Denise Nontavarnit

gymnastics program director and optional team coach

Denise has been involved with the sport of gymnastics for most of her life. She began coaching right out of high school and knew it was the career path for her almost immediately. Her coaching experience started in Southern California with the gym that she competed for. At this gym, she coached pre-school gymnastics, recreational gymnastics, cheer classes, tumbling, did birthday parties and started with competitive coaching after a few years. 

Since then she has moved on to run and direct her own developmental program, and compulsory program. She is now Westside's girl's team director and head coach for the optional teams.

drew grow

Optional Team director

After doing his "basic training" at gyms in Washington State, Drew advanced to the gymnastics program at the University of Washington at Seattle. While at UW, he competed in three collegiate club national championships as an elite level gymnast, winning team gold and silver medals.

Drew has always been drawn to individual sports such as gymnastics, martial arts and rock climbing, so becoming a gymnastics coach was a natural evolution for him. During his coaching career, he has coached several state, regional and national championship medalists. From Drew's perspective, gymnastics training is more than just a mechanism for learning gymnastics; it is a path to greater understanding of human psychology and relationships. It also can lead to lasting friendships such as the one shared between Drew and his former student, Olympic medalist Brett McClure. 

When he is not coaching, Drew can be seen and heard performing in his highly acclaimed rock band, Careen, for which he is singer, frontman and songwriter.

HAYLEE trautmaN

COMPULSORY Head COACH

Haylee began teaching gymnastics for her mother at her gym for several years after retiring from competing.  Haylee started at Westside in 2014.  She wanted to be at this gym to learn how to build a strong team, strong gymnasts, and beautiful gymnastics.  But according to Haylee, “What I didn’t know that I was surrounding myself with the best coaches in the state!”

After being the Compulsory Assistant Coach for several years, she accepted the Head Coach position in 2020 during COVID.

In 2023, Haylee was awarded Compulsory Coach of Year in Oregon. Congratulations to Haylee on her well-deserved award!

She enjoys being able to change her approach to coaching and how to communicate with different children when they are challenged. She likes to watch the team learn the definition of hard work and then finally see their gain.

JENNI OWENS

recreational gymnastics director

Jenni is originally from Maryland and moved to Oregon, and joined Westside in 2008. 

Jenni began dance and gymnastics at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba at age five. After many years of switching between gym and dance, she turned her full attention to dance her junior year of high school. She received a Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship and went on to get a BA degree in Choreography & Performance from the University of Maryland. She also had the pleasure of performing and choreographing for home town dance companies, the Beth Elliott Dance Company/Southern Maryland Modern Dance Company and St. Mary's Ballet. Throughout her dance journey she stayed tied to the gym world working for St. Mary's Gymnastics Academy and Silver Stars Gymnastics.

Career highlights include working with amazing kids and co-workers from year to year and getting to live her passion for dance and gymnastics on a daily basis. She loves coaching beam and floor as well as doing choreography for the team — again combining her favorite things, gym and dance.

When she isn’t working she likes hanging with her family, gaming, reading, watching terrible movies and taking adult tap at the academy. And she loves sweets!

Jenni has two sons. Kane, who is currently on the boys Pre-Team and is a graduate of the Westside Performing Arts Preschool and Ben (also in the Westside Preschool), who specializes in being cute!