NEXT EVENT: 11/21/2008 - Friday Fun Night
Coaches
Nicole Gelbach – Owner/ Head Coach
Nicole started gymnastics at the age of 2! She is USAG safety certified in gymnastics and USASF levels 1-5 certified in cheerleading. She has coached tumbling since 1999 and has had two National Tumbling and Trampoline Teams, cheerleading since 2002 and has had squads achieve the UCA, COA and Madri Gras 1st Place Champions and artistic gymnastic since 2004 and has produced an All-Around Heart of Missouri Silver Medalist Champion as well as a Show Me Games Gold Medalist-Uneven Bar Champion. Nicole trained at G.A.G.E and Flipz gyms. Nicole attended Warrensburg High School where she was an honor student and was a Varsity cheerleader all four years of high school and was also a Team Captain. She was a recreational/competitive gymnast herself and a competitive cheerleader. She is a certified Heart of Missouri Judge and has attended several coaches’ clinics and camps throughout the state of Missouri. Nicole was also a competitive volleyball player.
In addition to owning the gym and being head coach, she is attending the University of Central Missouri pursing a degree in Child & Family Development.
Laura Chaney – Gymnastic Instructor
Laura, a Warrensburg resident for 12 years, has coached tumbling and gymnastics at Spirit Express since 2005. She began tumbling at age 4 in her native Iowa and entered gymnastics competition as a middle-school student. She graduated high school in Dubuque with numerous gymnastics honors claimed at state meets, and in 1981 ranked among Iowa’s top college recruits. Laura accepted a scholarship with Southeast Missouri State University, and her recruiting class made SEMO State an immediate gymnastics power in NCAA D-II under coach Bill Hopkins. The Otahkians finished in the national top three all her four years, including runner-up National Team in 1984 and 1985. Individually, Laura, was an all-around performer for SEMO and twice won All-American honors, on balance beam and floor exercise. Perhaps her proudest achievement was competing gymnastics every year in college, becoming recognized as one of SEMO’s few four-year letter-winners across athletics. Laura starting teaching gymnastics at summer camps while in college and then coached competitive levels for 8 years, first in West Plains and later in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where one of her former gymnasts, Jessica Allen, owns Xtreme Gymnastics. Laura and husband Matt have two teenage children, Thomas and Katelyn. Laura has been employed by the State of Missouri for over 20 years. At Spirit Express, Laura teaches children of all ages, from beginner to advanced levels. It’s a great way for her to stay active in the sport she loves, showing kids not only the hard work involved, but how they can achieve and learn many valuable lessons for life through sports participation.
Eva Carpenter – Cheerleading Instructor
Eva is a 2006 Warrensburg High School graduate and is currently a sophomore at the University of Central Missouri. Eva comes to Spirit Express with 14 years of dance experience. She started dancing at White Oak Dance Academy in 1992 and has worked her way up the ladder to dance instruction by the year 2001. At White Oak she was a student, a Dance Troupe member competing at the regional and national level. She is also a dance instructor at By Grace Performance Studio in Clinton, MO. At By Grace she co-created the first competition team at the studio.
Eva has won numerous dance awards including National Dance Alliance Instructor applicant, Missouri Fine Arts Academy Dance recipient, Alvin Alley Dance training program recipient, Dancer of the Year qualifier in 2004-2006, and was co-captain and won the Team Captain award for the WHS Tigerettes.
Eva’s coaching philosophy is “Dance like no one’s watching; but keep it PG!”
Jason Hansell – Gymnastic Instructor
Jason is currently a student a the University of Central Missouri working on his Masters Degree in Piano and his minor in Fine Arts. Jason comes to Spirit Express with 13 years of gym related experience. His gymnastic career started at GAGE (Great American Gymnastics). He was an elite gymnast and was on the National team for two years. He was ranked 6th in nation on floor, bars, and rings in 1996. In 1998 he was a member of the International Team for the USA and competed in the International Competition against Russia and China. At the International Competition he ranked 5th overall. Jason was also a partner with Mindy Blankenship for an Elite Mix Pair in which they took 1st place in Class 1 and 2.
Jason has been coaching women’s gymnastics for the past 10 years. He has coached beginners through the Elite level. Four of his previous gymnastic students are attending college on full ride gymnastic scholarships.
Jason’s coaching philosophy is “Get Tight!”
Danelle Bussel – Gymnastic Instructor
Danelle is a graduate of Jefferson City High School and is currently pursing an Athletic Training degree from the University of Central Missouri with plan to be a Physical Therapist.
Danelle is USAG certified and comes to Spirit Express with 6 years of coaching experience. She was a Level 9 gymnast and was coaching a Level 4 competitive team before coming to Spirit Express.
Danelle’s coaching philosophy is “You have to work HARD to get where you want.”
Krsiten Thomas – Tumbling and Cheer Instructor
Kristen currently attends Maple Woods College in hopes to start the RN nursing degree this fall. She was a competitive ice-skater for 4 years, which then lead her to cheerleading. Kristen has 8 years of cheerleading experience, she cheered at Kansas City All-Stars for 6 years. Her Athletic Awards include: 1st year to UCA Nationals-2nd, 2nd year – 5th, 3rd year – 3rd , 4th year – 9th, 5th year – 3rd. 1st at all-girl stunt camp in 2004, Branson, MO. 2nd at partner stunt UCA Nationals 2005. 1st in partner stunt division at UCA Nationals 2006 and second in all girl division level 5. She was named UCA All-American cheerleader 2 years in a row. Kristen is a UCA MO-Staff cheerleader – 2nd year veteran. “I am a very determined and hard-working coach that demands excellence just as my coach did. I have a heart for cheerleading and I am proud to say I am a coach at Spirit Express.”
