Coaching Staff

*Info coming soon*

Coach Taylor is a former All- American cheerleader and was a varsity level gymnast. She was a cheerleader for 10 years and is a former cheerleader of Mandi's. Taylor chose to work with CTH because she wanted to continue to learn and grow, but also teach athletes and show them they have confidence to do anything if they set their mind to it. Taylor loves to let athletes know how resilient they are and all the things they can accomplish.  Being a coach, now for her third year at CTH, she says there is nothing better than knowing how big of a positive impact you are in a student athletes life. Taylor loves being a part of CTH because she sees this gym as a kind and caring family! "Each time you walk in the door, there is a sense of relief as soon you walk into the gym. You know you can relax and be yourself. There is always a listening ear and someone willing to help you through any type of situation." Taylor has a 3 year old boy and spends majority of her free time with him playing outside, with his toys or watching TV. Taylor loves to tumble, do crafts- especially projects around the house, and is an aspiring nail technician.

Coach Abigail is a former cheerleader of 16 years. She started cheering when she was 3 years old, was a 4-year Varsity athlete in high school and cheered at Ball State University where she attended college. She has won MVP awards in cheer, has cheered on the IHSA Illinois cheer team, and is also considered an All-American cheerleader. While she was an active athlete in many other sports, she always had the "Cheer or Die" motto that she lived by. Abigail lives in Chicago and is in her first year coaching at CTH. Her first coaching experience was in 2014 where she created the teams cheer and dance routine. She brought home hardware:  2nd place in State and 3rd place in their dance routine in Daytona, FL for Nationals. Abigail is also a former athlete of Mandi's from when she was little and also cheered with Mandi's younger siblings. Abigail is a family-oriented person, which helped draw her to the program at CTH where everyone made her feel at home, where she created another family. Abigail's favorite thing about being a coach is the ability to give back. She loves to teach athletes what she has learned, how to grow to not only be a better athlete, but as a person as well. Abigail works in Marketing/Social Media, is a huge country music gal, is a big animal lover and owner of her cat who looks like a cow named Bessie, loves going to concerts with friends and family, and is also a licensed pyro-technician where she puts on firework shows in the summer.

Lorna has been with our program for 4 years. She loves coaching and working with the kids and working alongside Mandi. She teaches a good portion of tumbling classes, fills in when she can and is great with the younger athletes. In Lorna's free time, she makes Mickey Mouse ears and outfits when she's not coaching and has a 6 year old son.

Coach Tara has been with CTH since it opened in 2017. She has a daughter in the program who has been taught by Mandi for 8 years now. Tara loves to watch the kids grow and achieve new skills both on and off the mat. Coaching has given her an additional opportunity to bond with her daughter in a sport that is a huge part of her life. Tara has never cheered before, but is certified in coaching tumbling and stunting for levels 1-3. She is an active lover of reading and spending time with her friends and family.

Coach Cathy is in her 3rd year here at CTH. Cathy teaches our Tot tumblers and is fabulous with the little ones. Cathy loves the little kids, as she has 2 daughters who are her world. Cathy chose CTH because she saw so much care in the program when she attended a cheer competition. She saw the energy that the program had, the bond the athletes shared with their coaches, and after looking at other gyms, CTH fit her and her 2 daughters the best. Outside of cheer, Cathy is a big sports fan and loves the Green Bay Packers, as well as being a big Duke fan. She listens to all different types of music, as she is one of our biggest dancers at competitions. One of Cathy's favorite things about coaching is seeing the younger ones build their skills and being able to see their faces as they grow to be the best athlete and person they can be. Her favorite color is purple, loves to wear Crocs and is a big fan of the cold weather!

Coach Kaylie has been a cheerleader since she was 3 years old and is now in her 12th year as a cheerleader. She has been with CTH for 4 years and is in her first year of coaching at the gym. Kaylie has always wanted to cheer for an All-Star team and after she met with the coaching staff and other athletes at CTH, she felt like it was the perfect fit for her. Coach Kaylie is also a dancer. She has been a dancer for 12 years and still continues her passion alongside cheerleading. Kaylie loves kids and enjoys working with the little ones. She is a big reader in her free time, loves to hangout with her friends, is fond of crafting and loves to travel.

Coach Alyssa has been with CTH for 6 years now and was previously coached by Mandi a year before she opened in 2017. Alyssa sees cheer as a safe space for many people and loves the amazing bonds that people, as athletes, create with their teams and as a coach. She has been cheering for 12 years, loves to take road trips, is a big reader and enjoys to color in her free time.

Coach Aleela has been with CTH for 6 years and is in her second year of coaching with us. Her favorite thing about CTH is that no matter the ages, everyone comes together as a family. These teams are like a second family and the gyms are like a second home. Being in the gym had always been her escape from anything going on and to this day is still her favorite place to be. She wants to make others enjoy the sport like she has for the past 13 years and hopes they will grow up to continue doing the same. Aleela wants to either own a cheer gym or be a judge for cheer competitions when she is older. A random fact about her is she loves sunsets and Taylor Swift.

Coach Sammy has been with CTH for 4 years and is in her 12th year of cheerleading. This will be her second year coaching at CTH. Her favorite thing about CTH is the family aspect and how close everyone is to each other. Sammy loves that she is able to be herself as cheer is her life and her safe place. She has made some of her best friends at the gym and wants to own her own cheer gym when she is older. She loves turtles, and even has her own painted turtle.