Connecticut's Cheerleading Training Center - Home of the USA Wildcats - 285 Great Hill Rd - Naugatuck, CT. 06770 - (203) 729-CATS (2287)
Meet our Coaches
Introducing our Coaching Staff for the 2011-12 Season
Tiny - Katie Card, Jenna Raponey & Courtney Finnegan
Mini – Katie Card, Amy Butler, Courtney Finnegan and Jenna Raponey
Youth - Amy Butler, Jen Fontano & Gretchen Colagrossi
Junior Half-year- Alyssa Thomes & Amy Butler
Junior - Brittney Colagrossi & Leann Raponey
Junior Coed - Jamie Raponey & Brittney Colagrossi
Senior Red - Leann Raponey, Gretchen Colagrossi & Jamie Raponey
Senior Elite - Rob Boyles & Cheryl Thomes
Tumbling Coaches - Victoria Goldberg and Rob Boyles
Cheryl Thomes (Naugatuck Owner, Director and Senior Elite Coach.
Senior Coed Coach Enfield.)
Cheryl Thomes - Cheryl is the Founder and director of the USA Wildcat All Star Cheerleaders, established in May of 1997. She is also the Owner of the USA Wildcats LLC and The Cheerleading Training Center. Cheryl has been very successful at coaching at all levels from Pop Warner through College. She has been the head coach of the USA Wildcat Senior Elite team since the beginning. Cheryl's Senior Elite team has advanced to the Cheerleading Worlds 6 years in a row where they competed with the best of the best. In 2011 her team place 13th out of 84 teams naming this her biggest accomplishment and most fondest memory. This season she is excited to be coaching Senior Coed in the Enfield gym. She was named 1994 Coach of the Year for the Olympian Club of Waterbury. Cheryl was also named who's who among High School Coaches in 1996 and Who’s Who of All Star Coaches in 2009 in American Cheerleader Magazine. The USA Wildcats hold numerous national titles and National Grand Champion titles while under her direction. Cheryl was the assistant cheerleading coach of the nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University Cheerleading squad from 1992-2009. In 2009 SCSU won their first UCA National Collegiate Championship. She is also the assistant cheer coach for the nationally ranked Quinnipiac University Cheerleading squad from 2006-2009 and was the Assistant Acrobatics and Tumbling coach at Quinnipiac in 2010 and 2011. She is first aid and CPR safety certified and also holds an A.A.C.C.A. certification. Cheryl is also credentialed through the USASF for levels 1-5 in tumbling, stunting and basket tosses. Cheryl does camps and private coaching for numerous teams across the state and Region
C o p y r i g h t 1 9 9 7 - 2 0 1 1 USA WIldcats Allstar Cheerleading, L L C. l 285 Great Hill Rd, Naugatuck, CT 06770 l Phone: (203) 729-CATS (2287)
Connecticut Cheerleading l Connecticut Allstar Cheerleading l Connecticut Cheerleading Classes l Connecticut Cheerleading Training l Connecticut Cheerleading Teams
Leann Raponey: (Senior Red and Junior Coach)
Leann Raponey - Leann is presently coaching the Senior Red team and Junior team in our Naugatuck gym. This is her 9th year with the Wildcats. Her teams have won countless National Titles. She also was the cheer coordinator for Bristol Pop Warner for many years and a former junior high and pop warner cheerleading coach for 12 years. The pop warner teams she has coached have Advanced to the New England Regionals every year in their respective divisions and her junior high team has won a New England Championship. Leann is AACCA safety certified and has her NCA judges certification. She is also USASF credentialed.
Gretchen Colagrossi: (Senior Red and Youth Coach)
Gretchen Colagrossi - Gretchen is presently coaching the USA Wildcat Senior Red Team and youth team in our Naugatuck gym. She is the former cheer coordinator for Waterbury Patriots Pop Warner and has also coached at Pop Warner and Junior High levels for 6 years. Her teams have advanced to regionals every year and have placed in the top eight in the respective division. In her 8 years of coaching for the USA Wildcats, her all star teams have won numerous National Titles in the respective divisions. Gretchen is AACCA safety certified and has her NCA Judges certification. She also has 26 years of dance experience. Gretchen is USASF credentialed
Rob Boyles (Tumbling Coach & Senior Elite Coach in Naugatuck. Tumbling Coach, Mini & Senior Coed Coach in Enfield).
