Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle and Chris Martinez.
Michelle and Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started dancing and tumbling at a young age, and they quickly became passions of mine. I danced in college, as an LSU Tiger Girl and was a member of the New Orleans Saints Cheerleaders, the Saintsations. I began teaching dance and tumbling while living in New Orleans, where my husband and I grew up. I am now USASF Certified for Tumbling and Building and hold certifications from ACE as a Group Fitness Instructor and a Sports Performance Specialist.
My husband and co-owner Chris has always been involved in sports, both as an athlete and a youth coach. He played football and rugby and coached our son’s flag football teams. He continued his love for football as an adult, playing in the Leander Adult Flag Football league. He volunteers with at-risk youth and has always been a huge supporter of childhood sports and fitness.
Once we were settled in the Austin area, I began teaching Dance Fitness classes at a local gym. Soon after, I began teaching kids tumbling classes again, which eventually expanded into cheer. All of our children have been involved in sports from a young age. Our oldest son, Nathan, played football. Our younger son, James, played football and is a competitive Parkour athlete, and our youngest, our daughter Alexis, is an All-Star Competitive Cheerleader.
My husband and I had often spoken about how we wished sports were more affordable and easily accessible for kids of all backgrounds since we know involvement in sports leads to healthier kids who have a better chance of overall success, and from this, Phoenix Athletics was born! Our main mission statement is that we want Cheer, Tumbling and Parkour to be available to ALL kids, regardless of their family’s financial situation. We offer sponsorships through the Vissar Memorial Fund that help offset a portion of an athlete’s tuition fees.
The other main focus of Phoenix is that we want our gym to be a second home to every athlete and every family that walks through our doors. Every child benefits when they have a caring and loving community surrounding them and supporting them through life. This is what we aim for when we tell everyone, “Welcome to the Phoenix Family!” Our gym, our athletes, their parents, we are one big family, and we surround these kids with as much love and positivity as possible. We want to set them up not just to be successful in the gym but also in the real world.
We opened on June 6, 2022, and we are humbled by the support of the community. Our journey to this point had its share of hardships, but seeing the happy faces on the kids has made it all worth it. Our building is filled with smiles and laughter, and kids learning not just athletic skills but learning sportsmanship, teamwork, and dedication.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was definitely a bumpy road from day 1! Trying to find a space to accommodate our needs in the city of Leander was extremely tough, as a lot of landlords did not want to rent to child-focused businesses. Those who would rent to us had extremely high rent costs. We finally found one space and were set to sign a lease, when we found out the buildout was going to cost us $130,000 out of pocket, which was completely unfeasible for a new small business. There were days when I was in tears, as we had an amazing business plan, had funding lined up, but could not find a location.
We got lucky when finding our current space. The previous business had closed, and the landlord was extremely welcoming to our gym. We only had five days from the previous tenant vacating to our planned opening date, but with a lot of hard work from us, our family and our amazing staff, we were able to completely transform the space!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We teach Tumbling, Parkour and Competitive Cheer for ages 4-18. We keep our class sizes small, so every child gets the one-on-one coaching that will help them progress quicker and with good technique. We focus on the journey, not the end destination. When teaching new skills to an athlete, we break down every skill to its fundamental elements so that the athlete can understand not only the HOW behind the skill, but the WHY. We believe that taking the time to focus on the basics will not only lead to a safer environment but will ultimately allow our athletes to achieve every goal they could dream of.
We also offer Open Gyms, Parent’s Night out, Clinics, Birthday Parties, and partner with the local schools to make our facility accessible to all kids in the Leander area.
I am most proud of the sense of community we are building. Many people have remarked that our gym has a very comfortable feel and that it really does feel like a second home.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Do it!!! You will hit roadblocks, you will run into obstacles, and some of them will seem insurmountable. They aren’t! Surround yourself with a good support system. We were in close contact the Leander Chamber of Commerce and Austin SCORE mentors through the whole process, and their advice was invaluable.
No matter how hard the journey may seem, it is worth it.
Pricing:
- 55-minute classes – $79 per month
- 45-minute classes – $65 per month
- All-Star Cheer- dependent upon team
- Clinics – $25
- Open Gym – $5-$10
Contact Info:
- Website: www.phoenix-athletics.com
- Instagram: phoenixathleticstx
- Facebook: phoenixathleticstx
- Other: phoenixathleticstx – TikTok
