“Coach Lisa! Did You See Me!”
“Coach Lisa! Did You See Me!” by Lisa Mitzel, President, Zen Tiger Mind A few years ago, I had a temporary gig to coach a team of level 4 gymnasts in the springtime. It was upgrade season, or “play time” in gymnastics to learn new skills. And while the owner was looking to hire a new coach, I was the sub. The nine girls I coached were 8-11 years old, and they were starting to do bigger tumbling skills on floor: side aerials, punch front tucks, and the big kahuna, round-off, back handspring, back tuck. Technically, these girls needed a lot of work. But my goodness, how they were ready to send their bodies flying through the air! One day, their energy was popping off the gym walls. I told them, “Choose a skill you want to learn, and I’ll help you.” With happy eyes, they took turns, attempted flips, and giggled. They looked at me and said, “Coach Lisa! Did you see me! I almost landed on my feet!” They tumbled, flipped, and landed in the soft resi-pit, first, and quickly they wanted to do the skills on the hard floor. I felt like a kid myself, watching them, coaching, and cheering for them. I had nearly forgotten the childhood thrill of punching into the air and doing new flips with my body. Practice became organized chaos as I let the girls “play.” I requested they focus on small technical improvements. Tiny ones. I complimented them, I reminded them to focus, and abracadabra, they got better! I was so happy, I said, “You’re so close, I know you can do it!” After one girl made a side aerial for the first time, she ran to another coach and shouted, “I did it! I learned a side aerial!” And she ran back to do more. What was happening was incredible—it was freedom. Freedom to take risks, flip, and fly. Freedom to play in the gym, instead of quietly following instructions. Freedom to try something new, learn from mistakes, and just feel excited about learning. Five out of nine girls learned a new skill that day, and their confidence got a big boost. Isn’t it amazing what kids can do when we mix in the ability to choose and the freedom to play? As I wrote in the blog “A Partnership Across the Ocean,” Zen Tiger Mind and Quatro Gymnastics have a mission to support gymnasts in developing healthy minds and bodies and confidence in gymnastics and life. #
A Partnership Across the Ocean
A Partnership Across the Ocean by Lisa Mitzel, President, Zen Tiger Mind We are thrilled about our new global partners, Quatro Gymnastics! Who wakes up and finds they have a new partner across the world? Well, I do. When I started my new company, Zen Tiger Mind (ZTM), I knew our mission to integrate mental health into sports would only be as strong as our products and our connection with like-minded people. I wanted to collaborate with other companies yet I didn’t know the steps or how fast the opportunity would come. Well, it arrived quickly! In 2022, in the same month of launching our company, I was in Tampa, FL, and San Jose, CA, which brought me together with reps of many leotard companies. By chance, a coach I know in So California, Tara Treacy, is also a rep for Quatro Gymnastics. She said, “I love your mats and designs. I think our company might be interested in working together.” Soon after, Tara introduced me to Kelly McKeown, President of North America and Global Sales, and Gina Pribil, Director of Marketing in the U.S, and I felt an immediate vibe. These Quatro women are intelligent, kind, and creative go-getters! After several meetings and getting to know each other, I could tell these women got it – that our mission for mental health in gymnastics is simple to practice and really transformational for kids and coaches. They loved ZTM’s fun animal characters, natural scenery, and the mental-health exercises in our Mental Power Station. They said they wanted to see how we could weave our creative ideas together and form a partnership. As the ZTM president, I said a “Yes!”, believing that Quatro was a perfect fit to join us in promoting and advocating for Mental Health and Wellness for young gymnasts everywhere. By the way, I learned that Quatro Gymnastics is not any clothing or leotard business. They are one of the premier performance and training wear companies based in the UK, plus, one of the fastest growing global companies that is family owned and run. For Zen Tiger Mind, it’s like a dream. Like reaching out across the ocean and holding hands with new exciting friends. We collaborated on a super special “mental power” leotard that’s coming out any day now, Quatro is hosting exciting events, “Lights, Camera, Sparkle,” with Zen Tiger Mind products on board, they have the amazing Trinity Thomas and Kara Eaker as superstar ambassadors, and there’s more incredible news to announce for the summer of 2023. So watch the Quatro-Zen Tiger Mind journey! Together we will lift up gymnasts everywhere with incredible training wear and impactful mental tools, and we’ll give kids a better chance to be healthy while reaching their goals. Expand the culture with us! To be Zen, to be free to perform, and feel healthy and beautiful inside and out. #