Meet the Coaches

Owner & Head Coach

Nick Baker

Nick is a Charlotte, NC native, who began his gymnastics training at the age of four. He has had many great opportunities in gymnastics through the abilities that God has given him.

Learn more about Nick

Junior Gymnastics Career

NC Junior Gymnast from 1975-1989
Nine-time NC State All-Around Champion between 1979-1989
Two-time USAG Regional All-Around Champion 1988 and 1989
1989 NC Senior Gymnast of the Year
1989 10.0 Regional Gymnast of the Year
1989 USAG Junior National Champion on Still Rings

Elite and College Career

Full athletic gymnastics scholarship to the University of Illinois
Four year Varsity Letter Winner from 1989-1993 at the University of Illinois
Most Valuable Gymnast at the University of Illinois 1991-1993
Two-time Captain of the Men's Illinois Gymnastics Squad 1992 and 1993

Work and Coaching Experience

Began coaching at the age of eleven at Clemmer School of Gymnastics and Dance, and coached there 1982-1989
GymCarolina Gymnastics Camps, Summer 1990
Illinois Gymnastics Center—Boys Team Coach and Recreational Coach 1989-1993
International Gymnastics Camp—Summer 1991
University of Illinois—Boys and Girls Gymnastics Camps 1993, 1994, 1995
University of Illinois Men's Gymnastics Assistant Coach 1993-1995
Midwest Academy of Gymnastics, Warrenville, IL—Coached September 1995–December 1995
Clemmer School of Gymnastics and Dance—Recreational Coach, Boys and Girls Assistant Team Coach 1996-2002
Charlotte Gymnastics Academy—Founder and Former Owner
Recreational Coach, Boys and Girls Team Coach 2002-2010
First in Flight Gymnastics—Boys Team Coach, February 2011 to August 2011
Creation Arts and Athletics—Gymnastics Director and Coach, August 2010 to Present
2007 NC Men's Optional Coach of the Year
USAG Safety Certified

Judging Experience

Nationally rated Men's Gymnastics Judge (USAG/NCAA) 1995-2001

Education

Graduated high school from Charlotte Latin School
BS Kinesiology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana 1994

One of Nick's greatest honors was being inducted into the NC Men's Gymnastics Hall of Fame as a Charter Member in 1998.

Optional Team Director and PreTeam

Jessica Meyer

Born in Chicago, Jessica moved to Fort Mill, SC when she turned ten. At age eleven she began taking recreational classes with Coach Nick, started competing at age 13, and is currently competing USAG Level 8. After competing on the Silver team in AAU, she interned with Metrolina for two years before becoming a Coach. She coaches the Bronze team, pre-team, and recreational classes.

Being very competitive by nature, I love gymnastics because the new skills in each level challenge me—physically and mentally. Coaching allows me to help other children acquire skills while always encouraging them to do their best and have fun.

Xcel Team Director

Amber Lennox

I was born in New York but moved to the Charlotte area when I was eight years old. Around the age of thirteen, I discovered a love for tumbling, which later led me to cheer during my junior and senior years at Indian Land High School. At fifteen years old, I transitioned from taking tumbling classes to coaching recreational gymnastics and tumbling in Pineville, NC. Just a year later, the team coaches recognized my potential and invited me to join as an AAU assistant team coach. By seventeen, I was independently leading groups within the AAU team program.

Since then, I've remained dedicated to coaching girls team gymnastics part-time alongside my full-time career in education. In 2021, I earned my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Winthrop University and relocated to Wilmington, NC, where I taught 5th grade from 2021 to 2025, all while continuing to coach team gymnastics part-time.

To me, coaching is more than scores and performance. It's about shaping strong, thoughtful, and compassionate individuals. My goal is to create a positive and supportive culture where athletes are not only challenged to reach their full potential in the gym but also empowered to believe in themselves beyond it. I deeply value building strong relationships with my athletes and their families, as well as consistency, trust, and open communication. I'm dedicated to lifelong growth, both personally and professionally, and I lead with a genuine love for the sport that I hope inspires the athletes around me.

USAG Member, Safety and SafeSport Certified

Grace Fallon

Born and raised in Fort Mill, SC, I graduated from Fort Mill High School in May of 2023. This fall I will be attending Winthrop University to obtain a degree in Mass Communications. At the age of five, I began taking gymnastics classes and joined a competitive team at eight years old. After competing Xcel Bronze and Silver, I took a break from gymnastics.

At twelve years old, I rediscovered my love for gymnastics at Metrolina and joined their competitive team. I competed two years of Xcel Gold and Platinum, respectively. Unfortunately due to an injury, I needed to stop competing but chose to coach instead. I found that I loved teaching children how to do gymnastics correctly and watch them progress. Now I am coaching Preschool and recreational classes and also helping with the Bronze and Silver teams.

Asst Boys' Coach and Recreational Coach

Lara Kay

My first experience with gymnastics wasn't until age 12, but it didn't take long at all for the gym to become my second home. As a gymnast I trained at Cardinal Gymnastics in Burke, Virginia, which is also where I started my first job as a coach. I competed for my high school all the way through my senior year, and then did one year of club gymnastics at UNC Chapel Hill as well.

As a coach, I worked from the time I was 15 until I was 23, teaching at 4 different gyms through high school, college, and my first year of grad school. My coaching experience during that time included recreational gymnastics, birthday parties, summer camp, and girls' team levels 4-7.

I am now a mom of four, so it wasn't until my two youngest sons started competing at Metrolina that I stepped back into a coaching role. I have loved teaching recreational classes and assisting Coach Nick with the boys' team and am thrilled to be joining the girls' team coaching staff as well. As a coach, it is my goal to combine my love of gymnastics, my passion for working with kids, and my knowledge of sport science and sport psychology to provide a fun, safe, and healthy environment for athletes to grow and foster their own love for the sport.

Joy Mays

Joy, a Charlotte native, began gymnastics at age two and has been involved in the gymnastics community ever since. Her passion for the sport has only deepened over the years, with coaching playing a crucial role in her journey.

She competed as a gymnast for eight years in the Xcel and Optional programs. At the age of fourteen, she began volunteer coaching at the YMCA for their recreational classes and compulsory levels. From 2016 to 2020, she coached at Zenith Gymnastics for their girls' compulsory, Xcel, and optional teams. In 2020-2022 she moved to Top Notch Gymnastics to continue with their girls' teams. Right now she works full-time at Atrium Health. She received a BS in Health Systems Management from UNC Charlotte and her Masters in Health Administration from UNC Chapel Hill.

Preschool Coach

Rachel Meyer

Born in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, I moved to Fort Mill, SC when I was a teenager. After graduating from high school, I attended Liberty University where I received a BS in Early Childhood Education. While obtaining my degree, I began working part-time at Calvary Child Development Center. After graduating, I started working full-time for the Center and became a lead teacher in the older threes.

I absolutely adore teaching preschoolers, encouraging their natural curiosity and love of learning. In 2020 I joined Metrolina Gymnastics to coach Preschool classes in the evening.

I love to nurture the passion for gymnastics because when the children start with me, they don't have a lot of experience with the sport. Watching their love for it grow and seeing their eyes light up as they become more confident in themselves and their skills brings me so much joy.