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Welcome back to Off the Mat! In this episode, we sit down with Kevin from Redline Championships to talk about what's happening in the world of event production and how Redline is changing the game for gyms, athletes, and families across the industry. With 45 years in the cheer and dance world, Kevin brings a unique perspective on where the industry has been and where it's headed. From launching the Tournament of Champions to introducing the brand new Junior and Senior Select Performance divisions, Redline is creating opportunities that go beyond the traditional score sheet and bring back the creativity, energy, and wow moments that made us all fall in love with this sport. We dive deep into what makes Redline different, how they're listening to gym owners and coaches, and why creating an unforgettable experience matters just as much as what happens on the mat. Whether you're a gym owner looking for the right events, a coach trying to keep your athletes engaged, or a parent wanting to understand what goes into a great competition experience, this episode is packed with insight. Subscribe! 00:00 Introduction: Who is Kevin and What Does He Do? 02:15 What Makes Redline Championships Different 05:30 Listening to Gym Owners and Making Changes 08:45 Tournament of Champions Explained 12:20 March Madness Style Bracketing by Level 15:10 International Tournament of Champions 18:00 The New Select Performance Divisions 22:30 Bringing Back Creativity and Performance 26:45 Who These Divisions Are For 30:20 The Red Alert Award: Recognizing Wow Moments 35:00 Creating Experiences That Last Beyond the Score 38:50 Meet Rex and Ruby: Redline's Mascots 41:30 Super Nationals and Destination Events 46:15 Making Competition Affordable for All Programs 50:40 All Star Premieres: Turnkey Showcases 56:20 Why Redline: We See You, We Hear You, We Are You

After 25 years at Woodlands Elite, Kevin opens up about one of the biggest transitions of his life. From coaching nine teams in the gym's first season to leading Generals to nine national championships, Kevin's journey has been nothing short of legendary. But change is inevitable, and sometimes the hardest decisions lead to the most meaningful new chapters. In this raw and honest conversation, we dive deep into what it's like to coach at the highest level, the evolution of all star cheer over three decades, and why Kevin ultimately decided to leave the program he helped build. We talk about the pressure of coaching iconic teams, the challenge of picking world class rosters, and how social media has changed the game for athletes, parents, and coaches alike. Kevin shares what drew him to Prodigy, what excites him about this new chapter, and what he wants his legacy to be when the lights go out and the music stops. This one's for anyone who's ever had to make a hard choice, reinvent themselves, or walk away from something they built in order to stay true to who they are. Subscribe! 00:00 Introduction: Leaving After 25 Years 02:15 How It All Started: From Trampoline to Worlds 08:30 Becoming All Star Director 11:45 What It's Like Coaching Generals 15:20 The Pressure of Social Media and Expectations 18:40 Practice Schedules and Team Placement 23:10 Making Cuts on a Championship Team 27:30 Coaching Junior Six Colonels 31:00 How the Industry Has Changed Over 30 Years 36:45 Parent Involvement and Accountability 40:20 Commitment Levels Then vs. Now 44:15 High School Cheer and the Tug of War 48:50 Favorite Age Groups and Coaching Tiny One 52:30 Why Kevin Left Woodlands Elite 58:10 Standing Behind What You Believe In 01:03:20 Why Prodigy 01:07:40 The Energy and Culture at Prodigy 01:12:15 What's Next: Consulting and International Work 01:15:30 What Kevin Wants to Be Remembered For

Welcome back to Off the Mat! Ever wonder what it takes to run a successful cheer program? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the systems, protocols, and daily operations that keep Mustang running smoothly. Joined by Taylor, one of our directors, we break down everything from staff uniforms to carpool rotations to class evaluations. Whether you're a gym owner, coach, or parent, this episode is packed with practical insights on building systems that work, creating a culture of excellence, and showing up every day like you're still trying to earn the job. Subscribe! 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:15 The Importance of Staff Uniforms 03:42 Positions and Safety Protocols 06:28 First Impressions and the Parent Experience 09:20 Class Structure and Rotation Systems 13:45 The Mustang Star Leadership Award 16:30 Carpool System Explained 20:10 Coach Requests and What Makes a Great Coach 24:55 Fab Fours and Private Classes 28:40 Communication Between Coaches and Administration 31:25 Evaluation Systems and Tracking Progress 35:18 Attendance Policies and Taking Your Job Seriously 38:50 Staff Development and Monday Meetings 42:35 Yearly Staff Training 46:20 Adaptability and Continuous Improvement 50:15 Final Thoughts on Elevating the Experience

