Cheer360 Summer Fun: #Cheer360Flexercise Competition!

As school has ended and the summer has finally set upon us, we here at Cheer360 decided to have a summer long, friendly and fun competition. Cheer360 builds smarter, stronger and better cheerleaders. To do that, it is important that we exercise, maintain a well balanced diet, mentally prepare and most of all, have fun while doing so.

To make sure we continue to smile both on and off the competition mat, Cheer360 is having a summer long, #Cheer360Flexercise competition. So what does that exactly entail you ask? Here are the details:

1. First and foremost, while this is a competition, it is important that we have fun! Cheer360 promotes healthy lifestyles, self awareness, confidence and lifelong learning. The competition's goal is to reinforce these ideas and help the community 'find their personal greatness.'

2. So what is a #Cheer360Flexercise competition? Cheer360 asks that you tag or upload as many pictures or videos of you, your friends, family, pets or team doing your favorite flex or exercise or both! Perhaps, your favorite exercise is burpees (everyone's favorite exercise) or box jumps into a needle (see our Long Island Cheer athletes below) or tuck jumps. If that is the case, take a picture or video and send it to us!

3. How can you send us your videos and pictures? While using the #Cheer360Flexercise hashtag, you can tweet us on Twitter, tag us on Facebook or Instagram at Cheer_360 or upload a video to our YouTube page.  Remember, it is important that you use the #Cheer360Flexercise hashtag!

4. See rule 1.

5. So how do I win? Cheer360 staff and social media likes, shares, favorites, retweets etc. will determine the winners. Creativity, fun and the proper execution of the exercise are equally important. Yes, there will be multiple winners.

6. Can you submit more than one photo or video. Yes! You can submit as many as you like, but don't forget to use the #Cheer360Flexercise hashtag!

7. So what do I win? Winners will receive prizes that range from, exercise equipment, Cheer360 training sessions, workout gear and gift cards.The prizes will be posted on our website in August.  

8. Remember, all videos and photos will be posted for everyone to see. As rule number 1 states, this is meant to let people know that fitness and healthy living are not only important but fun. Good sportsmanship is important to this competition and Cheer360 has the right to disqualify any participants if their entry is inappropriate or done in poor taste.

9. Who can submit photos? Anyone can! Friends, family, Cheer360 athletes, staff, teams, pets. As long as they are following our rules, anything is possible!

10. Lastly, have fun, be creative and show us what great things you are all capable of achieving!

Continue to follow our blog and website as we will compile an album that will showcase all our #Cheer360Flexercise participants!

If you have any questions about our competition or would love to learn more about Cheer360 and our program, feel free to register at www.cheer-360.com for updates or email Coach Kristen at Kristen@cheer-360.com

Coach Mike says, "Let the #Cheer360Flexercise begin!!!"

As a Cheer360 Co-Founder, Arthur's young, energetic and ambitious career has prepared him for his exciting role as the Director of Operations and Business Development. Here he manages business operations and establishes strategic partnerships that will bring the latest equipment, guest speakers, food and nutrition and educational programming directly to the athletes, families and communities served by Cheer360. For more information visit: www.cheer-360.com

Spotlight: Cheer360 Athlete Meghan Ruggiero Receives "Find Your Greatness Scholarship"

Recently, we celebrated the accomplishment of Cheer360 athlete, Meghan Ruggiero on her acceptance into Western Kentucky University and her placement on the Cheerleading squad. Cheer360 awarded Meghan with a $100, 'Find Your Greatness Scholarship.' The newly established scholarship is meant to support Cheerleaders who pursue their dreams of furthering their Cheerleading career at the Collegiate level. 

The newly established scholarship program was created to meet the financial needs of the traditionally under-served scholarship population found within the sport of Cheerleading. Scholarship money goes towards covering any incurred costs related to serving on a Collegiate Cheerleading team. 

Cheer360 was able to speak to Meghan and ask her some questions and celebrate this special accomplishment. 

Bio

Athlete Name: Meghan Ruggiero

Team and Position: Smithtown East, Flyer

College: Western Kentucky University, Class of 2018

Cheer360: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you decided that you wanted to be a Cheerleader?

Meghan: As a young girl, I always looked up to and found inspiration from my sister, Ashley. When my sister joined cheerleading, I was able to see how it positively challenged her while at the same time, how much fun the sport was as well. In seeing this, I decided I must become a Cheerleader! 

Cheer360: What is that you like most about the sport of Cheerleading?

