Staff

Owners

Jennifer Long

Jennifer is one of the Co-Owners of CheerForce San Diego. She started coaching cheerleading in 1996 and opened up her own all-star gym in 2005. She currently coaches at Granite Hills High School and has been there since 2000, and has been the Head Coach for San Diego State University cheerleading since 2001. She currently serves on the UCA college cheerleading rules board, and is the CIF San Diego section representative. Jen has won numerous National titles with her teams. She has coached teams who have become NCA, UCA, and USA College National Champions, NDA and USA High School National Champions and CIF Champions, and UCA, USA, NCA and Cheersport All-Star National Champions. She is very proud of all of CheerForce San Diego's Summit Titles as well as Worlds medals including 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. She was named 2006 Cheerleader Magazine Coach of the Year, and 2019 CIF High School Coach of the Year. In her free time she enjoys watching crime documentaries, and camping with her family where they make a pact to turn off all electronic devices - some of her favorite weeks of the year.

 

Casey Popp

Casey August Popp is a loving father of 2 amazing kids, Coach Stas and Boba Axel. Being able to have them in the gym is very special for this ultra-empathetic human. Respect to all and kindness to any are the most important aspects of their lives. Cheer is, "the ultimate team sport" according to Casey. His love and journey in this sport began in 1990 at Madison High in Clairemont as a team member of the California State Champion Warhawks coached by a very young Ray Jasper. With a not-so-gentle nudge from Ray and his mom, Casey started coaching at Clairemont High right after graduation. Cheering at the nationally ranked Palomar College and starting a 6-year stint as an NCA summer instructor, cheer had invaded his life as cheer does. Shortly after, Champion Outlaws was founded and Casey was on the original coaching staff, along with Coach Ana. This upstart made waves as the West Coast style was made more prominent with Champion's success nationally. The next step was growing West Coast Mavericks. Founded in 1997 by 2 long-time friends, this started his career as a Gym Owner/Operator. Our Gym Manager, Nicole, was an athlete on those original Mavericks teams, and has always been a love of Casey's. Fast forward through many years of all-star, simultaneously coaching high school, and staying true to his motto of "learning about life, respect and responsibility through cheerleading," the years flew by and many young people became better-loving citizens of earth. Befriending Jen back in the early 90's through camps and comps turned out to be one of the most important relationships he cultivated through the years. Jen was always a confidante and peer, and in 2008 their paths merged together and they created CheerForce San Diego. To know Casey is to hear the word LOVE. To quote his dear departed mother, "love is all you need." This sport is harder than most, and definitely physically demanding. Casey believes if you give love and respect to it, you will receive it back tenfold. His greatest career stat is to have created a second home, a safe place, a loving friend, and a needed escape from the grind of life for his athletes and their parents. The single biggest honor he has received in his career was officiating the wedding of 2 beautiful long-time athletes. 32 years in San Diego's eclectic cheer scene has been a dream, and Casey has plenty more mini miracles to help make happen in the dream factory for the next 32 years.

 

Gym Director

Nicole Goodrich

Nicole is the Gym Director at CheerForce and has been with Jen and Casey since day one when it opened. She grew up as a competitive dancer and was recruited to all-star cheerleading by coaches who saw her tumble on stage at a dance competition. After graduating high school, she was asked by those same coaches to join their coaching staff, and has been coaching all-star cheerleading ever since. She proceeded to win multiple National Championships, and World championships as a coach, and had multiple seasons head coaching teams with undefeated seasons. As the Director, she is proud of all the success CheerForce has had with multiple Summit medals and Worlds medals. Nicole has a degree in Mathematics, as well as her Teaching Credential. Nicole was a high school math teacher at Granite Hills High School until 2021, and during that time was awarded Granite Hills Teacher of the Year, and the 2020 Grossmont Union High School District Teacher of the Year. She took her love for numbers and education and is currently a Mortgage Advisor, where she especially enjoys teaching new homeowners about real estate. She LOVES spending time with her family - whether going on annual vacations to Big Bear in the winter and Palm Springs in the summer, or running around to different sporting events with her children Tyce and Brooklyn.

 

Tumbling Director

Branden Hunter

Branden Hunter is a tumbling specialist with 10 years of knowledge, specializing in his attention to detail. His hard work and competitive drive led him to becoming a 2x Cheerleading World Champion with Cheerforce Nfinity, 2x NCA champion, and a San Diego State Cheerleader. Although he loves competing, his true passion is inspiring athletes to reach their true potential. He began his coaching career and found himself as the Tumbling Director at CheerForce San Diego, a VIP at WoodWard West (a prestigious tumbling camp) , a Head Instructor at Jamz Cheer and Dance, and current founder of Back to Back Performance (private tumble camp company). His energy and charisma will leave athletes smiling ear to ear even as they are working hard!

