Ask The Bruins - Dec. 16, 2010
December 17, 2010 | Gymnastics
Dec. 17, 2010
UCLA Gymnastics head coach Valorie Kondos Field will be answering your questions every Thursday over the course of the season. To submit questions for future Q&As, CLICK HERE.
This week's questions/answers:
Rebecca, San Francisco, CA: Were you really the inspiration for Grace in Will and Grace? How did that come about?
Miss Val: Yes. My "Will" dated one of the creators of the show, and the first few shows were almost verbatim some of the stories we shared with him. BTW - my water bra has never broken.
Maya, Palo Alto, CA: As a choreographer, do you pay attention to other teams' floor routines? Are there particular non-UCLA routines that have stood out to you in the past few years?
Miss Val: I think there are a lot of good choreographers out there. OSU and Stanford's routines always catch my attention. I enjoyed watching Oklahoma's at NCAA's. As I've said before, it's not about what I "like" as much as it is about "does it capture and keep my attention".
Kelly, San Diego: How do you help athletes through season and career ending injuries?
Miss Val: Our program really does stress the Journey versus the Result. Enjoy the days that life is easy, and embrace the difficult times knowing that those times are when we really grow, mature, and solidify our character.
Anjali, Kathmandu, Nepal: When athletes compete less, what other types of roles do they play on the team? Thank you and good luck this season!
Miss Val: If an athlete's intent is truly focused on the TEAM, they are of tremendous value regardless of whether they're competing or not. One example is Talia Kushynski. She continues to work extremely hard in the gym and has improved immensely. She just might make our top 6 on floor. Her passion and work ethic have been as motivating for her teammates as Zam's 10's. Alyssa Pritchett is another great example. She had foot surgery about a month ago, but she comes in the gym every day and conditions and stretches hard the entire workout. When she has extra time, she'll crutch over to an event and help coach her teammates. VERY involved regardless of the fact that she's in a cast.
Lisa, Detroit: Do you read any gymnastics blogs, like Aunt Joyce's ice cream stand?
Miss Val: I don't normally read blogs unless someone sends me a clip of one. I have read the author of Aunt Joyce's blog before and other things he's written. I think he is an exceptional writer.
Salt Lake City, UT: How many girls are typically on a NCAA gymnastics team? There are 20 girls on the UCLA team, but only 14 girls competed last year. Why are there so many girls on the team that do not compete?
Miss Val: Everyone on our team brings something of great value to the team, regardless of whether they compete or not. An example of that is Tiffany Hyland. When she approached me about being on the team she said "Miss Val, I know I'll probably never compete, but I will come in every day with a great attitude and work ethic and will do anything you or the team needs me to do to help out any way I can." Her enthusiasm was so infectious I said "OK". The past few years when I'm completing the travel roster, the other girls will say "Tiffany needs to travel. She knows what we need even before we do."
John (doesn't watch beam at Nationals): Hi Coach! If there is a fundraiser this year will you knit something;-)
Miss Val: Hi John who doesn't watch beam at Nationals. Ha ha ... we'll see if I get some time to knit something for the end of the year fundraiser. Will you bid on it?
Allie, San Jose: Will Samantha Peszek continue her elite career or is she done?
Miss Val: Whether or not Sam continues Elite really depends on her ankle. It's still not great and prohibits her from tumbling much on floor. She certainly has the drive, desire and heart to train for 2012.
Zorro (Austin, TX): What can Bruins fans do to get more UCLA gymnastics meets on national TV? Your teams are competitive and exciting every year, but rarely on TV.
Miss Val: It all has to do with the Fox Sports West package and how many slots they have available after football and basketball. However, we went to Fox and asked what it would take for them to give us another spot, which is how the Pac-10 Showcase this year came about.
Players Mentioned
