The Cheer Lab has grown into a vibrant home for children in Ashton-under-Lyne who come to learn cheerleading, dance, acro, gymnastics, and aerial skills. But talk to anyone inside the club and you quickly realise it is much more than a training space. It is a family.

Head Coach Natasha Gardner, who has been part of the journey from the very beginning, captures the atmosphere perfectly:

“Everybody is so close with one another… we all help one another and it’s one big happy family.”

Founded by Becky Arona, the club creates an environment where children grow in confidence, build lasting friendships, and discover strengths they did not know they had. Many of the youngest athletes now progress all the way into student coaching roles, supported every step of the way.

As Natasha says,

“We can only keep growing and growing and growing.”

And the club certainly has big ambitions. This year, The Cheer Lab’s competition teams will head to The Summit in America and the Infinity Finals in Florida, signalling a new chapter of achievement.

A growing club with growing admin pressures

With more classes, more athletes, more competition teams, and more communication, the admin behind the scenes quickly became harder to manage manually.

Like many fast-growing cheer schools, The Cheer Lab began to feel the strain of:

• Bookings and team allocations sitting across different tools
• Registers that took time to prepare
• Payments that needed constant tracking
• Parent communication that increased each term
• Safeguarding information stored in different places

The coaching team wanted to stay focused on developing athletes, not juggling spreadsheets and messages. They knew they needed a more streamlined way to run the club day-to-day.

How the ClassForKids Cheer Management Software transformed daily organisation

When The Cheer Lab introduced the ClassForKids cheer class management software, everything became simpler to run. Bookings, registers, communication, payments, and safeguarding details finally lived in one secure place.

The impact was clear:

• Registers were ready before sessions
• Parent communication felt faster and more professional
• Coaches had instant access to important information
• Payments became far easier to track
• The team gained a clearer view of demand and growth

Parents also enjoyed a smoother booking journey, which created more trust and fewer questions. This freed time for the coaches to plan routines, support competition teams, and mentor student coaches.

The organisation behind the scenes now matched the ambition on the mat.

Developing young leaders in a supportive environment

One of the things that makes The Cheer Lab special is the way young people grow into leaders.

Amy, who has been part of the club from the start, describes the impact:

“The Cheer Lab has given me so many amazing opportunities… I’ve been given the opportunity to coach, and it’s like my second home.”

Grace, another long-standing athlete, shares:

“I’m so grateful for the opportunities I get… to be a student coach and also be able to go to America. Becky and Tasha are absolutely phenomenal with us.”

With admin running smoothly in the background, coaches can spend more time nurturing talent, supporting athletes, and developing these powerful coaching pathways.

More than 20% revenue growth with a clearer, more organised system

Since adopting the ClassForKids Cheer Management Software, The Cheer Lab has achieved more than 20% year-on-year revenue growth.

This reflects:

• A more professional parent booking experience
• Smoother payment processes
• Clearer financial insights
• Better visibility across all classes and teams
• More time for coaching, planning, and competition preparation

The team now has the structure and confidence they need to continue expanding recreational sessions, adding new disciplines, and supporting athletes through higher-level competitions.

A cheer school ready for its next chapter

With new classes on the horizon, more competition opportunities, and a growing team of young coaches, The Cheer Lab is firmly positioned for long-term success.

The warmth Natasha describes, a place where children ask for help with stunts one minute and maths homework the next, remains at the heart of everything. Now, with the right cheerleading software supporting the admin side, the club can grow without losing the special atmosphere it is known for.

What other cheerleading clubs can learn from the Cheer Lab

The Cheer Lab shows just how much easier growth becomes when your systems match your ambitions.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Growth feels manageable when bookings, payments, and registers sit in one secure place.
• A smoother parent experience builds trust and keeps classes full.
• Clear reporting helps you shape your timetable and plan ahead.
• Strong organisation frees time for real coaching and connection.
• The right tools support both recreational athletes and competitive teams.