 

Team Coaches

Analisa Price

Analisa has spent 28 years working in Special Education for the Del Mar School District. She has been in the cheer industry for 36 years. She was an NCA instructor and was also in the movies, "Bring it On" and "Motocrossed." She coached CheerForce Nfinity from 2008-2021 and led them to become NCA overall Grand Champions in 2014 and back to back NCA Champions in 2015. She continued as a coach with Nfinity as they won Worlds bronze medals in 2014 and Worlds gold Champions in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. Analisa has also coached non-Worlds teams who have gone on to be Cheersport Champions in 2022, and has coached 6 Summit Champions taking gold in 2014, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2025 and Summit bronze medalists in 2017 and 2019. In her free time you can find her with her family. She loves cheering on her sons, Jaxon and Logan, at their sporting events, as well as vacationing with the family to Hawaii or Mexico!

 

Ian Richardson

Ian went to Vista high school where he played football and where his team won the CIF silver medal (still bitter about it). He graduated in 2010 and went on to USD to continue playing football. There he would earn his bachelor's degree in biology, and where he would also realize he didn't love football as much as he loved cheer. He initially got into cheer because his older sisters cheered. He would continue cheering for 12 years, 9 of those years being on Nfintiy. During that time Nfinity would become NCA grand champs in 2014, NCA champ in 2015, and 5x World Champion in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Ian has been coaching for 9 years at CheerForce. During that time he has won numerous accolades including 2018 Summit champions, 2019 CheerSport champions, 2x CheerSport champions in 2022, and 2x Summit champions in 2022. In his free time, Ian does freelance videography and you can typically find him with a camera in his hands.

 

Shannen Knight

Shannen has coached at CFSD for 9 years. She loves working with the younger kids and teaching them the basics of the CheerForce way. She has been on Apocolypse IOC4 for two seasons as well as Anarchy IONT6. She graduated with a BS in Mathematics from Virginia Tech in 2015 and obtained her MBA from San Diego State University in 2017. She currently works for a satellite internet company based in Carlsbad as a Senior Finance Business Systems Analyst. She loves the ability to have a full-time job and also be able to express herself creatively through coaching at CheerForce.

 

Alex de Jong

Alex started coaching cheerleading in 2003 at Granite Hills High School and West Coast Maverick. She joined the CheerForce staff in 2014 when she coached Lady Aztecs. She graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University, where she also was a member of the cheerleading team for five seasons.  She is currently an assistant cheerleading coach at SDSU, where she started coaching at in 2011.  In addition to coaching, Alex also works full-time as a Director of Operations for WCG Independent Review Board. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter Aria, and is a huge fan of University of Michigan, as well as San Diego State football and basketball. She also loves taking photos for her freelance photography company, Aria Jean Photography.

 

Lee Smith

 

Jill Clark

Jill was born and raised in San Diego and now is raising her family in the same place she loves so much!  She has 3 kids Jada, Addyson, and Tyson. They have all been involved in the community in various sports programs including Club Baseball, Pop Warner Football, High School Football, Basketball, & Baseball, High School Dive, High School Cheer, and All Star Cheerleading which also happens to be a passion of Jill’s. She has been a Cheer Coach the past 27 years. She is also the Head Cheer Coach at Grossmont High School. During her time as a Competitive Cheer Coach, there have many championships & titles won. The best parts, however, are the families she has met, the forever friendships she has made, and being apart of the developmental stages of each athletes life. Making a difference in someone’s life is the biggest reward you can have. Becoming apart of the CheerForce family is something Jill is so proud of. With her competitive nature, warm heart, and passion to help others she is very excited to be apart of amazing teams, continue to help people and still give back to her community and serve the people she loves.

 

Nic Tomas

Nic grew up in a military family and lived in Okinawa, Japan for 12 years before moving to San Diego for college. He attended Kadena High School in which he was on the Varsity cheerleading team all four years, and committed to SDSU following high school graduation. Nic recently graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelors in Psychology and plans to get his Masters in Special Education. During his time at SDSU, he was a part of the SDSU Cheer team for 4 years and is currently in his 4th year as a staff member of the National Cheerleading Association (NCA). Nic competed with The California Allstars - Cali Coed in 2019 and was on Blackout this past season. He also hosted the Far East Cheerleading event for DoDEA high schools located in Iwakuni, Japan in 2020.

