Interview With Kasey Crawford

1. What made you want to coach gymnastics?

Ever since I was 16 years old, I wanted to be a teacher and coach. I switched from club gymnastics to high school gymnastics & absolutely fell in love with the team environment of high school and the positive coaching style of my high school coaches. It made me realize I wanted to be that kind of coach and impact athletes in that way.

2. Were you a gymnast yourself growing up before you started coaching the sport?

Yes - MN club gymnast (level 9/10), then high school gymnast, than 4 years at UW-La Crosse

3. How did you help your athletes overcome mental blocks?

Oh we do a variety of things. 1) Gymnastics Mindset Academy, 2) one-on-one meetings, talking through the situation, 3) reminding them of their why and what their goals are, 4) slowing down, breaking it down, taking steps back, and taking things slower

4. Who was your mentor/or a coach you looked up to when you started?

Many coaches impacted my life, but Kim Miklya/Brent Anderson of Apple Valley High School and Barbara Gibson of UW-La Crosse impacted me greatly.

5. Were you a college or club gymnastics coach? If you were a college coach how did you become one? If you were a club coach, did you coach rec classes or the team and how did you move up the rankings?

I have always been a college coach - when I graduated from UWL in 2008, I became the assistant for 8 years and then I became the head coach in 2017. I also did 8 full summers at Lake Owen camp where I coached everything from rec to level 10 and learned from some of the best coaches in the country. I have also ran our Jr Eagle (rec) program at UWL for the past 18 years. I have more of a director role now, but I coached in that program for many years too.

6. I have always had the goal of coaching on a college or club team someday. What steps did you take to becoming a high level coach like that?

Network - go to clubs, coach at clubs, get professional development, go to college camps, network with college coaches!

7. How did you fall in love with coaching gymnastics?

I have just always LOVED gymnastics - that's all it took!

8. Advice you may give to coaches coaching the sport or gymnasts still competing?

Work to learn who you are and be that. Don't try to be anyone else.