Meghan:  I really like the family aspect of Cheerleading, you spend so much time with your team they quickly become your family. It is really nice to have made so many memories with my team and know that should anyone need something, we are all there for each other. 

Cheer360: How has Cheer360 helped you achieve your goals and find your greatness?

Meghan: Cheer360 has made me a stronger cheerleader overall. It has given me all the skills I will need to be the best possible athlete. I only wish Cheer360 was around when I first starting cheering! 

Cheer360: What are you looking forward to most about Western Kentucky University and their Cheerleading program?

Meghan: I am looking forward to all the new challenges WKU Cheerleading will put before me. I like being challenged and I believe being part of this team will push me to my full potential and help me reach greatness!

Cheer360: Meghan, before you go, do you have any words of advice for other Cheerleaders who want to follow in your footsteps?

Meghan: I would give young Cheerleaders the advice to work hard, even when times get tough, you must stick with it and work harder. The success you achieve will all be worth it! Also, never say I can't!

Cheer360: Thank you for your time and answers. We want to wish Meghan much luck and success in her pursuits. We are confident that she will succeed and continue to make her family, friends, teammates and Cheer360 very proud.

Cheer360 is always looking to support our athletes by helping them find their own personal greatness. If you are a college bound cheerleader and wish to apply, please contact Coach Kristen (Kristen@cheer-360.com) for more details. 

Big Smiles with Meghan and Coach Kristen

Thumbs up for Success! Western Kentucky University look out! 

Fun Friday: Putting Cheer360 Core Values to Use!

For their entire lives, the owners of Cheer360 have used their collective set of core values as their moral compass for their everyday decision making. These core values are what make each of us ourselves, and Cheer360 the premier strength, nutrition and mental coaching program for cheerleaders. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cheer360 core values, I am going to utilize this as an opportunity to showcase through our actions, how we roll up our sleeves, influence and empower our athletes, and lead by example.

Excellence: in all we do directs our Cheer360 team to develop a sustained passion for continuous improvement and innovation that will propel Cheer360 athletes into a long term, upward spiral of accomplishment and performance.

• Cheer360 has not only worked hard to achieve success, but we hold ourselves accountable in doing so. It is often said that hard work and achieving excellence in all that we do, will not go unnoticed. This was the case this past week as one of the top division I NCAA Cheer programs, The University of Central Florida, recognized our work by "liking" our motivational images and commenting back on our Cheer360 Instagram as seen here. This was a big boost of motivation to not only our team but our athletes as well. 

Persistence: We require that the Cheer360 team possesses the inner drive necessary to position oneself to overachieve daily. The majority of successes happen just after overcoming the most difficult. This is where the personal development comes in. Remember, just keep going!

• Cheer360 helps our athletes map out nutritional, mental and physical plans. This balanced approach will lead to an overall improved healthy lifestyle that will last a lifetime. Who knew that boxes were not just meant to be jumped on? 

Respect and Humility: We value the strengths, experiences and perspectives of others, and we recognize our own limitations. Cheer360 places value in those around us as they are not only a source, but a beneficiary of our success. 

• One of our smallest, yet hardest working athletes, Crista embodies the famous Mark Twain quote, "It is not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog." Crista's hard work, has been an inspiration to us all, as seen by her quick rise to Instagram fame, notice the comments of support! 

Team: We value and care about each other, operate with a generosity of spirit, and have fun in the process of working together. To maximize our collective impact, we inspire, challenge and support each other to be our best and sustain our efforts. 

• Cheer360 has the benefit of seeing our hard work blossom into greatness right before our eyes. To ensure our success continues, we as a team work really hard to challenge one another to put forth creative, challenging and fun ideas. This is most evident in a recent team push up session!

Community:  We are committed to the cultivation of positive relationships between, and common experiences among, athletes, parents and staff. We instill a strong sense of self recognition and purpose with our athletes. These skills empower our athletes to serve as leaders in their communities. 

• Cheer360 has begun establishing the framework for a Cheerleader mentoring program. This mentoring program model will be implemented in communities that have youth cheer teams/leagues. Cheer360 will mentor current Cheer360 athletes to become coaches and mentors themselves for youth cheer programs. This program will develop future leaders and be a tremendous investment in the communities overall future.

I hope you enjoyed seeing how we practice what we preach. With being open for just under a month, Cheer360 has been to able to inspire and put smiles on the faces of many. We are thrilled and excited about all the support we have received and look forward to the bright future ahead. Remember, it is more than just cheerleading for us, it is a balanced healthy lifestyle that will last a lifetime. 