 

Ron Buccat

With over 25 years of cheer experience, Coach Ron brings deep roots and high energy to CheerForce San Diego. He was one of the founders and original coaches of San Diego’s first all-star cheer program, the San Diego All-Star Rebels, where countless athletes and coaches got their start in cheer. A former San Diego State University cheerleader and NCA head instructor, Ron is also in his 14th season as the Head Coach at 3x CIF Champion Del Norte High School and now in his third season with CheerForce. Outside the gym, he serves as the Children’s Ministry Director at Torrey Pines Church, where his passion for working with kids shines. His love for mentoring youth makes coaching at CheerForce incredibly rewarding, as he focuses on building strong athletes, great teammates, and confident young leaders.

 

Eric Claxton

With a career spanning over 30 years, Eric Claxton is a highly respected figure in the world of competitive cheerleading. A standout athlete in both Bring It On 1 & 2, Eric’s passion for cheerleading has shaped him into one of the most experienced and successful coaches in San Diego. As one of the original All-Star coaches in the area, Eric has led numerous teams to victory, with championships earned at multiple local schools over the years. Now in his 25th year with the Academy of Our Lady of Peace cheer program, Eric continues to inspire the next generation of athletes. Eric’s accolades include a collegiate national championship and being a sought-after instructor at NCA summer camps. His coaching expertise extends to California State Championship wins, reinforcing his deep understanding of the sport at the highest levels. Above all, Eric is a proud uncle, dedicated to his family, and believes in seeing the best in every athlete—regardless of pedigree or experience level. His passion for teaching and spreading the love of competitive cheerleading remains his driving force.

 

Paige Abrams

Paige has been cheering at CheerForce for 11 years. She won Summit in 2018 with Frenzy, and came in 5th out of all US teams at the 2022 World Championships with Anarchy. Paige adores this gym and is ecstatic to take the next step into coaching. She explained that what she is looking forward to most is, “Guiding my kiddos to love this sport as much as I do.”

 

Andrew Price

 

Mari Carvalho

Mari has cheered for 15 years. She is currently a member of the SDSU cheerleading program where she also attends school majoring in Kinesiology, Pre-Physical Therapy. After graduating from SDSU she plans on going in the field of physical therapy or sports medicine. The past 3 seasons she has competed with CheerForce Nfinity, becoming a world champion this past season. Throughout her years in cheerleading she has become a 2x World Champion, Worlds bronze & siilver medalist, 2x Summit Champion as athlete and coach, and 4x NCA Champion. In her free time she loves to listen to music on her record player and relax. She loves to put her passion for cheerleading as athlete into her coaching!

 

Paola Abarca

Pao was born and raised in San Diego where she grew up at CheerForce. She has received every globe at the Cheerleading Worlds with CheerForce San Diego - Bronze and Silver with Blackout and Gold with Nfinity. She also has an NCA title with Nfinity. She is now studying Criminal Justice at San Diego State University where she will continue to be a lawyer and is excited to coach all of her kids and push them to be their best!

 

Maya Diaz

Maya has been cheering for 10 years. She is a 2x Summit champion and a Cheersport champion. She spends her summers as an Action Spirit Staffer where she works with programs across the country, and learns from the best in the industry. This is her second season coaching at CheerForce San Diego and loves to bring fun and innovative ways of thinking while challenging her athletes to become better each day.

 

Riley Hollister

Riley enjoys working with athletes to develop their skills and lead them towards success as an athlete. She is working towards completing her certification as a stretch and flexibility instructor. In high-school, she was a cheerleader at OLP under direction of Casey Popp and Eric Claxton, leading to her love of the sport. Having an undefeated season her senior year was a highlight of her cheer experience. Riley is studying Kinesiology and hopes to utilize her degree to help cheerleading become a safer sport. She looks forward to many more successful seasons with your athletes!

 

Jacki Leach

Jacki has been part of the CheerForce family since 2011. She is an NCA Champion and has competed at the Worlds level, gaining experience at the highest levels of all-star cheerleading. She enjoys bringing energy, creativity, and attention to detail to every practice. Jacki is passionate about helping athletes build confidence and technical skill in a positive, driven environment. She values hard work, consistency, and team culture, and loves seeing athletes push past their limits and grow both on and off the mat.

 

Lexi Gude

This will be Lexi's 4th season as a coach at CheerForce. Her cheer journey began when she started tumbling lessons at CheerForce when she was 10 and that’s when she fell in love with this sport. Lexi won Summit with Frenzy in 2022. Watching her athletes grow into strong, disciplined, and driven individuals is truly the most rewarding part of coaching.

