Jenny Rowland has one life lesson she wants every Auburn student to follow.
"Work hard at whatever you do, and do something you love," said Rowland, Auburn's new assistant gymnastics coach. "Life is short; when an opportunity comes around, take it."
Rowland said her love of gymnastics developed at an early age in her home state of Indiana.
"I was seven, and a neighbor convinced me to come along to gymnastics practice at a local YMCA," Rowland said.
Rowland would go on to compete both nationally and internationally on the U.S National Team.
Following her successful stint as a U.S. gymnast, Rowland began competing on a collegiate level with Arizona State University, where she was named an All-American.
When Rowland's career as an athlete ended, she continued to work with the sport she loved by coaching club gymnastics teams.
Rowland was then offered a chance to coach at the University of Oklahoma.
Her success in the sport continued as she helped lead the Oklahoma team to a Big XII Championship.
"After Oklahoma, I worked in a nongymnastics-related field, but to stay involved with gymnastics, I started to judge," Rowland said.
Prior to finding out about the position at Auburn, Rowland was still working as a judge on the national and international level.
However, when Rowland heard there was an opening at Auburn, she knew she wanted to get back to working with the sport full time.
Though Rowland was excited about the opportunity, she waited until she was able to bring her family to Auburn for a visit to make any decisions.
"I had a good feeling about what was to come, and my girls were really excited," Rowland said.
Rowland was hired as the assistant for head coach Jeff Graba.
As the assistant coach, Rowland has a part in all of Auburn gymnastics, but is also responsible for coaching beam.
While Rowland just arrived in Auburn Oct. 18, she puts in nine to 10 hours of work each day on average.
She is already hitting the recruiting trail.
"I am very excited to be adding Jenny to our staff," Graba said. "She has a vast knowledge of gymnastics, and her experience as a judge, coach and competitor at the highest levels of our sport will be invaluable to our program."
Rowland said she is also enjoying working with the rest of the new coaching staff.
"We have very similar ideals," Rowland said. "We think the same, and have the same philosophy. We are very cohesive."
According to Rowland, all the coaches want the athletes to work hard, but also find the fun in gymnastics.
Rowland's personal dreams for the Auburn team include more than just championships.
Rowland wants her athletes to become not only better gymnasts, but also better students and well-rounded individuals.
Rowland said she believes her experience in all areas of gymnastics will help Auburn develop a more successful gymnastics program.
"My prior experiences allow me to give ideas on what works and doesn't work in the attempt to be successful," Rowland said.
Kylie Shields, a junior all-around gymnast, said she has already begun to see the benefits of such a well-rounded coach.
"I think Jenny's success as a gymnast will directly influence our team in so many positive ways," Shields said. "Not only does she have the expertise in this sport through her accolades, but she also has the eye and the feel of what we are doing.
"She knows what it takes to be a top performer and will be able to teach us through her experiences."
To be a successful gymnast, one must put in a lot of hard work.
In addition, one of the most important skills a gymnast must develop is time management.
Rowland said she feels most gymnasts have already developed this skill prior to college, but wants to remind them how life outside of the gym is also important.
"I want the girls to learn to leave life at the door on the way into the gym and enjoy it when they leave," Rowland said.
The Auburn Gymnastics team will face LSU in its first home meet of the season at 7 p.m. Jan. 14 in the Auburn Arena.
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