MEET OUR TEAM

Lloyd decided to try gymnastic in Jr. high school just for fun and fell in love with it. He ended up doing competitive gymnastics through Jr. high and high school. His first opportunity to teach gymnastics was after moving from Philadelphia to Pensacola, FL where he found a facility to polish his skills and the owner of that gym saw more in Lloyd's future. The sport in general taught Lloyd commitment, work ethic, & dedication. His advice to young athletes is that if you put others first then your blessings will come later!

Frederka  also known as "Fred" got involved in sports with all-star cheer that led her to school cheer. Her passion for coaching cheer was driven by her desire to give kids the same opportunities she had. Being an athlete taught her discipline that has resulted in her being a humble individual. The best lesson she learned was if you stay committed & determined to something, you will be greatly rewarded. Her advise to young athletes is to use adversity as an opportunity!

From the age of 3 Krissy participated in gymnastics and throughout the years began to dabble in additional sports. By 15 she began coaching all the way through college. She also gained the most experience when working as an instructor for UCA.  Krissy believes that playing for a team since she was 4 years old has illustrated for her that sports are more than a personal gain. It has helped her in communication skills & working with others. Even when an outcome isn't what we worked for, it helped her learn how to address where & what she lacked & start to build up.  Krissy wants young athletes to know that a loss isn't a true loss if you gain something from it. The ability to participate on a team is the ultimate win! Your job is never done, you can always  improve in something!

Tovona was influenced to play multiple sports at the age of 5.  Tumbling  in gymnastics was the one that she fell in love with that lead to cheerleading all the way through college and as a UCA instructor. Participating in sports has taught her discipline, patience, & resilience. It has made her strong mentally and physically.  The best lesson she can share is to be passionate, have the right attitude, set a goal and have perseverance. Coaching came natural to Tovona as she desires to help others grow into the best athlete they can be. Her advice is to take time to know yourself, belive in yourself and use adversity as an opportunity!

Prior to Ariana obtaining her bachelor in Neuroscience and Chemistry from UAB, she passion and love started with cheerleading as a young child.  Ariana has cheered at every level; little league, middle school, high school and college. She is constantly searching from new ways to elevate herself and after doing UCA for a few summers she figured BlackWatch was a great next step.  Ariana has learned to apply everything from cheerleading to everyday life by being a team player, lifting others up and always pushing to be great.  She believes that whatever she does is much bigger than herself. She knows she has to be my best to inspire and push others to be their best. The best advice she ever received that she would share with young athletes is to keep doing. As there is no ceiling to success. We can do anything we put our minds to, even if we fall or fail, we can handle it!

 Kayla started as a gymnastics at age 8 and then cheer at 9. Cheer has been her passion ever since. Being part of a team has taught her how to put others first and show compassion. The biggest lesson she has learned through cheer is how to communicate with people and that you can meet any goals if you work hard enough for them. Becoming a cheer coach was originally  influenced by her coaches growing up and her love for helping other girls in school. She admired her coaches and always wanted to be just like them. Kayla's advice for young athletes is to remind them that you never grow when you are comfortable; change happens once you leave your comfort zone!

Reia started as a gymnasts at the age of 4 and dedicated 9 years before switching to cheerleading! Sports overall taught her discipline and how to work with a team. She has also learned life lessons that shaped her into the person she is today. Reia believes a team will only succeed if everyone does their part. You cannot slack off and expect everyone else to pick up the slack. As soon as Reia was old enough to get a job she went right into coaching. As a child she always looked up to her coaches and appreciated them so much. The coaches became her role models and as Reia got a little older she knew that she wanted to be that same role model to other young inspired athletes. Her advice to youth is that you never know when the opportunity to do something will be gone, so don't hesitate to seize your moment now!