Former All-American gymnast Jenny Rowland wears many different hats.
Judge, competitor, mother, wife and now she is springing forward as the new Auburn gymnastics assistant coach.
Described by Auburn gymnastics head coach Jeff Graba as smart, talented, caring, fun and strong, Rowland has been quick to make her mark on campus.
After beginning her gymnastics career at the age of 7, Rowland has been given many opportunities.
At 13, Rowland felt she had done all she could do professionally in her home state of Florida, so she and her family packed up their bags and moved to Oklahoma to advance her gymnastics career, something Rowland is still appreciative of.
"My biggest idol is my mom," she said. "She did a lot to get me to where I am today. She's someone I strive to be."
While in high school, Rowland was a member of the USA National team from 1985-1990 and was the youngest member of the 1989 World Championship team that took her to Germany to compete.
She received a scholarship to Arizona State University where she was introduced to her husband, Garon, a two-time All-American gymnast.
At Arizona State, she was an uneven bar All-American in 1993.
After her freshman year at Arizona, Rowland left her scholarship and followed her future husband to the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated with a degree in health and sports sciences.
After working her way through school in Oklahoma, Rowland began leaning toward a career in physical therapy or attending PA school, but instead found her calling back in gymnastics.
From 2001-2006, she was an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma. While there, Rowland witnessed Oklahoma winning the 2004 Big XII Championship.
Rowland has held numerous corporate positions that include serving as an International Brevet Judge, a six-time USA Championship judge and the 2008 US Olympic Trials.
With the convincing of friends, she put in her application for a coaching position at Auburn and was hired in 2010.
"When I came out here it was not a very hard decision at all," Rowland said. "Meeting the coaching staff and seeing the university, it was a very easy decision."
Graba believes Rowland is a valuable addition to the team, not only because of her knowledge and well-respected reputation in the sport, but because of her passion for her athletes.
"I think her (coaching) style instills confidence in our athletes," Graba said. "That manifests itself on the competitive floor."
Rowland's philosophy is to help her players grow at the university level and teach good life skills so they are able to make the best decisions down the road.
"I've been able to accomplish many different avenues in this sport," she said. "I think all of those have helped me grow as a person and be able to give back to the sport."
The Auburn gymnasts believe that Rowland is the perfect coach to help them improve and push them on to succeed even more.
"I believe Jenny's advice and encouragement has helped us jump start our desire to get to the next level in the NCAA," said Kylie Shields, senior in health promotion. "I know she will have a great impact on the success of our team in future years."
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