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Dear Panther Family,

What a weekend and congratulations on a great job by everyone!  This is the largest and most competitive competition in the world.  Most every top team in every division was there.  The days are long and grueling for the staff and I am particularly grateful to all of our FANTASTIC coaches.  This event gives me a lot of opportunity to watch coaches from other programs interact with their kids and I am reminded of how very fortunate we are to have ours...you guys are the best!

Wining an important competition brings with it a certain responsibility.  It is not just important to lose with grace and dignity but also to win with grace and dignity.  There's only one thing worse than a bad loser and that's a bad winner! We don't want to brag or make another gym feel bad that they did not.  Next time the outcome might be different!  Unfortunately, not all gyms feel that this is an important lesson for their kids.  Some feel that the way to react to not winning is to blame it on those that did.  They are just jealous and envious so instead of congratulating them on a job well done, they would rather criticize and insult. 

Your outstanding performances do not need to be defended to small minded bad sports! The Panther program does not need to be defended to these people so DON"T DO IT!  Good sportsmanship is at the core of the Panther program so I expect either no response by you to these messages or simply "I wish you the best of luck at your next event". Hopefully one day, these people will realize how petty and ridiculous they are and become good sports like you!

Now for the good stuff!

Minis - TOP 10 at CheerSport!  You did it again!  Two days of great performances.  You are just getting better and better each time.  The opening of the routine on Sunday was PERFECT...your best yet.  I can't wait to see what you can do at the next one!  Keep up the great work and we are all so proud of you!

Twist - AMAZING!  The word "special" in special needs is right...you are special!  I see you perform that routine, smiling and having fun, working so hard to make it great and I see nothing but special!  You inspire us all.  I have never been more proud of a group of kids than I am of you.  The volunteers, Stacy and Rachael are wonderful and we are all so lucky to be a part of something so "special"!  Keep up the hard work...we all love you!

Cardinal - Sunday...WOW!  What an amazing come from behind win...NATIONAL CHAMPS!  Down 8 points on Saturday and win by 10?  You guys were flawless on Sunday.  You were so good that your score improved by 22 points!  You really got the day going for the whole gym and we are all so proud of you!  Wear those jackets proudly, keep up the great work and let's be ready for the next one!

Pearl - You are and AMAZING team.  I know you're a little sad but you did an outstanding job this weekend...especially on Sunday!  We thought you score of 415 was high but you scored a 422 on Sunday...14 points higher than Saturday and right there with the Stingrays.  All you can do is hit your routine and then it's up to the judges after that, you did your part.  This was a very difficult division with two other very quality teams.  Top 3 is an OUTSTANDING result in a competition like this and you should be very proud of yourselves...ask Platinum how happy they are with their 3^rd place.  They know how tough it is to win at CheerSport!  We are very proud of you...keep it up and let's go get the next one!

Scarlet - GREAT JOB!  You put two strong performances in the floor.  Moving up and finishing in the top three was awesome.  You got past Thunder who beat you two weeks ago and you did it because you guys are so consistently strong!  I LOVE this team.  I love your attitude and the way you work together!  Keep it up!

Ice - Got some Indy PAYBACK...NATIONAL CHAMPS!  You took on a BIG challenge in a TOUGH division and got it done!  When the Rays coach personally congratulates you then you have the highest regard of a strong competitor!  I am so proud of you and so proud that you stayed strong under the pressure of Sunday.  Great job!

Onyx - WOW...NATIONAL CHAMPS!  I can tell you that I have had teams that were beaten by 50 POINTS but I sure do like being on the winning side better...COMPLETE DOMINATION OF THE DIVISION!  The small minded sore losers can say what they want but you guys attacked that score sheet in EVERY category.  It is not your responsibility that other teams can not perform the skills required to be in your division...LIKE YOU CAN!  I am so very proud of you.  I know how tough and frustrating it has been on you.  You kept your hearts and minds in it so wear those jackets with pride!

Platinum - FINALLY!  I just don't even know where to begin.  The look on your faces, the coaches' faces and the face of EVERY PERSON IN THE GYM after you finished that Saturday routine was an unbelievable experience!  I though I was going to call first aid for Larry!  You finally broke through.  You hung in there in the toughest competition, other than Worlds, BOTH DAYS, contended and finished in the top 3 in the harder of the two divisions...WOW!  The entire gym has been waiting for this all year and boy do you deliver!  We are ALL so proud of you and so thankful that you finally overcame your toughest competitor...YOU!  You have been working so hard and with so much heart...keep it up!

