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Anne has been a celebrated youth and All-Star cheerleading coach for the past twenty-four years, throughout which she has led her teams to numerous national, state, and regional titles.
In 2010, she opened Spirit Zone Too in order to provide Fairfield and Westchester counties with a competitive All-Star program and training facility for athletes at all levels of development. As a coach, Anne made history when she advanced Norwalk’s youth division to their first AYC Championship where they placed in the top 3. In 2013 and 2014 she returned with her teams to AYC, where again they were named National Champions. As a result, Anne was awarded the "Wall of Honor" by the Norwalk Athletic Association for her commitment, dedication, spirit, and devotion to the sports programs. Anne's passion for cheerleading and dedication to her athletes is unparalleled, enabling her to lead Spirit Zone Too to national success over the past thirteen seasons. At Spirit, she has, alongside her dedicated coaching staff, led numerous teams to national championships including JamFest, CHEERSPORT, Winner’s Choice, Athletic Championships, and NCA. In addition, she has coached teams to the US Finals with multiple first-place wins. At the D2 Summit, Anne’s teams have repeatedly placed among the top 10 teams in the country, with one team placing in the top 3. Furthermore, many athletes she has coached over the years have gone on to cheer at D1 and D2 colleges and universities, including Syracuse University, The University of Pittsburg, Sacred Heart University, Boston University, and Hofstra. As the owner, Anne oversees all Spirit Zone Too All-Star coaches, class instructors, and summer camps in addition to coaching a Senior Co-Ed Level 5 team, Obsidian. She is CPR, First Aid, and USASF certified to Level 6 |
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Tammy is the head coach and choreographer for all of the Spirit Too teams. She is a mom of 2, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and brings 27 years of cheerleading experience as an athlete, coach, choreographer, judge, and NCA instructor. She discovered competitive cheer at 8 years old and immediately fell in love. She has cheered at all levels ranging from youth league all the way through collegiate, including all-star. She has won numerous awards throughout the years including NCA All-American and Top Gun Jumper, as well as many team MVP awards. Tammy was also named Fairfield High School's first ever All-FCIAC cheerleader her freshman year and earned that title 2 more years until she moved to West Virginia. Tammy was also a member of the undefeated 2007-2008 Spirit All Stars Onyx coed open level 6 team. Tammy has gone on to win countless awards for her choreography including Cutting Edge, Wow Factor, Innovative Choreography, Best Dance and Best Choreography. She began coaching in 9th grade and with over 20 years of coaching experience has been able to build up quite a successful resume including numerous undefeated seasons in the all-star tiny, mini and youth divisions. In addition to winning numerous white jackets and US finals titles, in 2013 Tammy's junior level 1 team won the Overall US Finals title, making them number one in the country. Tammy has also taken numerous teams to both the D1 and D2 Summits for the past 6 years. In 2016 her J3 team won the wild card round and went on to place 7th in the country. In 2018 her S4 team also won the wildcard round and went on to place 3rd in the country. Tammy's psychology degree, extensive cheer experience, and intense love and passion for both the sport and kids, combine to create a special and unique training atmosphere. Her main goal is to make each and every athlete feel loved, inspired and a part of something special, all while pushing them to achieve their goals and become the best they can be on and off the mat.
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Cori graduated from Norwalk High School in 2006 and from Southern Connecticut State University in 2011 with a bachelor of science degree, and has plans to pursue further education in the near future. Throughout Cori’s cheerleading career she has had numerous successes. While on the SCSU cheerleading team, Cori and her teammates competed at and won the 2009 UCA College Nationals. As a coach, she helped lead the Norwalk AYF to becoming National Champions in 2014. She also helped lead the Spirit All Stars youth level 1 team, the Malachites, to becoming US Finals Champions in 2014 and 2015. Cori has been coaching at Spirit Zone Too for three seasons. She is currently coaching youth level 1, the Malachites alongside coach Amanda. Also, this season she is taking on Spirit’s mini prep level 1 team, the Morganites alongside coach “A”. As well as coaching our special needs team, the amazing Alexandrites! She’s very excited to continue on with the success of all three incredible teams in this season!
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Samantha started competing as a gymnast at age 7 and made the switch to cheerleading at age 10. She won numerous awards through out middle school for her jumps and tumbling. She was the first Freshman to make Varsity cheer at Shelton High School in CT. During her Junior Year she joined Spirit All Stars in Hamden and her love for competitive cheer took off from there. She attended Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science and Health. While attending Southern, Samantha continued to cheer at Spirit All Stars and began coaching at Liberty All Stars in Greenwich CT. In 2006, while still attending college, Samantha branched out with a friend and started Excape All Stars. A few years later, Gold Coast All Stars emerged and Samantha and her teams enjoyed much success in the cheer world. She is a wonderful mother to two beautiful girls. Samantha returned to competitive cheerleading with her daughter Mackenzie Rae to coach Tiny Treasures 2018-2019 season.
