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

Why do we stretch?

You walk into practice, put on your cheer sneakers, and your coach immediately instructs you to circle up and start your team’s warm-up and stretching regimen.  But how many of you really understand the health benefits you are receiving from stretching, beyond your everyday cheerleading skills that require great flexibility?

Maintaining and enhancing flexibility is a life-long process.  Flexibility is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, especially a cheerleader’s.  Many cheerleaders think that the flyers on their team are the athletes that need to be the most flexible; however, this cannot be farther from the truth.

Flexibility is important for all members of a team, including your coach!  Flexibility goes well beyond the ability to perform perfect jumps and pull a beautiful heel stretch and scorpion.  It helps to prevent everyday injuries including muscle strains, back aches, and knee pains, thereby improving posture, lengthening muscles for a leaner physique, increasing circulation, and decreasing tension and stress.

So the next time your coach asks you to “circle up and stretch,” don’t just sit in a straddle position and talk with your teammates.  Approach your stretching routine like you would approach walking onto the mat, ready to compete with enthusiasm and motivation to get better!

Visit Cheer360 to speak with a flexibility specialist on incorporating k-band stretching into your workout!

Website: www.Cheer-360.com

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

When Cheerleading Ends

High school cheerleading is more than just promoting school spirit at football and basketball games and competing locally, regionally, and nationally from November through February.  If you sit in on a three hour practice, you will find that these athletes should be gaining something bigger.  Like all sports, cheerleading teaches skills that transcend to all aspects of a person’s life and future.

Teaching young athletes how to maintain an optimum level of wellness is just as important as teaching them how to jump, stunt, and tumble.  One of CHEER360’s goals is to promote healthy lifestyles not only during their cheerleading careers, but also throughout their entire lives.  Learning how to build and maintain muscular strength, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility will reduce the likelihood of injuries now, as competitive cheerleaders, as well as in their futures.  The fitness related benefits that can be taught to teenagers are ones that can be carried throughout their college careers, adulthood and beyond. 

Having a regular fitness regimen in place improves one’s overall sense of well-being including body posture, endurance for daily activities, an increased self-esteem, and a decreased likelihood of developing lifestyle diseases. But, as much as we don’t want to think about this, at some point, a cheerleader’s career will come to an end.  Often times this leaves a previously active person struggling with ways to keep fit.  So why not start teaching these habits now to our cheerleaders in order to promote long, healthy, and successful lifestyles?  After all, other sports have been doing this for years!  

Our Website:www.Cheer-360.com

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