Thursday, February 24, 2000

Interview by Russell E. Moore

How did you end up choosing t0 attend and compete for Bama?

The first time Bryan called me, I was very impressed that he wanted to know things about myself and my family more than about my gymnastics. Through the recruiting process, Alabama really cared about me as a person. That is so important to me.

Now that you're a student assistant coach, describe your duties with the team.

I'd say a large part of my role now is to narrow the gap between the coaches and the girls. I can't say that I am always successful, but I am the girls' age and I spend time with them outside the gym. There are certain things that I can see a little differently simply because I am in school and doing many of the same things they are. I also spend a lot of time on beam; Sarah tends to move about so that she can stay on top of everything that goes on in the gym, so I help out on beam most of the time. I am in the gym whenever practice is going on, and other than beam, I help out wherever I am needed.

Has it been a difficult transition from competing to coaching?

It really depends on how I look at it. There is a lot that I miss about not being able to do gymnastics anymore. If it weren't for my injuries, I would still be doing it. While it was cut short, gymnastics was going to end some time. I think sports will always be in my blood, and right now I am trying to find other ways to keep myself in shape. At times, yes, it has been difficult. On the other hand, coaching is now my way of staying involved in the sport I love. It is very rewarding to help out in a new way. I still view all the girls as my teammates; I think everyone involved is part of the team, and we all do our part to make the whole successful.

Do you want to continue coaching after you graduate? if so, at what level?

It is a definite possibility. Before I came to school here, I was very set on coaching gymnastics. I did not get beyond the lower levels, because I was always working out with my upper-level teammates. I feel like I have a good eye for it, but I need a lot more exposure and experience. And what better place could I get that than here. As far as what I'll coach, when I'll coach, and for how long I'll coach I really have no idea. As well as working with our team, I am getting involved with club gymnastics again through Alabama Gymnastics Academy. Coaching college gymnastics is a whole new world that I had not even considered until this year. Certainly there are aspects of each that I enjoy and favor over the other, and I can't say at this point which I will stick with.

You were home-schooled growing up. Did that help you achieve your unbelievable academic success? how did your mom do it?

Having been home-schooled definitely helped me and prepared me well for college. In many respects, I found my first year here to be much easier than I was expecting. There were some difficulties, however; I had not written many papers in high school and I had never really had to stick to deadlines. On a daily basis, I had to have my schoolwork completed before I could go to practice. However, if I was working on a project or studying for a test, Mama usually gave me as much time as I needed. I don't have that option anymore, which is probably a good thing. Another adjustment in coming to college was that I could not work ahead, and I had to sit through lecture. I find that since I learned from a book and not from a lecture for most of my years, I have a hard time learning from the teacher in class. Many times I will read or study something else while I am sitting in class, and then come home and review the material on my own. Sometimes that works well, and sometimes it gets me into trouble. I really enjoy classes in which there is a lot of discussion or hands-on; these I did not have while at home. How did my mom do it? Well, there are six of us, so she didn't stand up and teach each one of us. We received our curriculum, grades, report cards, and, ultimately, our diploma through a satellite school. She planned everything out and wrote it in her lesson plan book so that each one of us would have our assignments each day. When a test was coming up, she reviewed with us and made sure we were covering the material thoroughly. If we didn't understand something, she would look in her answer key and together we would figure it out. She never let us get away with simply having the right answer; we had to understand why it was the right answer. My dad is an engineer, so he helped out with all the math and science. Also, my sister Audra and I were in the same grade, so we were able to help each other a lot.

What has been your favorite memory from your collegiate gymnastics career?

Overall, I love practice, working through things, and watching the team develop as each year progresses. If I must single out one experience, it has to be NCAA's from my freshman year. We had a lot of fun on the floor; we were so together and there was so much excitement. Even our byes in the locker room were fun. Along with the competition experience, Sarah took us to some neat places in LA. I think Los Angeles is one of those places that I may have never had the opportunity to visit if it weren't for gymnastics. Since I have been here at the University of Alabama, I have had the opportunity to go to so many different places, and the experiences and memories go on and on.

If you could be anyone else for a day, who would you be? why?

Actually, I have never really thought about it. I can't say that I look at other people that way, thinking that I wish I were like them in some way or another. I am always looking for ways to push forward myself, but I don't believe I think of it in terms of other people. I want to learn from others, but I have no desire to be anybody else.