In between making a clean sweep at the 2015 US Finals in Pensacola, FL last weekend and maintaining one of the top five gyms in the country, GK Cheer caught up with Cheer Factory Florida owner Cody Woodfell to get an inside scoop on what it takes to stand out in the cheer world!
GK: How did you get started in the sport of cheerleading?
CW: I got into the sport of cheerleading as a joke. I wrestled my entire life. In my senior year of high school, I had ear surgery to replace a ruptured eardrum and was unable to continue wrestling. As a joke, I was asked to join the cheer team. I hesitantly did and loved it! The following year I ended up on one of the best University cheer teams in the nation at the time, Florida Atlantic University, where I won my first NCA college nationals in 1999. The rest (as they say) is history.
GK: How does it feel to be voted one of the top five gyms in the country?
CW: It's always an amazing and humbling experience when other people take notice of you! It was a special honor, and something my athletes can take with them even long after they have left our program.
GK: What makes your gym stand out above the rest?
CW: Since Cheer Factory opened in 2011, I have made a very conscious effort to bring many gymnastics training elements into our program. Having so many great programs around us, I knew we needed something that set us apart. Since day one, we have made an effort to coach tumbling, stretching and conditioning with a focus on quality not quantity. Our teams have always been small. However, our very strict consistent training methods have allowed our teams to stand out for their synchronized and highly technical tumbling skills.
GK: What do you enjoy most about owning Cheer Factory?
CW: Owning a program as well as being the head coach for all six of our teams can have its downsides. However, I still get just as excited to this day when a girl gets a new skill from a backbend kickover to a full twisting layout. Our practices are grueling, intense and exhausting. When our girls put their heart and sole into something and they see it all pay off at a competition, that's something I live for. Cheer Factory is not just my Gym, its my family.
GK: Why did you choose GK Cheer to outfit your athletes?
CW: After our second season, our teams started getting noticed and were really beginning to bring home some big national championship wins. We knew we needed an All Star cheer uniform that would make us stand out that much more on stage. Our turtle necks and flyaway skirts needed a re boot.
GK: How do you feel GK Cheer stands out from other cheerleading apparel companies?
CW: GK has been well known in the gymnastics community for a very long time. Having a reputation of being durable, high quality, and fashionable, it was an obvious choice for us. We have had our same All Star cheerleading uniform for three seasons now and they have held up through the blood, sweat, makeup and tears-- literally. Our GK Cheer Sales Representative, Kristin Libby, has been with us since day one through the design process to making sure that our orders are always done smoothly, efficiently, and on time. If we have emergency orders due to an incoming athlete, a lost cheer uniform, or any other problems that may occur, she has always been there to get us what we need.
Congratulations, Cody on your continued achievements in the cheer world. We are honored to have been chosen by Cheer Factory to outfit your athletes in all their All Star cheer wear needs. We wish you the best of luck as you continue to succeed in the sport of cheerleading!
GK Cheer. Choice Of Champions.
Click the links below to read more about Cheer Factory's All Star cheer uniforms:
Cheer Factory is Shooting to the Next Level
Cheer Factory Finds GK The Perfect Fit