Coaching Philosophy: “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.”
Cara Mahon- Gymnastic Instructor
Cara is a student at the University of Central Missouri. She graduated from Helias High School where she was a cheerleader for 4 years and did several years of competitive cheerleading. Cara started gymnastics when she was 6 years old and comes to Spirit Express with 10 years of recreation/competitive gymnastics experience. She has been teaching gymnastics for 4 years at Jefferson City Gymnastics and Jefferson City YMCA Gymnastics.
Erika Clark – Gymnastic Instructor
Erika is a 2008 WHS Honors graduate and a freshman at the University of Central Missouri where she is majoring in Athletic Training. Erika has been Certified Nurse Assistant since 2007 and is planning on going to graduate school to become a Sports Medicine Doctor. Erika has come to Spirit Express with 14 years of tumbling experience. She has been coaching at Spirit Express since August 2007. After training at area gyms she trained at Xtreme Fitness and Gymnastics in Lee’s Summit where she was coached by the national team coach and three time world champ Jon Beck. She was introduced to Trampoline and Power tumbling in 2001 and competed for 3 years on Trampoline and Power Tumbling for 7 years in USAG competitions. She has earned the following awards in USAG competitions: 2007 National Competition: 17th Place Power Tumbling Level 9, 2006 National Competition: 1st Place Power Tumbling Level 8, 2005 National Competition: 6th Place Power Tumbling Level 7, 2003 National Competition: 4th Place Trampoline Level 7, 2002 National Competition: 3rd Place Trampoline Level 5, and numerous state and regional awards.
Erika’s coaching philosophy is a quote from Hershel Walker: “If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat”.
Liz Logsdon – Gymnastic and Cheer Instructor
Liz is currently attending UCM where she is finishing her degree in Athletic Training. She holds a First Responder Certification; she is CPR certified and is also First Aid Certified. She came to Spirit Express with 5 years of coaching experience. She coached at KipKittens Gymnastics for four years and for the Spirit of Missouri Elite for one year. She also coached at two cheer clinics at the Maryville Dance Academy. As an athlete she has 13 years of gymnastics and tumbling experience. She cheered for her high school for four years and also competed on a college, level six, all-star cheer team for two years. Her athletic awards include the following: Undefeated= Level Six UCA All Star Cheerleader, Level Six NCA All American Cheerleader, Level Six WSA National Champion 2007, Level Six COA National Champion 2007, Level Six Athletic National Champion 2008, Level Six Mardi Gras National Champion 2008, Level Six Cheer Sport Nation Champion 2008, and Level Six Jam Fest National Champion 2007. She also won the WSA 1st Place Individual Jump Award.
Liz’s coaching philosophy is: “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
Anna Fox – Student Cheer and Gymnastics Instructor
Anna is currently a senior at Warrensburg High School. She is a varsity cheerleader and she is also on the WHS competitive cheer team. This year Anna was named an ALL STAR at UCA camp!!! She is now going to London to perform in the London Day’s Parade. Anna has been cheering for three years. She competed for several years in gymnastics and tumbling. She received the first place Grand Champion Award through USAG. After high school Anna plans to attend UCM and major in Early Childhood Special Education. She also plans on cheering on the UCM cheerleading squad.
Anna’s coaching philosophy is: “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.”
Kaylee VanBlarcum- Student Cheer and Gymnastics Instructor
Kaylee truly enjoys working with children. She loves coaching because it gives her the opportunity to teach athletes the sport that she loves. Before Kaylee became a student coach she was a power tumbler. While power tumbling, she went to nationals twice, once in California where she placed ninth in her flight. She also went to Florida where she placed tenth in the nation. Coach Nicole then introduced Kaylee to cheerleading. Kaylee gave up power tumbling and became a competitive cheerleader. Kaylee is currently a competitive cheerleader and a competitive artistic gymnast.
Kaylee’s coaching philosophy is: “perfect practice makes perfect.”
Samantha Stokes- Student Cheer and Gymnastics Instructor
Samantha Stokes is a freshman at WHS. She cheers on Varsity football and on the Competition Cheer Team. Samantha has cheered for almost five years and has been in tumbling for ten years. In 2004 she went to nationals in Sacramento, California for trampoline and tumbling. Samantha received third place on floor and seventh place on the trampoline. Samantha is an outgoing and athletic person.
Samantha’s coaching philosophy is: “Do what is right when no one else is looking.”
Chelsea Pryor- Student Cheer and Gymnastics Instructor
Chelsea started tumbling at the age of three! She has been cheering at spirit express for six years. She is on a level four cheerleading squad called Explosion. She also cheers for the Warrensburg Tigers and is on the Varsity football, Competition and Wrestling cheer squads. She is a freshman at WHS. She loves coaching children and plans to attend the University of Central Missouri. She also plans to be an owner and head coach of a cheerleading, tumbling, and trampoline gym.
Jackie Brown- Student Cheer and Gymnastics Instructor
Jackie started gymnastics as an NAC gymnast at the age of 7. She placed 3rd overall in the NAC competition. She then decided to be a cheerleader for Spirit Express. She began to cheer at the age of 9. While cheering at Spirit Express, her teams won the 1st place UCA, COA, and Mardi Gras Championships. Jackie tried out for the Varsity cheerleading squad as a freshman and made the squad along with taking a spot on the Warrensburg High School Competitive Cheer Squad. Jackie works at Spirit Express as a coach. She has been coaching for over a year. She has been a student representative in her class for four years. She has straight A’s and takes school very seriously. Jackie’s goals are to attend UCM, be a college cheerleader and get her degree in teaching.