Coaches / Staff

	Yelena Urusova - Head Coach Gymnastics has been a part of Yelena's life since she was 9 years old. She started as a gymnast in the famous "Dynamo" club of Ukraine where she competed as an elite level gymnast and received the title "Master of Sport". Yelena took over leadership of Monarchs in 1994. During this time, Monarchs produced Sectional, State, Regional and National Champions. Yelena believes in a strong foundation in the basic skills of gymnastics and that hard work and dedication are the keys to a successful gymnastics career.

	Connie Thornbury Connie brings nearly 30 years of gymnastics experience to Monarchs Gymnastics! With Connie comes not only her USA Gymnastics Safety certification, but also a Fitness and Nutrition certificate from Roswell College and a USA Gymnastics Kinder Accreditation for Teachers (K.A.T.) certificate. She has been here at Monarchs specializing in Kinder Gym since 1995. Connie stays involved in the sport outside Monarchs by attending clinics to keep her teaching techniques updated and coaching for the Special Olympics. Connie loves seeing second generation students come to her classes and seeing how much of an impact she has had on families throughout the years. “Gymnastics gives children a great start in anything they do in life.” In her spare time Connie loves riding horses and can be found coordinating gymnastics for TV shows such as “Life Goes On” and “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated.” Just like many of the ladies here at Monarchs, Connie enjoys shopping at the mall. Wait, did you know that she was involved in the 1984 Olympics?

	Christopher Kelly Chris, Head Coach at Agoura Hills, has been coaching gymnastics for over 18 years; he has coached numerous State, Regional, and National Champions in addition to his Elite Level coaching experience. He is a former Southern California TOPS Director for USAG, 2 time Coach of the Year in Washington State, and Region I & II clinician. Chris takes great pride in his gymnasts, always encouraging them to try their best and maximize their potential for success in addition to learning respect, goal setting, assertiveness, and teamwork. He believes coaches play a vital role in the development of young gymnasts and therefore strives to help them learn new skills through proper progressions and a positive attitude. In his spare time Chris likes to spend time with his wife and two sons.

	Toni Taubman Toni grew up in West Los Angeles. She received a B.A. from UCLA and a Master’s Degree from Loyola Marymount University in Psychology. Initially, she was a behavior specialist for Developmentally Disabled children. Now, she enjoys managing the office at Monarchs. She is heavily involved in musical theater, loves seeing movies and is a huge fan of the Coffee Bean. Her two wonderful girls, Tiffany, a UCLA graduate and Whitney, currently at UC, Irvine, both started as toddlers with Coach Connie and were competitive gymnasts at Monarchs for many years as well!

	Phil Gonzales Phil Gonzales, whose extensive cheerleading career has included teaching gymnastics, tumbling and cheerleading to Hillcrest Christian School, Newbury Park High School, Moorpark Packer Competition Cheer Team and Moorpark High School. Now he has come full circle and is calling Monarchs Competition Cheer home once again, Phil was one of the original staff members at Monarchs when we opened in 1977.

	Sergei Batov Sergei was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, where he attended the prestigious Sports Training Academy and was a part of the Men’s National Gymnastics Youth Team. After his move to the United States in the mid-nineties Sergei began working as a gymnastics coach at a gym in New York. In 2008, his move to the West Coast allowed him the opportunity to join Monarchs as the Head Coach of our Boys Team while simultaneously working with our Girls Team. On those rare days off, Sergei enjoys spending time with his wife, either listening to jazz or going to the theater. Did you know that Sergei was in the circus? It’s true, he was!

	Sarah Berson Sarah Berson who was born and raised in Woodland Hills, CA, has been a part of the Monarchs Family since the age of 10 and a student of Yelena Urusova since the age of seven. Sarah was a level 10 gymnast and a level 8 regional floor champion. She has been coaching since 2002 and is currently the assistant head coach at Newbury Park, coaching kinder, recreational, and developmental / pre-team classes. Sarah loves gymnastics and enjoys passing down her passion and knowledge of the sport onto younger generations. She is Safety Certified and a Professional Member of the USAG. When not finishing up her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from CSU Northridge or coaching gymnastics, Sarah enjoys going to the beach, wakeboarding, jet skiing, working out, and shopping at the Camarillo Outlets.

