BUILDING THEIR LEGACY

By Brandon Petersen

Stepping inside SoCal Thunder gym at the old Westminster Mall, one thing hits you before anything else: the banners. Multiple dozens of them, draped across the gym's walls and rafters, proof that this is a place where winning is routine.

For anyone who didn't already know, Westcliff Cheer working out here tells you everything you need to understand — this program is the real deal.

The reigning two-time NCA national champions aren't just crashing in a borrowed space. They've got a home, and it shows. The SoCal Thunder gym is a state-of-the-art cheer facility, equipped with a massive spring floor, advanced tumbling tools that help athletes learn the right way, lockers, an audience area for parents, and even an adjacent dance studio. It's the kind of setup you expect for the best of the best — and Westcliff is putting it to work.

On Saturday, the space wasn't just Warriors. Instead, it was buzzing with dozens of young athletes, from tiny youngsters to seasoned high school seniors, tumbling, jumping, and stunting under the guidance of Westcliff's national champions.

For the kids, it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn directly from the team they'd watched hoist trophies. For Westcliff, it was something more: a chance to expand its footprint, evaluate future talent, and remind the cheer world that the Warriors just keep growing.

Westcliff Cheer doesn't just set the bar — it raises it, flips over it, and lands cleanly every single time. Twice crowned NCA National Champions, the Warriors have carved out a dynasty in only six short years of existence, routinely toppling NCAA Division I opponents in a sport where tradition usually rules.

Head coach Eric Anderson said Saturday's clinic is about far more than skill-building.

"Today we're having our annual recruitment clinic, and we also invite other younger athletes to come," he said. "It's basically a skills clinic. We teach them some of the fundamentals of cheerleading, like with jumps, tumbling, and right now we're doing stunting."

Unlike in years past, Anderson let his athletes take the lead in instruction — an intentional move to develop both the recruits and his own roster.

"Before I used to do these clinics myself, but I think it's also a good learning tool for the athletes to actually do this and interact with the recruits as well," Anderson explained. "And it's also a teaching tool to help them become better instructors and teachers."

Program on the Rise

The Warriors' relocation to the SoCal Thunder gym has only accelerated their growth. The facility's spring floors and tumble tracks allow athletes to safely refine advanced maneuvers, while exclusive morning access means Westcliff Cheer has the gym entirely to themselves.

"We're very blessed because we practice in the mornings. Westcliff Cheer gets the entire gym to ourselves. That's really great," Anderson said.

The move was both financial and strategic. After years at South Coast Cheer and Clava, Anderson said SoCal Thunder provided more availability and flexibility — including space for major events like Saturday's.

Building a Brand, Brick by Brick

Even as national champions, Anderson knows the program is still young compared to universities with century-old traditions.

"I mean, we've been in athletics for six years, so the things we've done so far have been great. But we're still competing against other universities and colleges with centuries of tradition," he said. "So, I am comfortable and very appreciative of our notoriety we're getting in the cheer community. But we're still relatively new."

That humility hasn't stopped Westcliff from redefining what an NAIA cheer program can achieve. Their two NCA national titles, won against the toughest opposition in the country, prove the model works.

Reloaded for Another Run

Asked about the season ahead, Anderson didn't flinch at the weight of expectation.

"We're extremely talented this year," he said. "We really rebuild. We have a lot of returners. Plus, we got some new rookies in that are really good. We had two of the rookies we got in were All-American, made All-American this year.

"So, we're looking to be better than we were last year. I know we will be better, but everyone gets better every year."

The key, Anderson insists, is staying faithful to the process:

"If the kids follow the process and we do what we're doing, we stay on track, I think we're going to be really successful," he said.

Anderson also credited his revamped coaching staff.

"I think another good addition to our program are my new assistant coaches," he said. "I think that they have been so instrumental in helping out with recruiting and dividing, conquering so we can get to every athlete with their on and off the mat needs. And I think that makes a big difference for them because if they're taken care of off the mat, then they can do what they need to do on the mat for us."

The Bigger Picture

For Anderson, the clinic wasn't just about evaluation or instruction — it was about planting seeds for the program's future.

Watching current Warriors mentor young athletes in a packed, buzzing gym was a reminder of how far Westcliff Cheer has already come, and how far it still can go.

"I'm really excited about this season. I'm just crossing my fingers everything falls in place, and we're injury free," Anderson said. "And academically, we'll be in a good place."

Westcliff Cheer has already proven it can win. 

Now, with a flourishing recruiting pipeline, expanded facilities, and a roster stacked with returners and All-Americans, the Warriors are building something bigger than titles — they're building a legacy.