By K. Richard Douglas
The recent Olympics in Rio De Janiero put the sport of gymnastics front and center as the U.S. women’s team garnered international attention.
The skills of gymnasts often test the laws of gravity and logic as they achieve tumbling sequences that the average person could not imagine doing. The U.S. women’s team won nine gold and silver medals and took the team gold medal. Their coach, Martha Karolyi, characterized them as the best team ever.
Some of the the gymnastics greats who have become household names include Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, Kerri Strug and Kim Zmeskal. Add to those names, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, after this most recent Olympics. All of these gymnasts started learning the basics of gymnastics early in their lives, from dedicated coaches who guided them through the different levels of skills and technique.
This may seem like the last place that you might find an HTM professional, but that perception would be wrong. Linda Jones, a senior biomed technician at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg in the Fayetteville area of North Carolina, would be the exception. Jones has coached gymnasts for several years.
“When my oldest daughter was progressing quickly in gymnastics at a young age, her coach wanted me to start working with her at home. She (Laurie Dillon) would teach me how to correctly spot back handsprings, hand stands [and] backward rolls,” Jones says.
“That started back in 2004, when we lived at Fort Lewis in Washington State. As my daughter moved to higher levels/skills, I would learn those coaching techniques. I took and passed the USAG (USA Gymnastics) safety certification and began coaching part time at a gymnastics center. I now live in the Fort Bragg/Fayetteville area of North Carolina and coach at Omega Gymnastics,” she says.
Jones has done volunteer coaching, but her current sideline is a paid part-time position. She clearly loves playing the role of teacher or instructor.
“Kids have a way of making your day bright. They have a great desire to learn, and watching them progress by conquering skills and sometimes fears, is amazing. Plus, I love to teach (at gymnastics and at my biomed job). My future plan is to teach biomed classes of some sort. Either OEM or college level,” Jones says.
Coaching Expertise
“I have coached all Levels 1-10 — recreational and competitive — but mostly coach Levels 1-3. The ages of children I coach start at age 18 months — parent and me class — and can continue through teenage years. I have coached both boys and girls,” Jones says. “I have also coached tumbling classes for cheerleaders.”
Jones says that gymnastics training progresses through different skills as the gymnast gains more confidence and experience.
“At the lower levels, the students are learning the basics of gymnastics. As they move up in levels, the basic skills are built on. For example, a student will learn a bridge, then progress to back bend, then back walk over, back handspring and so on,” Jones explains.
“Skill building can be achieved through the use of mats/training equipment, repetition, and muscle development. For younger students, getting them engaged is achieved with a little imagination and creativity,” she says. “An example would be, if I told a young student to do a handstand, that may not be understood using those words. But if I ask/show them a ‘donkey kick’ that would get them mimicking that kicking action to get up to a handstand. Animals, objects, colors, counting, alphabets all aid in the learning of skills, especially when super young, but is not limited to that. Games that are fun and a little competitive influence skill development as well.”
Always Athletics
When not engaged in teaching tumbling skills or working on medical devices, Jones enjoys spending time supporting a variety of local sports. It’s a family affair.
“I am a huge sports fan. I will watch almost any sport. I love the competitive nature of it and the talent that can be displayed,” she says.
“Although, I am a huge Seattle Seahawk fan, local high school football games are where I spend my Friday nights during the fall season. I believe supporting local kids, whether by attending their sports events, music/theater events, etcetera, has an impact on their future success. Probably another reason I love to coach,” Jones says.
“Being a positive influence in a young life is a great feeling. I have two daughters. My oldest, who I mentioned, did competitive gymnastics up to Level 7, then switched to All-Star Cheerleading. She has just graduated high school this past June. My youngest daughter has tried multiple sports but volleyball is her favorite. She is a 10th grader and captain of her junior varsity volleyball team,” Jones adds.
Jones is a military-trained biomed and still works on base as a civilian.
“My biomed career began in the Army in 1992. I was trained at Fitzsimmons in Aurora, Colorado in the USAMEOS course; [which] now has been renamed and moved to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. After about 10 years in the Army, I hung up my beret and boots and transitioned back to the civilian life,” she says.
“I am currently working at Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg as a senior technician. My primary specialty is ultrasound and the patient monitoring network. At work, I love being able to ‘teach’ as well. It could be teaching classes, why or how a piece of equipment is used, teaching protocol, etcetera. And it could be to fellow technicians or to nursing staff, doctors, housekeeping, and so forth,” she adds.
Not only does the skill set of Jones’ students evolve, but she sees her own skills as a coach as a continual work in progress.
“For me, as a coach, I have to constantly learn new training techniques,” she says. “Learning can be achieved through hands-on training/coaching from a higher skilled coach, watching tutorials/videos, conferences, and knowing the requirements/skills for each level (USAG has changed those when necessary).”
“Sometimes just watching my peers teach their students will inspire new ideas to keep training exciting,” she says.
This biomed’s goal of being the best gymnastics coach has touched the lives of countless children in a positive way, just as her work as a biomed has benefited many patients.