	Christy Ray Christy is a native of Germantown, Maryland. She got her gymnastics start at age 4 and went on to be a competitive gymnast for 13 years in Gaithersburg, Maryland at Hills Gymnastics, where she began coaching in 2000. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in Cell and Molecular Biology, Christy moved to sunny Los Angeles to join Monarchs Gymnastics. She can be seen teaching kinder classes, recreational girls classes, as well as the girl’s team at our Agoura Hills facility. Christy “loves sharing her experiences as a gymnast with the girls, as well as, being there for them whenever they need and feeling her gymnast’s accomplishments along with them.” In her spare time, Christy can be seen relaxing at the beach, hanging out with her friends, and watching football…”Go Redskins!”

	Coach Nadia Coach Nadia originally from the Ukraine loves teaching gymnastics to students of all ages and skill levels. She can be found coaching gymnasts as young as kinder, ranging from ages 18 months to 5 years, or as advanced as our green skill level. When not coaching, Nadia loves the ballet, decorating her apartment, going to movies, and reading books. Besides gymnastics, Nadia is an avid swimmer and used to do track and field. Her favorite shopping spot is the Monarchs gym shop where she is known for scooping up the latest in Monarchs apparel for women.

	Drew Fouarge Drew also a native of Oxnard, CA is competitive cheerleader and tumbler for California All Stars, a sport he fell into his junior year of high school. At Monarchs since 2006, Drew who is USAG Safety Certified, coaches all levels of tumbling from Basic to Velocity as well as Boys classes and Parkour/ Free Running. Drew says he loves “the friendship bond that I make with my students and others at the gym and seeing them improve.” You can find him at Monarchs on most Friday nights during our Parents Night Out program where his energy and enthusiasm is sure to make all the kids have a time they will never forget. When not coaching or competing he practices Parkour, writes and plays music, and hangs out with his friends. You might not have known that Drew went to the Jr. Olympics in Rollerhockey and on a world ranked cheer team! WOW!

	Angela Monteleone Angela the Newbury Park Office Manager is practically at home at Monarchs, she was raised in Oak Park, CA, and has been in the Monarchs family since 2003. She has learned a lot about gymnastics by having hands on training within our facility and attending clinics as well as the Region 1 Congress. She is quoted by saying, “I love Monarchs! We are one big happy family; it is so fun it doesn’t even feel like work!” Additionally, Angela is CPR and First Aid Certified. In her spare time she enjoys spending time at Lake Nacimento fishing, going to sporting events, concerts, road trips, and bowling. On Wednesdays you can find her playing in a softball league where she is the catcher for her team. Like many girls, she enjoys shopping for shoes.

	Matt Baker Matt, originally from Old Hickory, Tennessee began gymnastics at age 9 and went on to become a competitive men’s gymnast at Let It Shine Gymnastics in Franklin, Tennessee. In 2000 he parlayed his love of the sport into coaching and is currently a women’s team coach at Monarchs Agoura Hills. His favorite part of coaching is “helping kids when times are tough and cheering them on when they succeed!” Matt enjoys surfing, playing golf, and hanging out with his dog Rambo. He is safety certified and likes to shop at Target and Bloomingdales.

	Beckie McDougall Beckie, the always cheerful co-office manager at Newbury Park, was born in Blythe, CA, and attended Vanguard University with an emphasis in Medical, Nursing, and Education. She is CPR and First Aid Certified. Her daughter Amber, a member of the Monarchs Team, is the reason Beckie joined the Monarchs family. Beckie enjoys being around and interacting with children and meeting so many new and interesting people that come into our gym. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Although she doesn’t like to shop, she won’t turn down a gift of M&M’s. In case you didn’t know, Beckie was a Ballet Dancer, on point, for 13 years, and she ran the LA Marathon! Go Beckie!