Rob Boyles - Rob started cheering in High School. His gym teacher introduced him to All Star cheerleading in 2003. He was hooked. Rob taught himself how to tumble and then as he got into more competitive cheerleading he learned proper techniques from Manny at CATS Gymnastics. He has trained with some of the best All Star programs in New England including the USA Wildcats Senior Elite and Open teams where he cheered in 2006. Rob started coaching in All Stars in 2006 after he graduated from high school. He is now a tumbling Coach in both the Naugatuck and Enfield gyms and also coaches 3 teams from level 1 to level 5. Rob's Senior Elite team placed 13th out of 84 teams at the 2011 World cheerleading Championships. Rob is USASF credentialed to level 5 in stunts, tumbling and tosses. He does choreography for numerous teams in New England. His enthusiasm brings so much energy into the gym. Rob plans on coaching with the Wildcats for many years to come.
Jamie Raponey (Senior Red and Junior Coed)
Jamie Raponey - Jamie is presently coaching the Senior Red and Junior Coed. These two teams have won 10 national Titles this past year alone including wins at us finals and all levels. In 2011 her Junior Coed team won The Overall All Levels Virtual Championship. Jamie has been involved with cheerleading for 18 years. She cheered for Bristol Pop Warner, St. Anthony School, Bristol Central High School & USA Wildcats. She coached for Bristol Pop Warner for 4 years, and all of her teams advanced to regionals. She is a 3 time national champion herself (Senior elite, 2002 All Star challenge; Open, 2005,2006 American Open). She also does choreography for some of our usa wildcat teams in both Naugatuck and enfield gyms. She is AACCA Safety certified and also USASF Credentialed.
Brittney Colagrossi: (Junior Coed and Junior Coach Naugatuck. Junior and Youth team coach in Enfield)
Brittney Colagrossi - Brittney has been a member of the USA Wildcats since 2003. In her first year cheering for the Wildcats they captured their first national title at WCA in Nashville TN. Her 2nd year she cheered on our Senior Prep team where they captured 2 national titles at the American Open and Jamfest. In the 2005-06 season her team won 4 national titles. Starting to coach at Wildcats in 2006 Brittney has won numerous National titles. In 2011 her Junior Coed team won The Overall All Levels Virtual Championship. Brittney can’t get enough of coaching. This season Brittney is excited to be coaching in both the Naugatuck and Enfield locations. She is USASF Credentialed.
Jenn Fontano- (Youth Tean Coach)
Jenn Fontano - Jenn has been coaching the USA Wildcats Mini team since 2005 and Tiny team in 2006. Every year our Mini team has accomplished numerous first place wins. In 2008 our minis won their first 2 national titles. This past season coaching the Youth team, they won 7 out of 8 National Championships. She has over 25 years of cheerleading and dance experience. She also coached Kennedy High School in Waterbury from 1988-1996. In 1991 they were runner-up in the Class L State Competition under her direction. Jenn is first aid and CPR safety certified. Jenn is also USASF Credentialed.
Amy Butler- (Youth, Mini Team Coach)
Amy Butler - Amy
*Katie Card (Mini &Tiny Team Coach)
Katie Card - Katie started cheerleading when she was 8 years old. She has cheered for the Waterbury Knights, SS. Peter and Paul School, Holy Cross High School, and the USA Wildcats Open team. Katie has been coaching since 2000 at the Pop Warner, Junior High, and now at the High School level. She started coaching the USA Wildcats Mini and Tiny team in 2007. Katie has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and her master's degree in Elementary Education. She is first aid and CPR certified. Katie is also USASF Credentialed.
