Cheerleading is a vastly popular sport in the U.S.—with over 3.9 million participants across the country in 2024. This competitive sport involves a series of gymnastics moves, jumps, tumbling, pyramids and dance. As with many competitive sports, cheerleading provides physical and mental benefits for youth participants.
Westlake Village resident Eva Rankin founded Cheer Elite Angels last year to offer youth ages 6 to 14 the opportunity to participate in cheerleading.
“I wanted to give kids a chance to experience the world of competitive cheer while still having time for other interests,” says Eva, who manages and directs the program along with classes at Overtime Athletics, an afterschool enrichment program.
“Many of our athletes also participate in club soccer, club volleyball, dance and gymnastics. This program gives them a taste of competitive cheerleading—and once they get that taste, there’s no turning back!”
Eva’s love for the sport has been a driving force throughout her cheer coaching career, which began 14 years ago.
“Watching my athletes grow and fall in love with the sport has been an incredible experience,” she says. “Many have gone on to cheer in high school and beyond—something that fills me with pride.”
The importance of giving back to the community is central to the many lessons she hopes to instill in the athletes.
“Every Cheer Elite Angel learns valuable life lessons: teamwork, goal setting, perseverance and confidence,” notes Eva. “We also encourage being active members of the community. I encourage my high school girls to coach too, which I think is important in today’s teen society.”
This year, Cheer Elite Angels teamed up with the “Boo2Bullying” campaign, promoting their platform via social media to raise awareness for mental health and anti-bullying. And after the L.A. fires, the team wrote letters to local firefighters and families of those affected.
“Our athletes learn that strength isn't just physical—it's emotional and mental too.”
As a Cheer Elite Angel, youth are encouraged to be enthusiastic, team-oriented, hardworking and willing to try new things and make new friends. The team’s dedication has earned them several recent accomplishments.
“We’ve participated in cheer clinics, our seasonal showcase and two competitions. Our first was at Knott’s Berry Farm, where we took first place in our division!” she notes.
“The second was a virtual competition through World Class Cheerleading, where we also placed first and received the Showstopper Award for choreography and performance,” shares Eva, expressing her appreciation for her amazing coaching team. "We bring in expert coaches with various backgrounds of cheer, dance, tumbling and stunt to make our performance quality top-notch."
She also expresses appreciation for participants’ parents.
“I am incredibly grateful to have such an amazing group of cheer parents that supported me and believed in the Cheer Angels! I’ve had the privilege of helping shape young lives and creating years of joyful memories for families and cheerleaders. To me, that’s what makes it all worthwhile."
Join the Team!
Athletes of all experience levels are welcome to participate in a Cheer Clinic, Sunday, August 24, at a local gym in Thousand Oaks.
With the goal of building two or three teams based on age and skill level, Cheer Elite Angels invites participants to their tryout clinic where they will learn a cheer and dance routine, demonstrate jumps and show any tumbling skills they may have. No experience is necessary!
“We believe everyone should have the opportunity to shine!” says Coach Eva.
For more information and to register, follow Cheer Elite Angels on Instagram at @cheereliteangels (https://www.instagram.com/cheereliteangels) or visit otathletics.com/nwla.
“Every Cheer Elite Angel learns valuable life lessons: teamwork, goal setting, perseverance and confidence. We also encourage being active members of the community."