Coach Amber - Owner
With a career in cheerleading, dance and coaching spanning nearly 25 years, Amber Smoot’s passion for the sport of cheerleading began at a young age. As a young girl, she began cheering for a recreation league in Greensboro, N.C. in elementary school. This sparked a sentiment that would become a constant throughout her life. Amber continued through middle school as a member of Greensboro All-Stars Cheerleading attending multiple regional and national competitive all-star competitions. In high school, Amber was a member of the Page High School cheerleading squad while studying Dance and Theater.
Professional Experience:
After high school, Amber coached and choreographed for both a JV and Varsity cheerleading team while cheering for North Carolina A&T State University. She danced for the Carolina Cobras Arena Football league, progressing to become an inaugural member of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets HoneyBees) dance team in Charlotte, N.C. As director of a local all-star gym in Charlotte, N.C. for 4 years, Amber lead her Senior Level 2 team to a 2nd place finish at Cheersport Nationals in her first year coaching. Over the next 3 years; Amber’s expertise resulted in winning numerous regional and national titles.
After moving to the Washington, D.C. area, she was selected to serve as a NFL’s Washington Redskins Cheerleader Ambassador and a 2x finalist for the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders. Amber the went on to become the head coach for a Senior Level 3 team at an all-star program in Md.. Most recently, Amber coached at recreation cheerleading league in Clarksburg, Md., where she lives with her her husband, a son and 3 daughters.
Amber is fully prepared to share her love for competitive cheerleading and dance with a community she calls home.
Coach Ryan
Coach Ryan is currently raising her family in Frederick, Maryland. She is a mom of 2 children - a sports-loving son and cheer-loving daughter! Ryan’s athletic journey started at the age of 3, when she began taking both ballet and gymnastics. Her love of health and fitness lead her to pursue her Masters in Health and Wellness. In her free time, you can find Ryan at the gym or hiking outside with her kids! Ryan & daughter Alana were proud members of Cheer Prodigy’s inaugural season with the Dainty Divas Team! Ryan brings a high level of energy, passion, and determination with her as she joins the Cheer Prodigy family as a Coach. Ryan looks forward to coaching her athletes and encouraging them to follow their dreams.
Coach Alex
Coach Alex was born and raised in Poolesville, Maryland is a proud Mother of two daughters, Mackenzie (7) and Amelia (4). She began cheerleading for the local Poolesville Athletic Association at age 5 and continued to cheer competitively for over 12 years! Alex began coaching for Clarksburg Sports Association in 2018. After one season, Alex discovered coaching was her true passion. Alex is an Inaugural Coach for our Cheer Prodigy Blush Babies (Mini). She is excited to encourage each of her athletes to develop their skills and grow their love for the sports of cheer & dance!
Coach Nesse
Coach Nesse joins Cheer Prodigy with over 15 years of coaching experience at both the All-Star & Rec levels! Nesse’s passion for cheer & dance began at an early age – she competed in cheer & poms for over 7 years! Nesse has a passion for the sports of cheer & dance, and is excited to share her knowledge with our athletes. She is proud to be part of the Cheer Prodigy family doing what she loves most – Coaching!
McKenzie - Tumbling Coach
McKenzie’s passion for tumbling & cheer began at the age of 3 when she started gymnastics classes & competitive gymnastics. McKenzie worked her way from level 4 all the way through level 9, competing at New Jersey State competitions every year, and winning many awards throughout her career. McKenzie also assisted in coaching classes from beginner to competitive level 4. After high school, McKenzie attended University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, majoring in Bioengineering. In 2015, McKenzie joined the University of Maryland’s Cheerleading Team as a flyer. McKenzie remained a four year member of the team -cheering at home football games, both men & women’s home basketball games, NCAA & BIG 10 Tournaments, and UCA Nationals. McKenzie resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland and is pursuing her career in Bioengineering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Vaccine Research Center (VRC) in the Vaccine Production Program (VPP). McKenzie is very excited to join Cheer Prodigy and share her love for both gymnastics and cheerleading with athletes at all levels!