Alyssa Thomes
Alyssa Thomes - Alyssa was previously a cheerleader for the USA Wildcats from 2000 - 2010. She coached our Junior Elite team from 2005 - 2007 and our Senior Elite team from 2007 - 2008. Alyssa's fondest memory was when her Junior Elite team won Jamfest Super Nationals in Indianapolis in 2006. After graduation high school, Alyssa danced for the World's Silver Medalist Open Hip Hop Team, ECB's Street Elite. In 2010, Alyssa returned to coaching at the USA Wildcats. She coached our Junior 1/2 year team and is looking forward to coaching them again this year. She has choreograhed many routines for Pop Warner, Middle School, High School & All-Star teams. Alyssa is USASF credentialed in level's 1 - 5.
Jenna Raponey
Jenna Raponey- Jenna has been a cheerleader for the USA Wildcats since she was 8 years old. Her first year cheering she won a national title at AmeriCheer Nationals in Orlando. She has won numerous nationals every single year that she cheered. Her last year cheering for our Senior 3 team she won 3 national titles, All levels & US Finals champions & numerous specialty awards & grand championships. This is her first year coaching. She will be helping coach the mini & tiny teams & is looking forward to joining the coaching ranks with her sister and mother.
Victoria Goldberg - (Tumbling Coach)
Victoria Goldberg - Victoria has been involved with gymnastics since she was 3 years old. She started competing at the age of five. She grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana. Victoria made the gymnastics team for Valparaiso High School as a freshman. She competed in Sections, Regional's, Semi-State and State competitions. Victoria was the captain for her high school gymnastics team during her senior year. She went on to college where she taught cheerleaders to tumble and she, herself, cheered for Northwood University in Michigan. Victoria graduated with a Fashion Merchandising Degree with a concentration on advertising. Shortly after college, Victoria moved to Connecticut where she continued to teach gymnastics to all ages, infants to adults. Victoria takes pride in implementing Claudiu Catalin Varlem's techniques as part of training her students. Claudiu was a World Aerobic Champion and a gymnastic coach in Bucuresti, Romania. From 2003-2006 she owned her own Cheerleading Training Center. Victoria lives in Newtown, Connecticut with her loving husband, Dr. Scott Goldberg, as well has her daughter Hanna. Victoria is very happy to be a part of the USA Wildcats staff. The USA Wildcat spirit has rejuvenated her energy. She loves working with the athletics at USA and looks forward to a bright successful future.
USA Wildcat’s Mission - is to teach the sport of competitive cheer in a way that is positive, safe and effective. Our goal is to provide an affordable, character-building program for the youth of our state. The staff is here to strengthen and condition, teach proper motion technique, jumps, stunting, tumbling and provide a level of skill required to compete at a national level.
Our commitment is to provide a positive outlet for athletes to express their capabilities, creativity and skills. We encourage members to demonstrate excellence in sportsmanship, competitiveness, teamwork, and leadership while acting as positive role models and effective members of their community.
Along with the physical side of cheerleading we strive to build self-confidence, self-discipline, and self-esteem. This enables the cheerleaders to achieve their goals, develop everlasting friends and have fun while doing it.
By providing a wholesome environment for athletic competition we will instill in our athletes the challenge of competition, the joy of victory, the reality of defeat, and the importance of commitment.
USA Wildcat Mission Statement:
Courtney Finnegan
Courtney Finnegan - Courtney is entering her 9th year cheering at USA Wildcats. She cheers on the Senior Elite & Senior Red teams.
She has helped coach the youth, tiny & mini teams for the last 6 years and will be helping with the Tiny & Mini's again this year. She will be entering Western Connecticut State University in the fall in the nursing program.
USA WILDCATS
ALL STAR TEAMS
The USA Wildcats is the first, largest and has proven to be the most successful All-Star Cheerleading Program in the state of Connecticut
The USA Wildcat All Star Teams are a fantastic way for your children to grow as athletes and have fun in the process.
Established in May, 1997- Our facility is opened to Competitive Cheer Teams and cheer clinics catering to athletes from ages 3-18. We offer teams and clinics for every age and ability level. If you are a beginner or have been cheerleading and tumbling for years, we have a team that is sure to challenge you.
Our coaching staff has combined over 150 years of experience in cheerleading, dance and gymnastics and would love to have a chance to work with your child.
