Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Springing Forward with Assistant Coach Whitney Snowden
3/23/2020 10:59:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Michigan State assistant gymnastics coach Whitney Snowden doesn't have to imagine what it is like to coach some of the best gymnasts in the country. She spent nearly a decade helping guide level 10 gymnasts, but she knew she wanted a new challenge.
Snowden is in her first year on MSU's staff, and is bringing her vast coaching experience from the club level to the collegiate scene.
She was ready to share her expertise and help shift the culture of Michigan State gymnastics.
Snowden's goal was to experience a different side of coaching and the opportunity to coach at MSU was what she was looking for.
"I was so excited when the job first posted because of my previous experience with Nicole (Jones) and Mike (Rowe)…Having met them previously, I respect their vision for the team and was excited to be a part of that," Snowden said.
For eight years, Snowden served alongside 1996 and 2000 Olympic coach Mary Lee Tracy at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. During this time she was also hired as a vault clinician for USA Gymnastics to educate coaches on vaulting techniques.
However, Snowden's most memorable experience to date came from leaving that full-time position in 2017 and "travel coaching" for a year.
"Different gyms would bring me in for clinics, camps or any sort of consulting. Instead of coaching the athletes, I focused on coaching the coaches, helping them to implement new techniques or ideas into their programs," Snowden said.
Snowden's main goal was finding a new way to cement progress.
Snowden was able to make a bigger impact working with multiple gymnasts from different states, instead of just the same group of gymnasts.
"If I go into a camp and I work with three kids, those three kids may get better. But if I can go in and work with three coaches and then those three coaches make their three groups better, than my overall impact is greater," Snowden said.
"I really felt like my coaching was more impactful this past year as a clinician. I was able to meet a ton of people and work with a million different kinds of kids. Being a traveling clinician was fun because you aren't working with the same group every day. You are working with different levels of gymnastics, in different cities all across the country," Snowden said.
Now, Snowden is off the road and happily in East Lansing coaching with Rowe and Jones.
Junior co-captain Lea Mitchell said she already feels the impact of Snowden's coaching.
"Working with Coach Whitney is amazing, I will say she is very tough, but it all comes with tough love. She really motivates you to do better and she pushes you to your potential. She really helps you
push for the details and knowing that you can do it by building your confidence," Mitchell said.
Sophomore Ashley Hofelich also feels Snowden's influence.
"Coach Whitney is a very good coach, it's very easy to take her corrections and listen to them. She's very detailed-oriented, after you take a turn she's always ready to give you correction, a drill or something to work on. And it's been very beneficial for this program, she pushes us, she motivates us and it's been really helping us in getting to where we want to be," Hofelich said.
Snowden is in her first year on MSU's staff, and is bringing her vast coaching experience from the club level to the collegiate scene.
She was ready to share her expertise and help shift the culture of Michigan State gymnastics.
Snowden's goal was to experience a different side of coaching and the opportunity to coach at MSU was what she was looking for.
"I was so excited when the job first posted because of my previous experience with Nicole (Jones) and Mike (Rowe)…Having met them previously, I respect their vision for the team and was excited to be a part of that," Snowden said.
For eight years, Snowden served alongside 1996 and 2000 Olympic coach Mary Lee Tracy at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy. During this time she was also hired as a vault clinician for USA Gymnastics to educate coaches on vaulting techniques.
However, Snowden's most memorable experience to date came from leaving that full-time position in 2017 and "travel coaching" for a year.
"Different gyms would bring me in for clinics, camps or any sort of consulting. Instead of coaching the athletes, I focused on coaching the coaches, helping them to implement new techniques or ideas into their programs," Snowden said.
Snowden's main goal was finding a new way to cement progress.
Snowden was able to make a bigger impact working with multiple gymnasts from different states, instead of just the same group of gymnasts.
"If I go into a camp and I work with three kids, those three kids may get better. But if I can go in and work with three coaches and then those three coaches make their three groups better, than my overall impact is greater," Snowden said.
"I really felt like my coaching was more impactful this past year as a clinician. I was able to meet a ton of people and work with a million different kinds of kids. Being a traveling clinician was fun because you aren't working with the same group every day. You are working with different levels of gymnastics, in different cities all across the country," Snowden said.
Now, Snowden is off the road and happily in East Lansing coaching with Rowe and Jones.
Junior co-captain Lea Mitchell said she already feels the impact of Snowden's coaching.
"Working with Coach Whitney is amazing, I will say she is very tough, but it all comes with tough love. She really motivates you to do better and she pushes you to your potential. She really helps you
push for the details and knowing that you can do it by building your confidence," Mitchell said.
Sophomore Ashley Hofelich also feels Snowden's influence.
"Coach Whitney is a very good coach, it's very easy to take her corrections and listen to them. She's very detailed-oriented, after you take a turn she's always ready to give you correction, a drill or something to work on. And it's been very beneficial for this program, she pushes us, she motivates us and it's been really helping us in getting to where we want to be," Hofelich said.
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