Meet The Team
Julia Karis
Program Director / Head Coach
Prospect Gymnastics’ team of coaches is led by our Program Director, Julia Karis. Originally from San Diego, California, she has lived in New York for the past fifteen years. She moved to New York to study Acting at Wagner College when she was 17 years old. After graduation she pursued a career in performance and did many shows in the New York Area but she always continued coaching gymnastics which is her other passion. Julia was a competitive gymnast throughout her childhood all the way through her senior year of high school and has been coaching kids for over a decade. When she moved to New York she began coaching the competitive team at the 92Y and eventually became the head coach of their Xcel Program. Julia has been with PG for the past three years and helped design and open the Bed-Stuy location. She loves coaching all levels from parent-tot to our competitive team and is so thrilled to be a part of the Prospect Gymnastics community!
Tami Rygus
Program Coordinator
Tami is originally from the west coast and moved to New York 15 years ago. She’s the mother of 3 small kids and has been working in administrative roles for most of her career. She loves being part of the Prospect Gymnastics team!
Mina Marsow
Owner
Mina Marsow is a Brooklyn-based entrepreneur. She founded Prospect Gymnastics in 2014, growing it into a beloved community hub. Mina is passionate about building confidence and resilience through movement. She also volunteers with the Hebrew Free Loan Society to support community growth. In addition to her work in gymnastics, Mina writes about identity, culture, and transformation, with pieces published in Tablet and Mount Hope magazines.
Arianna Dunmire
Gymnastics Coach/
Ditmas Park Space Manager
Arianna is a professional dancer turned multidisciplinary mover and lover of everything challenging, risky, and rewarding with over 12 years of experience teaching dance, acrobatics, parkour, and martial arts to children of all ages (including adults). She is also a personal trainer and specializes in comprehensive, accessible, and empowering physical education for all. She truly loves guiding kids through physical, mental, and emotional growth and is so excited to join the Prospect Gymnastics team. When not coaching or teaching you can find her cycling with her kids all over the city, practicing handstands in the park, or hiking in the Hudson River Valley.
BreLynn Mellen
Cheer & Media Coordinator
Coach BreLynn combines 10 years of coaching experience with 13 years of competitive cheerleading. She is all about building confidence and keeping the fun alive. Whether it's nailing a new skill or just shaking off a rough day, she'll always be your child’s biggest cheerleader. BreLynn is also a professional actor and theater performer. She brings her stage experience to our program, where she now manages social media and serves as our Cheer Director. Her creative touch ensures that every program is engaging and imaginative for your child!
Darcy Guariglia
Gymnastics/ Parkour Coach
Coach Darcy started dancing and flipping as soon as she began walking! She graduated from Boston Conservatory with a B.F.A. in dance and moved to NYC to dance professionally. She now has close to a decade of experience in gymnastics instruction. Darcy brings her passion and expertise to the Prospect Gymnastics team and looks forward to her fifth year with us, helping children explore movement and achieve their goals.
Nic Brown
Gymnastics Coach
Coach Nic is a multi-hyphenate artist from Winston-Salem, NC, and a graduate of the UNCSA Drama program. After graduation, he moved to BK to pursue acting, but his love for gymnastics led him to continue training and coaching. Nic competed in Men’s Gymnastics up to level 10 and has been coaching for over a decade. He started with recreational and pre-team boys, then moved on to compulsory and optional levels. Currently, Nic is the head coach of the Girls Artistic Team at the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation, and he’s thrilled to also be joining the Prospect Gymnastics team. He can’t wait to share the joy of gymnastics with the community!
Jackie Carlson
Gymnastics/ Parkour Coach
Coach Jackie is a competitive dancer–turned professional ballerina–turned punk-rock pro acrobat! She has performed with leading companies, including Dance Theatre of Harlem and STREB, and brings decades of experience across multiple disciplines to her classes. In addition to her gymnastics classes, Jackie combines her dance and gymnastics background with parkour, emphasizing agility and balance. Through her supportive coaching style, she helps students build confidence and resilience while developing new skills—teaching them to tackle challenges both in the gym and beyond.