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Daqwan has been involved with cheerleading for nearly 10 years. He started out as a sophomore in high school cheering for White Plains high school. In that time he has went on to win several local, state, and regional championships and also compete and place on a national level. Since then he has been involved with assisting numerous teams throughout Westchester County on a high school and all star level. As this being his first year working with all the teams at Spirit Zone Too he is very excited to be able to utilize all of his coaching skills & abilities to help bring as much progress as possible.
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Ricky "Tank" Carter has worked at a plethora of well known gymnastics and tumbling gyms where he had obtained the knowledge to teach and spot basic to elite level skills. He is now the proud owner of his own tumbling, stunting, and conditioning business Tank Time Athletix. He is a Worlds known athlete who has received top 10 notoriety at the cheerleading worlds, and has been a UCA champion / finalist for the last 3 years. Ricky is excited to work with the athletes of Spirit Too this season.
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Ashley Graduated from Scarsdale High School in 2013 and Stony Brook University in 2018 bachelor of science degree. After years of running cancer clinical trials for a research company, she is now back in school working towards her nursing degree. Ashley began her cheerleading career in Junior High and became an assistant coach to the Scarsdale Recreational program at 14. Once she graduated high school she started coaching all levels from K-12 for High school cheerleading. After 9 years of coaching at the high school and middle school level and competing at UCA Nationals all 9 years she is now switching over to coach Allstars. She has been trained in several gymnastics gyms and is a great tumbling instructor. She is very excited to bring her love and passion for cheerleading to the Spirit Too gym. In her first year she will be working with all teams and is excited to help all athletes progress and become the best cheerleader they can be. She will also be coaching Crystals level 1.1 and can't wait to compete this season!
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Kaitlyn began cheerleading at the age of 8, with Greenwich Youth Cheerleading League (GYCL) she has cheered for over 10 years. She quickly joined the Spirit gym (Liberty at the time) to improve her skills. She was a three-year Greenwich High School Varsity veteran including captain her senior year. Her cheer accomplishments include All-FCIAC and NCA All-American. Kaitlyn loved tumbling and practicing at Spirit, which included volunteering with Spirit’s special needs team, Alexandrites, in 2013. After many years at college, she was so excited to be able to come home to coach the Mini Prep Level 1 for the 21-22 season alongside Coach Tammy and her cousin, Sierra, who was on Code Black this year. Kaitlyn loves that Spirit represents family and is excited for her Spirit family to grow!
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Nicky began cheerleading in junior high school. Nicky later joined Gold Coast All Stars during her freshman year of high school where she was coached by Coach Sam and Coach Tammy. Alongside her coaches and teammates, she went on to win many titles. She later joined the gymnastic team at Westhill High School while attending the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering (AITE High School) in Stamford. After graduating high school in 2015, she went on to obtain her Associates degree in Criminal Justice and currently wears several professional hats including working for a media company located in Greenwich and a restaurant in Stamford CT. Nicky is excited to join the staff of Spirit Too and work with its many talented athletes.
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Ric-Chara (pronounced Rick-sha-ra) is an accomplished tumbling and stunt expert with over 11 years of experience as a coaching consultant in the cheerleading industry. A former cheerleader for Cheer Extreme Senior Elite, Ric-Chara has earned Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals at The Cheerleading Worlds Championship, marking her as one of the sport’s top competitors. After cheering for her university, she pursued her passion for anthropology, further enhancing her understanding of human movement and performance.
Since relocating to New York in 2014, Ric-Chara has successfully transitioned into the world of film production, working on commercials and leveraging her leadership skills to cultivate positive, successful work environments. Her unique combination of athletic expertise, coaching insight, and production experience allows her to bring a creative, driven approach to any project. Whether on the mat or behind the scenes, Ric-Chara continues to inspire and lead with passion, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. We are so excited to introduce Ric-Chara into the Spirit Too family. Her coaching style is grounded in positive reinforcement and educating the body to achieve skills efficiently and safely. Ric-Chara’s motto is to “Replace fear with faith and secure it all with self-love,” which she instills in her students to help them reach their full potential. |
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Lauren began her cheerleading journey at the age of 7 in Dublin, Ohio, cheering for the Dublin Football League program. By the age of 11, she advanced to all-star cheerleading, joining Step One Allstars in Columbus, Ohio. Competing on elite junior and senior level 5 teams, Lauren spent the majority of her cheerleading career honing her skills and achieving significant milestones. Between 2006 and 2009, she competed at The Cheerleading Worlds, consistently earning top 10 placements in her division—a testament to her dedication and talent.
After her cheerleading career, Lauren pursued higher education at Columbus State Community College, where she earned a degree in Paralegal Studies. Born and raised in Ohio (a proud Buckeyes fan!), Lauren embraced new chapters in life, moving to Clearwater, Florida, in 2014, where she lived for six years before relocating to Stamford, Connecticut, in 2020 with her husband and daughter. Lauren’s passion for cheerleading was reignited when her daughter decided to take up the sport. She is now a proud cheer mom, cheering on her daughter, who is an athlete with Spirit Zone Too Divas. Thrilled to have found a supportive cheer family in Connecticut, Lauren is excited to embrace her new home and community while fostering her daughter’s love for the sport that once defined her own youth. |
Rosalie (Maiale) Frison |
Coach |
Rosalie has cheered since she was in the 6th grade. She competed in high school and went on to cheer in college. She also cheered on All Star teams. She is a certified coach with the NFHS and has been coaching and teaching high school for over 15 years. She has a BA in International Relations, a MA in International Affairs, and a MA in Religious Studies.
