Pittsburgh Pride All-Stars

Staff

We are CERTIFIED in teaching Levels 1-6 for tumbling, stunting & tosses by the most prestigious company in the industry, the USASF (United States All Star Federation), as well as these certifications: AACCA Safety,  CPR,  & Stunt Training.  We not only have a spectacular inner staff, we train every year with the nations best from across the country to bring more ideas & training from our outer circle of friends in the industry.  With our wide scope of instructors we offer to our athletes top of the line choreography, the most updated skills, safe tumbling & stunting techniques, & current industry trends.  Our Pride program was established in 1999, that’s a lot of competition experience.  

Our in-house coaching staff includes this experience:

  • Competitive collegiate cheerleaders, dancers and gymnasts

  • Team USA cheer competitors

  • Gymnastics judges

  • Cheer judges

  • Studio dancers

  • Cheer Worlds competitors

  • Dance Worlds competitors

  • Current school Teachers

  • Degrees in Exercise Science

  • Cross-fit Trainers

  • Volunteer fire “woman”

 

WE ARE THE LONGEST RUNNING COMPETITIVE CHEER GYM IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA!!!

Chrissie Bianco

GYM OWNER & COACH

As owner and coach, Chrissie has been instructing cheerleading for over 30 years. She is originally from New Kensington, PA, and has 4 children, Justin, Ali, Mitchell, and Ava, all of whom can be found working at the family business in cheer or baseball.  She met her husband, Matt, while cheering at the University of Pittsburgh.  After coaching and choreographing for High School competitive teams, she started the Pittsburgh Pride All Stars in 1999.  With her B.S. degree in Exercise Science, it is her passion to have health and fitness built into the teams training programs.  She can be found coaching all levels in the gym from 1 to 6. She also coaches our CheerAbilities team.  She is USASF credentialed, Safe Sport Certified, and CPR/First Aid Certified.  She enjoys her new sport of golf and has 3 turtles.

 

Fun Fact: She loves nature and animals, especially lions, and is also a Leo. That is why we are the Pride!

Ali Collodi

ALL STAR PROGRAM DIRECTOR & COACH

Ali Collodi has over 20 years experience in the cheer and dance industry. She competed competitively in all stars for 17 years and competed at The USASF Cheerleading and Dance Worlds for 9 years in total. Ali attended and graduated from Morehead State University, where she won UCA College Nationals in both 2015 and 2016. Ali was also selected to be a member on The US National All-Girl Team and won two gold medals in 2015 and 2016. Following graduation, Ali has coached numerous Summit and Worlds finalist teams since 2016. She is an expert in stunt technique and loves bringing the collegiate look to the all star world. Ali has also worked for international cheerleading companies, All Things Cheer and PURE Technique Camps, since she was 18. She continues to work for these organizations and has gotten to travel to countries such as Australia, Norway, Finland, Canada, and all over the US to share her knowledge in the industry, instruct camps and clinics, as well as do choreography.

 

Fun Fact : Coach Ali loves to roller blade

Ava Welling

TUMBLING PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Coach Ava is the Tumbling Director at Pittsburgh Pride as well as an Elite Cheer Coach. She began cheering at Pittsburgh Pride when she was 4 years old. With Pride, she competed at The Cheerleading Worlds for 6 years and at the Dance Worlds for 2 years. She graduated from Indiana University of PA with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Minor in Economics. Coach Ava also cheered at IUP for 4 years. She was the captain of her team as well as the student coach of the program. She began working at Pride as a Junior Coach while in high school and has been coaching full time since graduating college.  Coach Ava has experience coaching levels 1-6, choreographing routines, judging competitions, and running a variety of camps.

 

Fun Fact : Coach Ava loves to run & go hiking.

