Don’t Call Them an Underdog with Tanya Chaplin
Samantha Peszek is on a mission to connect athletes, coaches, and parents with the best resources the gymnastics world has to offer. Utilizing Samantha’s gymnastics network, (she really does have cool friends) guests will be experts in their field and shed a light on hot topics, tips for improvement, and inspiration. Listeners will have the opportunity to learn from some of the sport’s greats, participate in giveaways, and apply relevant tips to everyday life, in and out of the gym.
Sam welcomes to the podcast Oregon State University women’s gymnastics head coach, Tanya Chaplin. Tanya’s experience in the gymnastics world is quite extensive. As an athlete competing at UCLA, she was a six-time All-American and a two-time PAC-10 Gymnast of the Year winner. She also competed in the 1983 World Championships in Budapest and competed in the 1984 Olympic trials. Over the course of her twenty-two year coaching career, she has earned PAC-12 Conference Coach of the Year five times. In this episode, Tanya discusses her team’s accomplishments this season as they prepare to compete at Nationals. She shares her coaching insights on mindset, motivation and success. Finally, Tanya details how she is planning for the continued success of her gymnastics program.
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Key Takeaways
- Sam thanks her sponsors, Tumbl Trak and Destira
- Introducing today’s guest, Tanya Chaplin
- Sam and Tanya recall early memories of each other
- Tanya breaks down Oregon State’s performance at Regionals
- How Tanya and her team reacted knowing they had a great chance of qualifying
- Tanya talks about the changes she implemented this year
- Tanya’s coaching style
- The importance of mental training
- Training adjustments Tanya has made this year
- How personal growth has contributed to Oregon State’s success
- Tanya’s first thought when she realized they were going to Nationals
- What went into the decision to alter the lineup at Regionals
- Changing the mindset
- How Tanya prepared her team for two days of competition
- How Tanya kept her team motivated throughout competition
- The message Tanya gave her team going into the last rotation of Regionals
- What Tanya will tell her team as they go into Nationals
- 31:16 — Sam takes a moment to thank her sponsors once again
- 32:25 — Tanya’s thoughts on the new postseason format
38:36 — Tanya gives her predictions on which teams be the Four on the Floor - The Leotard Question
- Tanya answers more fan questions
- Sam and Tanya discuss the collegiate gymnastics judges
- What sets Oregon State University’s gymnastics program apart from others
- Tanya’s global recruiting process
- Traits Tanya looks for in her ideal recruit
- Tanya gives a timeline on when Jade Carey will join the program
- How Tanya is planning for the continued success of her program
- Tanya reveals one thing people can do to get 1% better each day
- Sam gives a big thank you to listeners of the I Have Cool Friends podcast
Tweetable Quotes
“The mental training is just as important as the physical training.”
