In this episode, Casey chats with Aryn DeGrood, head gymnastics coach at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN. Coach DeGrood is entering her 11th year as head coach and she is also an alumnus at Gustavus where she competed as both a gymnast AND a track and field athlete.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Coach DeGrood talk about how it’s never too early to start reaching out to coaches and and why Instagram is one of her favorite ways to watch prospective athletes.

• Why she doesn’t rely just on scores, but rather on the whole athlete in her recruiting process.

• Why you don’t necessarily have to be a Level 10 to be a successful college gymnast.

• Why academics are a key part of her recruiting process.

• How she focuses on her athletes being “well-rounded humans” - both as a gymnast and as a future successful adult.

• How Coach DeGrood and Gustavus Adolphus support their athletes academically and with mental health.

• What a typical week looks like as a student-athlete as Gustavus.

Helpful Links:

Gustavus Adolphus Gymnastics: https://gogusties.com/sports/womens-gymnastics

School Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gustavusadolphuscollege/

Coach DeGrood’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coacharyndegrood/

See all of our interviews and get free college recruiting resources at: https://discovercollegegymnastics.com/

We’d love to hear from you! Email us: discovercollegegymnastics@gmail.com