Q&A with Kristen Maloney

Q&A with Kristen Maloney

Q&A with Kristen Maloney

Jun 14, 2013 by Elizabeth Stranahan
Q&A with Kristen Maloney

Kristen Maloney and the 2000 Olympic Team receiving their Bronze Medal in 2010. Photo by Ryan Shultz.

Bronze medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games, UCLA National Champ, and USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame inductee, Kristen Maloney has a lot to be proud of in her gymnastics career. This Thursday from 12PM-1PM, Gymnastike will be handing over our Twitter Feed to Kristen Maloney where she will answer YOUR questions.

But before we pass Maloney onto you, we had a few questions of our own. We recently caught up with Kristen Maloney to discuss her induction to the Gymnastics Hall of Fame, her current involvement in the sport as an assistant coach at Iowa State University, and her future plans for herself both in and outside the sport of gymnastics.

Gymnastike: You were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. Was this an accomplishment you thought a lot about, or did it come as more of a surprise?

Kristen Maloney: The hall of fame is something that just kind of happened. I never thought about it at all actually, or even thought it would be in the cards. It was a total surprise and shock to me really, which I guess made it that much more exciting and humbling when I got the call.

Does being inducted change the way you think about your gymnastics career?

I don’t think it changes the way I think about my career, but I think it changes the way other people view my career if that makes sense. For me to know that people in the gymnastics community, not just fans, thought that I was a good gymnast is probably the thing that most validates my career.

You are now entering your third year as assistant coach at Iowa State University, and your fourth year of coaching in the NCAA. As a relatively new coach to the college scene, do you find you are still learning and changing your coaching style, or have you pretty well established a rhythm and system that works for you?

While I have established a coaching style, it would be foolish to think that it isn’t constantly changing and evolving every year. I try my best to individualize my coaching when it’s appropriate, but there are things that will always be constant, like my expectation for each gymnast to be and do the best she can do with the skills she possess, just like the Coach Wooden quote [" Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming"] :). I will always be learning, and I hope to never stop learning about this coaching and gymnastics stuff.

What do you enjoy about coaching at the collegiate as opposed to club or elite?

I like the fact that I can talk to them as young adults and at this point their careers are their responsibility. Which can be terrifying as well let’s be honest! ...[S]eeing them grow and take control of their life is pretty awesome!

With the Cyclones, you got the chance to return to your alma mater UCLA twice this year, once in the regular season, and once for the NCAA National Championships. How was it to be back in Pauley Pavilion especially amongst all the renovations?

It was amazing to be in Pauley again! I love the renovations and think it looks beautiful! I feel like a lifetime has passed since being there. I have done so much since then it’s crazy to think about college life. It’s great now because most of the girls now have an idea of who I am but it’ll be a sad sad day when they don’t!

What are your long-term goals for coaching at the collegiate level? Is this how you want to be involved in gymnastics for the foreseeable future, or are there other aspects you'd be interested in participating in?
 
You know, my life goal is to lead a happy life. At this point in time I take the opportunities in front of me and decide what’s going to be the best for my overall happiness. When and if the right opportunity comes along I would love to be a head coach.

If you weren't coaching gymnastics, what would you be doing?

I would like to be a country super star! :)

Have your own questions? Kristen Maloney will be sitting down with Gymnastike for a live Q&A on our Twitter stream from 12PM-1PM CST this Thursday, June 19th. Send your questions to @gymnastike with the hashtag #AskKristen for live responses from Maloney herself!

To see more photos of Kristen Maloney receiving her Olympic Medal click here.

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