As a Cheer360 Co-Founder, Arthur's young, energetic and ambitious career has prepared him for his exciting role as the Director of Operations and Business Development. Here he manages business operations and establishes strategic partnerships that will bring the latest equipment, guest speakers, food and nutrition and educational programming directly to the athletes, families and communities served by Cheer360. For more information visit: www.cheer-360.com

IS CHEER360 JUST FOR CHEERLEADERS?

Cheer360 was founded on the belief that all athletes should receive a well balanced, personalized, proper strength, nutrition and mental coaching program. Cheer360 has focused its coaching efforts on athletes who traditionally, have been misunderstood  or underestimated and have not participated in a year round training regiment. Consequentially, it is these athletes who are highest at risk to injuries, confidence issues and unhealthy eating habits.

Cheer360 knows that cheerleaders, have to possess the strength of a football player, coordination of a dancer, flexibility of a gymnast, mental toughness of a wrestler and proper diet of a swimmer. Understanding this, Cheer360 has developed a  program that incorporates exercises that ensure our athletes are working on strength, conditioning, speed and agility, mobility and flexibility, mental training and nutritional planning. The Cheer360 staff has taken this philosophy seriously and has emerged our athletes in purpose driven, functional and fun exercises, as exhibited by some of our team workout videos posted on the Cheer360 youtube page.

So is Cheer360 only for cheerleaders? The answer is a resounding no. The Cheer360 founders know what it takes to be not only a successful cheerleader, but a successful athlete as well. Currently, Cheer360 serves dancers, gymnasts, baton twirlers and cheerleaders. All of these athletes are receiving the comprehensive, personalized fitness programming that they themselves and their respective sports desire.

It is important to remember that the "Cheer" in Cheer360 represents not only a sport, but an emotion that if embraced, will add unlimited positive benefits for a lifetime.

If you are an athlete and are unsure if you are the right fit for Cheer360, contact us to set up a free workout at our facility or call us for a phone consultation.

As a Cheer360 Co-Founder, Arthur's young, energetic and ambitious career has prepared him for his exciting role as the Director of Operations and Business Development. Here he manages business operations and establishes strategic partnerships that will bring the latest equipment, guest speakers, food and nutrition and educational programming directly to the athletes, families and communities served by Cheer360. For more information visit: www.cheer-360.com

Choosing Carbs for Peak Performance

Over the past couple of decades carbohydrates haven't had a great reputation.  One diet after another has come out banishing carbohydrates from the diet almost entirely or in very small quantities.  Yet despite the growing "carbs are the enemy" movement, Americans still saw rising obesity rates.

The truth is, in order to have healthy, balanced eating, you need carbohydrates.  They are the preferred source of energy for your brain, and by eliminating them, you are asking your body to rely on making other sources of fuel that can eventually put your body in harms way.  Now that does not mean you should go eat a bagel, follow it with a bread bowl at lunch and pasta for dinner, but knowing how to use carbohydrates to your advantage will not only keep you satisfied, it will allow you to perform at a higher level than you would from avoiding carbs.

Carbohydrates should make up 45-65% of your overall diet.  If you are an athlete actively training or your sport is in season, you should be on the upper end of that range.  The real secret about making carbohydrates a part of a healthy eating plan is knowing which ones will give you the most "bang for your buck."

Here are a few tips for choosing the right carbohydrates for your diet:

•                Choose Whole Grains: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has stated that Americans should aim to eat three servings of whole grains a day.  These powerful products contain fiber, protein and B vitamins that you may not find in refined carbohydrates like white rice, semolina pasta, and most dessert products.  So try and make the majority of carbohydrates you consume a part of the whole grain family.

•                Investigate Labels: Sometimes products that seem healthy are actually not.  For example, "multigrain" products often still have "Enriched flour" as their first ingredient.  This means they are just as unhealty as their white carb counterpart.  Make sure whole grain or wheat flour is the first ingredient so you know you are getting a non-refined product.

•                Fruits and Vegetables: One of the biggest problems with low to no carbohydrate diets when they first came out was they decreased the importance of fruits and vegetables because they are carbohydrates.  These are the last foods you want to cut out because they pack the most health benefits with usually the least amount of calories per serving. So aim for 3 to 5 a day for tons of disease fighting vitamins and nutrients!

•                Start Your Day the Carbohydrate Way: Consuming a breakfast that is mostly carbohydrates will set you up for success throughout the day.  When we wake up in the morning, we have not eaten since the night before.  Our carbohydrate stores are depleted and our brain needs fuel to start functioning.  Choosing oatmeal, whole grain cereals, or whole grain toast or waffles will start you off with quality carbohydrates, giving you the best start to your day.

