Cheer didn’t end when I stopped competing — it just changed shape. At the time, I didn’t know that yet. Worlds 2017. I had just stepped off the awards floor with Cheer Athletics Cheetahs after placing second. I wasn’t devastated by the placement — our performances that weekend spoke for themselves — but I remember trying to hold it together for everyone around me who was upset. Looking back, I realize how much I had already stepped into a leadership role without even noticing

The year was 2013. I had just completed my final competition with Spirit of Texas. Shortly after, a few friends invited me to an open gym at another gym — Cheer Athletics Plano. I remember standing in my room, searching for a Spirit of Texas practice shirt to wear. I wanted everyone to know I was a cheerleader from a great gym. The drive from Arlington to Plano felt endless. Growing up near DFW airport, cheer gyms were always close. Spirit of Texas Arlington was about 15–20 m

I started cheerleading when I was four years old. That was back in 2001, growing up in the DFW area, long before cheer looked the way it does today. Before social media, before Worlds bids were common language, before the industry exploded into what it is now. I was just a kid who loved tumbling, movement, and being part of a team. I also happened to be one of the only boys doing it. At that age, I didn’t know I was “different.” Cheer was just my normal. It was the place wher

Hi, I'm Dylan. I'm a Cheer Coach, a hair-obsessed perfectionist, and the person behind Tease & Toss. Tease & Toss wasn't created In a factory or by a big company. It started because I kept seeing the same problem over and over again. Hair that looked great in the mirror... Then crooked after warmups. Then flat by awards. Then a color that was "close enough" but never actually right. And moms were stressed. Athletes were frustrated. Coaches were fixing hairs in the hallways. S