	Darcy Gale Darcy grew up in Thousand Oaks, and got her gymnastics start right here at Monarchs when she was six years old. She was also a competitive gymnast for the original Monarchs Team before turning her attention to coaching gymnastics. Darcy graduated from CSU Northridge with a degree in Accounting and today runs her own business in addition to coaching recreational classes as well as Level 4 at Monarchs Newbury Park. She loves “helping kids develop potential and confidence they did not they had.” Darcy is Safety Certified and a Professional Member of the USAG. In her free time, Darcy enjoys cooking, working out, and watching her two daughters Alyssa and Corinne, both Elite Level gymnasts at Monarchs, compete.

	Britton Bickle Britton, a native of Oxnard, CA, graduated from California Lutheran University in 2007 with a B.S. in Exercise Science Sports Medicine. She started gymnastics at the age of seven, and was a competitive gymnast for World Stars and Blakes Gymnastics. Britton started coaching at the age of 15 and currently coaches kinder, recreational, and tumbling classes. She is USASF Tumbling Certified as well as First Aid and CPR Certified (Infant- Adult). Her favorite part about being a coach is that it is a very rewarding job, and she likes teaching children to learn new skills as well as respect, trust, and discipline. In her spare time she cheers competitively for PACE Phoenix All-Stars, and loves going to the beach. In 2008 she was on the World Champion girl’s team. Britton’s favorite places to shop are Target, The Oaks, and JambaJuice.

	Crystal Riggs Crystal grew up in Newbury Park, CA and is currently attending Pierce College for American Sign Language. She began cheerleading at the age of four and is still a competitive cheerleader with West Coast All Stars. Crystal began coaching cheer at 15 and currently coaches kinder, recreational, cheer, and tumbling classes at Monarchs. She says that she loves “watching the improvement of my students and knowing that I helped them to achieve their goals.” She spends her free time with family and friends and loves going to the beach in the summer. Crystal is part Osage Native American and has gone to Pow Wow and even competed in fancy shawl dancing. Her favorite shopping spots include Nordstrom’s Rack, Forever 21, and Metropark.

	Jessie Greynald Jessie was raised in Westlake Village, CA and attended University of San Francisco where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She started gymnastics at the age of nine and was a competitive gymnast for Monarchs in Levels 5 & 6. She started coaching in 2005 and currently coaches kinder and recreational classes. Jessie enjoys playing a role in the development of children’s gymnastics abilities. She is CPR and First Aid Certified. And in her spare time she enjoys volunteering and going to the beach. Jessie can be found shopping at the Monarchs Gym Shop.

	Kati McBride Kati grew up right here in Thousand Oaks, CA, and is currently attending Thousand Oaks High School. She began gymnastics at the age of three and went on to become a Level 10 competitive gymnast at Nations Gymnastics in Corinth, Texas. Kati began coaching kinder, recreational, and cheerleading classes at Monarchs in 2007. She loves “watching and helping her kids work towards a skill and then finally getting it.” On her days off, Kati enjoys cheerleading on the Thousand Oaks High School Competition Team, going to the beach, shopping, and hanging out with friends. Our über stylish Kati loves shopping at Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, and Forever 21.

	Colin Irwin Colin likes to keep close to home; he was raised in Northridge, CA and is currently going to CSUN, studying aerospace engineering. Colin enhances his gymnastics background by being a competitive diver. He started coaching gymnastics at Monarchs in 2008 where he coaches boys and extreme sports classes. His favorite part about being a coach is seeing students have fun and develop new skills. In Colin’s spare time he enjoys going to the beach, diving, tumbling, and hanging out with friends. He has played water polo in High School and loves to shop at Pac Sun.

	Anat Phil-Golan Anat was born in Jerusalem, Israel and attended University in Tel-Aviv. She embarked on her gymnastics career at the ripe old age of 4yrs and has continued to be a part of this great sport ever since. At Monarchs she can be found coaching Kinder Gymnastics and watching the little ones grow and develop as young athletes. She is a certified Paramedic and Black Smith – how cool? She enjoys Deep Sea Fishing, Riding Horses, and Bicycling. Being a parent, her favorite place to shop is Costco!

