Women '5 Olympic Coaching Staff
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T BY LUAN PESZEK
Many were concerned before the Olympics that too many"cooks" would spoil the "stew", or rather, too many coaches would spoil the team.
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Each gymnast on the Women's Olympic Team gathered together with her coach in Houston, TX, on August 26. This group came together, specifically, for a training camp and dual competition with the French Olympians. However, they also came together in order to train as a single group entitled "The USA Women's Olympic Gymnastics
vided the opportunity to establish the "Olympic Philosophy". It was the beginning of a new relationship which was the 'catalyst for our success. "There was a strong team spirit/' said Martha Karolyi. Many were concerned before the Olympics that too many "cooks" would spoil the "stew", or rather, too many coaches would spoil the team. However, that did not happen at all. In fact, quite the opposite was true. The coaches and the gymnasts rose to the occasion, worked together and had one goal in mind - the outcome of the team. Bill Strauss said that having seven gymnasts and seven coaches was the only way to do it. The Olympic 'll Coaching Staff for ;is the women was !i , elated with the out- 0 Bela Karolyi, Donna Strauss, and Olympic Team alternate come of their jointRhonda Faehn work together towards one goal-- the out- coaching efforts . come of the team. Their optimism from the start Team". Since there was no head coach, proved to have great results in the end. all the coaches were a bitleary of what to Bela and Martha Karolyi from Karolyi's Gymnastics in Houston, TX, had expect. Bela and Martha Karolyi brought four gymnasts on the team, including: the coaching staff and gymnasts together Phoebe Mills, Chelle Stack, Brandy for a barbeque at their ranch in Hous- Johnson and Rhonda Faehn. Melissa ton, TX. This was the first step toward Marlowe brought two coaches to the unity. The warm hospitality that Bela Olympics, Mark Lee and Tammy Biggs, and Martha extended to the group, pro- from Rocky Mountain Gymnastics, in USA GYMNASTICS January/February 1989
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