Catching up with 'Coach of the Year' Aimee Boorman

Coming into the 2013 season, Simone Biles was just the newcomer. Not many people knew her, nor did they expect her to have the success she did. Fast forward a year later and she is a gymnastics superstar- National Champion, World Champion, and the queen of throwing all the crazy skills we never imagined were possible. Under the guidance of her long time coach Aimee Boorman, Simone has taken the gymnastics world by storm. Just a few weeks ago, she claimed her second consecutive National title by a landslide. At those championships Aimee and Simone were recognized for their success and were voted 'Coach and Gymnast of the Year' by their peers. Now with the World Championships a little under a month away, the duo are in the gym working hard to ensure more success in Nanning and beyond. We caught up with Aimee last week to hear her take on Simone's recent success and plans for the future. 

Photo Credit: John Cheng

Triple Twist: First of all, congratulations on being named Coach of the Year! What does it mean for you to earn that title and to have your gymnast named Gymnast of the Year as well?

Aimee: It was a great honor to be named Coach of the Year. Simone was thrilled by getting voted Gymnast of the Year.  It was an overwhelming year for both of us, so to be given that award from our peers was an amazing feeling.

Triple Twist: Can you talk about the progress Simone has made from her first year of elite in 2011 until now? How is she a different athlete?

Aimee: When Simone first started elite, she was very rough around the edges. She only did what was fun, and what she felt like doing. Over the past several years, she has come to realize that training for gymnastics is not always FUN, but it is always worth it. She understands that there are sacrifices that she has to make, but they all lead her to a greater place and greater experiences that most 17 year olds don't get to have.

Triple Twist: At this point it is evident that Simone is well above the rest of the field in terms of difficulty. Do you feel like adding more difficulty in the future is necessary?

Aimee: We are not so focused on "upgrading" her difficulty. If her routines become more difficult, it is because we just went along with her natural progression. Once a skill becomes so easy for her that she can do it in her sleep, we work on making it more challenging for her. Our main concentration for this year is to continue to improve on her execution scores.

Triple Twist: Where are some places that you could realistically see Simone adding more difficulty in the future?

Aimee: Simone is capable of adding difficulty to all four events. We will plan to put new skills and combinations in routines as they become very consistent in practice. No promises on what or when!

Triple Twist: With all the success that Simone is having, how do you keep her grounded?

Aimee: Simone knows that she is winning, but I don't think she sees herself as being "successful". She is just Simone. She comes in and trains like the rest of her teammates, she is expected to get her school work done and she has chores at home. Her family is incredibly grounded, which of course, keeps her grounded. Her new found "celebrity" isn't even really a topic of conversation. We just keep doing our thing!

Photo Credit: Christy Ann Linder

Triple Twist: In your opinion, what is the key to success for an elite athlete?

Aimee: I don't think that there is a perfect answer to this question. Each athlete is different, each has different needs to find their success. Fortunately, we have found what works for Simone to get her to where she is. She loves to compete. She loves to play to the crowd. She loves cheering on the other girls. Those things keep her calm. Her "zone" is different than some of the other girls, but that is what works for her.

Triple Twist: What are some things that Simone is working on between now and the World Championships?

Aimee: We are just working on having really clean, consistent routines. That will be the key to being successful going into selection camp.

Triple Twist: Do you have a "plan" with Simone as far as how to keep her at the top for the next two years?

Aimee: We will continue to do what we are doing. If Simone is meant to be on top, that is where she will be. She knows what work needs to be done. You can never just sit back and expect things to happen for you in this sport. For now, my job is to keep her healthy and happy. If she does her job, and I do mine, her gymnastics will speak for itself.

Triple Twist: Can you give us the latest with the new gym? 

Aimee: Just this week we moved into a temporary facility, which we refer to as "The Warehouse". We started our team workouts this week and we will begin classes next week. The final location is still being worked on. We will be at the Warehouse until then. We were really fortunate that AIM Athletics allowed us to train out of their facility for so many months, but it is good to be in our own place.

Photo Credit: World Champion Centre Facebook Page