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TAMMY MCLEAN
Program Director (Co-Owner)
Tammy McLean has been in love with gymnastics since she first saw Nadia Comăneci compete in the 1976 Olympics. She has been involved in the greatest sport ever since.
Her parents built equipment in their backyard and enrolled Tammy in Rockland County, NY. She started coaching in that same gym when she was 17 and has now been coaching for over 30 years. Tammy has experience in the classroom as well, running an academic preschool, Kindergarten, and working with children with special needs. Vault was her best event and still her favorite to coach.
Tammy and her husband, Todd, owned and operated Flip Factory Gymnastics in Hayden, Idaho for nearly two decades before her extended family encouraged them to settle in Florida.
Flip Factory hailed many state champions, regional competitors, and scholarship recipients.
She is so excited to be a part of the new Apollo Beach Gymnastics Academy and grow an amazing program here in the Suncoast area.
TODD MCLEAN
Co-Team Director (Co-Owner)
Todd enjoyed gymnastics as a child, but decided to focus solely on football to finish his high school career at East Valley High School in 1990. He later studied Sports Psychology and Physical Therapy at Eastern Washington University.
Todd met his wife Tammy in 1994 at a gymnastics training facility in North Spokane, Washington. He started coaching part time, and he and Tammy have been coaching together for over 25 years. They started Flip Factory Gymnastics in a small town in Eastern Washington in 1998. Shortly thereafter, they outgrew this facility and reopened in North Idaho, running the facility for nearly 2 decades.
Over the years, Todd has coached gymnastics and cheer at several high schools and colleges. He's instructed and spoken at numerous seminars and Gymnastics and Cheer Congresses. Todd has also been a guest coach at many gymnastics and cheer camps.
One of Todd's unforgettable moments was when he taught tumbling at his favorite college,
THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON..GO DAWGS!!
"Positively influencing the minds and hearts of young ones is not a job, it is a joy!"
AMANDA GARTE
Finance and Marketing Director (Co-Owner)
Amanda has been a resident of Apollo Beach for eight years. She and her husband, Justin, are the parents of 4 children, 2 girls and twin boys.
After graduating from USF, Amanda was a sales service manager for Swarovski Crystal covering Tampa to Naples. She spent nearly a decade in cardiovascular pharmaceutical sales as a sales specialist before having the privilege of being a stay at home mom.
Amanda watched her daughter’s intense love for gymnastics and cheer grow, as well as her own. She wanted to be an active member and contributor in the community and ABGA will provide her this opportunity.
Amanda loves volunteering at school. She’s a travel enthusiast, animal lover and amateur writer who enjoys skiing, crafting and yoga.
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SYDNEY GRIBNITZ
Rec-Director & Co-Team Director
Sydney was involved in gymnastics before she could walk. She was raised in a gym and loved every single minute of it. Sydney competed not only in gymnastics, but also in dance and cheer.
She is a multi-time Idaho State Champion and has won competitions not only in Idaho, but also Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada and Montana.
Sydney has been coaching for over 8 years. Long before that, she displayed leadership qualities as a team member/coach on the floor, inspiring her teammates to always give 100%.
Sydney's strong dance background inspires creative and artistic choreography that will take our teams to the next level.
AUSTIN MCLEAN
Co-Boys Team Director and Recreational Coach
My parents have owned a gym pretty much my whole life I did gymnastics until I was 10 and decided to play football I came back when I was 15 and fell in the love with the sport again.
I become the first member of ABGA to qualify for regionals in my second year and then jumped three levels to compete as a level 7 in my senior season I also became the first ABGA gymnast to qualify for the eastern national champions. Now that I’m retired I enjoy coaching all levels from 1 year olds to our adult classes. I specialize in tumbling, boys team, and boys preteam, and I also assist with Diaper Daredevils, girls team and Preteam, recreational boys, and recreational girls classes.
JEWEL-LEE BYER
JEWEL-LEE BYER
Rec, Team and Adult Coach
Rec, Team and Adult Coach
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I teach all levels and adults classes
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I was a dancer for three years from age of 5-8 years old. I did gymnastics (Level 4-optionals) for 9 years and coached for 6 years. I also was a cheerleader (All-Star and High School) for 4 years and coached for 5 years.