To Karen Brooks and all the team moms, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!  Again, to the coaches, THANK YOU for getting these kids ready and delivering such a memorable weekend...enjoy your weekend off!  Parents, thank you all for getting your kids to us on time and for great crowd support...but let's be even louder next time!

Thank you all for being a part of ALLSTAR!

See you in the gym, Go Panthers!

Dear Panther Family,

Sorry that I have fallen seriously behind on the competition recaps!  My computer has crashed and I am having to borrow until my new one is ready next week.   Anyway, here goes!

Twist - GREAT JOB and very nice performance...2^nd place!  It just amazes me how focused you get when you take that floor and how much fun you are to watch.  You are truly and inspiration to us all and we could not be prouder of each and every one of you!  Volunteers, you are exceptional people and have our gratitude and respect.  We are all so proud of you and can't wait to see you this weekend!

Minis - You were awesome at the Dome!  We were all just blown away at how great you looked.  You have come so far since the beginning of the season and we were watching a real competitive squad on that floor.  Our goal for your team is to improve each week, each competition and have fun!  It is very obvious how much you have improved and it sure does look like you're having fun!  Great job , we are proud and can't wait to watch you this weekend!

Cardinal - OUTSTANDING!  You guys are like a machine...take the floor, hit the routines...take 1^st place!  You have been practicing very hard and it shows on the floor.  You started the season off strong and you're getting stronger every week!  We are all very proud of you and can't wait to see you this weekend!

Pearl - AWESOME job and great win!  You guys just blow us away and are by far the strongest youth team in your division I have seen this season and probably the strongest over the past couple of years.  Hard work pays off so keep it up.  We are very proud of you and can't wait to see you this big weekend.  You are READY!

Scarlet - INDY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!  What a season you're having!  I know you were disappointed at the Dome but it was a GREAT performance...AGAIN!  You have been a remarkable team this year because you have worked so well together AS A TEAM!  We are all so very proud of you and are looking forward to seeing what you can do this weekend!

ICE - GREAT JOB!  Your 1^st place at the Dome was by far your BEST performance of the year!  I know you were disappointed in Indy but you came back with a vengeance!  We all finally saw the amazing team that you are and can't wait for the big showdown this weekend!  Keep working hard, keep believing and go out there and NAIL that routine!

Onyx - We are FIRED UP about this team!  Complete DOMINATION at the dome and it comes as no surprise.  You have got it so go out there and DO IT!  Your season starts now and I can't wait until this weekend.  When you guys are on there is just no team more powerful and entertaining!  Be excited, believe and show us what you have Friday night!  We're very proud of you!

Platinum - I truly feel it.  I can't put it in words but there is a DEFINITE swagger and a confident attitude that I have not seen all year.  This is what has been missing and I think we are all in for a show Friday night and when it hits, look out CheerSport!  You have stayed in it, not given up and have continued to fight through it.  Your season starts this weekend and I can't wait!  We are very proud of you!

Thanks to all of the team moms, Karen Brooks, Sherry and our OUTSTANDING coaching staff for a job well done! 

This is a very big and LONG weekend, especially for the staff.  Each team will be required to stay around 5 hours each day, give or take, but the staff will be there around 30 hours for the weekend.  You can imagine how draining these days will be so it is IMPERATIVE that you follow the schedule.  PLEASE do not cause stress or conflict by being late reporting or leaving before your dismissal.  Each team DESERVES to have a crowd yelling for them at each performance.  This is one of the great advantages of belonging to a large program and I THANK YOU in advance for your full support of the schedule this weekend!

This is our largest and most logistically challenged event of the season so come prepared to "go with the flow".  There are almost 900 team and 7 stages.  It's a remarkably well run event and will be a lot of fun!

See you all at the Pep Rally...Go Panthers!

Joe

Dear Panther Family,

The banquet was a wonderful end to our year!  As always it was a very nice affair with good food, great video (thanks Jamie!) and a chance to see all of our athletes dressed up!  We had over 300 in attendance and I thank you all for participating.  Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped to get it all set up.

