Interview With Lucie Kirchner

1. What made you want to coach gymnastics?

After my freshman year of being on the University of Michigan Women's Gymnastics team, I medically retired. I still wanted to be a part of the program, so I stepped into the role of student-assistant coach.

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

I started gymnastics when I was three and a half years old, and I continued doing gymnastics through my freshman year of college.

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

I think that each person is different, and it depends heavily on the athlete. Some prefer a more technical approach, while some need a little bit of a distraction from the situation.

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

When I was younger, I had an amazing Level 8 coach who was the person who made me believe that I could do college gymnastics.

 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 am currently a student-assistant coach for the University of Michigan gymnastics team after medically retiring from gymnastics following my freshman year.

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?

To get where I am today, it took a lot of hard work and resilience. Every day is not going to be a piece of cake, but those days help shape you into who you will become.

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

I love being able to watch my team do amazing things, and being able to help them and then celebrate their achievements is one of the best feelings in the world.

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

To gymnasts still competing, enjoy the journey: the highs, the lows, the in-betweens. What you're doing is very hard and not many people get the chance to do it, so really cherish it while it lasts.