Meet our coaches
Marisa Johnson EVP of Operations
Bringing her love of cheer and her passion for fitness to everything thing she does at the gym, you can
always count on her to push our athletes and our staff to be their very best on and off the mat.
Experience Highlights
- Competitive Cheerleader for 8 years: Level 5
- All Girl, Level 5 Co-Ed, & Level 6 Co-Ed
- All Girl & Partner Stunting Specialist
- 2x Cheerleading Worlds Competitor
- 2008 Cheerleading Worlds Bronze Medalist
- Experienced Dancer: Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern Dance, & Tap
- Over 10 Years of Cheerleading Choreography Experience
- Over 11 Years of Personal Training Experience
- President of AZ Royals for Over 8 Years
Certifications
- USASF Certified Levels 1-5 in both Tumbling and Cheer
- Safety Certified from USASF
- Certified Personal Trainer With IFPA
- CPR Certified
Joseph McGibbony All Star Cheer Director
As an experienced coach and judge, Joseph brings a level of knowledge for the sport to our gym that is
unmatched. His dedication to creating a safe, positive, productive, and competitive environment is
what makes him a top coach in the industry.
Experience Highlights
- Over 20 Years of Coaching Experience
- 5 Years Experience Coaching Worlds Teams
- Experienced Educator
- Has Additional Experience With Special Education
- USASF The Connection Leader
- AZ Royals All Star Cheer Director Since 2021
Certifications
- USASF Certified Levels 1-5 in both Tumbling and Cheer
- Safety Certified from USASF
- Masters Degree In Education
Anilem Hernandez
I coach to help individuals grow as people and athletes. I want to help athletes in their performance, their communications skills, and help them build up their confidence!
Bailee Favor
Coaching Experience:
10+ years of All-Star cheer and high school cheer experience, Bailee has a great amount of knowledge for jumps, motions, stunts, and choreography. She is eager to help our athletes accomplish their goals and learn new skills.
Why do you coach?
Coaching allows me to relive my passion, but even more, watch athletes live their own passion in the moment. Helping them through skills, then watching them achieve those skills is extremely rewarding. Being a mentor to these athletes on and off the mat is a privilege that I will always be grateful for.
Fun Fact:
Christina Alberti
Coaching Experience:
I have 5 years of competitive cheer experience, 1 year of high school cheer, and 2 years of high school gymnastics. I was a gymnastics coach for 5 years ages 1-15.
Certifications:
- CPR/AED certified
- NCEP personal training certification
- Working towards NASM CPT
Why do you coach?
I love to coach because seeing young athletes’ confidence and skills improve is so rewarding. I’m a big believer in an active lifestyle and always challenging yourself. Being in a gym environment is where I’m happiest. The sport of cheer feels like home and my goal is for it to feel the same for the athletes I coach!
Fun Fact:
Coach Brenna
Coaching Experience:
12 years experience in coaching tumbling and gymnastics.
Certifications:
- USAG Competitive Coach
- USASF Certified Tumbling levels 1-3
- CPR and First aid certified
Why do you coach?
I love coaching because I enjoy seeing the high energy and dedication these athletes have as they progress and move up through levels and seeing how much their hard work pays off. I also love seeing the athletes work hard and excel outside the gym in school and other activities.
Fun Fact:
Coach Kennedy
Coaching Experience:
My background includes 12 years of gymnastics, 6 years of competitive cheer, 2 years of collegiate cheer, and 4 years of collegiate acrobatics and tumbling.
I have worked at Arizona Royals for six years. I spent two years being Head Junior Varsity Cheer Coach and Assistant Varsity Cheer Coach at Boulder Creek High School.
I have judged for Spirit Event Coordinators across East Texas for three years.
Certifications:
- Bachelors of Kinesiology Wellness Management with a minor focus in Psychology
- CPR and First Aid Certification
- SafeSport trained
- USASF certified
- Coaching Certification from Human Kinetics Coach Education Center in 2022
Why do you coach?
Becoming a coach at the young age of sixteen brought me more joy than I could have ever imagined. Arizona Royals has blessed me to know my rightful calling all of this time. I choose to coach not only to hopefully play a role in positively impacting the futures of each athlete but to be apart of the process each season. Each season is a new project that I, the other coaches, and the athletes take on at the beginning of every summer. We slowly pave the way of each stunt, jump, tumbling pass, and dance for competition season. Where we then get to watch the athletes’ passion for the sport radiate at competitions.
Fun Fact:
Dakota Walsh
Coaching Experience:
I have coached for the last 7 years, having experience in introduction to tumbling, basics, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and elite. Along with this, I have coached stunting from levels 1-6. I have also coached middle and high school teams for tumbling and stunting.
Certifications:
- CPR/AED Certified
- USASF Level 1-6 Tumbling