Tryouts for the 09-10 season have been incredible!  We have many more than last year and the teams will be very competitive as a result.  The staff has worked very hard in evaluating the kids and putting them on the team that they think they will shine the brightest.  There are many things that must be considered when making these placements.  Please keep in mind that tumbling is only ONE thing that we look at and accounts for only 20 total points on the score sheets, so we also have to look hard at what comprises the other 80 points!  Our goal for this season is to "max out" the points in each division in which we compete.  This will require us to perform at the top of each of the scoring sections...stunts, pyramids, jumps, dance motions and overall performance.  It is critical that we have the right physical mix in order to be able to properly build stunts and pyramids.  We will be watching the kid's development during the summer and may make some changes prior to choreography time.

I want to congratulate Senior Silver on their trip to Worlds this past weekend.  Though it did not turn out as we would have hoped, they took the floor with confidence and determination, representing us all well.  This is the toughest event in the world and we are honored to have Senior Silver earn their bid to the World Championships for the 4th straight year!  There were hundreds of teams, in this division alone that sought invitation to this prestigious event and were not successful in winning a bid!  We are all very proud of you girls!

Our goals are very different for this team this coming season.  We have more level 5 candidates than ever before and the team selected will be our strongest level 5 team to ever take the floor during any competition season.  To be on this team will require not only more than minimum level 5 skills but a level 5 effort and attitude as well.  We have made the commitment to bring in outside choreography that will put us on the cutting edge and at the same time challenge these athletes to reach a pinnacle never before achieved in our gym.  The introduction of this choreography will in turn benefit each and every team by stimulating the creative juices of the coaches bringing fresh ideas to every level!  Tryouts for Senior Silver begin on Wednesday.  There are those of you currently assigned to another team, that will be invited to attend...good luck to you all!

Thank you all for a great year!  Thank you for your confidence and support of me and the entire staff.  Our goal is to make this a wonderful and productive experience for the kids and your kind words of encouragement are greatly appreciated!  For those of you not returning to us for this coming season please know that we will miss you and wish you well in all you do!  Emma and Rachel...don't forget about International!  For everyone else...hang on tight because this is going to be a wild year!

See you in the gym...Go Panthers!

Joe

WOW, what a great weekend! I know everyone was tired at the end but it sure was worth it. The kids had a great time, the coaches had a great time and from what I could see the parents were all having a great time! The last event of the season can be a little teary and bittersweet, especially on Sunday but the kids all fought through it and put on quite a show for everyone, taking home 6 National Titles and 2 runner up finishes...PRETTY STRONG SHOWING! We really started coming on strong at CheerSport Nationals though it was hard to tell because the divisions were so tough there. The kids all had a very focused attitude after the CheerSport 1 day competition and really turned things around beginning in February.

The Senior Ceremony was awesome and Jamie did a great job on the senior video as always! This is such an important part of our program and is woven into the fiber of who we are. It is especially meaningful to the younger kids as it shows just how important the legacy and the right of passage is and frames the Panther program as a true family. Emma and Rachel, we love you both and know that you will take a part of the Panthers with you wherever you go and you will always be a part of us as we will always be a part of you!

Special Twist - OUTSTANDING!!! It was just unbelievable to watch how good this team became over the season. Your skills were just amazing but the best part to me was watching your faces and how much fun you were having! The crowd at US Spirit was the best we had all year and the entire arena was on it's feet for your performances both days! Everyone was amazed at your strong performance as you entertained us all! The Universal staff even took their break time to come to the warm up area to watch and cheer you on making little "10" signs to hold up for you! I am so proud of you that I can hardly talk about what you have accomplished without tearing up...just like I am right now! The Special Needs banner that you guys won is the proudest we have ever had to hang in the gym. I want to thank Coach Stacey, Rachel and ALL of the volunteers for a fantastic season and I just can't wait to see what you do next year! We love you and are VERY proud of you!

Youth White - You FINALLY got what you have been working so hard for and I'm not sure who was happier about it, you or the coaches? You were all so cute when Larry announced your placement at the Senior Ceremony. You were all crying and so happy. I would say that it was a toss up as to the performance of the weekend between you guys and Senior Black on Sunday, you were both awesome! I had several comments about how clean and SHARP our youth team was! We are all so proud of you. Competing in this level for the first year is tough, especially with as many great teams as there are like the 2 very strong teams you outscored in Brandon and Top Gun! Congratulations NATIONAL CHAMPS, we love you and are very proud of you and I can't wait to see what you do next year!

Junior White - YOU DID IT AGAIN! You put on great performances both days, especially Sunday when the pressure was really on. You were clean, sharp and energetic and really helped lead the way for our other teams coming behind you. You guys worked hard all year and it really showed starting in February. We are all so very proud of you and we love you all very much! I can't wait to see what you put on the floor next season!