Caitlin Sigmund |
Coach |
Caitlin was a gymnast for 10 years until she switched over to all star cheerleading in middle school. She cheered for Putnam Valley High School in NY for their varsity team and won the Section 1 title 3 years in a row. She also cheered at Extreme Force Allstars in NY from 2014-2018. She graduated in 2018 and continued her cheerleading career at the University of Hartford her freshman year. She is currently pursuing her Bachelors of Health Science to become a physical therapist. This will be Caitlin’s first year working with all the Spirit teams and is looking forward to working with all of our accomplished athletes!
Kristin Cardone |
Coach |
Kristin began cheerleading at the age of 8 in Medford Pop Warner where she attended Nationals several times and coached in the program when she got older. When East Elite (now East Celebrity Elite) made its debut in 1998, Kristin was on the first team and continued on in the program through college. In addition to cheering at ECE, Kristin also coached several teams at the gym ranging from Mini level to Senior level and was a tumbling instructor. She cheered all 4 years in high school on Varsity, winning two national titles and earned NCA All American all 4 years at summer camp. She was captain her senior year on both her high school team and at ECE. Kristin attended UMASS Amherst and cheered at the college level on the All Girl team. Kristin continued her education at UMASS, receiving her Master’s Degree in Education. She was a teacher of over 15 years when she decided to take time off to be a stay-at-home mom to her two young children. She is excited to be back in the cheer world as a tumbling instructor here at Spirit Too.
Miranda Anderson |
Coach |
Miranda began her cheerleading career at age 7 for the Harrison Youth Recreation team. By age 8, she made the switch to All Star cheer joining Liberty All Stars and her love for the sport only grew from there. She continued to compete at the All Star level though elementary and middle school at Gold Coast All Stars, where she cheered alongside Coach Sydney, and was coached by both Coach Sam and Coach Tammy. She then went on to cheer for the Greenwich High School cheerleading team at the Varsity level. Throughout college, Miranda hosted many town recreation cheerleading clinics for elementary schoolers in the Purchase, Harrison and Rye Brook area. Miranda has a bachelor's degree in elementary and special education from Southern Connecticut State University, and currently is working on obtaining her Masters Degree from Manhattanville College in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. More recently, Miranda has rekindled her love for the sport through watching her two younger sisters take the mat each weekend with Spirit Zone. Miranda loves the strong sense of family present with the gym at Spirit and is beyond excited to share her love for the sport with young athletes!
Giovanna Greco |
Coach |
At the age of 5, Giovanna attended gymnastics classes at ISG, where she discovered that she loved to tumble. When she turned 7 years old, she began her cheerleading career at Spirit Zone Too. In total she spent 11 years at Spirit, beginning with a tinies team and completed the journey on a level 6 team, accumulating several medals and awards with the teams. While cheering for Spirit Zone Too, Giovanna was also a cheerleader with Port Chester High School, three of the years on Varsity. She is currently a full time student at Sacred Heart University, School of Nursing, pursuing a BSN. In 2022, Giovanna joined Sacred Heart University's Division 1 cheerleading team and in 2023 they went on to win a UCA National Championship in the Open All Girl Game Day Division. In her free time, Giovanna has assisted coaching tiny and youth teams. She is excited for her next cheerleading journey as a coach, and being a part of Spirit Zone Too staff, where she can share her experience and passion for cheerleading with the students.
Arianna Mafes |
Tumbling Instructor |
Arianna started cheer in 7th grade where she made the varsity team at River Bluff High School in Lexington, SC. She cheered both school cheer and Allstar cheer in South Carolina. Cheering at ACX and Rockstar All Star gyms. She moved to New York in 2015 and cheered all four years on New Rochelle High School's varsity cheer team. Since then she has coached at Scarsdale rec, modified, and is now the head varsity coach at Scarsdale high school. Arianna also coached tumbling at Prism Elite in mamaroneck teaching all levels of skills as well as assisting with the cheer teams. Arianna has an associates in health science, a bachelors in health promotion and is pursing a third degree in nursing. Arianna has a true love and passion for cheer and is excited to help athletes grow as cheerleaders and people. Arianna can't wait to be a part of the Spirit Too family!
Rachel Nelson |
Coach |
Rachel grew up in Stamford, CT and was a cheerleader for 13 years. She started cheering when she was in fifth grade at Excape, then cheered two years overseas in Sweden at a gym called Dynamite, and then cheered for 5 years at Gold Coast All stars, where she also helped coach some of the teams. Additionally, she cheered for Trinity catholic high school her junior and senior year, where she received FCIAC scholar athlete of the month, and helped coach various middle schools across Stamford while she was in high school. When she went to college in South Carolina, she had the opportunity to cheer and coach at Rockstar - Columbia four 4 years and World Cup - Columbia for one year. She has cheered and helped to coach and every level of cheer and is very excited to join the program and looks forward to the future season!