🎉 The Oldest Cheer Club Turns 25 (S3.7)

janie724
Oct 28
2 min read

Episode released on October 14, 2025

In this episode of the Kick’s Cheer Podcast, we celebrate a quarter-century of passion and perseverance with Catia Lopes, founder of Centre Coyotes in Candiac. From 13 girls gathered in a living room to a 10,000 sq. ft. training facility, Catia shares 25 years of history, innovation, and love for Quebec cheerleading.

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🐺 25 Years of History: From a Teen’s Drawing to the Centre Coyotes

At 8 years old, Catia fell in love with cheerleading. A few years later, when her club closed, she reignited the spark with 13 friends… and literally drew the cheer center of her dreams. Two and a half decades later, that drawing became a building the club now owns, home to 500+ athletes and a team of around 47 coaches and staff members.

Centre Coyotes has evolved from a small non-profit supported by several towns into a structured, 7-days-a-week business with two full floors and training areas, a true development hub where athletes grow from recreational to international levels.

💡 The Game-Changers That Defined Their Growth

Mandatory tumbling classes: Coyotes quickly realized tumbling would become essential. Instead of recruiting already-trained gymnasts, the club decided to develop skills in-house.

Coach development pathway: Assistant → recreational → competitive, with internal training and mentorship to build the next generation of leaders.
Level innovation: An “international hybrid” program now helps athletes transition smoothly to higher levels, avoiding the typical reset between divisions.
Resilience & diversification: The play structure (created during COVID) helped sustain operations and introduce new families to the sport.

🏆 Proud Moments and Milestones

U.S. Bids: Traveling “incognito,” Coyotes returned home with two bids for two teams to the prestigious Summit, a defining, emotional moment for the entire community.

Major results: 2nd place at Summit, 3rd at Worlds, milestones that confirm the quality and consistency of their program.
New goals: On to NCA this season, a long-time dream about to come true.

🧭 Values That Keep the Vision Strong

On the gym wall, you’ll find the team’s everyday values: family, determination, pride, joy, and consistency.

These principles guide every decision, from athlete retention and project choices to parent relations, and shape a club culture where everyone belongs. At Coyotes, athletes grow at their own pace, from recreational to pre-competitive, from provincial to national and international.

🧱 Retention and Development: The Foundation Before the Spotlight

At Coyotes, athletes are encouraged to start with recreational cheer, to take time to love the sport, build technical foundations, and evolve based on motivation, time, and family balance.

The result: a sustainable ecosystem where tiny athletes grow into competitors, then coaches, and even managers.

🏗️ What’s Next?

The 10,000 sq. ft. gym is… already too small.

New projects are in the works (🤫), and the leadership team stays focused, one project at a time, fully carried through, ensuring Coyotes keeps shining from local to international, without losing its pioneering spirit.