts, I knew that this was what I wanted to do. I came home that day and told my mom how everyone was so nice and supportive. Through everything, we have thrived. I have learned a lot about myself this year, but most of all this sport has made me humble. Most things come quite easily to me, however, in this sport, I really had to practice - most of the coaches would know because I can always be found putting in extra time at every open gym during the week! Thank you to everyone who accepted me for who I am and for pushing me. I love all of you and you will always have a place in my heart.

Nick

Dear Coaches,

I wanted to say thank you for such an awesome and wonderful season. You all have been there for me no matter what. When my everyone including my friends, school teachers & peers looked down on me and mocked me for being a male cheerleader, you all were there for me. Being on this team has taught me many life lessons. I am so grateful to have such great coaches! It has been an honor to be on this team. Thank you and God bless.

Justin