 

 

Alyssa Pitarys

OFFICE MANAGER & PREP PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Originally from New Hampshire, Coach Alyssa moved to the Pittsburgh area last year! She comes to Pride with a strong background in cheerleading and the sport industry as a whole. Alyssa graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, which brings a lot of knowledge within our Office Staff. She has been around cheerleading since the age of 5 and was an athlete for 17 years. She has been coaching consistently for 4 years. Alyssa cheered & coached at East Celebrity Elite Londonderry in NH. She also cheered on her varsity high school team as a captain and won a State Championship! Throughout college Alyssa was captain of her team, as well as a coach for all star, high school, and middle school teams. Outside of cheer, Alyssa loves reading & watching sports. She also loves to spend time with her French Bulldog, Lana. Alyssa can be found managing the office, coaching tumbling, as well as managing all teams in our Prep Program.


Fun Fact: Coach Alyssa loves snowboarding!

Lucy Baker

ALL STAR CHEER COACH

Coach Lucy has been part of the cheerleading world since the age of 6 and began her all-star cheer journey at 10 years old with Pittsburgh Pride. As an athlete, she cheered at Pride for 8 years and danced for 1 year, earning the opportunity to compete at The Cheerleading Worlds three times and The Dance Worlds once. Now as a coach at Pittsburgh Pride, Coach Lucy is passionate about helping athletes grow in skill, confidence, and character. With a deep love for the sport and the program that raised her, she brings energy, experience, and heart to every practice and performance.


Fun Fact: Coach Lucy also works for the Pittsburgh Steelers!







Juls Bele

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Juls has been tumbling for as long as she can remember, but officially started gymnastics at 9 years old and started competing at 11. She competed until she was 13 and then switched over to cheerleading at Bethel Park High School. Juls started lessons at Pride the next year and fell in love with the gym!! Once she started coaching she developed a great relationship with the coaches and athletes here at Pride. Her senior year, she decided to try all star cheerleading and competed at Pride on Senior 6, Purple Reign. After having such a great experience, Juls decided to come back another year as a crossover to compete on Senior 5 (Beast Mode) and Senior 6.

 

Fun Fact: After spending so many years at Pride, purple has become her favorite color to wear. Coach Juls owns over 47 purple clothing items!

 

Skylar Clawson

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Skylar cheered for over 11 years, with experience in both school and all star cheer. She cheered for Trinity School District from elementary through high school and she was varsity captain her senior year. Skylar did all star cheer for 7 seasons and competed at the Cheerleading Worlds several times. She graduated from Ohio State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree. Skylar wants to make a positive impact and support young athletes on and off the mat. With deep love for the sport, she is passionate about teaching, learning, and growing alongside the amazing athletes and staff at Pittsburgh Pride.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Skylar has a Mini Dachshund named Dillan!

 

Lindsay Lang

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Lindsay has been a cheerleader her entire life. She started cheerleading in kindergarten and continued her cheer career all the way through college. She has coached rec cheer programs & led cheer camps within the community. As many of you may know, her daughter Cassadee is part of our cheer family, which is what made Lindsay take the leap back into the cheer world, this time as a coach. When not at Pride, Lindsay can be found spending time with her husband and 4 children. Lindsay is also a fitness coach and loves to always be active or working out.

 

Fun Fact: Not only is Lindsay a #1 cheer mom, she can also be found cheering loudly at the baseball field every weekend rooting for her boys!

Sami Uram

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Sami has 17 years of cheer experience with All-Star. She also did college cheer at Slippery Rock university for 3 years, and in 2025 her coed team won NCA Nationals. She was captain of the Canon-Mac cheer team her senior year of high school. Sami is currently a senior at Slippery Rock University pursuing a Special Education Transition Degree. Coach Sami has a big love for this sport and is so excited to be on the coaching side.

 

 

Fun Fact: Coach Sami is left handed.

