For every minute that Alabama Gymnastics shines in the white hot spotlight of national success, there are thousands of behind the scene details that make it possible.

For the Crimson Tide, there are two women charged with handling those details and keeping everything running smoothly. Rita Martin, the gymnastics operations director, and Robin Kelley, the Tide's administrative assistant, work hard every day to keep the Alabama Gymnastics world shining bright and running like a well oiled machine.

As director of operations, Martin is responsible for a wide variety of tasks, from daily paperwork to being the meet director, and everything in between.

The New Jersey native has been a part of the athletics department for more than 25 years and the University for 29. Before joining the gymnastics office, she was administrative assistant for Assistant Athletics Director/Senior Women's Administrator Ann Marie Lawler. When Sarah Patterson assumed that role in 1985, Martin became her assistant.

"Rita is so great at keeping everything together," Patterson said. "She allows us to be our best because she handles all the fine points so well."

Martin and her husband Buddy have a daughter, Kelly, and two sons, Paul, a Tide graduate, and Brett, an Alabama junior.

Kelley is in her fifth year with the gymnastics program, though she has been a part of the athletics department for the past seven years. She also performs a wide variety of duties, including keeping up with the program's correspondence and recruiting efforts. She also travels with the Tide, taking care of the details on the road.

"Robin does so many things for us," Patterson said. "She is invaluable on the road, taking care of all the arrangements, from where we stay to where we eat and how we get from here to there."

A native of Northport, Ala., Kelley and her husband Jay have two sons, Tanner and Jesse.