WELCOME TO
FORTE SPIRIT SOLUTIONS

OUR MISSION

Forte Spirit Solutions aims to inspire gyms to be the change in coaches, athletes, and families lives by using Cheerleading as the vehicle towards self awareness, growth, and the ability to influence society in a positive way which ultimately will help the industry and sport thrive.

OUR STORY

During the Pandemic in 2020, Jess and Adam were sitting around a campfire in their backyard talking about the state of the industry and of their lives. They were talking about the gamut of skillset and passion they had in regards to the Sport of Cheerleading. Jess freelanced choreography to a handful of gyms and many areas high schools. Adam did the same with music. They had run multiple staff training weekends for rec and all star staff, people who knew their expertise brought them in for tumbling and stunting camps. They had a lightbulb moment of, "why don't we systemize and consolidate all of these random services we offer and create a business that could really support gyms in such a multi-faceted way?" And so Forte Spirit was born....
Forte means strength in many European languages and is derived from the Latin root "Fortis," meaning the same. At Forte Spirit we want you to feel strong and confident in what you are teaching, in what you are putting out on the floor, and in the day to day systemization of your training. We know running an All-Star gym is hard work (we've done it ourselves for 17 years!) And so we want to take some weight off of gym owners' shoulders when it comes to the training piece. Every gym's needs are different. Please reach out to us and we can help customize a plan just for you. Whether that's virtual training, in person services, or a hybrid of both, we are committed to solving your questions or problems. Let FORTE be your SOLUTION! 
Adam Forte
Co-Owner, Coaches Trainer, Curriculum Development, Stunt & Tumbling Clinician, & Music Producer
Adam is the co-owner of Forte Spirit Solutions. He is also the Co-owner of Intensity Athletics in Albany, NY. He is the All-star and Tumbling director for Cheer Intensity which is under the Intensity Athletics brand. Adam had a gymnastics background prior to his 18 years in the cheer industry. He has coached multiple teams to victories at the Summit, and NCA Nationals. He has worked with and learned from the best instructors in the industry. Motivating and leading athletes as well as coaches and gym owners in the techniques of stunting and tumbling is a passion he has held for many years. He is a specialist in positioning, progressions, practice structures, and athlete optimization.

OUR TEAM

Jessica Forte
Co-Owner & Choreographer
Jess is the co-owner of Forte Spirit Solutions. She has also owned and operated a gym in Albany, NY by the name of Intensity Athletics for 17 years. She has choreographed hundreds of routines in her 19 years at the craft. Her routines have won multiple Championships at NCA, Cheersport, and The Summit. She also prides herself in her attention to detail and ability to diagnose a problem when it comes to tumbling. Teaching tumbling coaches how to train and spot is a huge passion of hers as well. 
Brittany Lucchesi
Tumbling Clinician & Choreographer
Brittany has trained and competed USAG up to level 9. She is a 3-time UCA College National Champion and was a part of UCA Staff for 8 years. She coached high school, college, and All-star cheerleading for 16 years. She currently coaches at Long Island Cheer. Her specialty is organization and communication with athletes. She always comes prepared and communicates her ideas effectively to any age group!
Michelle Hether
Choreographer
Michelle Hether is from Youngstown, OH, and is a head coach and choreographer for CheerTime Athletics, home of the Dream Team Allstars for 20 years. Michelle has choreographed and coached many High School Nationals, Summit and The Allstar Worlds teams. Michelle is admired in the cheer industry for her creative choreography and her ability to let the athletes personalities shine through. She strives to work with each athlete individually and identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to help each member of the team perform to the best of their ability.She prides herself in putting her heart into the routines she creates and wants the athletes to genuinely love them! 
Wesley Woods
Customer Solutions Specialist, Coaches Trainer, Curriculum Development, Stunt & Tumble Clinician
In addition to his many years as an athlete, including competing at the highest level at The Cheerleading Worlds, Wes has devoted 14 years to coaching various levels and programs. He is a certified legality judge and brings vast cheer knowledge as the co-owner of NM Elite. A top of all the areas Wes has experience in Cheerleading, Wes also has vast experience in sales, which has lead him to the Customer Solution Specialist at Forte!
Tom Balent
 Stunt & Tumble Clinician
Tom has 28 years of experience in the industry. He is the Owner of Perfecta Flip and a Tumbling Coach at The University of Maryland and Maryland Twisters. He is also a former Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader. Tom's specialty is getting coaches and athletes to understand the mechanics of tumbling so that they can effectively utilize this understanding in their training!
Trent Furnace
 Coaches Trainer, Curriculum Development, Stunt & Tumble Clinician
As a passionate cheer/tumble coach, Trent lives and breathes cheer through and through. He is the All Star Director of Dynamic Elite Athletics and a Former Tumbling Instructor at Camp Woodward. With an outgoing, fun loving personality, Trent brings a friendly approach to instructing his athletes. With a former dance & gymnastic background, he has a major focus on key technical aspects in every area of cheer. 
Rory Jones
ForteFit
Rory is the owner and operator of TriForce Cheer, a consulting company in the UK that specializes in high performance for both coaches and athletes. As an organisation we cover all aspects of the current scoresheets (Building, tumbling, jumps, dance, choreography) as well as providing both coach and athlete education.