 

Karleigh Marcischak

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

 Coach Karleigh has been at Pride for 7 years, and on Purple Reign for 4 years. She has been coaching for 3 years! Coach Karleigh is a senior in high school.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Karleigh has cheered for 16 years

 

 

 

 

Mikellynn Tsangaris

ALL STAR CHEER COACH

Coach Mikellynn has been coaching all ages and levels of cheer and tumbling for the past 10 years. She previously was the head coach and director for Canon McMillan Cheerleading program for 4 years and a tumbling coach at KTA. Mikellynn cheered through her adolescent and high school career as both a high school and all star cheerleader and was Varsity Captain. She is a mom of 2 and Realtor. In her spare time she enjoys the beach and vacationing with her family.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Mikellynn used to work on Broadway theater in NYC

 

 

 

 

Melina Burdelski

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Melina cheered for 13 years, and 7 of those years were at Pride! Coach Melina started coaching when she was 14 and has loved it ever since. She also graduated from cosmetology school, and is a licensed cosmetologist. She looks forward to continuing to coach at Pride, and helping as many athletes as possible!

 

Fun Fact: Coach Melina has 3 pet birds

 

 

 

Haley Vincent

ALL STAR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

 With 12 years of cheerleading experience, Coach Haley is excited to bring her passion for the sport into coaching. She spent 8 years as an All Star cheerleader and 4 years as a Varsity cheerleader at Bethel Park High School, where she placed third at NHSCC and earned multiple first place titles at the Pennsylvania State level.  Haley holds a Bachelor’s Degree and works in Human Resources Management. Outside of work and cheer, she enjoys traveling, going on walks, and spending time with family and friends. 

 

Fun Fact: Coach Haley has a black cat named Paloma

 

Willow Mason

JUNIOR CHEER COACH & TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

 Coach Willow has been cheering for 10 years and 8 years have been with Pride. She has cheered in every position and loves tumbling. Willow can be seen coaching tumbling as well as our Prep teams. She is passionate about instilling confidence, teamwork, and the love for cheer in athletes.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Willow has a Chow Chow named Bamboo

 

 

 

 

 

Sherri Bayer

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Sherri Bayer has been in gymnastics as a competitor, now a coach, since the age of 8.  She has enjoyed gymnastics as a professional being involved with choreography and competitions.  Coach Sherri has been coaching gymnastics since the age of 19!  She is a mother of 3 and knows the challenges facing today’s parents  and the joys of seeing the hard work  of our children pay off.  Her hobbies include spending time with her family and giving back to her community!

 

Fun Fact: Coach Sherri is a volunteer firefighter at Peters Township Fire Department

 

Mistydae Junko

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Misty has been teaching tumbling and private lessons at Pittsburgh Pride since 2015, but her coaching career began back in 1992. She has spent many years coaching both USAG and High School Gymnastics teams, and is currently an Assistant Varsity Sideline/Comp Team cheer coach at Upper St. Clair High School. As a certified PIAA/WPIAL Gymnastics Official since 2003, she also enjoys judging high school gymnastics meets. Coach Misty works as a Health & PE teacher at Moon Area High School.  In her free time you can find her at USC and Pitt Football games with her family.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Misty’s daughter, Bryn, cheered at Pride for 11 seasons and is currently a cheerleader at the University of Pittsburgh!

 

Kaitlin Ruscello

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Kaitlin started competitive gymnastics at the age of 5. She was a level 10 J.O National competitor for 6 years and competed 2 years as a National Elite. She went on to get a full scholarship for gymnastics at the University of Pittsburgh, where she received a BS in Exercise Science and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She has taught gymnastics intermittently over the years and has experience in sports specific speed/agility and rehab. She lives in Peters Township with her husband Brian and two children Roman and Vivienne.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Kaitlin was born & raised in New Hampshire.

 

Charlotte Graham

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Charlotte is 23 years old and a retired gymnast. During classes & lessons, Charlotte loves to focus on building strength, confidence, and consistent results. As a retired gymnast of 13+ years, she loves to share her sprinkle of gymnastics in the cheer world & her love for the sport. When she is not at Pride, Charlotte enjoys going to the gym, hanging out with Coach Juls, and spending time with her animals.

 

Fun Fact: Along with coaching, Charlotte is also a hairstylist!

 

Vivian Sliski

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

 Coach Vivian was an athlete on various teams here at Pride for 5 years, and has been coaching for 2 years! She is also a member of the Upper St. Clair HS Varsity & Competition cheer team. She has been cheering for USC since she was in 3rd grade. Vivian absolutely loves working with younger kids and creating a fun and positive environment and introduction to tumbling for all ages!

