Janelle McDonald hopes to rebuild UCLA gymnastics with passion, positivity
LA TimesJanelle McDonald, UCLA’s new gymnastics coach, says she will put the interest of student-athletes first when rebuilding a program that has not qualified for the NCAA meet the last two years. “I want to create a really inclusive environment where everybody feels like somebody, and they know they have a voice here and can be a part of building the culture of the team.” UCLA’s dominance in the gymnastics world is teetering after the Bruins missed the NCAA championships in back-to-back years. “Looking at people like Miss Val, it really inspired me to think, you know what, to be a great coach and be a great leader, you don’t necessarily have to have walked in those shoes yourself,” said McDonald, whose Twitter profile boasted nearly 1,200 followers as of Tuesday afternoon, more than double the roughly 550 followers she had before being named UCLA head coach. Whether they come from a college or club coaching background or are UCLA alumni, it’s about “the right fit for the person,” McDonald said.
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