A Quick blurb about the Coaches at Metropolitan Gymnastics

Head Coach: Yulia Hancheroff
Yulia grew up in the Soviet Union, and started gymnastics at age 5. She came from an artistic family, With her Grandmother dancing for the Kirov Ballet and Grandfather an orchestra conductor. She trained at the school of Olympic Reserves in Scherbinka, just outside Moscow. She learned here both as a student, and later as a coach. During that time she was on the National Power Tumbling team, and was pan-european champion twice in a row. She continued her life in sport by taking a Sports Medicine degree at Moscow State University. She has a total of 25 years of coaching experience in gymnastics acrobatics, and dance. Over the years she has developed many State and Regional champions. she is also ranked as a national USA choreographer. She is also a meet director and every year hosts successful local and state competitions.

Bars and Vault Coach: Guennadi Komissarov
Guennadi graduated from the Belorussian State Institute of Physical Culture in 1984. He has coached National Russian Team Members, Poland's Girls National Team, and took his team from Colorado to the National Elite Competition in 1996. He has been coaching with with Yulia for over 10 years.

Boy's Program Director: P.J. Chi
P.J. has ten years experience in developing a Boy's competitive and recreational program. He has trained various state and regional champions. He is also one of the experienced instructors working in our preschool program. He also has a strong background in several other sports, such as track and field, football, basketball and wrestling.

Boy's Program Head Coach: Jian Liu
Jian Liu was born in Beijing, China, and started gymnastics at age six. He was selected by China National Team by age fourteen, one of his highest achievements was crowned Chinese Gymnastics National Champion.
Jian Liu started his coaching career in 1995. As a professional coach, he possesses not only profound academic knowledge, but also remarkable skills in gymnastics training. The most outstanding achievements and contributions in his coaching career are reflected by the fact that the team and some of the athletes under his coaching have won numerous national and international championships. Other factors that make him so extraordinary are: he is professionally trained as a gymnastics coach; he is recognized as a successful coach in gymnastics training and he is endorsed by experts with national reputation.
For more information on Coach Liu please click here.

Compulsory/Optional Coach and Circus/Aerial Arts: Cathy Sutherland
Cathy Sutherland, has been coaching level 4 through Elite gymnastics in the Northwest for over 30 years and has coached 6 gymnasts to the National Training Team. She started gymnastics at the age of 15 at which time her coach immediately started her coaching the younger team members. 3 years later she received a full gymnastics scholarship to the University of Washington. From there she moved to Paris, France to attend L'Ecole Carre school of Theater and Circus. Over the next 25 years she performed Nationally and Internationally as a dancer, musician, actress and aerialist. She recently returned from a 6 city tour with the Internationally renowned Pat Graney Company. She is a recipient of the Dale Flansaas Artistic Award and won 'Best Performance' in her work with the Printers Devil Theater. She is currently performing with the aerial group 'The Aerialistas' and 'The Velone Sisters'. At Metropolitan Gymnastics, she is coaching the Level 4 team and has started teaching 'Circus and Aerial Arts'.

Compulsory/Recreational Optional Coach: Shirlene Chambers
Shirlene is a former High School gymnast and graduate of the University of Washington. After graduation, she taught business and dance for grades 9-12. She has 10 years of coaching experience and has developed Metropolitans popular recreational optional program. Shirlene also coaches level 4, developmental, and recreational classes.

Recreational Coach: Nina Fogle
Nina Fogle has 18 years of gymnastics, coaching and judging experience combined. She started gymnastics at the age of four and quickly progressed to Level 10 by age 13. She spent 7 years of her gymnastics career here at Metropolitan Gymnastics where she earned a full ride athletic scholarship to Ball State University in Muncie, IN. After leaving Ball State due to injury, she began coaching recreational gymnastics at Westside Gymnastics Academy and judging high school gymnastics all while attending school full time at the University of Washington. Nina will be coaching level 4, 5, and recreational optional at Metropolitan.