 

Fun Fact: Coach Vivian has lived in 4 different places throughout her life.

 

Kara Stiegel

HIP HOP INSTRUCTOR

 Coach Kara is a Junior at Peters Township High School. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old in both studio and competitive hip hop. Her competitive hip hop years were spent at Pride. She is currently on the Peters Township Dance Team for her fourth year. Coach Kara enjoys helping others reach their goals on and off the dance floor. When not dancing, she loves to take walks with her dog.



Fun Fact: Coach Kara loves to play pickleball.

 

Sofia Wittman

TUMBLING INSTRUCTOR

Coach Sofia has been cheering for 11 years and for 10 years at Pride. She is currently a Senior in high school. Sofia’s favorite thing to teach athletes is strong technique, confidence, and love for the sport.

 

Fun Fact: Coach Sofia is on Purple Reign this season.

 

Grace Sheehan

HIP HOP INSTRUCTOR

 Coach Grace is so excited to be joining Pride as a dance teacher & coach! Dance has always been a huge part of her life. Over the years, she has had the opportunity to train, compete, perform, choreograph, and learn from so many amazing teachers and dancers. Grace has danced competitively in the studio world and has been a part of the Peters Township Dance Team, competing at regional and national competitions. She has also competed as a soloist and have experience assisting with dance classes and helping younger dancers learn technique and choreography. One of Grace’s favorite things about dance is seeing someone gain confidence in themselves and watching a skill finally “click.” As a teacher, she strives to make her classes a space where kids can be themselves, try new things, make mistakes, and have FUN while learning. Grace works hard to help each dancer leave class feeling proud of themselves and excited to come back! She is so excited to meet all of her dancers and share her love for dance while making memories here at Pride.


Fun Fact: Coach Grace has been dancing since age 4!

Chrissy Wittman

OFFICE STAFF

Chrissy has been working in the office since 2018. She has 4 kids – all 3 of her girls have been athletes at Pride, on both elite and prep teams, as well as taking tumbling classes and private lessons. Her youngest daughter, Sofia, is a current athlete on Senior 5 and coaches tumbling classes. She has an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Pittsburgh, and a graduate certificate from Oregon State University in business analytics. She loves solving business problems and staying organized by making spreadsheets. In her free time, she enjoys watching her son play baseball, flag football, and basketball, and traveling around with her daughter to cheer competitions for both all-star and school cheer. She lives in Mt. Lebanon with her husband, Tom, and their children Sofia and Luca. Her daughter, Maddie, is a sophomore at Westchester University, and her oldest daughter, Kayleigh, is a high school math teacher in the Philadelphia area.

 

Fun Fact: Chrissy loves softball and plays in an adult league a couple of nights a week.

 

Gabby Bach

OFFICE STAFF

Gabby started working at Pittsburgh Pride in 2023. As a crucial part of our office staff, Gabby helps keep our business organized. She recently got married & lives with her husband and their 2 dogs, Leah and Gauge.

 

Fun Fact: Gabby does not come from a cheer background, so this world is new to her and she loves being a part of it!






 

Janelle O'Neill

OFFICE STAFF

Janelle graduated from Upper St. Clair high school and married her high school sweetheart (even though at the time they were just friends and both needed a date to prom). Janelle attended Pitt and is a pediatric dental hygienist. She has 3 children. Her son Michael played hockey growing up and at IUP.  He continues to play in an adult league. His wife Lauren also played hockey growing up in Canada and played on the same adult league team with her husband before giving Janelle two granddaughters that she loves spending time with. She started as a parent of Pride back in 2003 for her two daughters Maddie and Monica and not long after that she started helping at the front desk. Maddie was on the 1st Pride cheer team to get to Cheer Worlds and Monica was on the 1st Pride dance team to get to Dance Worlds and she loved traveling and watching them compete over the years. Her love for Pittsburgh Pride and the Bianco family keeps her at the gym.

 

Fun fact: Janelle was on the 1st and only Pep Squad at Upper St. Clair High School for hockey.