Almost every day of the week, athletes pour into the Powerhouse Cheer & Fitness facility to practice their skills and achieve their tumbling and cheerleading goals. From toddlers to teens, these dedicated cheerleaders are smoking the competition and earning top-level awards.
“We have kids from Hillsboro, Leander, Goldthwaite, and even one student who drives two hours four times a week,” owner, D’Ann Legg said. “It’s a very big commitment, but the kids are learning progressions, elite tumbling and stunting skills, and also valuable lessons about integrity, commitment and teamwork.”
Legg and her staff have a passion for training these pint-sized athletes, and they are ensuring that they not only excel in competitions, but in life.
“We have helped a number of kids earn college scholarships,” Legg said. “We invest a lot of time with both athletes and their families, so we make getting them ready and into their choice college cheer programs and scholarship opportunities a big priority.”
The Powerhouse owner said the organization seeks out opportunities for their athletes to be scouted.
“Giving the athletes numerous opportunities to interact with collegiate cheerleader and coaches is the key to getting their faces out there,” she said.
But in many cases, Legg and her staff don’t even have to campaign to bring attention to their athletes. Their skills in their all-star routines are usually so above and beyond the typical cheerleader that their performances speak for themselves. Some of their junior high-aged cheerleaders can already execute college-level stunts and tumbling.
“So, when they get to college, they’ve already practiced these skills many times,” Legg said. “This allows the all-stars to tryout and secure a spot on their college dream team. It makes all of the time, energy, and investment they put into their training, 100 percent worthwhile.”
Their success is also due in part to the world-class coaches Powerhouse brings in to work closely with their students.
“We also have college teams and specialty coaches come in and work with our athletes,” Legg said.
Helping the kids become successful in competitions and achieving their goals is a team effort, the owner said. The kids and their parents are really committed.
“They have to believe in your program to come twice a week for two hours and then travel on weekends,” she said.
The hard work and dedication of the cheerleaders, their coaches and parents has helped Powerhouse achieve bids to The Summit – All-Star Cheerleading Championship year-after-year, which are coveted opportunities to compete against teams from around the world.
“Every year, one, two or three of our teams receive Summit bids, and they often make it to the finals and place high in the finals, and making it to the finals and placing high is the team’s goal,” she said.
Legg and her staff have a passion for investing in their athletes, and they hope to help more kids achieve their cheerleading dreams in the future.
“We give God all the glory for our facility, staff and athletes, and that will forever be our PH motto,” Legg said. “Knowing that ‘with God all things are possible’ is what we hope every All-Star takes away from their time spent in our facility.”
For more information about how to become a part of the Powerhouse team, visit http://powerhousecheer-fitness.com or call 254-939-9900.
Jessa is the Editor-in-Chief of Hooray for Family and the mom of three energetic children. She has a BA in Mass Communication/Journalism from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and is a long-time resident of Central Texas. When she isn't writing and editing, she enjoys playing board games with her kids, teaching Sunday school and channeling her creativity into craft projects.
