Angela Darnes (Owner/Director)
Certifications: KAT & MELPD Certified
Angela has over 20 years of extensive experience in business environments. Excelling in education, Angela has been awarded numerous prestigious professional designations. A successful task master, Angela handled multiple volunteer positions and served as President of a professional organization even while she worked towards her business degree. Success defines her, a positive and winning attitude coupled with endless energy that is contagious to all her students, co-workers and clients alike.
Angela's love for the sport of gymnastics began in the early 1980's as a coach of a recreational program in Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL. She has maintained this love of the sport and has held positions in coaching, teaching, coordinating and directing gymnastics recreational programs. As the parent of a competing gymnast, Angela has the unique perspective of knowing the viewpoint and thoughts of a parent as well. She has spent the last several years working with a local competitive gymnastics team in the Annapolis , Maryland area.
Certifications: USAG Coaching Accreditation, USAG Certified Meet Director, USAG Professional Member, USAG Safety Certified, Red Cross First Aid & CPR Certified. (Top)

Dustin Burket (Owner/Head Coach)
Certifications: KAT & MELPD Certified,
United States Elite Coaches Association Professional Member
A positive, dedicated and experienced coaching professional, Dustin has over 20 years of progressive experience in the gymnastics industry. He began his enthusiasm with gymnastics as a child, participating in youth programs, before moving into competitive teams and high school gymnastics. He discovered his calling, a strong desire to coach and teach the sport of gymnastics while creating a fun filled learning environment that motivates and thrills students.
Dustin's primary focus has been with recreational and competitive programs with children of all ages. Maintaining a vast knowledge of compulsory and optional skill progressions, he has demonstrated a creative, fun and energetic philosophy in his coaching and teaching techniques with proven results. Dustin encourages self-motivation and discipline in his students. He has developed extremely successful lesson plans and conditioning programs. He is very talented with exceptional organizational skills and great ability to communicate and convey these attributes to varying personalities. In competition, Dustin's students have performed well, winning Maryland State Championship titles. Certifications: USAG Coaching Accreditation & Skill Evaluator, USAG Certified Meet Director, USAG Professional Member, USAG Safety Certified, Red Cross First Aid & CPR Certified. (Top)

Debbie L. Dixon (Recreational & Team Coach)
Certifications: USAG Professional Member
Certified, Red Cross First Aid & CPR Certified.
A Former State Champion , Debbie has competed at a very high level and knows what it takes to be a champion and can relate this to the girls at 1 st Class Gymnastics. With over 14 years of coaching experience Debbie brings a fantastic balance of experience in both coaching and participating in gymnastics in Maryland. She is great with coaching the little guys in preschool through competitive levels of Team as well. Her personality allows her to reach the potential of the kids through a thorough understanding of gymnastics in combination with each child's natural ability. Debbie makes it fun to learn and accomplish new skills, each child embraces the positive attitude and warm smile she brings each day. (Top)

Marcus Flom (Recreational Program Director & Coach)
Certifications: USAG Coaching Accreditation & Skill Evaluator,
USAG Professional Member, USAG Safety Certified, KAT & MELPD
Certified, Red Cross First Aid & CPR Certified.
1st Class Gymnastics is fortunate to have Marcus as our Director of Recreational and Competitive gymnastics programs. He brings over 25 years of experience in performing and coaching gymnastics to our gym. Marcus has exceptional interpersonal skills, is detail oriented and an enthusiastic teacher of the sport of gymnastics. Taking a cerebral approach to teaching he has infused learning techniques that encourage the child to reach new heights in the development of skills.

Marcus excels at children from ages 18 months to adults. Both competitive and recreational students are afforded the same through training implementing techniques and skills instruction in a most enjoyable and positive approach in all areas of gymnastics. (Top)

Mary C. Thompson (Recreational & Team coach)
Certifications: USAG Professional Member, Red Cross First Aid & CPR Certified
1 st Class Gymnastics is pleased to have Mary C. Thompson on our 1 st Class Coaching staff.

Mary is actively involved with coaching our COMPETITIVE TEAM as well as recreational classes, open gym and private instruction.

Mary has over 16 years of gymnastics experience including several years as a Junior Olympic gymnast herself.  She has coached everything from "Mommy and Me" classes to optional level team girls to adaptive gymnastics. 

For four years Mary coached under the training and supervision of Tim Daggett, 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist and current USA Gymnastics commentator, and his highly skilled staff.  Mary has also coached at a variety of gyms both nationally and internationally including Florida, California and  Australia . 

Her diverse gymnastics experience has helped her to develop a creative style of coaching enjoyed by all.  Her passion is coaching but more importantly it is helping kids to develop self-esteem, an understanding of what it means to be part of a team, and a love for the sport of gymnastics. (Top)