Cheering her on: OSU-CHS staff member launches affordable cheer program for youth
Friday, February 13, 2026
Media Contact: Kayley Spielbusch | Digital Communications Specialist | 918-561-5759 | kspielb@chs-externalaffairs.com
Every child interested in cheerleading deserves the all-star experience without paying the all-star price tag.
This belief is why Nicole Ezell founded City Belle Athletics.
Ezell, an academic assistant in the Office of Educational Development at OSU Center for Health Sciences, has a lifelong love of cheerleading — participating at the youth level through high school.
“It’s a great sport. It teaches kids a lot, even outside of athleticism. It teaches them about teamwork and builds their character and their confidence,” she said.
Ezell’s daughter inherited her love of the sport and has been involved in competitive cheer for over a decade. Over the years, she would hear stories about the cost of competitive cheer and experienced it firsthand with her daughter’s cheer gym — with tuition around $300 a month and uniform and choreography fees totaling about $1,000 a season.
“There were talks of parents having to pull their child out for a season to recoup financially, with the hope of coming back for the following season. So, I decided I wanted to be a part of the solution,” Ezell said.
The plan for City Belle Athletics came to fruition in early 2025, but what was supposed to be a five-year plan to start her business turned into a six-month plan.
Ezell connected with another cheer mom from North Carolina who had opened her own cheer gym four years ago. They set up a call and spoke for two hours. Her encouragement led Ezell to take a leap of faith and start calling community centers.
City Belle Athletics started in August 2025 at Reed Park Community Center in Tulsa. The program offers an affordable, 10-month competitive cheer experience for children ages 3 to 16.
Currently, they are in the second half of their first season with 22 participants.
Ezell pays for most of the associated costs out of her own pocket. She only charges $65 in monthly tuition. She also covers choreography fees and provides low-cost options for buying or renting uniforms.
“My goal is not to get rich. It’s truly about giving people the opportunity who would probably never have it because of the associated price. I don’t want the parents to ever feel overwhelmed with the financial burden of not being able to have their kid in a sport they love,” she said.
The program is designed for beginners with no competitive cheer experience. Participants develop basic tumbling skills while learning routines and choreography for competitions.
"It's truly about giving people the opportunity who would probably never have it because
of the associated price. I don't want parents to ever feel overwhelmed with the financial
burden of not being able to have their kid in a sport they love."
Seeing the growth in her students’ skills and confidence has been the highlight for Ezell.
“We had a showcase before our first competition, and they got on the stage and they shone. Of course, I shed tears because I was so proud of how far they’d come, and they just continue to improve,” Ezell said.
Following the showcase, both of City Belle Athletics’ teams earned first place in their first division competition.
Ezell’s hard work earned her a spot on the Tulsa World’s People to Watch in 2026 list. The recognition was a complete surprise to her, and she said the entire experience has been surreal.
She credits City Belle Athletics’ success to the support of Lawren Brown, a cheer coach who has been with her every step of the way.
Ezell said she looks forward to expanding the program and remains committed to keeping competitive cheerleading accessible.
“The whole purpose is providing access to a luxury sport and I want it to stay that way, even as we continue to grow,” she said.