Welcome back to Off the Mat! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE! 00:00 Welcome Back and Four Things You Need to Know 00:52 Your Attitude Going Into Practice Matters 04:13 Coaches Have Favorites and Why That's Okay 06:33 Attendance Matters More Than You Think 08:40 The Disrespect of Last-Minute Absences 11:46 Your Choreography Spot is Not Your Final Spot 12:34 How Routines Change Throughout the Season 14:37 Stay Ready and Keep Working on Your Skills 16:08 Body Positions and Flexibility: Start Now 20:31 Bases and Backspots Are Just as Important 23:33 The Transition from Flyer to Base 28:15 Final Thoughts: Relax and Enjoy the Season

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Woodlands Elite has officially arrived in San Antonio. In this episode, we sit down with the team behind the new location to talk about how it all came together, the vision behind the gym, and what the future looks like as they build the next chapter of Woodlands Elite.  00:00 - Introductions and how it started 03:44 - Why Woodlands Elite? 04:26 - Why San Antonio? 05:50 - Challenges of Opening a gym 08:17 - Do you feel the pressure? 11:02 - How many Teams? 13:10 - Ownership Pressure 15:03 - The coaches’ stories 26:26 - What Does Success Look like for the Year? 30:18 - What Makes You Stand Out as a Coach? 34:44 - What Experience Do We Want For Everyone? 36:54 - Why Should An Athlete Choose WESA? 42:05 - What are You Most Proud of? 49:48 - What Do You Want to be Remembered For?

In this episode of Off the Mat, I sit down with Ryan Chance to talk about his journey from coach to director and what it really takes to make it in the DFW cheer scene. We dive into how competitive this market is, the pressure that comes with it, and what separates great coaches from the rest. Follow me: Instagram: @coachrauld33 TikTok: @rauld33 Snapchat: @rauld33 00:00 - Where he got his start07:08 - Full Time Coaching09:00 - how to grow to be a D1 director11:07 - Coaching in Australia 15:34 - the return to Dallas and managing a staff 21:53 - Advice for Young Coaches24:52 - Working at Champion Cheer - Justin28:36 - what separates good from great athletes?30:43 - Justin location path to success 34:25 - Impacting Athletes when they Graduate 35:33 - Athletes Switching Gyms38:26 - what keeps you coaching?40:01 - Q&A - Flex Division Removal41:51 - Q&A - Does Tumbling Matter for team placement?42:56 - Q&A - How to Navigate Unapproachable Coaches 44:32 - Q&A - Advice for New Gym Owner46:44 - What are you most proud of?48:05 - what do you want to be remembered for?

In this episode of Off the Mat, I sit down with Ryan Chance to talk about his journey from coach to director and what it really takes to make it in the DFW cheer scene. We dive into how competitive this market is, the pressure that comes with it, and what separates great coaches from the rest. Follow me: Instagram: @coachrauld33 TikTok: @rauld33 Snapchat: @rauld33 00:00 - Where he got his start 07:08 - Full Time Coaching 09:00 - how to grow to be a D1 director 11:07 - Coaching in Australia 15:34 - the return to Dallas and managing a staff 21:53 - Advice for Young Coaches 24:52 - Working at Champion Cheer - Justin 28:36 - what separates good from great athletes? 30:43 - Justin location path to success 34:25 - Impacting Athletes when they Graduate 35:33 - Athletes Switching Gyms 38:26 - what keeps you coaching? 40:01 - Q&A - Flex Division Removal 41:51 - Q&A - Does Tumbling Matter for team placement? 42:56 - Q&A - How to Navigate Unapproachable Coaches 44:32 - Q&A - Advice for New Gym Owner 46:44 - What are you most proud of? 48:05 - what do you want to be remembered for?

