Welcome to the
Wildcard Family
The coaching staff at Wildcard Gymnastics understands that gymnastics is an individual sport and each gymnast will be treated as an individual. Our staff will do their best to provide your athlete with appropriate guidance, not only to aid your athlete in gymnastics but also in life. We work hard to make sure every child feels comfortable and safe when communicating with our staff.
Our goals are to promote your gymnasts self-confidence, positive self-image and critical thinking skills in order to improve their performance in all aspects of life. We do our best to respect the balance between working out, pushing through mental and physical obstacles while taking care of our minds and bodies, each athlete is encouraged to stove for quality and excellence at their own pace.
By taking this approach we hope the gymnasts will retain the love for the sport that originally motivated them to become gymnasts!
Amy Grining
Director/ Head Team Coach
Amy Grining has coached gymnastics for over 20 years throughout Wisconsin on all levels, from preschool to high school to competitive club team. She has also coached in France and served as camp director at Bela Karolyi's Camp in Huntsville, Texas. Prior to Wildcard, she spent five years as the head team coach and director of gymnastics at Milwaukee Turners before taking over at Wildcard Gymnastics. Ben and Amy have taken over management and ownership of Wildcard since fall of 2015. When Amy is not at the gym she is a mom of three beautiful girls who participate in Wildcards optional team program. Amy is also a middle school teacher and has earned a masters' degree in education from Cardinal Stritch.
Ben Grining
Director/ Head Boys Coach
Ben is a Wauwatosa native. He played soccer for 10 years finishing his last year at Tosa East. He was a head coach for Milwaukee Kickers soccer all four years of his high school career. After graduating from UW-Whitewater with a degree in Biology and a Minor in Geology, he returned to the Milwaukee area to pursue a career in science education. Ben began working with the directors of Milwaukee Turners Gymnastics boys team program and conducted office work until the program was closed. Ben works with gymnasts of all ages from the little bitty preschoolers all the way up to adults and heads Wildcard Gymnastics Boys Team Program. When Ben is not at the gym he is a dad of three beautiful girls who participate in Wildcard optional team program. Ben and Amy have taken over management and ownership of Wildcard as of Fall 2015.
Nadiya Zhaydova
Women's Team Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Nadiya
Originally from the Ukraine, Nadiya has been involved in the sport of gymnastics for decades. She grew up in the Soviet Union and started gymnastics at the age of 7, as a gymnast, Nadiya won many competitions and was a valuable member of the Soviet Union National team. Once retired from the sport of gymnastics Nadiya began her coaching career in 1978 in the Soviet Union and later came to coach in America in 1998. Nadiya extensive knowledge on the sport and technique of gymnastics make her an amazing addition to the Wildcard Family. Nadiya has worked with all levels of the girls' program, including TOPS and her gymnasts have won individual and team State Championship over the years. She also has a Bachelor degree in Physical Education.
Maeggan Xiong
Recreational & Women's Team Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Maeggan
Maeggan has been a part of the Wildcard family since her third birthday party, which was hosted at Wildcard Gymnastics! Maeggan instantly fell in love with the sport of gymnastics from that point on and turned it into a competitive career through her elementary and middle school years. Gymnastics helped Maeggan grow her confidence, independence and encouraged her to work on self-management and although her interest in competing is no longer there her passion for the sport still remains. Wildcard has remained an important role in her life, it has become her home away from home and she has turned her previous struggles into her passion for coaching young athletes in the recreational, pre-team and compulsory team program. As a coach, Maeggan takes a calm, individualistic approach with each athlete and hopes to help new gymnasts grow and enjoy the lessons that gymnastics has personally taught her throughout the years. When Maeggan is not at the gym she is attending High School at the Milwaukee School of Languages.
Stephanie Minster
Recreational & Team Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Stephanie
Stephanie has been involved in the sport of gymnastics for over 20 years and apart of the Wildcard family since 2016. Stephanie began her coaching career at Milwaukee, Eastside Turners and trained directly under the Director and Head coach of their recreational program. Stephanie has been heading our recreational department since she began at Wildcard Gymnastics and since has since instructed many young athletes onto Wildcards pre-team and compulsory team programs. Stephanie is amazing at providing support to a gymnast struggling with fears of certain events such as bars and beam which is just one reason why she excels in coaching our recreational and pre-team programs! When Stephanie is not at the gym she is taking care of her two beautiful daughters who participate in the preschool and Gold Bugs pre-team programs, Stephanie also captions for deaf students at UWM.
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Crosbie Kowalski
Women's Team Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Crosbie
Crosbie has been a part of the Wildcard family since she was a kid, beginning as a competitive team member in her youth she competed for 5 years with Wildcard Gymnastics and later went on to pursue her career in soccer. Crosbies career in soccer took her to play a season at Cardinal Stritch University in college. Crosbie has always loved the sport of gymnastics and stayed involved with the Wildcard Family by bringing her soccer teams for overnight events, participated in open gyms to keep up on her conditioning during off seasons as well as helping our recreational department throughout high school when she could. Crosbie has since begun assisting the pre-team and compulsory team program and has been trained directly under Head Coach/ Director Amy Grining. When Crosbie is not at the gym she works at a local doggy daycare facility.
Zari Sneed
Pre-Team & Recreational Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Zari
Zari has been apart of the Wildcard Family for eight years. Beginning as a Pre-Team member and working her way to compulsory and later the optional team program. Zari recently decided to step back from the team program to pursue school activities but she still has a huge passion for the sport and will continue being apart of the family through coaching!
Emma Lieb
Pre-Team & Recreational Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Emma
Emma has been a part of the Wildcard family since she was three years old, she began in the Gold Bug program and has since worked her way up to be a competitive level 6 gymnast on Wildcards optional team. When Emma is not working on her own skills at the gym she is enthusiastic about helping with the preschool and pre-team programs.
Melissa Heck
Pre-Team & Recreational Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Melissa
Melissa has been apart of the Wildcard Family for five years. Beginning as a Recreational student and working her way to compulsory team. Melissa recently decided to step back from the team program to pursue high school activities but she still has a huge passion for the sport and will continue being apart of the family through coaching!
Caelyr Grining
Pre-Team & Recreational Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Caelyr
Caelyr was born into the Wildcard family, she began her own gymnastics journey through the preschool and Gold Bugs program. Now Caelyr is a level 8 gymnast, when she is not working out Caelyr is always helping her younger teammates on both the Gold Bug and Fast Track pre-team programs as well as baby and preschool classes through the recreational department. Caelyr is a very passionate and patient young coach and also helps with the special needs classes.
Emily Grining
Pre-Team & Recreational Coach
gymnastics@wildcard-gymnastics.com ATTN: Emily
Emily was practically born into the Wildcard family. Emily has been apart of the Wildcard team program since she was a baby, starting in the preschool classes and moving up into the pre-team (Gold Bugs) program. Emily also creates a majority of the beam and floor choreography for Wildcards optional team and heads our Gold Bugs Pre-Team Program.