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Three facts about me are:
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I have a degree in Pharmaceuticals (pharmacy tech)
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I am naturally blonde and have curly hair
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I am obsessed with farm animals and used to barrel race
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My favorite class to coach is Team. I love watching them learn upper skills and then nailing them. That smile on their face makes it all worth the blood, sweat and tears.
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I love working here because of the ABGA family and the bonds I create with the kids and their parents
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Starbucks is my favorite coffee shop and I love any fruity candy
ELISSA DeBLASIO
Pre-team and Team Boys Coach
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I Coach Boys team and preteam and Tarpon boys
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I've been coaching for about a year and used to be a competitive dancer for 4 years
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Three things about me:
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I have a cow and a pig
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My favorite color is sage green
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I hate broccoli
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I love teaching Team because there is always new to learn and I love to listen to all their funny stories!
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TORI WILL
Pre-team and Rec Coach
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I coach preteam, rookies, beginner and intermediate classes
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I did All Star cheer for 13 years as well as coached All Star cheer special athletes 6 years
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3 facts about me:
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I have a dog named nugget
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I love to boat in my free time
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I am the oldest of 7
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My favorite class to coach is preteam because I love working with the kids and seeing their routines improve every week
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I love working at ABGA because of the Kids!!
LAYLA DESTIN
Rec Gymnastics Coach
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I coach Sunrays, sunbeams, rookies and beginners
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I cheered in high school
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3 facts about me are:
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I have played piano since I was 3 years old
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I was born and raised in New York
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I have 3 dogs
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My favorite class is beginners because all the kids are so great and they brighten up my day
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I love working at ABGA because it’s such a positive work environment. I love the healthy work-life balance and of course the kids!
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LILIANA SANTIAGO
Rec Gymnastics Coach
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I coach Sunbeams Sunrays and beginners
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I did competitive gymnastics for 5 years and competed in excel gold
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3 facts about me:
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I am from Panama
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I am a dog person
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I love working with kids
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My favorite classes to coach are Beginner and intermediate because of the fun skills I get to teach
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I love working at ABGA because it is such a healthy and family like environment which makes working and coaching so much fun
ASHLYN GAGNARD
Pre-team and Rec Gymnastics Coach
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I teach Teens, beginner/intermediate as well as preteam
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I have been a gymnast since I was 2 years old and I competed for 16 years
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3 facts about me:
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My favorite book is The Giver
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I love Greek Mythology
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I love asking questions and sharing fun facts
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I don’t have a favorite class, I love to coach anyone who is willing to learn! It doesn’t matter what level you are as long as you stay positive!
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I love that I can still be involved in gymnastics, I love helping students grow into the best they can be!
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I am currently getting my degree in Biology with a concentration in medicine and I really want to be a surgeon
KILEY GAGNARD
Team Girls and Rec Gymnastics Coach
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I coach competitive girls and boys as well as recreational boys classes
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I was a competitive gymnast for 16 years and I have been coaching gymnastics and tumbling for 7 years
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Three facts about me:
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​I spend my free time reading, watching movies and tv series and being outside in nature
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I am a girl scout leader
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My favorite foods are french fries and I love donuts,
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I love coaching competitive teams, bonding with the athletes both in and outside of the gym as well as working together to overcome challenges.
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I love the close family unit at ABGA and sense of community with my peers and the athletes
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I have a degree in exercise science and I work as a stretch practitioner on the side while studying to become a physical therapist
BRANDON GAGNARD
Team Boys and Rec Boys Gymnastics Coach
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I coach boys team and boys rec classes
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I have been a competitive gymnast for 15 years and have been coaching for 3 years
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Three facts about me:
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I am an eagle scout recipient
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My favorite food is spaghetti
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I am obsessed with anime in my free time
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Boys team are my favorite because of the creativity in developing new drills, spotting and and teaching advanced skills
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I love working at ABGA because it’s such a positive work environment
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I am also going to college for computer software engineering