J & K Elite Cheerleading

J&K gave me both good and bad experiences. I have been cheering for six years, but this was my first competitive gym. Let me start by saying, J&K's competitive teams shouldn't exactly be called ""competition teams"". The company competitions are all of the ""town teams"" competing against each other. This was a slight downside, as I didn't gain much actual competition experience for my first year at this gym. There were six or seven different teams there when this was my gym, and although their were multiple teams (grouped by age) per town team, it still was and is a much smaller competition pool than all-stars and competitive rec. have given me.\r \r On the note of all-stars and competitive rec, their ""allstar"" or ""rec competition"" teams are another story. For starters, the REAL competition teams are these ones. When I cheered there, I was an Elite Storm Senior, although now they go by ""Extreme Storm (junior varsity ""babies"", seniors, etc)"". This team goes by USASF guidelines, but competes with the IRCA. I found this a bit annoying that we didn't compete with [as many] USASF teams, yet the IRCA competitions are fun, and a bigger and more competitive challenge than the town team competitions ever were. Next to Storm, there's Lightning cheer, which actually goes to USASF competitions, yet only has a level one team. Their team members are as old as 14, and to be honest, being on a level one team at 14 years old would be slightly disappointing. I'm not saying I'm F5 material, but at my current point I'm at a level three and 14. Although I never cheered for Lightning, you could see where the dissapointment of this team could be. They also have a dance team, Thunder, which I think to be fairly good. My friends on the team love it, so it's definatley worth a shot.\r \r Oh, the town teams will now be requiring try-outs. They haven't released any further information, yet I'd guess that tryouts mean they're going to start competing under USASF, which would mean they'd compete for CSG, Jamfest, and many other competitions. I seriously hope they amp up their team's fundamentals if so. They'll get murdered in these competitions if they don't.\r \r All in all, J&K was a good experience. Would I of stayed here for all of my cheer career? No, but it was a great gym to start competitive cheer at. Having moved on to competitive rec (with USASF competitions) and allstars, I can say that J&K did help me prepare for my current cheer ""career"". Definatley try it or put your daughter (or son! The cheer world needs more male athletes!) in it if they're interested in cheer. This just isn't the gym you want to stay in if you or your child ever has hopes of going to worlds or bigger and better competitions. more

My stepdaughter has been a member of JK since it opened. I don't think any company is perfect all the time but there are certain ways that you communicate and treat people. I have personally seen the Shorewood coach disrespect other children which is why I will not be attending this organization any more. There were several parent complaints (which my wife was on of them) about how she talked to the kids which nothing was done about it. My stepdaughter was not having fun anymore as the other parent above mentioned about her girls. She LOVES cheerleading but the coach was making her hate it. She must of not been one of her favorites. some of these parents don't know what goes inside that gym but please take a few minutes and ask your child how they are treated. My step daughter was coached by Kris (the owner) for 2 years and once she stopped coaching we went to Shorewood since it was closer. My step daughter went up to her at this competition and tried to say hi but Kris didn't remember her nor pay much attention to her. Needless to say she was in tears after we left. I understand she coached her couple sessions back and there are a lot of faces to remember but again, there are ways to talk to people especially kids. She could of at least pretended to remember, gave her a hung and say hi sweetie. I mean come on!! I've noticed some changes (stunting, website and doing a little more with girls) but seriously if it wasn't for this other company I'm pretty sure the owner wouldn't of changed anything!! Geez it just seems as if she is copy of this new company. She even has the same colors as this other place. At least try to be a little original. If JK is so good as this coach is saying then why change all your stuff?? Why copy off of someone else?? I came to write a review (which I normal don't do) but I was so upset to see my stepdaughter so hurt and noticed that the owner took no action by removing the Shorewood coach after so many complaints. I would HIGHLY recommend parents not to join this organization. If they do, ask to sit in these classes for the entire session not just 5 mins. Then you will really see how your child is treated. Hopefully, the Shorewood coach can change but the way I heard her speak to a little girl and to my stepdaughter I highly doubt it she can hold her composer for an entire session with parents in the room. Good luck in your decision but I felt as a parent I had to say something more than just having my wife and friends complain to the owner. This company might try to change but after a couple of sessions they will start being the same company they have always been- unorganized and unprofessional. I'm glad another company opened up too. Now parents have another option but I think JK will be chasing them from now on and coping off of them. more

