Appreciating Your Gymnastics Coach
Gym coaches do so much for their gymnasts, from teaching skills and helping their students perfect those skills to being the cheerleaders and support system for their gymnasts at meets. As we gear up for National Gymnastics Day this weekend, let's show our favorite coaches some love!
To recognize all of their hard work and dedication, we wanted to give you some ideas for how you can show appreciation for your coach. Our very own ambassadors Chloe, Rose, Maddy, Sydney, and Kairi also shared with us what makes their gym coaches so special!
What Should I Do To Show My Coach I Appreciate Them?
- Work hard and show dedication! Coaches use their knowledge, talent, and time to teach their gymnasts skills. Great ways to express appreciation for your coach are to show up to every practice on time, work hard, pay attention, and give it your all! The feeling of pride you can give your coach through your commitment and enthusiasm is a great gift.
- Get them a small present! A gift card, a mug, a shirt, or a hand-written thank-you card or drawing can show your coach how much you appreciate and love them!
- Throw a party! Get your teammates together to plan a practice where you surprise your coach with kind words or small gifts. If you’re allowed, you could even bring treats to share after practice.
Gymnastics Coach Shout-Outs!
Ambassador Chloe wanted to share with Snowflake fans why she loves her gym coaches so much. Here’s what she said!
“Out of all my experience as a gymnast, I have been to a handful of different gyms to try to find a program that could fit a “Chloe!”. I am so fortunate to say that my three coaches at Olympia Gymnastics have been the most positive and impactful for me as a little girl with my pre-existing struggles that I am learning to overcome and work through.
“The balance of my trio of coaches is such a blessing for the overall goal of helping me be a better Chloe! I feel I have been given a fair chance to experience opportunities to be coached consistently just like all my teammates, which is helping me to thrive inside and out. I still have my battles, but my coaches are still there even with my struggles, being understanding and staying consistent to help me keep me on track.
“Coach Braie, the head coach, is a nice coach. I appreciate Coach Braie because she wants you to be the best you can be. She’s hard sometimes, but it is because she wants you to be the best you.
“Coach Halee is a nice, kind coach and she has a medium good amount of patience. If she reminds you a few times, then you know it’s an alert to be better. I appreciate Coach Halee because she has an encouraging way of helping me and my teammates.
“Coach Mckenna is another coach I get to have coached me at my gym. I appreciate Coach Mckenna because she is always nice. I appreciate when she is willing to help me when there is something I am having trouble with. It makes me feel like she knows I can do it.”
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Chloe!
Ambassador Rose also wanted to talk about a coach at her new gym who she appreciates.
“I recently started at a new gym called Bull City Gymnastics and Coach Travol, AKA “Coach T”, is my bars and vault coach. Bars and vault are my favorite events and I really like how Coach T explains things to me and is supportive of me. He encourages me to be confident in myself and always tells me, ‘You can do it!’”
Thank you for sharing, Rose!
Ambassador Maddy shares what makes her coaches so amazing!
“I have two amazing coaches: Phil and Sara. Multiple things make them great coaches, but the most important one is that they believe in me!
“They are supportive when times are tough and remind me that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Sara worked hard with me to overcome my fear of the back walkover on the high beam, something I never thought I would get! My coaches are tough, but they also know how to have fun!
“The last thing I love is that they allowed me the opportunity to make a presentation to convince them to switch to Snowflake for our competition leotards! They loved my presentation and picked Snowflake!”
Thanks for sharing, Maddy!
Ambassador Sydney also wanted to share a story about how her amazing gym coach helped her through a big struggle.
“Gymnastics is hard, really hard. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing feeling getting a new skill or facing your fears but man is it hard most of the time. When you commit to a sport like gymnastics, you're choosing to make a promise to yourself, your team, and your coaches that you will come every day and work your hardest to do your best.
“That sounds easy enough but in reality, it can be difficult to be in school for 6 hours followed immediately by practice for 4 hours and then homework and bed. After repeating this schedule day in and day out, it's natural for any kid to want to hang out with school friends or not miss birthday parties.
“These things are what often get in the way and lead to quitting for most athletes. What isn't talked about is the most difficult part, in my opinion: the injuries. Injuries can be small nagging ones or major career-enders, and getting injured doesn't just affect your body, but your mind as well.
“It is for all of the reasons listed above that an incredible coach can mean everything in this sport. Sure, coaches are there to teach you the basics of the sport, provide feedback for skills and form, and guide you through competition in a way that supports the athlete, but have you ever had a bad coach? Personalities and coaching styles don’t always mesh well with every athlete, but when it does, magic can happen.
“Last spring, I found out I had OCD and a fracture in my right elbow. This meant I was out for the season and needed to have surgery that would come with a 6-8 month recovery time. To a gymnast, this news is one of the worst you can get.
“While my teammates pushed forward learning new skills and leveling up, I was stuck recovering and unable to do gymnastics at all. When I came back to light activity at 4 months post-op, it was exciting… but also scary! Would I be able to do any of my old skills?
“Coach Ludi works with us on beam, and when it came time for me to get back up there, my nerves were running wild, and she could see that. Instead of pushing me or being upset that it was taking me time to get over fears of simple skills that I had no problem with before surgery, Coach Ludi slowed everything down. She talked to me about trusting myself and taking it one step at a time… through daily practice, I not only learned to trust myself again but even got a few new skills on high beam!
“I will always be thankful to Coach Ludi for guiding me through returning to beam in a way that helped me gain confidence in myself and my sport! She helped spark the magic in me again!”
Thank you for telling your story, Sydney!
Finally, Ambassador Kairi wanted to tell us about the coaches she works with at her gym.
“My coaches are so awesome and teach me such great things. Not just about gymnastics, but about being a hard worker! We’ve had several head coaches since I started competitive gymnastics but a constant has been my coach Torri. The head coaches are Laura and Aladine (not pictured). They all bring equally great motivation and teaching to me while I’m at the gym. I couldn’t ask for better coaches!”
We hope that you found these tips and stories inspiring! What makes your gym coach special and what will you do to show your appreciation? Tell us in the comments below!
