Our Director is MRS. MICHIGAN 2012!!

Lisa Hemmie, of Canton, was crowned MRS. MICHIGAN AMERICA 2012 at a spectacular event held in Grandville Saturday night where she competed with women from across the state. 

Lisa and her husband Matthew have been married for 16 years and they both have served in the United States Marine Corps. She studied Marketing and Advertising at Eastern Michigan University and after working as an account executive for a major advertising agency, moved into radio and outdoor media sales. Currently, she is the director of Premier Athletics - Michigan Xtreme Cheer and Dance where she channels her passion for teaching young people the importance of team work, good health, values, and work ethic.

At the state pageant Lisa competed for the title as Mrs. Eastern Michigan and says being Mrs. Michigan will allow her to implement the program “Today’s Youth; building courage, self-esteem, and strength.”  She feels it is her duty as a mother, a Christian, and an advocate for the community to mentor youth and promote empowerment and confidence.  She believes that self-confidence is the passport to a lifetime of mental and social happiness.

In addition to earning the title of Mrs. Michigan America 2012, Lisa also received the Community Service award, Interview award, Physical Fitness award, and a prize package valued at more than $24,000, including an expense paid trip to compete for the title of Mrs. America in May.

Now celebrating its 36th year in its modern format, the Mrs. America Pageant focuses the attention of the nation and the world on the versatility of the contemporary American married woman. Each of the 51 Mrs. America candidates earns the right to participate in the national event by winning her statewide competition. These state pageants are under the direction of Mrs. America State Directors, a network of respected and talented community and business leaders reflecting one of the finest and prestigious pageant systems in the world. 

Mrs. Michigan America is available throughout the year to add elegance, prestige, excitement, and publicity to events such as business openings, conventions, church and school functions, banquets, parades, civic functions, and any other type of ceremony. 

To book Lisa for your event or program, please contact the Mrs. Michigan America pageant from the website www.mrsmichiganamerica.com or contact the Executive State Director, Jody Bernhardt at 616.874.7741.

WE'RE GOING TO WORLDS!!!

Congratulations to LEGACY - they earned a bid at COA in Columbus, OH this weekend to the 2012 Cheer and Dance Worlds!  

Premier Athletics - Michigan Xtreme announces acquisition of Wolverine All Star Cheerleading

Premier Athletics, a subsidiary of Varsity Brands, Inc., is pleased to announce the acquisition of Wolverine All Star Cheerleading of Ann Arbor, MI, adding to Premier’s chain of cheerleading and gymnastics training centers. 

Premier Athletics-Michigan Xtreme is a cheerleading and dance training center in located in Plymouth, MI that has tremendous national recognition due the performance of their cheer and hip hop dance teams.  In business for 10 years, Michigan Xtreme has established a recognizable brand with more than 400 students including performances at the prestigious Cheerleading and Dance Worlds.

Lisa Hemmie, Director of Premier Athletics-Michigan Xtreme, states: "Both gyms have a tradition of commitment to serving customers' needs in the best of all possible ways.  We feel this is a great way to expand our resources and services to the cheerleading community.  We will build on the strong foundation that Wolverine All Star Cheer has established and continue to help grow the opportunities for cheerleaders in the Ann Arbor area.”

Wolverine All Star Cheer is a well-known program operating in the greater Ann Arbor Area of Michigan.  Led by Pam St. John, the program has grown into a successful operation with numerous national championships.  Pam will remain with Premier as a Coach and the program will transition to the Michigan Xtreme Brand in spring of 2012.  She will also continue in her role as Spirit Director and Head Cheer Coach at the University of Michigan.

“I am very excited to partner with Premier Athletics, a leading company that shares our values and has such a strong dedication to athlete safety and positive well-being,” said St. John.  “Being a member of the Premier Family and working with other successful gym managers will enable us to learn from their experiences and benefit from Premier’s leadership and success.  Partnering with Premier Athletics is the next step in my commitment to provide the best product possible for the families and cheer athletes in the greater Washtenaw County area.”

Cole Stott, President of Gym Operations for Premier Athletics, described the acquisition as a multifaceted success.  “Not only do we gain a highly successful operation, we also retain outstanding personnel to assist in the company’s initiative to grow an exceptional family of training facilities that provide superior services to our customers.” 

Premier Athletics is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee and operates 10 cheerleading and gymnastics training facilities in 5 states and provides services to over 10,000 students.  Their parent company, Varsity Brands, is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee and operates training camps nationwide for 250,000 cheerleaders annually, manufactures and markets custom uniforms for spirit groups, and conducts nationally televised competitions that are televised on ESPN.

What's the HYPE all about?!

HYPE stands for “Half-Year Performance and Education” and is a cheer program designed to meet the needs of both new and experienced athletes.  HYPE is perfect for kids ages 5-14 that wish to participate in a cheer program that focuses on dance, tumbling, and stunting, and it also provides an exciting avenue in which to compete.   

Athletes in the HYPE Cheer Program will enjoy lighter time and financial commitments than traditional full-season travel competitive cheer programs, yet get the same great experience.  HYPE is great for the new cheerleader and also for the athlete just finishing up a sideline cheer program.

Why Choose Michigan Xtreme Cheer and Dance?

When you choose Michigan Xtreme’s HYPE program, you can feel confident you have chosen the best program in the area for your child.  All of our coaches are United States All-Star Federation certified, and American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators safety-certified, trained in CPR, and continually participate in training workshops to continue our tradition of excellence.  Our coaching philosophy does not just focus on where we place at competitions; our lesson plans revolve around teaching safe and proper technique in stunts and skills, fostering teamwork among the cheerleaders, and encouraging a safe, fun, educational environment for everyone. 

