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Meet the owners

Branden & Julie Ledbetter

Welcome to Rise Athletics! We are so glad you have come to get to know us! Check out our Bio below and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Our Story

RISE Athletics was established not only because we love this sport but more importantly, we love Jesus Christ and want our athletes to see the character of Christ in them. That character is the RISE STANDARD of behavior that Branden and Julie Ledbetter demonstrate and expect from athletes and parents at Rise Athletics. Kali Seitzer will be our RISE coaching consultant.

 

Branden and Julie are married and met in college. Julie has cheered competitively from age 10 and has won countless state and national titles. Coach Julie was a college cheerleader at Western Michigan University when she met her husband, Branden. Branden and Julie have two children, Madisyn 15 and Noah 9.  Coach Branden played D1 football at Western Michigan University. Coach Branden will be responsible for Our RISE strength and conditioning programming.

 

The Ledbetter’s are the former owners of Rock Solid athletics in Henderson, Colorado (now re-named Rock Cheer Company). Rock Solid started with Julie’s passion for youth and cheer. Season one we hit the mat with 30 athletes and grew to over 150 athletes by season four. Rock Solid was the highest scoring D2 gym in the state of Colorado. Rock Solid has won hundreds of in state and national titles. The Ledbetter’s established both Rock Solid and now, RISE, with the purpose providing a safe, FUN, affordable, highly competitive, quality gym that gives all youth athletes an opportunity to feel validated, excited, and inspired to RISE to their greatest potential.  Coach Kali lives in Miami, Florida and is the current Director at TOP GUN Miami (the real Top Gun). She will be dedicated to RISE Athletics once a month to overlook all the teams and see the progress of the program. She will be available to Rise Athletics Coaches via zoom and facetime at all times.  Coach Julie and Coach Kali will be overseeing ALL Rise Athletics 23-24 teams, classes, camps, and clinics. They have a proven track record of success working together at Rock Solid and want to continue that success now here in Tennessee. Coach Julie and Coach Kali are 100% confident that together they will take your athlete to the next level. They will work cohesively together to make sure our athletes grow and progress the RISE WAY!

 

The Ledbetter family relocated from Colorado to Tellico Plains, Tennessee for Coach Branden’s new job in 2021. After being here for some time they realized that the love they had for their old athletes and gym can be poured out on the youth here. With lots of prayer and needing God to move mountains for this happen, RISE ATHLETICS was born.

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Coach Kali Seitzer

Coach Kali and Coach Julie met over 8 years ago at the Varsity U Coaches conference. They quickly hit is off and became great friend both on and off the mat. Coach Kali will be an integral part of the X's and O' of Rise Athletics. She will be visiting once per month to assist in routine formation, cleanup, comp prep and much more! Coach Kali is one of the all around most saught after Cheer and Tumble coaches in the world and we are so lucky to have her here with us! Check out her credentials below!

Athlete Credentials
Coaching Credentials
  • 23 years of experience competing gymnastics and competitive all star cheerleading.

  • 2014 Team USA ICU World Champion gold medalist

  • ~013 World Champion gold medalist Athlete & Coach, Stealth Phoenix Int'l Lvl 7

  • 2014, 2013, & 2012 Nfinity Legend

  • 2013 Team USA Partner Stunt Bronze Medalist

  • 2013 COP Partner Stunt Champion

  • 2013 NCA AllStar National Champion Stealth

  • 2011 European Open Partner Stunt Champion

  • 2010 NCA collegiate Partner Stunt Champion

  • 3-time NCA Collegiate National Champion - Hawaii Pacific

  • 3-time NCA Collegiate National Champion - Stephen F. Austin State

Current Work: 
  • Top Gun Miami Director of Program Development

  • Inspire Cheer Camps owner.

  • Cheerfest Summer Camp Director

  • Judge domestic & international competitions

  • 2015-present USASF Certified building level 7, tumbling & building levels 1-6

  • 22 years of coaching cheerleading started

  • Cheersport camps at 14 years old.

  • Coached in 27 different countries.

  • Work over 50 camps and clinics a year

  • Inside Cheerleader Magazine Top 35 under 35 most influential people in cheer

  • Multiple World Champion Coach & Athlete titles including Stealth allstars, California allstars Reckless and Smoed

  • Multiple 1st place D1 and D2 Summit Championship titles

  • 2009 Hawaii Pacific tumbling coach

  • 2008-2010 Cheer808 Allstar Tumbling Coordinator

  • 2010-2012 ICC Allstar Tumbling director/ICE Allstar Gym Director

  • 2012-2014 Stealth Allstars Program Coordinator

  • 2013-2015 Spring Tumbling International Master Camp Staff

  • 2014-2017 California Allstars Coach

  • Smoed - small coed level 5

  • Reckless - Small Coed Lvl 6

  • Varsity University conference speaker

  • International conference speaker

  • USASF conference speaker

  • TSN conference speaker

  • Gen next conference speaker  

  • Work with over 40 worlds/ICU teams in the states and internationally. Some include: Team Norway, Finland, Australia, Chile, Switzerland

  • Work with over 15 colleges including Texas Tech, San Diego State University, Trinity Valley Community College, Sam Houston State University,

  • California Baptist University, Stephen Austin State University and many more...

  • 7 years - Woodward camp master staff

  • 2 years - Woodward Lake Owen Camp program director

Contact

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions!

423-404-0661

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