In this episode of Off The Mat, I share four hard truths every cheer parent should understand if they want to truly support their athlete. We talk about why kids aren’t always being held back — sometimes they’re being protected, why body positions still matter more than tumbling, why discipline and family support matter when athletes move up levels, and how parent expectations can shape a child’s experience in the sport. This isn’t criticism — it’s an honest perspective from the coaching side about how parents can help their kids succeed, grow, and enjoy the journey. 00:00 - 4 Things Parents need to Hear00:35 - #1: Don’t Ruin the Sport01:51 - The car ride home02:47 - #2: Your athlete isn’t being held back, they are are being protected.04:27 - Proper Athlete Development05:36 - #3: Body Positions are the MOST Important key to flying on a team06:40 - #4: Athletes aren’t complete on Skills Alone09:41 - How to Have a Happy Athlete

In this episode of Off The Mat, I share four hard truths every cheer parent should understand if they want to truly support their athlete. We talk about why kids aren’t always being held back — sometimes they’re being protected, why body positions still matter more than tumbling, why discipline and family support matter when athletes move up levels, and how parent expectations can shape a child’s experience in the sport. This isn’t criticism — it’s an honest perspective from the coaching side about how parents can help their kids succeed, grow, and enjoy the journey. 00:00 - 4 Things Parents need to Hear 00:35 - #1: Don’t Ruin the Sport 01:51 - The car ride home 02:47 - #2: Your athlete isn’t being held back, they are are being protected. 04:27 - Proper Athlete Development 05:36 - #3: Body Positions are the MOST Important key to flying on a team 06:40 - #4: Athletes aren’t complete on Skills Alone 09:41 - How to Have a Happy Athlete

00:00 - NCA Just Around The Corner 00:58 - Cheersport Recap01:46 - Coaching More than the Skills03:34 - Camera Equipment04:06 - Is Game Day cheer still “Real?”04:55 - How to Prepare for your FIRST NCA Ever!!06:27 - Back Handspring Tips08:06 - Where will Raul be next weekend?08:29 - Becoming a Summit Champ09:59 - Tips for Fulls10:52 - How to Help an athlete Be More Confident13:31 - Favorite Division to Watch?14:41 - Any Secret to Stunting?16:17 - Our Dance is Struggling, what Do we do??18:13 - Pro Cheer League19:05 - NCA being in Houston21:05 - How to Bring Cheer to a Country where it isn’t.22:20 - Flyer Performance and Confidence24:20 - Switching from Flyer to Base

00:00 - NCA Just Around The Corner 00:58 - Cheersport Recap 01:46 - Coaching More than the Skills 03:34 - Camera Equipment 04:06 - Is Game Day cheer still “Real?” 04:55 - How to Prepare for your FIRST NCA Ever!! 06:27 - Back Handspring Tips 08:06 - Where will Raul be next weekend? 08:29 - Becoming a Summit Champ 09:59 - Tips for Fulls 10:52 - How to Help an athlete Be More Confident 13:31 - Favorite Division to Watch? 14:41 - Any Secret to Stunting? 16:17 - Our Dance is Struggling, what Do we do?? 18:13 - Pro Cheer League 19:05 - NCA being in Houston 21:05 - How to Bring Cheer to a Country where it isn’t. 22:20 - Flyer Performance and Confidence 24:20 - Switching from Flyer to Base

ACA Nationals wasn’t just about placements — it showed us momentum, execution, and who’s starting to peak. In this episode of Off The Mat, we break down pyramid difficulty, paid bids, standout teams, Golden Girls winning Grand Champion, Renegades’ big weekend and Best Tumbling, and what we’re watching as Houston competes next. 00:00 - Mustang weekend  recap 02:23 - Notable teams: 02:43 - All Star Revolution courage  05:41 - Rock City Shockwave 08:39 - All Star Revolution Victory  11:25 - Cheer Athletics Cheetahs 15:16 - Edmond Memorial High School 19:20 - Scoring Discrepancies

ACA Nationals wasn’t just about placements — it showed us momentum, execution, and who’s starting to peak. In this episode of Off The Mat, we break down pyramid difficulty, paid bids, standout teams, Golden Girls winning Grand Champion, Renegades’ big weekend and Best Tumbling, and what we’re watching as Houston competes next. 00:00 - Mustang weekend recap 02:23 - Notable teams: 02:43 - All Star Revolution courage 05:41 - Rock City Shockwave 08:39 - All Star Revolution Victory 11:25 - Cheer Athletics Cheetahs 15:16 - Edmond Memorial High School 19:20 - Scoring Discrepancies

In this episode of Off the Mat, Adrianna and I talk about how the Dallas winter freeze impacted High School Nationals. We also get into the bigger conversations happening in cheer right now, including the Pro Tour League, MAJORS, and the difference between a good attitude and a bad as an athlete.  00:00 - High School Nationals in a Snow Storm?? 3:41 - Prestonwood’s BIG WIN 6:38 - the majors recap 10:21 - pro cheer league debut 15:35 - ACA and NO practice?!? 17:11 - just because you don’t have a bad attitude, doesn’t mean you have a good attitude.