Our HYPE program is all about the Cheerleaders!   

Athletes will be placed on teams of similar age/skill level to ensure safety, proper progressions, and continuous learning and advancement.  This program is perfect for a group of cheerleaders with a varying level of skill as each cheerleader is given individual attention based on her needs.  Cheerleaders are able to excel at their own pace and will receive the best coaching possible by experienced, dedicated staff.

Where are you located and how can I get involved?

HYPE team locations are available in Plymouth Township, Hartland, Farmington Hills, and Lansing, MI.  We offer modern, spacious, and clean facilities through our host gyms.  No outdoor or cramped facilities!  Athletes enrolled in our cheer program at Michigan Xtreme also enjoy special discounts for other tumbling lessons and classes. 

Michigan Xtreme’s HYPE Program is directed by Lisa Hemmie.  She can be reached by email at mixcheer (at) premierathletics.com, at (734) 652-6989, or at our Michigan Xtreme Headquarters at (734) 737-0560. 

Santa Claus comes to MIX!

It was a day of adventure at MIX last Sunday... we had a magical visitor, Santa Claus!  The VIP’s were so excited and happy to see him walk in the door.  

Their beautiful faces lit up in wonder as he walked into the gym.  He sat down and everyone had a turn to sit and talk to him.  Some of the athletes just stared in wonder, some asked for gifts, but all left Santa with a present and a feeling of the holiday spirit. 

Santa stayed for lots of pictures and everyone had a turn to sit with him.  The VIP’s were so happy to have him visit, even the parents got into the pictures!  Santa said it was a real joy to meet the VIP’s; the beautiful smiles from the athletes and the big hug and kiss on the nose from Natalie Anderson made the trip from the North Pole all worth it!

Is cheerleading a sport?!?

Of COURSE it is!!  Did you hear Cody from 98.7 AMP Radio's claim last week that cheerleading is not a sport?  We put him to the test last night at our gym in Plymouth-Canton!!  He barely made it through WARM UP! 

Cody talked about his experience at Premier Athletics - Michigan Xtreme, and you can listen to the podcast!  Hear him run out of breath, try to do the splits, and stunt!!

Click here to listen!

Michigan Xtreme's Cheerlebrity...

Miss Halie Lindberg!

What first inspired you to get into cheerleading and how old were you? 

My sister Kim started cheerleading her freshman year in high school and that’s when I fell in love with the sport.  I would go to all of her games and cheer on the sidelines with her and the team.  Even though I was only seven years old I would stunt with the team and I begged my mom to put me in tumble classes. 

Where and how did you start out?

I started out at Premier Cheer Zone All-stars in 2002, a small program at Splitz Gymnastics run by Stephanie Gagleard, Rachele Frusti-Lindberg, and my sister Kim.  There I learned all my basics and what cheerleading was all about.  After five years of moving up levels I switched gyms and went to Michigan Xtreme, where I ended up on the Small Junior level four team, Superstars.  Many national titles were won that season and I knew Michigan Xtreme was where I wanted to stay.

Did you fall in love with cheer after “Day 1” or did it have to grow on you?

Since the day I saw my sister flying, I knew that cheerleading was what wanted to do.  My first year was the most difficult.  It was really challenging learning to tumble and I was too scared to try anything by myself.  I threw my first back handspring because my coach bet me a dollar!  I’d say that through my first season it had to grow on me, but since then I’ve been completely in love with competitive cheer.

Have you had any major setbacks that you had to overcome?

In 2010, a week before The Cheerleading Worlds, I tore my ACL and meniscus doing a full.  I couldn’t compete there for the second season in a row and I was heartbroken, it’s what I had been looking forward to my entire cheerleading career.  I went to Worlds and rooted for my team, and then as soon as we returned, I got surgery to repair my knee.  After eight months of continuous physical therapy I was able to start cheering again.  The recovery process was really tough and it was hard to re-gain all my skills, but with A LOT of hard work and dedication, I did it.

               

What goals have you set for yourself and achieved?  Are there any left you’re still shooting for?

One of the goals I recently achieved is being chosen for the Inside Cheerleading 2011 All-American All-star team, based on leadership, academics, and talent.  Another goal I recently achieved that I’m very proud of was being invited to the University of Kentucky cheerleading tryouts for the 2012-2013 season.  My next goal is to go to tryouts in April and make the blue squad.

What have you learned during your cheer career?

Confidence is key - if you’re not confident in yourself and your team it’s hard to achieve your goals.

Talk about the relationships you have formed from your years as a cheerleader:

This season my team and coaches are truly like my second family, we would do anything for each other.  We always show support and cheer each other on and I know I can go to them for anything.

 

If you could go back and do it all again, would you change anything?

No, I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything that happened throughout these past ten years of cheerleading helped me grow into a stronger and more determined athlete.

After you graduate from high school, what’s next?

I’ve been accepted to both the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.  This spring I’ll be trying out for their cheer teams.  I’m hoping to attend one of these schools and further my cheerleading career and get my education in order to become a physical therapist.

What advice would you give a young person in competitive cheer?

I would tell them to never give up and always make sure you’re enjoying yourself.  It’s a difficult sport with plenty of stress (both mental and physical), but it’s worth it!!

GOOD LUCK HALIE!!!