
MEET OUR COACHES

MARISA JOHNSON
Gym Owner
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
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Competitive Cheerleader for 8 years: Level 5
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All Girl, Level 5 Co-Ed, & Level 6 Co-Ed
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All Girl & Partner Stunting Specialist
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2x Cheerleading Worlds Competitor
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2008 Cheerleading Worlds Bronze Medalist
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Experienced Dancer: Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern Dance, & Tap
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Over 10 Years of Cheerleading Choreography Experience
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Over 11 Years of Personal Training Experience
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President of AZ Royals for Over 8 Years
Certifications
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USASF Certified Levels 1-5 in both Tumbling and Cheer
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Safety Certified from USASF
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Certified Personal Trainer With IFPA
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CPR Certified
Email Me

Joseph GIBBONY
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
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Over 20 Years of Coaching Experience
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5 Years Experience Coaching Worlds Teams
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Experienced Educator
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Has Additional Experience With Special Education
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USASF The Connection Leader
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AZ Royals All Star Cheer Director Since 2021
Certifications
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USASF Certified Levels 1-5 in both Tumbling and Cheer
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Safety Certified from USASF
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Masters Degree In Education
Email Me

Kennedy
All Star Cheer Assistant Director
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.
Certifications
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Bachelors of Kinesiology Wellness Management with a minor focus in Psychology
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CPR and First Aid Certification
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SafeSport trained
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USASF certified
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Coaching Certification from Human Kinetics Coach Education Center in 2022
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.

Josh
Tumble & Stunt Coach
Josh joins us as the former Director of Operations for Hybrid JAX Cheer & Athletics in Jacksonville, Florida, bringing a wealth of experience from his impressive career in cheerleading. His work with numerous high school teams, elite classes, and community colleges, including leadership roles at Creekside, Nease, Beach Side, and many more, has made him a standout in the industry.
Josh’s past includes heading operations at Gem of Champions in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he trained athletes from Biloxi High, Saint Martin High, and various community colleges, leading Allstar teams and tumble classes. He has also been a part of Team USA Cheer and Alabama Cheer, further enhancing his credentials.

DUSTIN
Tumble & Stunt Coach
2x D1 UCA College National Championship win with University of Kentucky
1x D2 NCA College National Championship with Hawaii Pacific University
VROC Choreographer
Elite Cheerleading Germany choreographer/camp staff
2x State Champion with Perry as choreographer/consultant
2x State champion with Verrado as choreographer/consultant
Head coach for Santan Jr High for 6 yrs
6x State Championship and 3peat at nationals for the last three years.

BROOKE
Tumble & All Star Cheer Coach
Brooke did gymnastics for 7 years and then transitioned to cheer in middle school. I did one year of high school cheer and two years of all-star cheer. I was part of the worlds team TGOC at Top Gun which took 3rd place at Worlds in 2024.

JORDYN
Tumble & All Star Cheer Coach
My name is Jordyn and I am a recent graduate of ASU. I have been in the cheerleading world for almost 17 years. I have cheered at a few different gyms in Arizona, I competed at summit 2 times and competed at worlds 3 times with desert storm - Bliss. I also was on the ASU Stunt team for 4 years and competed at nationals with them. I have 3.5 years of coaching experience of various levels in tumbling, jumps, basing, and flying. I have great knowledge of jumps, tumbling levels 1-6, main and side basing, and flying levels 1-7.
I love coaching because being able to teach and help support the next generation of cheerleaders to live and love the sport I have for so long is such an amazing feeling and experience.

Abby
Tumble & All Star Cheer Coach
As a long-time, dedicated athlete Abby brings a well-rounded background of expertise. With over 13 years of gymnastics and tumbling experience, where 4 of those she coached and competed USAG. In combination with her background on Dance Team, pointe ballet, and pole vaulting, she then transitioned this into Division I Cheerleading at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Abby continued coaching competitive gymnastics in Lincoln, NE and brings a coaching style focused on technique, consistency, and discipline in a positive and supportive environment.

Alissa
Gym Coordinator
Alissa is a key link in the chain of our staff here at AZ Royals. Alissa works with our customers to ensure that their registration and client accounts are accurate and current.