The way carbohydrates help you at breakfast is the same way they help you as an athlete.  Carbohydrates are the best fuel to have at your disposal before performing an athletic activity that is longer than an hour, or very intense, so make sure you are having quality carbohydrates two to three hours before your workout, practice or game.  

Carbohydrates aren't the enemy, rather they are your friend!  So show them a little love from now on and see your performance improve!

Fun Friday: Early Memorable Moments

With Cheer360 set to open its doors on April 13, 2013, staff find themselves filled with excitement that is equally matched by all those they come in contact with. In the short time Cheer360 has been readying for its grand opening, many lives have already been positively touched and memories created.

A staple of the Cheer360 program is to tailor training programs to the athletes they serve by working with coaches, parents and athletes themselves, to ensure no need goes unaddressed.  An outcome from this personalized programming by Coaches Kent and Shari, is a benchmark workout that is named for the team or group of athletes participating in it. The athletes will later on in their training be tested to see how their overall fitness has improved. To date, we have seen the Hauppauge Eagles, "Drop Down and Get Their Eagle On" by engaging in a circuit of deadlifts, box jumps, bosu ball squats and kettlebell thrusters. The Smithtown Bulls found the benchmark exercise of BATO (Bulls Are Taking Over) to be a circuit of bosu ball push ups, K-band jumps, box jumps and medicine ball thrusters. As Cheer360 opens this weekend, more benchmark programs will be created, more athletes will begin their training programs and more fun, creative and personalized workouts will be named by our coaches and athletes.

One other recent experience that had a memorable impact on Cheer360 staff and athletes, occurred during a recent educational talk on proper nutrition by Coach Shelbi. The topic turned to, "How healthy are energy bars?" The young athletes began through rapid fire, naming nearly, EVERY SINGLE energy bar and seeking
Coach Shelbi's nutritional nod of approval. It was a very informative and fun presentation that came to an end when the group broached the subject of candy bars!

In these early weeks, Cheer360 could not be more thankful for those athletes that have already signed up and begun challenging themselves to reach their peak fitness levels. As Cheer360 grows, we expect to share more and more of these memorable moments shared by our staff, athletes, coaches, parents and community.

If you had a memorable moment at Cheer360 please feel free to write us by commenting below or emailing Kristen@cheer-360.com. These memorable moments are shining examples of inspiration to all of us.

For more information about Cheer360 visit www.Cheer-360.com and sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Cheer360 Grand Opening Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nation’s Only Strength, Nutrition and Mental Coaching Program for Cheerleaders

 

Cheer360 invites the community to attend its grand opening event scheduled for April 13^th, 2013 from 10am to 3pm located at 80 Lake Ave South, Suite 11, Nesconset, NY 11767

April 5, 2013

NESCONSET, NY:  Cheer360 is set to officially introduce cheerleading specific strength, nutrition and mental coaching services to the cheerleading community.  Cheer360 delivers a well rounded, 360 degree approach to the proper education and training needed to prevent and overcome sports related injuries, poor nutrition habits and mental stresses associated with cheerleading.

Co-Founder and Director of Educational Programming, Shari Tarburton says, “Cheer360 possesses the knowledge, experience and passion needed to teach the essential set of foundational skills cheerleaders need in order to live long, healthy and successful lifestyles.” 

With over 20 years of Cheerleading experience, Co-Founders Shari Tarburton and Kristen Perri understand the demands that are placed on Cheerleaders. More so, they know what these athletes need to succeed and have a lifetime of healthy being. In a sport filled with injuries, safety and injury prevention are main goals of Cheer360.

“Cheer360 treats Cheerleading as it should be, a multidimensional sport where Cheerleaders need to possess the flexibility of a gymnast, the mental toughness of a wrestler and the strength of a football player,” says Kristen Perri, Co-Founder and Director of Mental Fitness. 

Cheer360 announces the grand opening of its program set for April 13^th, 2013 from 10am to 3pm, located at 80 Lake Ave South, Suite 11, Nesconset, NY 11767. All are welcome to attend. Information sessions will be ongoing all day.

For more information about Cheer360, please visit www.Cheer-360.com or call: (631) 410-4360.

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Cheer360 is a cheerleading specific, strength, nutrition and mental coaching program run by certified, accomplished and enthusiastic fitness, nutrition and cheer professionals that educate athletes to achieve, maintain and perform at the highest personal, physical, nutritional and mental level possible. Located in Nesconset, NY, the Cheer360 program teaches skills that transcend sport and enrich one’s personal life.