Tamika Charles-Sims
Gymnastics Coach
Tamika has instructed and coached gymnastics for over 30 years in Brooklyn & Manhattan. She has taught and coached competitive and recreational gymnastics at many places, such as 92nd St Y, Jodi’s Gym, NYC Elite, Chelsea Piers Brooklyn, non-profit Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation and Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Gymnastics has long been her passion and she enjoys teaching gymnastics to all ages – 10 months to adult. Along with teaching artistic gymnastics, which includes vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, she has taught many apparatus in rhythmic gymnastics as well as trampoline and tumbling. She studied and has a strong background in various types of dance-ballet, modern, jazz, tap and African. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics Education and minored in music. Over the years, Tamika has developed a teaching philosophy that anyone can learn gymnastics as long as they believe they can and are willing to work hard. She is very happy to be a part of Prospect Gymnastics!
Star Aiken
Gymnastics Coach
Coach Star started off at Prospect Gymnastics when she was a high school student as part of NYC’s Summer Youth Employment initiative. She now holds an architecture degree from Hunter College as well as seven years of gymnastics coaching under her belt! Star is well known at Prospect Gymnastics for her infectious enthusiasm and for cultivating personal relationships with every student. She brings her extensive experience into coaching classes, spreading positivity throughout the gym.
Elliana Lynch-Daniels
Gymnastics Coach
Coach Ellie attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for high school and holds a BFA in Dance from New York University. She balances her professional career as a dancer with coaching at Prospect Gymnastics. Coach Ellie specializes in working with all ages, from babies to adults, including tailoring instruction for students with special needs. With her performance background, Ellie aims to inspire students in our gymnastics and dance classes. She focuses on helping them build confidence while enjoying a supportive environment.
Terrence Williams
Gymnastics Coach
Coach Terrence has been coaching gymnastics, tumbling, and cheerleading for 15 years. He has always loved testing his abilities, pushing his limits, and exploring what’s possible. Gymnastics provided him with the perfect avenue to not only challenge himself but also to inspire others to do the same. Coach Terrence is so excited to help your kiddos discover their potential, learn new skills, and create unforgettable memories together!
Bridget Conlon
Gymnastics Coach
Bridget is a former competitive gymnast who has been coaching gymnastics for over 20 years. She has coached all ages, from infants to college gymnasts to adults and everything in between! She specializes in developing strong gymnastics basics in a safe and fun environment. Her favorite part of coaching is watching kids gain confidence and overcome their fears as they try new things and get new skills! She can't wait to show you why gymnastics is her favorite sport in the world. See you out on the floor!
Rebecca Caplan
Gymnastics Coach
Rebecca Caplan is a Brooklyn-based gymnastics coach, judge, and performing artist. A former Level 10 and NCAA Division I gymnast, Rebecca began coaching at just 14 years old and has since worked with athletes at every level—from preschool beginners to international elites. Over the years, Rebecca has coached numerous state, regional, and national champions and was proud to lead Team Canada to a bronze medal at the 2017 Maccabi Games. In addition to coaching, she currently serves as a gymnastics judge and Head Official for collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling. Rebecca also teaches handstand workshops at CrossFit gyms and yoga studios around the country, and has courses with the Gymnastics Source on Udemy sharing her deep technical knowledge with adult athletes and movement enthusiasts of all backgrounds.
Stephen Galvan
Gymnastics Coach
Stephen Galvan is excited to join the Prospect Gymnastics team. He is a movement educator with over 15 years of experience in dance, martial arts, and gymnastics, and 6 years of coaching experience. His background spans competitive ballroom, contemporary movement, and practices such as Capoeira, Vogue, and Chen-style Tai Chi. Stephen brings a community-centered, supportive approach to his classes and enjoys working with students of all ages and backgrounds. He focuses on building confidence, coordination, and a genuine love for movement—especially in those breakthrough moments when a skill finally clicks.
