As a new season of sports roll in the girls’ gymnastics team is coming out strong. The girls have a lot of great talent this year, but like always with such a competitive group of athletes, there needs to be a bit of balancing. This year’s team has a majority of girls competing with both the high school as well as their club teams and there can sometimes be a struggle juggling two practices and competitions as well as school requirements. The team is also debuting their new coach, Ellie Southworth, who is also senior captain Katie Southworth’s mother. Coach Southworth will have to to do some balancing as well - between coach and mom.
Ellie Southworth was a pre-elite gymnast at the Arena of Artistic Gymnastics in Stamford. She was 15 years old when she stopped competing, but she didn’t stop her passion for gymnastics. She continued coaching gymnastics to athletes with varieties of abilities at the Darien YMCA and USA Gymnastics during college. She is currently in her 3rd year coaching at Westhill High School in Stamford as well as coaching for Darien.
I am very passionate about the sport of gymnastics. There was a need for new leadership of Darien's champion - level team, which I thought would be fun to be a part of. I have an allegiance to the Darien team, as I grew up in Darien and my daughter has been competing for the team for three years (this will be Katie’s 4th year on the team),” Southworth said.
Some people may think that it would be hard to balance being a mom and a coach. No teenager likes being told what to do by their parents, but it is an athlete’s job to accept their coaches’ nagging. When Neirad asked if it is hard being a coach and mom, Southworth said, “No, it's wonderful and fun. Katie lets me be coach, she calls me Coach Mom.”
“Our relationship is past the point where she can embarrass me TOO much, but you never know. All kidding aside, she's energetic, motivational, and a great new addition to the team,” says Katie.
The mother and daughter pair have created a system. Katie tells her mom when she needs guidance and when she needs some space. “Katie is in control of her own destiny as a competitor,” Coach Southworth said.
“I love being coached by my mom! Of course we clash at times, but she knows me better than anyone and she's great at what she does,” says Katie.
Having girls from the YMCA team benefits Blue Wave gymnastics as well as poses some problems. Senior Co-captain Katherine Mosher said, “The team is looking really strong this year. We have two seniors, three juniors, one sophomore and six freshmen. Also competing for the YMCA has provided many of the girls with a good background of the sport.” However, being on two teams can be difficult to manage as well. Many of the girls end up practicing for five hours a day five to six days a week. There are also strict rules the girls need to follow. The girls can only compete in two meets per week (no matter club or high school) and only four club team meets during the span of the high school season. The girls seem to manage it well having one captain, Katherine Mosher, on both teams and the other captain, Katie Southworth, on just the high school team.
However, it isn’t always easy for the high school athletes only either. “It is more difficult for Katie to get back into gymnastic shape, as most of the other girls train year round and she does not anymore. So I tend to lean on her to condition, but she wants that,” Soutworth said.
There is a need for both types of gymnasts. The Darien YMCA team is a nationally ranked team so the girls who come from the team are all very talented. Plus they already have a lot of experience and written routines. However, the team also likes having new girls to introduce to the sport: “We have very few gymnasts who are beginners and need to learn the fundamentals of gymnastics. I actually enjoy having novices on the team, as it gives me somebody to teach,” Southworth said.
However, even the incoming freshmen who have competed with the YMCA need to learn the rules and regulations of high school gymnastics, which are very different from USAG rules.
The team also has Megan Lally as its Assistant Coach. Megan competed for the Darien YMCA until she retired at level 8. She also competed with Staples’ team for all four years of high school. She is currently pursuing a career in sports management. The gymnasts thinks she will be a great addition to the team.
“Gymnastics can be viewed as an individual sport like swimming, but high school competition is all about the team and getting the win for the Blue Wave,” said Coach Southworth. “I am thrilled to be coaching the Darien girls and hope to recapture the FCIAC title this year.”