 

Mikenna Melonas

This is Mikenna's second year as a coach and seventh year cheering at CheerForce San Diego. She is a bronze and gold Summit champion. This year she will be competing on her first worlds team and she couldn't be more excited. Outside of cheer, she likes to spend time with friends and family outside by the pool. She is going into her senior year of high school at Bonita Vista and is planning on attending SDSU next year.

 

Angelina McCarty

Lina has been part of the CheerForce family for 3 years, where she competed in highly competitive divisions and became an NCA champion. Before CheerForce, she attended Coronado High School where she was Captain of the Varsity sideline and competition teams and became a CIF, State, and National Champion. She also has ten years of competitive gymnastics experience, giving her detailed and complex knowledge of proper tumbling form and technique. Lina has a passion for helping athletes excel and grow, both in practice and in everyday life. She finds joy in watching her athletes build confidence, learn new skills, and achieve their goals.

 

Grace Cullum

Grace attended high school at The Academy of Our Lady of Peace where she cheered for 3 years on their Varsity team, earning the titles Grand National Champ, State Champ, CIF Champ, and many more. She also spent two years cheering for CheerForce earning State and National titles. Before cheer, Grace spent 12 years in dance and 4 years in gymnastics. She is currently enrolled at SDSU working towards a bachelors in Criminal Justice with a minor in Dance. She is so excited to continue coaching for the gym she loves and can’t wait to see what this season brings!

 

Tahreana Hernandez

Tahreana was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, where she began her competitive cheerleading career at the age of six. Over the years, she cheered with several teams, including the Connect All Stars co-ed Level 5 team. She went on to coach for four years at Chief Sealth High School, and after becoming a mother, she continued coaching for two years at her alma mater, Meeker Middle School. During this time, her teams earned numerous first-place titles in the stomp, game day, and traditional cheer divisions. In addition to coaching, Tahreana was frequently invited back by her former teams to refine choreography or develop new routines. After relocating to California, she returned to her roots by coaching at the all-star level once again. Her coaching philosophy is to “lead with respect.” She is committed to fostering not only the athletic growth of her athletes but also their personal development, building meaningful relationships that extend beyond the mat.

 

Gabe Castellanos

Gabe has cheered for 9 years. This is his second season with CheerForce San Diego and his first year coaching. He is a Summit Champion, NCA Champion, and a 2025 World Champion with Cheerforce Nfinity. He is going into his sophomore year at San Diego State University, where he is a member of the SDSU cheer team. He is also studying general business. After college he plans to continue coaching (and competing) for as long as time allows!

 

Jada Clark

Jada was born for the stage! She started dance at 2 years old & became a competitive dancer at the young age of 4. When she was 10 years old, she decided to join CheerForce San Diego and has never looked back. For the last 9 years this gym has been her second home. Jada is a 2x Summit Champion, Cheersport National Champion, & Bronze World Medalist. She is currently a member of the SDSU Cheerleading program where she also attends school and is majoring in Communications. She spends her summer with Action Spirit Camps traveling to different gyms across the United States working with some of the best Cheerleaders in the Industry. This will be Jadas first season coaching cheer. She is excited to be working with the athletes, sharing her love & passion with everyone she trains!

 

Miles Jackson

Miles found his passion for cheer through CheerForce! He is a two-time Summit Champion and a Cheersport Nationals Champion. He loves to have fun and play around, while also staying on task and focused, balance is everything to him, especially in sports. He is so excited for his and everyone’s journey here at CheerForce!

 

Walker Woodall

Walker has been apart of CheerForce San Diego for 6 years. With us, he has won Summit and multiple other national titles including JAMZ, USA & Spirit Sports Grand Nationals, as well as competing at the World Championships. In addition, he was Varsity cheer captain at West Hills High School for his senior year . Walker is entering his first year apart of the SDSU cheerleading program and is very excited to see what his future holds with CheerForce to hopefully earn a globe at the Cheerleading Worlds. Walker loves everything about cheer and is very eager to learn more about this sport from a coaches perspective!

 

Kat Mason-Schmidt

Kat graduated from Foothills Christian High School where she was on Varsity cheer for 4 years. She has been doing cheer since she was 8 years old and has been apart of the CheerForce family for 3 years now. Kat will be attending San Diego City College to get her Cosmetology License to be a hairstylist. She can’t wait to make cheer an amazing experience for athletes, just like she has had all these years!!