University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Janelle McDonald was named UCLA's gymnastics coach on May 9, 2022. (Photo: Jesus Ramirez)
Photo by: UCLA Athletics
Seven Questions with Janelle McDonald
June 14, 2022 | Gymnastics
The former Cal assistant coach, who holds two decades of coaching experience, was named the new head coach of the UCLA gymnastics team on May 9. Below is her interview which ran in the 2022 summer edition of Bruin Blue Magazine and was mailed to all subscribers in early June. A digital copy of the entire magazine will be posted to uclabruins.com later this month. Click HERE for past issues.ย
YOU COACHED CLUB FOR A LONG TIME AND THEN OBVIOUSLY SPENT THE LAST FOUR YEARS AT CAL. WAS BEING A HEAD COACH IN COLLEGE ALWAYS THE GOAL?
I think coaching in college was always the goal. Over the last couple of years, I started to have those conversations about what the next steps in my career might look like. That's when I started toying with the idea that (being a head coach) was likely my next step.
ANY REASON WHY THE TIMING MADE SENSE NOW?
I think it's the opportunity more than anything. I loved Cal. I loved what I did there, and, most importantly, I loved the people who I worked with. It wasn't like I was looking to go anywhere else or it was necessarily time to leave. I probably could've stayed there forever. But in my life I always want to push myself to grow and go after new opportunities, and I felt like this one was a really great one. I'm just very grateful to be sitting here right now.
YOU'RE COMING FROM BEING AN ASSISTANT COACH AT CAL TO YOUR FIRST HEAD COACHING POSITION AT A NATIONAL POWER LIKE UCLA. WHERE DOES THE CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF IN YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE READY FOR A BIG LEAP LIKE THAT COME FROM?
I've always had the mentality that it doesn't matter what I know or what I don't know, I'm going to figure it out. When I first came here and met with so many people in the department, I realized that there is such a special culture here where everyone is looking to help and have a conversation with you. I know that the expectations might be high, but that's something that I'm excited about. It's not a negative.
WHAT DOES A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
I think it comes down to culture. I really want to build an inclusive environment where everyone feels like they have a voice and that they belong. I think if we can do that and lead with integrity in everything we do, we're going to have the pieces together to have a special dynamic and a really strong team.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COACHING STYLE?
I bring a lot of energy to every day. I wake up and my goal is to always bring energy to everything I do and to positively affect the people around me. I bring that into the gym every day, and I hope my student-athletes feel that. Being a student-athlete can be a grind, so I want (my team) to expect to come in and see a smile on my face and be excited to get after it. You could say I'm a gymnastics nerd. I love everything about it, and I'm extremely passionate about the sport. To have an opportunity like this is really special to me and something I'm very grateful for.
WHERE DOES YOUR LOVE FOR GYMNASTICS COME FROM?
I did gymnastics when I was young and I never felt like I could get into the gym enough. In high school, I started picking up some coaching hours simply to get more time in the gym. I have never really stopped coaching ever since. I love it. Every day is different. There is always something to work on and always something to get excited about.
HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO MOVE TO LOS ANGELES?
I'm very excited to explore the area. It's absolutely beautiful here, and I love the beach, so I think it's going to be great. I'm also a big Disney fan, so being closer to Disneyland is going to be great.ย
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