Cheer Is Having a Moment — And After Visiting Cheer Athletics, I’m Convinced It’s Just Getting Started

Joseph Kenney of 316 Strategy Group and the Cheer Athletics leadership team

Cheer has existed for decades. It has energized sidelines, anchored school spirit, and built community across generations. But what we are seeing right now feels different.

Something is shifting.

Competitive cheerleading is no longer operating quietly behind the scenes. Between television exposure, the debut of a professional cheer league, and increased college recognition, the sport is entering a new era of legitimacy and growth.

Recently, I traveled to Plano, Texas, home to Cheer Athletics, to better understand what is happening behind the scenes. What I saw confirmed my belief: competitive cheer is not just growing — it is evolving.

The Professionalization of Competitive Cheerleading

The recent debut of the Pro Cheer League in Indianapolis marked a significant milestone for the sport. Professional organization, structured competition, and increased visibility signal something important: competitive cheerleading is being taken seriously at a new level.

This is not simply about entertainment value. It is about athletic recognition.

When professional leagues form, infrastructure follows. When infrastructure develops, participation increases. Athletes see pathways. Families see opportunity. Investors and business leaders see potential.

Competitive cheer is beginning to mirror the lifecycle of other emerging sports that transitioned from niche activity to mainstream athletic category.

Colleges Are Taking Cheer More Seriously

Another signal of growth is the expanding presence of college cheer programs. Universities are investing in structured teams, competitive formats, and in some cases scholarship opportunities.

This matters because it creates a longer runway for athletes. When young competitors see a potential collegiate pathway, they commit earlier and train with more intention. That demand strengthens youth and All Star programs nationwide.

The result is a more professional ecosystem from entry-level clinics to elite competition.

My Visit to Cheer Athletics in Plano, Texas

Joseph Kenney of 316 Strategy Group and Bailey Quarles of Cheer Athletics

When I visited Cheer Athletics in Plano, I wanted to understand what a national leader in competitive cheer looks like up close.

What stood out immediately was structure.

This was not a recreational environment. It was an organized, system-driven operation built around skill progression, team placement, and long-term athlete development. From introductory levels to elite teams, there was a defined pathway.

More importantly, there was scale.

Cheer Athletics is not a single-location success story. It has expanded across the United States and now into England. That kind of growth does not happen without systems, demand, and sustained performance.

It reinforced what I had been observing from a distance: competitive cheerleading is not plateauing. It is expanding geographically and operationally.

Why Competitive Cheerleading Is Growing Nationally

Several forces are converging at once.

First, media exposure has brought visibility to elite routines and the athleticism involved. Audiences who may have once underestimated the sport now see its complexity and physical demands.

Second, professionalization — including the launch of the Pro Cheer League — adds legitimacy and long-term aspiration.

Third, structured organizations like Cheer Athletics have created repeatable development systems. That infrastructure supports scaling into new markets, including international expansion.

And fourth, families are actively searching for structured programs. Interest in competitive cheer clinics and organized team pathways continues to rise as parents seek safe, skill-focused environments for their athletes.

These factors together signal a sport that is not trending temporarily, but maturing strategically.

Cheer Athletics as a National Leader in Competitive Cheer

After spending time in Plano and seeing the operation firsthand, it became clear why Cheer Athletics is considered a national leader in competitive cheer.

The organization has built:

• Defined skill progressions
• Competitive team structures
• Multi-location scalability
• A culture rooted in development

Expansion into England is particularly telling. International growth suggests that competitive cheer’s appeal is not limited to specific regions. It is portable, adaptable, and increasingly global.

That level of expansion requires more than enthusiasm. It requires systems.

Cheer Is Not Reinventing Itself — It Is Stepping Into Its Identity

From television exposure to professional leagues to collegiate recognition, competitive cheerleading is aligning with the characteristics of an established sport.

It has:

• Organized competition
• Development pipelines
• Professional ambition
• Geographic expansion

After visiting Cheer Athletics and observing the broader industry shifts, I am convinced this moment is not a spike in attention. It is structural growth.

Cheer has been around for ages. But right now, it is claiming its place as a serious, scalable, and increasingly respected athletic discipline.

And this time, the momentum feels different.