Skai Aiken
Gymnastics Coach
Hi, I’m Skai! I’ve been working with the Prospect Gymnastics team for the past 3 years and have really enjoyed getting to know all the kids and watching them grow. I love working with kids and helping them learn new skills while making sure they’re having fun and feeling comfortable. I’m excited to keep growing with the team and making more fun memories with the little ones!
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Rose Jose
Gymnastics Coach
Hello! I'm Rose, I'm currently in my junior year of Edward R. Murrow High School and I love performing in musicals. I used to be a student at Prospect Gymnastics and learned a lot that I use when I am dancing in a musical at my school! Apart from coaching and theater I enjoy experimenting with art and baking different desserts. I am so excited to see students just as happy as I was and to see them apply what they learn in gymnastics in different aspects of their lives!
Zso Tarczy-Hornoch
Gymnastics Coach
Coach Zso is a former competitive gymnast turned theater kid! They graduated with a BFA in Drama from New York University and work as an actor and playwright. Zso has worked with kids for over a decade, and they love being able to use their creative background to help teach. They believe it’s so important that kids have a space to safely expand their comfort zone, and explore things they didn’t know they were capable of!
Sylvie Josse
Tamara Rodriguez
Gymnastics Coach
Gymnastics Coach
Hi! I’m Sylvie and I’m a student at Brooklyn Tech. I was a level 9 gymnast and now I am captain of my school’s competitive Stunt team. I love working with kids and I am so excited to combine my passion for teaching and tumbling at Prospect Gymnastics!
Coach Tamara brings 10 years of cheer and gymnastics experience to Prospect Gymnastics. Originally from Western Kansas and graduating from the University of Kansas, Tamara moved to Brooklyn to pursue a career in film and television, but wanted to continue in the cheer and gymnastics world. Tamara is excited to join Prospect Gymnastics and build a community here!
Sofia Gonzalez
Gymnastics Coach
Sofia was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She attended New World School of the Arts High School, then went on to receive her BFA in Dance from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Sofia was most recently seen assisting Tony Award-winning choreographer Sonya Tayeh, in the movement direction for Romeo+Juliet on Broadway, starring Rachel Zegler and Kit Connor. This was Sofia’s Broadway debut, and the show closed on February 16th, 2025. In 2018, she was recognized as a Finalist in Choreography from the National YoungArts Foundation, with her piece titled “Variation of a Tango”. Sofia is proud to be a teaching artist with the Misty Copeland Foundation,and is so excited to inspire the next generation of artists
Ryder Stauffer
Gymnastics Coach
Hi! My name is Ryder, and I’m so excited to be a part of the Prospect Gymnastics team! I currently attend Brooklyn College, where I’m working toward my goal of becoming a doctor. I’ve always loved working with kids and have enjoyed being someone they can look up to, learn from, and feel comfortable around. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of the kids and being a part of their gymnastics journey. I can’t wait to see everyone grow, learn, and accomplish things they may not have thought they could do!
Taylor Andrews, MT-BC
Music Teacher
Taylor is a board-certified music therapist, musician, and advocate for accessibility and inclusion. She works with Neuromotif Music Therapy located in Park Slope, where they work primarily with Neurodivergent kiddos and partner with community organizations (like Prospect Gymnastics!) to lead music groups. Taylor cares deeply about fostering positive relationships with kiddos and their families in order to create a healthy, inclusive space for learning, growth, and fun!
Assistant Gymnastics Coach
Hi! My name is Mya, and I am so proud to be working with you and your kids on the Prospect Gymnastics team! I was born and raised in New York City, and I am currently a senior in Brooklyn finishing my high school years to become a neonatologist. My passion has always been with kids, as I grew up the oldest of 6. My goal is to make every kid feel supported and encouraged as they grow and learn, and I am grateful that your kids get to experience this with me. Whether it is a bad day, a sad day, or a perfect one, I am here for everyone!
Assistant Gymnastics Coach
Assistant Gymnastics Coach
Assistant Gymnastics Coach
Want to work with us?
If you are interested in working with us please email your resume to Julia@prospectgymnastics.com