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Life

Competing Against Civility

Competing Against Civility

I work in the world of athletics. I’ve always maintained that athletics is an amazing venue in which to learn life lessons. I’ve also always felt that athletics tends to bring out the best in the athletes and the worst in the fans. I’m guilty as charged. I become someone I don’t recognize when my […]

Inspired By Her

Inspired By Her

One of my most favorite interviews was conducted last week by Mandy Close, the woman who has produced the podcast “Inspired By Her.” Each week she interviews accomplished and inspiring woman who share their stories. In my interview she asked insightful questions that touched on how I got to UCLA, my relationship with Coach Wooden […]

Hitting the Refresh Button

Hitting the Refresh Button

When I first started coaching at UCLA, I was asked to coach balance beam along with choreographing floor routines. I had no idea what I was doing. I quickly realized that a huge part of success on beam was the athlete’s mental game. When everything was going well, there was no need to make adjustments. […]

Throwing Life a Hail Mary

Throwing Life a Hail Mary

So much in life is about preparation and stepping up when opportunity arises. However, every once in a while you find yourself at a crossroad of preparation and opportunity with few options available and your best chance of triumph is putting faith in the support system around you; in those people you trust to be […]

Cue Up Your Life

Cue Up Your Life

As a gymnastics coach, I help athletes come up with “cues” to say before each skill that emphasize finer points to achieve the result they want. Take balance beam for example, some athletes have a technical cue they say to themselves, such as “push through my legs” or “jump” before their flipping series. Other athletes […]