Interview With Alabama Commit Kate LaCoursiere

1.How old were you when you started gymnastics, and what originally drew you to the sport?

I started in mommy and me classes at the age of 3. I had grown up in the gym since my older sister went there so it was a no brainer that I would try gymnastics.

2.What is your favorite meet, your favorite and least favorite events, and the hardest/easiest skill you ever trained?

Nationals has been one of my favorite meets because of the team energy and whole environment is so uplifting. It is so amazing to meet everyone and cheer everyone on as we all have the same passion of gymnastics. My favorite event is vault because I am a more powerful gymnast and that is a key part of the event. I also just think vaulting is so fun and I love the feeling of sticking a vault. My least favorite event can change depending on the day. My hardest skil I ever trained was my ray on bars because I was so scared something wrong would happen when I did them. Though once I learned that I could trust the skill it became much easier and is now one of my favorites.

3.Gymnastics is incredibly mental. What was your hardest struggle during your time as a gymnast? How did you deal with nerves, pressure, and getting in your head or temporarily "losing" a skill?

My hardest struggle was finding my reason to continue doing gymnastics. There were times I wanted to quit because I was doing the sport for other people like my friends, family, and coaches instead of myself. With this I never felt I was doing enough for other people or myself which made me temporarily lose my love for the sport. By changing my perspective and understanding that I was practicing daily to help reach the goals I set for myself I was able to continue enjoying the sport I had built my whole life around. I now realize that doing gymnastics for you and the younger version of yourself is one of the most important things for you mentally.

4.What was your biggest accomplishment in the sport, and did you ever want to do college gymnastics?

My biggest accomplishment is getting a 9.8 on vault at nationals. It was so rewarding seeing all the trial and error and hard work pay off, especially in my last JO meet. I always loved watching college gymnasts on my screen and knew that I wanted to experience that joy and community that comes with being a college gymnasts

5.How did you cope when your time as a gymnast ended, and did you transition into coaching or are you currently still competing?

I am still currently competing and I will be a freshman at the University of Alabama. I cannot wait to start this new journey!

6.Who was your gymnastics role model, and what advice would you give to someone starting the sport for the first time?

Haleigh Bryant was my role model as her gymnastics is so stunning and she seems like such an amazing person to be around and learn from. Advice I would give to someone starting the sport is to embrace the mistakes and hard days in the gym because they will help you grew as not only a gymnast but also as a person.

7. What two goals you want to achieve in the sport of gymnastics?

One goal is to have the purity to compete on one of the biggest stages in the ncaa. Another is to create connections and memories that will last beyond my four years in college.