How TGC Began: From a Joke to a Calling

Every great story begins with a spark — sometimes unexpected, sometimes born from a simple moment of curiosity or laughter. The journey of Tullahoma Gymnastics and Cheer (TGC) is no exception. What started as a lighthearted joke among friends quickly transformed into a lifelong passion, a calling, and ultimately a community that continues to inspire, encourage, and build up generations of athletes. This is the story of how TGC came to be — a testament to faith, perseverance, and the power of believing in others.

Cheerleading runs in the family for sure!

"It all started as a joke. In March of 2000, I sat around a lunch table with some of my football buddies at North Junior High School (now North Middle School). They had just made an announcement that cheerleading tryouts were coming up. We laughed and thought it would be funny if we went out for the cheer team. It turned into a serious challenge, or so I thought. After our spring football practice was over one afternoon, I walked back over to the cafeteria and attended the “informational meeting” for everyone interested in joining the cheerleading squad. My buddies had assured me they would be there. They were not. I wanted to back out, but the girls trying out encouraged me to give it a shot and said that it would be super fun, so I did.

Brandon’s mom, Debbi, was his first believer and head cheerleader. The one who saw potential long before he did.

At tryouts a couple weeks later, I saw the girls doing their back handsprings and thought I probably could do that, and I could...  sometimes. During my tryout, I landed on my head doing my roundoff back handspring. I’d guess the rest of my tryout was pretty tragic as well, but crazy enough I made the team. As the new season approached, my mom (Debra) signed me up for tumbling classes. She believed I could do it but felt pretty strongly that I should receive some proper training. After not exactly crushing it in my first class, Mrs.Tiffany Watson encouraged me to come back the next week, and if I did, she was going to help me. She believed in me, even when I couldn’t see it, and quite frankly, there wasn’t much to believe in. 

Cheering at the University of Tennessee — where passion turned into purpose.

I wasn’t really a natural when it came to gymnastics, tumbling, or cheerleading, and maybe that’s what made it so attractive to me. After a few months of classes, I was invited to start helping with some of the younger classes. As I started assisting with classes, I found that I actually had a gift and a passion to teach and encourage. I ultimately gave up other activities so I could spend more time investing in this new sport that I had fallen in love with. In high school, I continued to teach classes at Totally Tumblin’, and Mrs. Tiffany encouraged me to check out some different gyms that had more access to equipment and resources to continue my training because she had taken me as far as she could. That search led me to Huntsville, AL, where I would drive an hour one way 3 or 4 days a week to continue my training and development as an athlete. I joined an all star cheerleading team and fell even more in love with the sport and training process! 

From a dream to a reality — the early days of CheerStorm, the beginning of TGC.

From the time I started driving to train, I knew I would be back to open a gym. So as I continued to work at Totally Tumblin’ and then other gyms through college, I continued to try and look at the way things are done or taught and never stop asking the question, “how can we do it better?” When I was done cheering at the University of Tennessee (GBO!) in 2008, I opened CheerStorm in Tullahoma as a 20 year old kid that wasn’t ready to lead a business or cheerleading program. ONLY by the grace of God are we still able to be here, because there was and is still so much to learn.

Years later, Brandon’s dream continues to became reality. TGC teams like RAIN carried that same spirit all the way to Disney. What started as a one-person journey had become a family of believers.

When Tullahoma Gymnastics and Cheer was officially launched in August of 2015, I didn’t fully understand just how special it would be.  I had so many adults encourage and believe in me as I was growing up, and now this is my opportunity to believe and encourage the next generation. One of the greatest joys I get to see now are athletes that I used to coach develop into incredible leaders, teachers, and coaches. If we only focus on our own success, success has a finite limit! But if we can help others find success along their journey, there’s no limit on our influence, as it will continue to ripple! All star cheerleading provided me with an incredible community through high school and paid for my college education.  But really, gymnastics and cheerleading is just a platform. At TGC, we get to believe in athletes before they believe in themselves. In a world that wants to tear each other down, we get to celebrate and build each other up! As fun as the journey has been, I believe the best is yet to come."

~ Coach Brandon

Full Circle: From Dreamer to Dad, from Athlete to Coach. It’s not just a gym; it’s a generational mission.

From a humble beginning rooted in a middle school dare to a thriving gym filled with energy, purpose, and growth, TGC’s story is more than just about cheer and gymnastics, it’s about transformation. It’s a reminder that what may begin as a simple moment can evolve into a lifelong mission to uplift others. Today, TGC stands not just as a gym, but as a family, a place where belief, encouragement, and community come together to help every athlete reach their fullest potential. And while the journey so far has been incredible, one thing is certain: the best is truly yet to come.