	Benjaimin Bayouth Ben who grew up in Woodland Hills, CA, is currently at Pierce College pursuing his passion for art. At Monarchs since 2008, Ben coaches boys beginning and basic tumbling and loves teaching kids learn how to tumble and flip. He is CPR and First Aid Certified. In his spare time Ben pursues his passion for art by drawing, painting, making short films, and playing the guitar, drums, and bass.

	Jared Hall Coach Jared started out as a competition cheerleader at Wolfpack All-Stars. He currently is a National Cheerleading Association coaching staff member. He has been tumbling for over a year and competes at the advanced and pro levels. Jared is on the International Open Team at Cheer Force All-Stars. He loves teaching at Monarchs and the sport of gymnastics; he plans to stay involved in cheer and tumbling for many years to come.

	Yoana Boeva Yoana, a native of Bulgaria plans on attending San Diego State University and majoring in Business Administration. She began her training at age five as a Rhythmic gymnast, then at age 9, she switched to Artistic Gymnastics and went on to become a Level 10 gymnast at Wright’s American Gymnastics and Rising Star Gymnastics. She currently holds the record for the highest Floor score (9.875) in the State of Indiana since 2002. Yoana is a natural born coach, both her mother, Teodora, and father, Boyko, are coaches at Monarchs Gymnastics. She teaches Kinder, Purple, and Pink classes at both our Newbury Park and Agoura Hills locations, and loves seeing the kids improve while having fun. In her spare time she enjoys going to the beach, hiking, biking, dancing, choreographing hip-hop, and hanging out with friends. In the summer of 2008, she choreographed hip-hop routines for compulsory and optionals for San Diego All-Stars Mini-Olympics. Her favorite places to shop are Hollister, Abercrombie, Forever 21, and Pac Sun.

	Dawn Jordan Dawn was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and began gymnastics at age 9 at Desert Heat Gymnastics and the UCSB Spirals. She began coaching gymnastics in High School and can be found coaching our kinder gymnasts as well as our more advanced Purple, Pink, Blue skill level gymnasts. She says that she doesn’t have a favorite part of coaching because she loves it all! In her spare time, Dawn enjoys singing, songwriting, dance, playing the guitar, working out, going to the beach and playing sports. When you see her in the gym ask her to sing you a song as she is currently in a girl group which is recording their first album. Her favorite places to shop are Target and Forever 21.

	Erica Dodd Erica Dodd, formerly a Moorpark High School Cheerleader and 3 year Team Captain. Erica’s excellence in performance and her passion for the sport earned her the title of MVP and Cheerleader of the Year. Her dedication and hard work lead her to be recruited by both JAMZ and UCA. Erica has been a competitive cheer coach for the past 7 years, most notably with Moorpark Packer Competition Cheer Team and the Moorpark High School Cheer Team, with her extensive knowledge of dance and choreography she has helped her teams produce several National Titles.

	Sarah Lopez-Krieger Sarah, a native of Camarillo, attends Pierce College and is majoring in Psychology. She began gymnastics as a tot and started coaching in January of 2007. Her athletic background includes Baton and Soccer. At Monarchs, she coaches Kinder and beginning recreational classes as well as working in the office. She loves “interacting and helping children achieve their goals.” When she is not at school or working, Sarah enjoys wakeboarding and spending time with friends and family. She can be found shopping at Nordstrom and Target.

	Zafir Molina Bolivian Dance Instructor Zafir Molina began her education as a dancer at the age of eight and has been studying dance ever since. Fueled by her passion for dance and working with children she began teaching her own dance classes, renting out a small space in Calabasas. In 2005 she joined The Artist Theatre Group as an actress and later the Artistic Director of the group quickly discovered her talent for dance, asking her to become the first resident dance instructor and choreographer of the group. With The Artist Theatre Group she has put up five dance recitals, and choreographed several numbers in their plays. Zafir was a backup dancer for upcoming Latin artist Ben Roman and has choreographed two Latin music videos. She is currently working towards her degree in Child Development and Psychology.