Junior Black - ALMOST! You were right there, tied for 1st after the first day. We asked you to go out and attack the routine on Sunday and to deliver a powerful and energetic performance...you DEFINITLEY delivered on that! When it comes down to a close division everything just has to work right and sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't. You all went out strong and PERFORMED that routine...the rest is in the hands of the judges. We are all so proud of how hard you have worked this year. You saw the results of that hard work in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. We love you all and can't wait to see what you show us next year!

Junior Silver - GREAT SEASON! It's just not possible to measure the success of this team in wins. Level 4 is a tough division and you just have to measure the success by the effort put in and the effort was definitely there! You almost pulled it off at CheerSport against 2 really good teams then just blew the division away in New Orleans! That Top Gun team was strong but you definitely gave them a fight! We love you all and are so proud of how hard you worked this year and can't wait to see what you deliver next season!

Senior White - CONGRATULATIONS! I'll tell you, when this team decided to be a "team" there was just no stopping you! You haven't been out-scored since the 2nd day of CheerSport Nationals! You guys were absolutely awesome this weekend, dominating your division...AGAIN! The crowd was on it's feet watching your performance both days. We love you all and are very proud of you and can't wait to dominate again next season!

Senior Black - Also, FINALLY!! You guys finally got what you have worked so hard for all year. After the disappointment of coming so close in New Orleans, you absolutely dominated the division in Orlando, even challenging for the Grand Championship! Your performance on Sunday was just unbelievable! The energy and execution was so much fun to watch, not just by Panther fans but by everyone in the arena...you guys just rocked it out! Congratulations, we love you all and are very proud of you. We can't wait to see what you do next season!

Senior Silver - WHAT A COMEBACK! You relaxed and just went out and did your thing on Sunday and look what happened! We are so proud that you stood up to the challenge and gave a glimpse of the horse power this team really has. You have all practiced so hard this year and it was so heartbreaking to see you so disappointed on Saturday. You took the floor on Sunday with a completely different attitude and got the job done! You deserved to win that division...the defending National Champions I might add, and it was nice to see you take what you deserved! You all need to take that same attitude into the gym this week and realize that YOU CAN DO IT! CONGRATULATIONS, we love you all and are very proud of you! I can't wait to see what's next!

The Coaches and Staff - AWESOME JOB! I think our kids and parents would agree that there is just not a finer staff anywhere! I am so proud of all of you and so thankful for everything you do for our kids and for me. God has truly blessed me and this program by delivering the best instruction, the best organization and most of all, genuine love, respect and consideration! YOU ARE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS and I love you all very much!

I would like to thank Karen Brooks and the team moms for this past weekend along with anyone else that threw in to help. These travel events are tough and require a lot of work to make them pleasant for everyone. We could not do it without your help. I offer a very special thank you to Ann Sestrich who REALLY helped out, not only in Orlando but in the days approaching the trip. And last but not least, to my right hand man, George Fisher who keeps everyone where they are supposed to be, keeps everyone on schedule and really takes care of our kids!

We are heading into our 15th season...I can't believe it! How do I do this for so many years and not age a day? I guess it's just great staff, kids and parents! The 2009 - 2010 Panther Tryout Packet is ready and can be picked up from the gym. We have had a lot of interest from kids not currently in our program and are all very excited about the coming year. This was a building year for a portion of our teams so the coming season could be very exciting!

Remember that the Panther Banquet is Thursday April 16th at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast on Peachtree Industrial Blvd.. The kids are all paid for so you need to purchase tickets for family and friends at the gym by April 13th! This is a very nice event and all of our kids will be honored. We have it down to a science to get everyone out in a very reasonable time! PLEASE DON"T MISS THIS EVENT!

Thank you all for another wonderful season!

Go Panthers!
Joe

Dear Panther Family,

Wow, what a GREAT weekend!  The train ride was a blast and a very comfortable way to travel 500 miles.  The WSA competition in New Orleans was a new one for us and we all agreed that we really liked it!  We took 6 teams and took home 5 first place, 1 second place and Senior White won the "High Point" championship (the highest score) in level 2!!! 

All of our teams were awesome and the ALLSTAR Panthers were definitely the premier program in the competition.  We received many very nice comments from spectators and coaches about just how great our teams looked not to mention how nice our kids were!  Also, the Amtrak people could not believe how well behaved our kids were and were just blown over by the fact that they picked up after themselves!

