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Musings

The Invisible Life Package

The Invisible Life Package

For more than three decades I have watched young women enter the gym. In many instances I could see that some were dealing with personal issues—big and small. Sometimes I knew what was going on and other times I had no idea. Last week I read about a great new visual to help spread the […]

Miss Val’s Favorite Floor Routines*

Miss Val’s Favorite Floor Routines*

I could have retired a long time ago if I received a nickel every time someone asked me what my favorite floor routine was. So when I wrote my first book, “Life is Short, Don’t Wait to Dance” I knew I had to address this topic. In it, I share the routines I believe pushed […]

2019: A Year of New Adventures

2019: A Year of New Adventures

A New Year is upon us, and with it comes the choice for renewed optimism and hope for a year of enhanced fulfillment, happiness and JOY.  The first step can often be the hardest: How do you start? Personally, I like to determine and define what fulfillment and happiness mean to me. Halfway through this […]

Champions in the Trenches

Champions in the Trenches

In order to have lasting, healthy, success—whether in sport, business or life—you need the enthusiastic loyal support and involvement of those in the trenches with you. For the UCLA gymnastics program that means our coaches, team managers, The Den (our student section), the UCLA Alumni Band, our training staff, our nutritionist, our sports psychologists, and […]

Face Your Orchestra

Face Your Orchestra

For the past three decades I have had the distinct pleasure of working with a unique and impactful sport psychologist, Dr. Bill Parham, affectionately known in the UCLA Bruin community as “Dr. P.”   Dr. P. met with our UCLA Gymnastics team yesterday and offered up, yet again, another nugget of wisdom that made us […]

Thank you! ??

Thank you! ??

UCLA gymnastics head coach Valorie Kondos Field, who has led the Bruins to all seven of their NCAA Championships, will retire from her head coaching position following the 2019 season. Kondos Field will enter her 29th and final year as head coach and 37th year on the UCLA coaching staff. She began her coaching career […]

Choosing Courage

Choosing Courage

“God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.” ~ The Serenity Prayer This prayer was written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971). The prayer was later adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs. It has always resonated with […]

A Champion’s Life

A Champion’s Life

Consider this… you have two hours of free time (or an entire afternoon). What will you do? I believe how we spend our free time determines how our life plays out, even more so than how we show up at work. As Coach Wooden famously said, “The true test of one’s character is what one […]

Together We’ll Rise

Together We’ll Rise

Any time you stand up for something, you risk finding yourself in the middle of controversy.  When I hit “send” on my “Time’s Up” piece back in February, I knew I was opening myself up to misunderstanding, disdain and/or severe criticism. I hit “send” with the vow that I would advocate for a cultural change within […]