There are so many components that go into building a winning tradition at an all-star gym. In addition to countless other attributes, the owners need to be good communicators, the athletes need to be dedicated and the parents have to be supportive. Stars Vipers, the 13-year-old cheer program from the small Texas town of Schertz, has it figured out and the growth and success they are experiencing are going through the roof! 

Several of their cheer parents gave us insight into what makes their gym work. Parents Kimberly Mack, Marci Bodenhausen, Molly Ramon and Dawn Bishop all have daughters in the Stars Vipers program, from Show Team to Level 5 Worlds teams, and they shared with us the secrets of building a winning tradition.

SVFN1RE1 -  Stars Vipers, Fear No One, Respect Everyone

Kimberly, your daughter Maddie is a senior in high school and has been cheering with Stars Vipers for six years. What are the program qualities that make your daughter want to come back each season?

The Stars have always embraced qualities such as hard work, determination, commitment, pushing athletes to their full potential, honesty, faith and a feeling of family. Our teams win quite a bit, but they have also had their hearts broken. The Stars always find a way to embrace the hurt or disappointment and use it to motivate teams. As odd as it sounds, some of my most favorite moments as a parent are watching these teams deal with the disappointment, embrace their teammates and recognize that people and their teammates are more important than a win. It sounds trivial, but it builds character.

Dawn, your daughter Lindsey has been cheering with Stars for three years. Can you describe her experience?

I respect that Stars always does what is best for the team. Decisions made are not about pleasing an individual athlete or his/her parents. I imagine this is incredibly difficult for our owners and coaches at times, but it has allowed me to develop the trust I now have for Stars. I know my daughter will not be put in a position to compromise her safety; however, I know she will be given the opportunity to grow and build her skills within each season.

Marci, you and your daughter Erika have been a part of Stars Vipers for nine years now. Tell us about the vibe of the Viper parents.

Many parents will come for the first team to perform at a competition and stay until the last team has performed. This can mean quite a long day. Every competition, the parents and kids will all stand and chant for every team as they take the mat, and then again after they have finished performing—every team, every time. We get compliments regularly from other teams about how loud we are, and how they really liked how much we all seem to support each other. As a parent, I believe that there are a lot of great qualities in the program at Stars. The Viper parents consider each other family.

Molly, as a parent of two Vipers, Chloe and Ella, what do you appreciate most about their coaches?

There are not enough words to express how much I appreciate our coaching staff. I am so appreciative of the way they work together to get our kids to accomplish amazing performances time and time again. They know my child's limits and can push them past it to achieve new goals and better their skills. They instill values of working for the team and not just for yourself. They do everything TOGETHER, for each other.

Are there any specific traditions, mottos or creeds your gym has that bonds the team members?

Marci: The teams do a prayer and breakout at the end of every practice to lift each other up in the positive things they accomplished at that practice. They also do a group prayer prior to going on the mat at every competition asking for them to hit and do the best they can. Their motto is "Together," and they say this over and over right before hitting the mat.

Kimberly: Some of our Viper teams have little acronyms that their team embraces throughout a season. My favorites are "SVFN1RE1,"  which stands for "Stars Vipers, Fear No One, Respect Everyone," and "FSU," which is "Family Stars United." 

Dawn: Throughout the season, teams will hold team bonding events which are opportunities for our athletes, coaches and families to get to know each other outside the gym. It may be a pool party, floating the river, going to the movies, dinner or a lock-­in at the gym. We have found that teams who are well-bonded have more cohesive practices and perform better on the mat.

Why do you think Stars Vipers has experienced so much success and growth?

Marci: They enforce the "show ­up" rule. Every child is expected to be at every practice. This teaches the children responsibility and time management. It also shows in our performances when we consistently do well.

Molly: This gym has so much success because they have worked on developing the quality of teams instead of the quantity of teams.