Our Team Programs

The Waves is our Junior Olympic competitive program and is growing and becoming a stronger more developed program yearly. We are very proud of the Level of competition our girls have achieved this year and throughout our history. Currently we have girls level 3-8 but have the potential to have levels 3-10. Our girls train throughout the year and their competitive season begins in September and ends in May. Gymnastics is a program of commitment. Unlike many other sports where you can train for a shorter period of time and then compete in a season gymnasts must train constantly. We are very proud of the commitment our team girls give to this very demanding but very rewarding sport. We have so many exceptional young ladies on our team so check out their histories and follow them through the seasons. If interested in competitive gymnastics this is the team to consider. Competitive gymnasts train a minimum of three hours per evening and several days a week. We travel two to three weekends per month in our prime competitive season. Expenses include competitive fees, leotards, USAG membership, grips, gym bags, coaches fees and tuition. Many of these items may be fundraised and we have an excellent Booster Club established to help with these fees. We have Sponsors who help the girls with these extensive costs. Please don't forget to check out our Sponsors and use them for the services they offer. If interested in team you will need to be enrolled in gymnastics classes at the Waterfall or Streams level.

Cheerleading is becoming one of the fastest growing sports in America. Spirit squads have been an integral part of the High School and Collegiate Network for several years, but with the booming of All Star competitive cheerleading and the movies like Bring It On focusing on cheer, there are thousands of young boys and girls now interested in becoming competitive cheerleaders. There are so many options how do you choose the right program for you and your child? Here are some options and questions you should consider when looking for a cheer program.

How competitive would you like to be?

Are you interested in a program which competes several weekends a year and trains throughout the year?

Is your preference to be seasonal with just a short training time and the opportunity to be more of a spirit squad than a competitive cheerleader?

Know the difference...

In our local area we have the Cowlitz County Pop Warner Cheer Association which works in direct coordination Cowlitz Pop Warner Football teams in Kalama, Castle Rock, Kelso, and Longview. Instructors are usually volunteers, cost is typically minimal and the season begins usually in mid August and continues until late November. The cheerleaders are placed on teams by age and there are no tryouts. Often times practices are held in school buildings and open fields. The members are not part of the USASF but are involved in the national rules governing Pop Warner. Most of the instructors or coaches for this program are not Certified. Questions you should ask when looking into any cheer program.

What steps are taken to make my son or daughter be safe?

Are there criminal background checks done on both volunteers and staff members?

Are the coaches Safety Certified and by whom? Is this an organization I can research and how do I receive information on safety certification?

Are the coaches Stunt Certified and again by whom?

Who decides that it is safe for my child to be a flyer and what steps are the coaches taking to provide safety, strength and skill training to make sure my child is safe?

Who has certified the coaches as Cheerleading Instructors and what is their individual backgrounds and training?

If the cheer squad is performing tumbling skills what is the basis for the knowledge of the instructors teaching those tumbling skills?

Are they USAG Certified?

Are the coaches members of the USAG and in what specification?

Can I see your certifications?

Are they prominently displayed so anyone researching a program can check the status of the coaches working with their children?

Where are you training my child and what type of equipment is being utilized to keep my child safe?

This is very important because there is no other certification nationally for gymnastics except USAG. Yes it is quite common for cheerleaders to perform at different events such as basketball games in a demonstration, on a hard surface but this is not a safe place to train a cheerleader. Only when skills have been perfected should a stunt go up on a hard surface and only if it hits 100% of the time. Tumbling on a hard surface is also very unforgiving on the joints and can cause chronic damage. It is important to verify how often your child is expected to train and perform in these conditions. All Star programs compete often on Spring Loaded Floors. Is your child being trained on a Spring Floor or on basic 2" tumbling mats? Riptide cheerleaders are trained on a Spring Loaded 42' floor, with safety matting available for all stunt practices up through 36" foam padding and are also trained on a tumble trak to provide less joint damage as we learn and train tumbling skills.

Currently in our area, there are three competitive All Star Programs. Kelso Flyers, the newest program, All Star Fusion which was previously Oxford Cheer out of Vancouver, and the Riptides Cheer program with Gymnastics 4 U. Each of these programs offers a web site and has tryout dates and packages listed. Please research the programs and make the appropriate choice for you and your child. Remember as the skill level increases the risk factors also increase. It is very important to know what steps are being made to keep your child safe and protected. Ask questions, get details and check into the history of these programs and their coaches. Do they really offer the best environment for your child's protection. .