Our Staff
We are very proud of our staff. They care deeply about the gymnasts and the gymnast’s families. Gymsations coaches work together in harmony to have the greatest impact on each individual gymnast. These coaches are dedicated to this program and its participants. Several of our staff members have been used by other gyms to help train and educate their staff.
All coaches have had a background check and are CPR and First Aid certified. All head coaches and senior coaches are safety certified. Many of them have also completed courses with the Positive Coaching Alliance. Our coaches attend continuing education courses whenever possible and are enrolled in USA Gymnastics University.
Linda Deckert - has been a Gymsations coach since 2011 when she and her family moved to GA. She began gymnastics at the age of 2, and was a Level 9 gymnast before a knee injury forced her to stop competing. She then began coaching, and coached Levels 4-8 in northern KY for 13 years. She also was a Level 5-8 judge for several years and is currently Safety Certified through USA Gymnastics. She has 2 children, a 4 year old daughter and a 1 year old son, and also works parttime as an Occupational Therapist. Gymnastics has always been a part of her life, and she loves being a part of the Gymsations team!
Marci Phillips - is a member of USA Gymnastics, and has her safety and risk management certification, and has completed courses through USA Gymnastics University. She is also a member of AAU and has completed the Positive Coaches Alliance course. Marci graduated from North GA with a bachelors in biology. She did gymnastics from the time she was 4 to 12, competing Level 4 through Level 8. She started the gymnastics team her freshman year of highschool at Forsyth Central and competed all 4 years for the Central Gym Dogs. She began coaching at Gymsations with the preschool program when she was 13, and then started working with older classes when she turned 14. She has been coaching with Gymsations ever since. When she attended West Georgia her freshman and sophomore year of college she coached at West Georgia Gymnastics, where she assisted with the level 3, 4, and XCel Gold teams. Marci got engaged to her highschool sweetheart, Josh Jones, in February and will officially be Marci Jones October 5th, 2013!
Brianna Garrison - has participated in gymnastics for over six years. After gymnastics, she dove into the wild world of cheerleading. She cheered for five years and earned the All-American award all 4 years of high school. She was a three year varsity letterman, her JV football squad captain as well as her Varsity competition squad captain. Miss Bri is currently a psychology major at the University of North Georgia. Under the USAG University, she has earned certification for R101 Preschool Fundamentals, she’s completed the u100 course, and is Safety Certified. When she’s not working or at school, Miss Bri enjoys volunteering, photography, yoga, hanging out with friends, and exploring nature.
Chris Woodall - As a longtime resident of Forsyth County, Chris Woodall has worked with youth in our community as a swim coach at Polo Golf and Country
Club, a Director of Youth at Cumming First United Methodist Church, and a
Social Studies teacher at West Forsyth High School. Currently Chris is the
Georgia Student Advisor with K12, Inc. Chris began coaching gymnastics at West Forsyth HS and has continued to expand his experience this past year working with the newly formed High School gymnastics class with CPRD. He is Safety and Risk certified and a USAG Instructor. Chris and his wife Mary Beth love cheering on their two daughters, Emma and Hannah, who both are team Gymsations team members.
Kelly Merritt - graduated with a business degree from Florida Southern College. She is a mom to 4 teenage/adult children and have been around gymnastics for 15 years. Kelly helped start the Gymsations Booster Club and helped in the early stages of equipment fund raising for the gymnastics program. She has been a waterskiing/wakeboarding coach for the last 25 years. Kelly enjoys spending time with her family, working with preschoolers, and volunteering in the community. She is Red Cross certified in CPR and first aid.
Autumn Keller- is currently a sophomore in college at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, GA where she is majoring in Exercise Science and minoring in Physical Education. Autumn has hopes of working in sports medicine being a physical therapist in the future. Autumn is an alumni gymnast of the Cumming Gymsations. She competed with the program for 14 years, in which she was floor state champion for three years in a row (2008-2010) and a regional qualifier (2009-2010). placing 3rd all-around in 2010. Her senior year of high school she competed as a level 10. Autumn was not only a competitor for club gymnastics but also for her high school. She competed varsity gymnastics at Forsyth Central high school for four years where she was named MVP multiple years. Unfortunately upon wrapping up her level 10 season Autumn tore her ACL at her state meet. However, her injury did not keep her out of the gymnastics world. It simply placed her on the other side as a coach. Autumn now works at two gyms, one during the school year in Milledgeville and then here at home during the late spring and summer. She works with girls ranging from beginner recreation classes all the way to level 5. She also assists with the Xcel program from the Bronze level to Gold. Throughout the summer Autumn also helps with the weekly camps in the gym and has gone to Tennessee to work at Flip Fest gymnastics camp.