We’re Erika and Raquel, the co-founders of Ascend Training Center, and we built this space with one shared goal: to create an environment where athletes grow not only in skill, but in confidence, character, and mindset.

Erika brings a strong background in childhood education and childcare, along with years of experience coaching cheer across multiple divisions. She’s known for combining structure, warmth, and precision, with a deep understanding of athlete placement and scoring strategy. Her coaching style balances high expectations with empathy and clear communication, helping athletes develop both technically and emotionally.

Raquel holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology and brings over a decade of experience in health coaching with a mental-health-informed approach. She focuses on youth mindset, confidence building, emotional regulation, and helping athletes work through internal barriers. Her calm, patient, and detail-oriented style creates supportive spaces where kids feel safe to grow and challenge themselves.

As both mothers and coaches of children involved in cheer, soccer, and baseball, we saw firsthand that young athletes needed more than just physical training. They needed mentorship, structure, emotional guidance, and a place where mindset was developed just as intentionally as movement.

Ascend was created from that vision — a center where technique, safety, empowerment, and mental strength come together to help every child rise.