Staff
Anissa Davis- Owner/ Manager
For the past 36 years Anissa has been involved in gymnastics as either a competitor or coach. Her love for gymnastics all began at age 7 when she started competitive training at the original Green Mountain Gymnastics in Waterbury Center and performed exhibition routines at Harwood Union High School. She moved on to train at Champlain Valley Gymnastics (originally Dunkley’s Gymnastics) in South Burlington in 1984. Subsequently, she competed for Harwood on their junior high and varsity teams.
Wanting to continue her passion for the sport into adulthood, she turned to coaching the Harwood Union Middle School team and worked in recreational gymnastics programs. Since 2002, she has taken on the role of head coach of the Harwood High School, Harwood Middle School and Crossett Brook Middle School teams.
In 2006, she started Anissa’s Acrobats with a mission toward making gymnastics instruction more accessible to children in the Central Vermont area by offering classes and open gym sessions to children ages 2-12 at Thatcher Brook Primary School, Waitsfield Elementary School and Harwood. It is her hope that the future of gymnastics in Vermont will continue to grow and enhance the lives of children throughout the State. In October 2010, she started Central Vermont Gymnastics Academy in the hopes that space would be found to call home to CVGA. That space was found and the doors to Central Vermont Gymnastics Academy opened June 19th, 2011.
Certificates
USA Gymnastics University * Safety & Risk Management * USA Gymnastic University: Instructor * USA Gymnastics Fitness * School of Competitive Gymnastic: Women’s Artistic * Junior Olympic Development Coach * School of Recreational Gymnastics * Advanced Teacher * Development Teacher * School of Judging * School of Judging: Women’s 7/8 Rated * USOC Safe Sport
Sarah Grenier – Team & Recreational Gymnastics Coach
Sarah has been a gymnastics coach for over 8 years. Her passion for gymnastics started as a youth where she competed for Green Mountain Gymnastics in Central Vermont. Her involvement back into the world of gymnastics came after her daughter became a competitive gymnast.
Sarah has coached preschool, recreational boys and girls and, although she try’s to avoid coaching her daughter, team as well. Her favorite thing about coaching is teaching kids not to give up, and the confidence that goes with struggle and achievement.
Sarah is a USGA member, received her safety certificate and has taken a variety of continuing education courses including attending regional congress in 2016.
Judith Witke Mele – Recreational Class Coach
Judith has been a competitive gymnast for the last 5 years and has been taking classes at CVGA for 5 years. She’s been coaching for 1 year and has been working with kids for the past three years as a counselor at summer art camp in Montpelier.
Throughout this year, she’s taken many educational courses through USAG and recently attended the USAG Regional congress this summer to improve her coaching ability and knowledge. She’s very excited to continue learning and growing with the kids here at CVGA, and we are thrilled to have her as a coach until she heads off to college in the fall of 2019!
Riley Gallagher – Recreational Class Coach & After School Counselor
Riley has been involved in gymnastics with Anissa for ten years now, ranging from recreational classes, club team, and now currently high school gymnastics. She has always loved, and been devoted to the sport. Other than being a gymnast, she is also quite a runner. Working with kids is also a passion of hers, and she has fortified that love by babysitting for the past three years.
This summer, we were fortunate to have her working at our summer camp here at CVGA, and last winter she worked with pre-school level gymnastics. She has been trained in spotting gymnastics skills and is very excited to be working with the recreational classes and the after school program. She’s looking forward to growing her knowledge, skills and experience.
Zoey Dubois – Recreational Gymnastics Coach
Zoey has been a CVGA instructor for the last year and was a competitive gymnast for 7 years. She loves to share her passion for the sport while coaching, helping to instill confidence and the rewards of hard work.
Zoey attended USAG Regional Congress in Rhode Island in 2017 for 4 days of classes and hands on training covering a variety of topics including pre-school, recreational classes and tumbling (among others). CVGA is excited to have her as a coach until she heads to college in the fall of 2019!
Kit Little – Marketing & Pre-School Program Director
When Kit’s daughter was very young watching the Olympic gymnastics competition, she turned to Kit and asked, “Can you teach me that?” They began that day with headstands and splits. Thus, Kit’s involvement with gymnastics began…
Kit has a degree in Education Through the Arts and has worked with Shakespeare and Company, performed on stage and directed children in the theater. Her dance and choreography spans many styles, but her favorites are lyrical and African. Her teaching experience spans over fifteen years and students of all ages. She has assistant coached soccer and track teams, as well as managing marching band. Additionally, working with animal rescue and rehab has been, and remains a passion of hers. She has worked closely with people of all ages and varied professions. Her skill sets were a natural fit become a part of the CVGA Team.
After 26 moves through 5 states, Kit now resides in Barre Town with her husband Allen, their children Xander and Ariyana – both CVGA gymnasts, 2 cats, 2 ferrets, 9 chickens and 2 fish…so far.