I would like to thank the coaches for a fantastic job getting the kids ready for this weekend.  The effort was apparent in the extra things added to the routines and how prepared the kids were!  I would also like to thank the parents that helped while we were there.  These things that you do to help Sherry, Karen and Missy are just invaluable and these trips would not be nearly as good without you!  I appreciate the parents supporting our efforts and honoring the rules that we have in place to insure the safety and well being of our kids and to keep the staff and volunteers sane.  You just have no idea the amount of painstaking work and the weeks of planning Sherry's team puts into a trip like this. Managing the logistics of over 100 kids and have it run smoothly is no easy task but she is an absolute master at it!  Again, thank you for your considerate support.

A final and very special THANK YOU to Ann Sestrich and Candace Hirsch for their help on this trip!  Both Ann and Candace are former Panther Booster Presidents whose service dates back to the very beginning of ALLSTAR.  Their girls have been gone for several years now but the many years of dedicated service and experience was invaluable on this trip.  I know how much they enjoyed it so maybe we can talk them into helping us more often!

Now for the good stuff!

Junior White - You were good on Saturday but Sunday you were AMAZING!!  The energy coming off that floor and the tightness of that routine was just incredible.  You left absolutely no doubt who the best team was and just over powered the division!  We have been waiting all year for that performance and you rocked it out.  We are all so proud of you so keep working hard and let's do the same thing in Orlando!

Junior Black - You guys just blew it out on Saturday in what should have been a fairly close division but Sunday you just blew by everyone.  The power of your performance was just too much for the competition to handle!  There were some very good teams in the division with some very good skills but it was that energetic performance that separated you from the rest!  I know how hard you have been working and it showed this weekend!  We are all proud of you so keep it up and let's get it in Orlando!

Junior Silver - WELL DONE!  You hung right there with two power house teams at CheerSport and kept that going in New Orleans by just dominating the division!  Great performances, great energy and great skill execution, a truly impressive weekend!  You have really worked hard all year and it was a proud moment for all of us to see you rewarded!  Keep up the hard work and let's get after it in Orlando!

Senior White - Unbelievable performance on Saturday...WOW!  Talk about total and complete domination of not only a division but an entire level!  You guys really came on at CheerSport and took it to the house in New Orleans.  Your coming together as a team was the only missing ingredient to your success.  You were just awesome and we are all very proud of you!  Keep up the hard TEAMWORK and let's see some more domination in Orlando!

Senior Black - You guys ROCK!  No doubt the toughest division in the competition with some really great teams and hanging in there and missing out by less than ½ point is a pretty strong effort!  And that was less than ½ point not only to win the division but also the "High Point" for the level!  You gave it your all and that's all you can.  Remember that ½ point when you are practicing the next two weeks and the significance that even the smallest detail can have on the overall score.  You guys were awesome in New Orleans, we are all very proud of you and I can't wait to see what you bring in Orlando!  Keep up the great work!

Senior Silver - Let's see, hmmm, what word could I use to describe this weekend for you...how about... FINALLY!!!!!  You guys FINALLY went out there believing that you could hit your routine and did!  Three new doubles in the routine...all hit, stunts...all hit, pyramid...all hit...standing and running tumbling...all hit!  You guys really rocked on Saturday, a true inspiration to all of the Panther teams watching and cheering for you!  The best part for me was watching your faces and actions when it was all over and you knew it had all hit.  We have all been waiting to see you that happy all year.  There is no team that practices harder than you and to see you finally have a confident and successful performance just put tears in all our eyes! Remember that feeling and take it with you each time you take that floor!  We are all so proud of you...keep working hard and bring it in Orlando!

As you all can see, it was a fantastic trip...great train ride, great hotel and great performances.  I wish you all could have been there!  We have two short weeks before Orlando.  We had a clean sweep there last year and the way all our teams are looking right now we have a VERY good chance to do well there again.  We need EVERYONE AT PRACTICE!!!  Don't let your teammates down!  I am seeing some real teamwork going on here right now.  Even when spats occur I see the kids work it out and rally behind each other for the TEAM...this makes me the proudest of all!  I saw a great shirt while I was there this weekend and we will adopt it as a saying for our program...

"If you want to compete train your body...if you want to win train your heart!"

See you in the gym...Go Panthers! ~Joe