Sideline Prep: Tackling Mindset On and Off the Field with GeNienne Samuels

The nerves and excitement that approach a life-changing opportunity can add fuel to the fire for some, but for others, it’s tough to get rid of the nagging feeling of rejection or thinking of what could go wrong. Trying something new, venturing into the unknown, and pushing forward toward our goals can be scary and very overwhelming.

Sometimes we wish there were guidelines, inside secrets or tips, or a fairy godmother to give us the right answers and guide us along the way. Well, in the professional cheer and dance industry, that’s where Sideline Prep comes in. 

Sideline Prep, founded in 2009, has a team of current and former pros that have done just that for aspiring professional cheerleaders; helping them nail their auditions by strengthening their inner confidence and coaching them through what to do and how to do it correctly, so they arrive prepared and polished, ready to achieve their dreams.  

The mission of Sideline Prep is to give aspiring professional cheerleaders the knowledge, style, and glamour to walk into prep classes and auditions with confidence.

GeNienne Samuels, who’s been called the “Beyonce of Pro Cheer” and the “Pro Cheer Guru,” realized young women and men aspiring to become professional cheerleaders and dancers required the proper guidance, mentoring, and preparation to help give them the best chance to succeed. 

“I know the impact of having a coach, of having someone who cares. I know the impact of someone extending a helping hand and saying, ‘I got you.’ And so I really felt like creating a formal company with coaches who have been there and done that, to help others,” stated Samuels. “It was something that was a void in the industry, and a way for me to give back because someone did the same for me.”

With a staff made up of a network of active and passionate professional and semi-professional cheerleaders that have danced on the sidelines of games, at charity events, professional appearances, and overseas for military tours for years, Sideline Prep’s goal is to fully prepare young women, and now men, for their cheerleading and dance prep classes and auditions, enabling them to walk in with reinforced physical and emotional awareness. 

Most coaches are former teammates of Samuels or are “Lovelies” who participated and graduated from the programs at Sideline Prep and went on to become professional cheerleaders. They all know what it takes to go pro and all understand that being successful at an audition is about winning the mental game, not just about being the best dancer in the room.

“During the preparation process, we help lovelies understand that they’re not supposed to be good in every single area, they’re working with a company that will help them get better, but it’s up to them to keep pushing forward,” Samuels mentioned.

It requires you to step outside of your comfort zone. You’re going to have to make sure that your courage and your faith in yourself are larger than the fear that is being presented to you or that you’re creating in your own mind.

With over seventy percent of their graduates landing a spot on a pro or semi-pro team, Sideline Prep’s 9-Step Pro Cheer Playbook Program works. The foundation of the comprehensive program is built on tools and techniques to help change one’s internal mindset, shift auto-negative-thinking toward positive thinking, and ultimately increase one’s self-esteem and self-image from within. These programs impact lives, both emotionally and physically by fostering a supportive community that cares and coaching that’s about more than just the dos and don’ts of the audition process. 

Ultimately, aiming to make their lovelies and gents “sideline-ready,” the tactical to-do’s, tools, suggestions, and information provided by the Sideline Prep team not only helps their clients be more prepared for auditions but also makes them more prepared and better equipped for life. The most rewarding aspect of being a coach at Sideline Prep is watching each person transform internally; from the inside out. 

“What we teach transcends beyond an audition. The cherry on top is making it on a team. But for us, it’s more about helping others become a better version of themselves,” states Samuels. She adds, “If you finish this program knowing and believing in yourself more than you did when you started, then it’s a win for me.”

With a ninety-eight percent satisfaction rating from students stateside and some as far as Japan and Austria as they learn how to better themselves for auditions and strengthening life skills, Sideline Prep continues to focus on providing individualized and passionate coaching with first-hand expertise to fuel personal growth and inner confidence. To learn more about GeNienne and Sideline Prep, visit their website

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