Review by Gymnastics Coaching editor Rick McCharles

Pacific & Court Publishing sent me a review copy of a new book by Julia Konner — Perfect Balance.

Published August 2024.

It’s very good. I recommend it for coaches, parents, and serious older gymnasts.

It’s science based, but easy enough to read for every teenager.

Coaches can read this book to remind of important principles for being successful in Gymnastics and Life.

Gymnasts can treat it as a fill-in-the-blank workbook, if they prefer.

Honest and up-to-date. I found nothing with which I could disagree. 😀

I liked the section titled Handling the Hardships of Gymnastics.

The chapter on Quitting, best of all. This should be recommended to any older gymnast contemplating hanging up the grips.

Gymnastics is a master teacher of how to fail. More important, it is a master teacher of how to overcome failure. As a gymnast, you deal with so much failure that after a while it doesn’t seem so scary. Many people avoid challenges because they are so afraid to fail—but not you. You know that when you fail you are one step closer to success. You also know that failure is a normal (and helpful) part of life.

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Julia Konner, MPH, CHES, is a former collegiate Division 1 student-athlete and coach with over 16 years of competing as an artistic gymnast. Through her many years as a club athlete, collegiate athlete, and team captain, she has faced her own adversities through injuries, body image issues, and impact that training 30+ hours/week has had on her social life.

Over the years she has helped countless young and college-aged athletes navigate the ups and downs of the complicated, arduous, and time-consuming sport of gymnastics.

Through her personal experience and intricate knowledge of the sport, Konner provides evidence-based advice for young gymnasts at every level. She holds a master’s in public health (MPH) from the University of California, Davis.

During and after finishing her graduate work, she worked in research and program management related to prevention and mitigation of chronic diseases through healthier lifestyle habits.

She remains active as a competitive CrossFit athlete, focused on both the physical side of strength as well as the mental. She currently lives in Washington, DC, and works in public health.