I really enjoyed episode 41 of the GymCastic audiocast.
Especially the wide ranging interview with one of the highest potential Juniors in the world, Laurie Hernandez, and her straight talking coach Maggie Haney.
Lauren “Laurie”/ “Baby Shakira” Hernandez turns 16 right before the 2016 Olympic Games. She completely stole the show at the 2012 Secret Classic in Chicago and she’ll be back this weekend.
In our interview she told us her epic wipeout stories, opinion of cutsie routines, which area of The Ranch should be filmed for a TV show [Gymnastike! That question was for you!] and cultivating her signature style.
Her coach, Maggie Haney talks about the pressure of coaching a gymnast who’s routines stop traffic, her difficulty vs execution strategy, the advice Marta Karolyi gave her, teaching her athletes how to lose as well as win, dealing with burnout when she was done racking up perfect 10s at North Carolina State University, giving birth just days before returning to the gym to coach and the appropriate amount of time to keep a floor routine.
Click PLAY or watch her Floor on YouTube.
More than any other American, she reminds me of Courtney McCool. Yet has never trained ballet.
Laurie’s one of the few junior gymnasts that have been named to the U.S. National Team.
Episode 41: Laurie Hernandez & Coach Maggie Haney
You can listen to the interview from that link. And watch recent highlight routines from Brinn Bevan, Maria Kharenkova, Kim Janas and more.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 