It is unfortunate when someone writes a review and doesn't have all the information or chooses not tell all. J&K Elite Cheerleading is a wonderful organization for girls or boys) ages 5-14. They teach the children cheers as well as a pom-pom/dance routine. After completion of the session, they offer a competition for those who wish to participate. It is in no way forced upon the students or parents to do this. The children compete for trophies and ribbons in their age group as well as class size. It is well organized and promotes fun for all the children. The cost is $7.00 per week for one child and $3.00 per sibling involved in the organization no matter which class they attend. All fees are given up front at the first parent meeting. Uniform costs are extra but not required - just if you are attend competition. They do offer a ""raffle'' program to help off-set the cost of the uniform. You sell raffle tickets for $1.00 each and ALL MONEY you collect goes towards the uniform or other cheer merchandise they sell, so I don't see how that can be a ""joke''. As for the owners, we have been involved in this organization for 3+ years and I can say that they are not UPTIGHT or PUSHY! I don't understand how anyone can write a comment like they are snotty or snobby without really knowing them. After 3+ years, I have not had enough contact with them to form that opinion. They come to the first meeting/class and maybe one more during the session... they are in attendance at the competition but way way to busy to acknowledge everyone in attendance. There are 800+ girls in this organization! The coach of the Tinley Park Team is incredible. My children love her! She does her job well, which is to COACH! It is a competitive team. Get it? C-O-M-P-E-T-I-T-I-V-E! She is there to teach them and make sure they know the cheers and dance routine. She may have to yell but with 30+ 5-7year olds who wouldn't? She needs to be heard ABOVE all the noise. The yelling ( i wouldn't really call it yelling) is often directed at children not paying attention and talking above her NOT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW THE CHEER or ROUTINE! It is a shame when a few kids have to ruin the fun for others but it always seems to happen that way in school and other activities! Coach Yesi gets nothing ""extra'' if her team gets 1st place, just the satisfaction of knowing that they performed well. My children have a nice little collection of blue ribbons because of her. I think she is an excellent coach as well as role model for the girls. She is always smiling and friendly! She tries to recognize each girl by name, which can't be easy since there are about 80 girls that she teaches. She send weekly email updates on class activities as well as sending any updates on changes in the cheer/dance routine. Yes, she does change the cheers and routines occasionally but only after she sees that the girls are having a hard time with a specific motion or movement. At the first class, she gives out her email address and cell phone number. She responds to emails and cell phone calls within the same day! They have ''fun'' dress up days for the kids, like wear green or tiger pride in which the girls get to dress up for class. My girls would be lost without this coach and the organization. They were both shy when we joined and now are incredibly outgoing! I can only thanks Coach Yesi for this. Pros: Great Value for the Money. Children really learn something! Cons: Its only onc a week! more

I am writing about the J&K Elite Cheerleading co which manages different cheerleading in various suburban towns within the Chicago area. My 6 year old was in the Tinley Park program in 08. They don't allow parents to stay and watch because ""its too much of a distraction for the coach & children."" However, they have the practice held in an American Legion hall where there is a bar less than 20 feet from where the children are performing. Me & some of the other parents would come early enough to watch through the doors and the Coach, Yesinia, was OFTEN yelling at the kids. My daughter hated going to cheerleading each week because she said it wasn't fun. My daughter, who can normally easily recite a dozen or more cheers, had a very hard time learning these cheers because the two cheers sounded the same and many of the lines made no sense to them. Several weeks into the class the kids would still perform the wrong cheer when the teacher would tell them to do one they'd do the wrong cheer. Then she would change the cheers so when my daughter would practice the one they'd bring home it was wrong because the coach was constantly changing it and making it even more confusing. Most of all, I really think that Coach Yesinia needs to learn lighten up and concentrate on making it ""more fun"" and she might find that the kids learn better when they are having fun. She takes her coaching job very serious and seems all about coming in 1st place which most of her teams did do. My daughter told me she was always yelling at the same four or five kids and that they would just sit there while she corrected those kids. It made my daughter scared of the coach and although she never got yelled at she really didn't like going to cheer leading because of this. The owners also are very UPTIGHT and PUSHY. Their raffle is a joke - they sell several thousand tickets for a mere $100 grand prize. This program is VERY COSTLY because they are always throwing in add ons! Pros: Offers an indoor cheerleading program when most park dist. cheerleading programs are over. Cons: SNOTTY SNOBBY owners, management, Coach yells & is Uptight too. NOT FUN! JK ELITE HAS NEGATIVE ENERGY FROM A TO Z! more