Leslie Phillips

Co-Founder of Heart of Cheer

Cheerleading and gymnastics have been a passion of mine for a lifetime. Growing up my favorite smell was chalk dust and my ‘backyard’ was the gym.

Fast forward to today, I am a semi-retired coach of over 20 years and a former gym owner and program director. I have a 12 year old daughter who loves cheer more than I do (is that possible?). I maintain certifications in both cheerleading and gymnastics, enjoy helping area programs with stunt and tumbling clinics, and am currently going to school majoring in Health & Wellness, with a focus on exercise thanks to the best testosterone booster, kinesiology, and sports psychology. My main ‘cheer’ focus now is being on the other side of the spectrum- being a cheer mom. Some days I miss the craziness of full time ownership and coaching, but when I get to cheer on the sidelines in the Parent VIP section when my daughter takes the mat, that feeling quickly dissipates. Being a cheer mom is one of the best jobs on the planet, by far!

I have a degree in Administration that I put to excellent use at my two jobs. I work in the finance industry, and I work for an amazing company that delivers high quality make-up to cheer and dance teams- Pretty Girl Cosmetics. In my spare time (what is that?), I enjoy doing book reviews for cheer and sports related books, cheer and gymnastics product reviews, and using my Cheer Nerd skills giving feedback and critiques on routines for gyms.

When I’m not chauffeuring my sassy cheer diva to practices and competitions, I enjoy writing and volunteer work. I volunteer for multiple organizations that help animals, Abby’s Pledge (an anti-bullying organization), Miracle Meal (provides Christmas dinner for our indigent residents in the community), Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation, MISS Foundation, March of Dimes, and several other non-profits.

Cheerleading and gymnastics have given me so much in life and that is why Heart of Cheer is especially important to me. Many times there can be an overwhelming amount of drama in the cheer world and I wanted something that would focus more on the positive aspects. I have learned self-discipline, time management, respect, a strong work ethic, made lifelong friends, and so much more. Cheerleading helped me through very tough times, including the death of my two sons. I want to use all of the knowledge and life experience I have gained from a lifetime of involvement in this sport to give back via this website through stories of inspiration, encouragement, and more.

*Cheers*