He is also the Director at Crimson Heat Phoenix. Rory has been in the industry since 2011 and has many accolades, including coaching a team to a IASF IO5 bronze medal in 2019, and Silver in 2022. His ability to train and fine tune skills is unmatched! You will find him as the lead on the entire ForteFit platform! 
Bethany Shum
Flyer School
Beth Shum is a Chartered Physiotherapist (HCPC MCSP) in the UK with a Master's in Performing Arts Medicine at UCL, graduating with distinction. She started Flexibility Matters Physiotherapy in London, where she supports Cheerleaders and Circus Artists through physiotherapy, health education, and flexibility training.Professionally, she has worked with Team England ParaCheer, Gymnastic Commonwealth Games, and BCA Cheer & Dance. Beth is currently the Circus Health Leading Practitioner for the UK’s National School of Circus Arts, where she delivers lectures on circus medicine, supports circus health research, and provides health provisions for students. She is our flexibility expert and your flyers will get to know her while stretching along with her in Flyer School! 
Sheryl Kantner
Administration
Sheryl has 20 years in the All-Star Cheer world! She started out coaching and was a Camp Manager for NCA Summer Camps. In 2006, she opened Cheer Intensity with Jess. From 2006-2015 she owned and operated Cheer Intensity. From 2015-2023, Sheryl just focused on coaching which is her passion! She loves witnessing and being a part of the process of an athlete or team's growth. Now, Sheryl is the head of administration for Forte Spirit. If you are a client of ours, you have undoubtedly heard from her! She is always willing to help our customers in any and every way!
Kennedy Oppelt
Rec & HS Training & Choreography
Kennedy has been in various roles involving cheerleading. Starting as an athlete in the Pop Warner, High School, All-Star and Collegiate level, Kennedy then moved to a professional role with NCA as a Events and Operations Director in Dallas, TX after earning her Sports/Event Management degree from Johnson & Wales University. After moving back home to Albany, Kennedy joined her childhood all-star program, Cheer Intensity, as a team coach, tumbling instructor, and eventually her favorite role as Events/Social Media Director. During her time at Intensity, Kennedy developed a love for the lower levels of competitive cheer and focused on proper stunting technique and athlete development. Kennedy did 5 years as the JV Head Cheerleading Coach for Shaker High School. Her favorite part was coaching alongside her dad, The JV Football Coach. 
Carly Ashton
Social Media and Marketing Director
Carly

STAFF TRAINING

Let us customize your in person Staff Training! Choose from a comprehensive list of modules to create the "just right" learning experience for your staff! Request a Quote if you are interested in starting the planning process today!