University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Official Athletic Site - Women's Gymnastics
April 17, 2013 | Gymnastics
Weekly diary by Valorie Kondos Field, head coach for UCLA's women's gymnastics team.
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April 29, 2003
Lincoln, Nebraska - the 2003 NCAA National Gymnastics Championships, floor exercise - the last event of the evening - We hit ... We win. Our first three Bruins hit the best floor routines they are capable of hitting. Kate Richardson has a beautiful routine going, is so high on her last pass, she doesn't get her feet around and puts her hands down. I look to see who's up next... Onnie Willis, then Jamie Dantzscher. Yes, they could be called "ringers" - however, we never take anything for granted. I look at Onnie and say, "Are you ready?" She is focusing intently on the floor and calmly says, "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way."
Part of my philosophy of success is that I would never base our team's success on one event - the National Championship. If we couldn't look back to every day of the season with a feeling of pride in a job well done, then winning the National Championship wouldn't feel very rewarding. Luck is just something that "falls" your way. Success is something that is diligently cultivated.
The incident that best depicts this philosophy this season happened at the end of the meet this past weekend. Yes, both Onnie and Jamie nailed their floor routines, and then the tears flowed. Our team was overwhelmed with the feeling of satisfaction of "A job well done" ... one day at a time, all season long, starting on our first day of training back in September.
When we were all assembled in the corner of the floor exercise mat a few minutes later for a CBS interview, Onnie turned to Kristin Parker and asked, "Did we win?"
Her previous elation was her true celebration of training hard for something and competing as we trained. "Success" was the product of a long road of honest hard work and preparation.
My most heartfelt respect goes out to our student-athletes who enthusiastically allowed themselves to be led by our coaching and training staff, and in turn became leaders of integrity and character for each other.
Congratulations Bruins. It was a privilege to be one of your coaches.
~ "miss val"