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT:  Arthur W. Perri, Jr. Office: 631-410-4360, Cell: 631-988-0766

Email: Arthur@cheer-360.com

Are You a Cheater?

The word “cheat” usually conjures up a lot of negative thoughts.  Whether it is cheating on an assignment or in a relationship, it is not a good thing.  But when it comes to being on a diet, the concept of having a “cheat” is one that people start out thinking “what a great idea!”

People wait for their allowable “cheat” times with mouths watering.  They think about all the delicious treats they will indulge themselves in, believing these indulgences at specific times will keep them on a healthy track for their “diet days.”Incorporating “cheating” into a diet plan is very popular in a lot of current diet trends.  The Paleo diet encourages cheating on the weekends or two days a week, while focusing on eating foods our earliest ancestors would eat (animal protein, fruits, vegetables, no gluten and no dairy) the rest of the week.  The new“fast diet” which encourages “intermittent fasting” says you can eat whatever you want five days a week, but can only have 500 calories on two other days.  The idea in both of these examples are the same, by giving people the right to eat “whatever” at certain times, they are more apt to stick to their “diet plan” as opposed to diets that have you watching what you eat everyday.

The problem is, cheating is a negative thing when dieting.  It usually begets more cheating because when you restrict yourself, you want things that you can’t have even more.  It is a big reason why people have difficulty staying on a diet and weight loss and gain can go back and forth.  Not to mention it hurts your metabolism by slowing it down, the last thing you want when you are trying to maintain a healthy weight.  The schedule of your life should not revolve around cheat days.  What if it is Wednesday and you want to eat a dessert when you are out with your friends after a game?  You have the right to eat that dessert even though it was not your “cheat” day.

Eating should be an enjoyable part of life that helps make you more equipped to handle your daily life and the things it can throw at you.  When the way you eat becomes intuitive, you are no longer restricted to a crazy diet with rules.  You will find yourself tuning into your hunger signals and being able to appease them without being unhealthy.

If some of this sounds familiar and you want to know more about intuitive eating, feel free to email me at shelbi@cheer360.com or visit our website at http://www.cheer-360.com.

A Dream Becomes a Reality: The CHEER 360 Story

On March 1st, with a newly furnished key (a zebra printed one for the record), CHEER 360 opened the doors to more than just a 2,200 square foot training facility. CHEER 360 opened the doors to a future of endless and limitless possibilities.

For the preceding 8 months that led up to March 1st, CHEER 360 was just a dream. At a beach gathering among family and friends, the eventual founders of CHEER 360 were having an in depth conversation regarding what their passions were and what they most desired. Kristen Perri and Shari Tarburton, lifelong cheerleaders and current varsity coaches, with big smiles and excitement, spoke at great length how they would love to work with young athletes by providing them with a strong foundation of strength, mental and nutritional coaching. Three key elements that are needed to not only be a successful cheerleader, but to live a well-balanced, healthy and successful life. 

This idea quickly gathered momentum as research was gathered, support was well received and the energy never lost. Co-Founders, Kristen and Shari working with their respective husbands Artie (a business development specialist) and Kent (a certified personal trainer and one time cheerleader himself) found that no such program existed for Cheerleaders on Long Island--nor throughout the entire country. 

Knowing no such program existed, Kristen and Shari suddenly felt more empowered than ever to create a program that addresses the true needs of cheerleaders. When accounting for sports related injuries, including concussions, Cheerleading ranks among the highest. Not only is this population prone to sport related injuries, but additionally, the demographics of the sport are of high risk to having eating disorders. Combining these issues with the social pressures of being a young athlete, it was clear, that a solution is needed to meet the demands of these pressing issues.

CHEER 360 is no longer just a dream, it is a reality. With teams already signing up to participate in the sport's only strength, mental and nutritional coaching program, CHEER 360 recognizes the vital role it plays in shaping the lives of the athletes but the future of the sport of Cheerleading as well.

Since the zebra printed key opened the door to the facility, paperwork has been signed, specialized programming has been planned and equipment ordered and assembled. Much time has been spent preparing CHEER 360 to meet the demands and needs of its athletes. More so, a lifetime has passed as its founders have long been ready to share their dream with the world.

CHEER 360 is officially ready to continue this exciting journey with each and every one of you. Stay tuned and follow the CHEER 360 blog as it will regularly be updated with content specific to health and wellness, proper nutrition, strength and conditioning training tips and mental exercises. 

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