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Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-state area. In addition to this update from Shullsburg, Wis., we will share other developments in Tuesday’s edition.
After four years in business, a Shullsburg woman has opened a permanent home for her cheerleading, tumbling and fitness classes.
Katie Daentl opened Badger Elite Athletics at 201 Wisconsin 11, next to Shullsburg Community Bank, at the beginning of the month. She runs the business with her husband, Loren, and is one of the cheerleading coaches.
“I am just so happy to have a home,” she said. “To have a home that we know is steady and know there will be no last-minute changes is huge for us.”
Daentl, who has been cheerleading her whole life, started Badger Elite Athletics as a cheerleading program four years ago when she didn’t see any local school districts offering programs for kids.
But classes moved to different locations multiple times over the years. The business mostly moved around Shullsburg, but classes did take place for a time in Platteville.
“We started by renting any sort of gym space we could get our hands on, which in a rural area is very hard because of all the basketball programs, volleyball programs,” she said. “We made it work for four years, and somehow, we were still competing and the girls were still winning things.”
She said the permanent location previously was used as a shop and storage space for Shullsburg Auto.
Badger Elite Athletics currently has 65 cheerleaders in three teams, with ages ranging from 5 to 17.
With the permanent space, Daentl also expanded to offer fitness classes for adults, a toddler music class and tumbling classes for kids and teens.
“I’m just excited to keep expanding and offering more extracurriculars for kids,” she said. “I think that’s really needed now. Kids today are often lost in the world of electronics, with phones and laptops and iPads. I think it’s really important to get little ones away from that and more into something that is really helping their all-around self. I’m excited to see where it takes us.”
Badger Elite Athletics can be found online at badgereliteathletics.com and facebook.com/badgerelitecheer. The business also can be reached via email at badgerelitecheer@gmail.com.