I did not start gymnastics until I was close to 9 years old. In the first gym I went to they had strict coaches who turned out great gymnasts, but the coaches were sharp tempered, didn’t smile often and told my mom I wouldn’t go anywhere because I started too late. 

My encouraging mother took me down the road to another gym. Coach Suzie was absolute sunshine for all of us. A great coach (she makes turning out college level athletes look easy) but her real gift, the thing that made Suzie one-of-a-kind, was her ability to lead and love people. She developed us from the inside out: accountability, consistency, measurable goals, rolling with difficulty without imploding or quitting when it was something that mattered to you—she offered us an in-person master class with skills that went with us when we left the gym.

The backbone of someone that really loves and invests in you is also their ability to say “no,” “try again because that isn’t your best work,” or “why did you miss practice yesterday?” Leading kids is an instinct-driven reaction to what that soul really needs and that isn’t always “good job!”

Suzie’s warmth and belief in me has stayed with me and I want to share that with Waynesville. From the first pullover to first release move on bars, the same magic is happening: kids have to believe in themselves and that it is worth it to try again… a life skill as much as a gymnastics skill.