Bailee Boehmer uses her position as a gymnastic coach not only to teach young girls how to reach their potential in the sport, but also the importance of having God in their lives.
Boehmer’s days are filled with pirouettes, somersaults and ornamental movements. What could be considered a punishment for some, others call a piece of heaven on earth. Boehmer spends most of her time in the gym with active and energetic children.
Boehmer is a senior graphic design student with a minor in business administration. What most people do not know about her is that Monday through Friday, she works with kids at Upward Bound Gymnastics, a local gymnastic house in which she can be a role model and influence young women with her joy and grace.
Boehmer began gymnastics at the age of six and has been involved ever since, giving her the experience required to be a coach. According to her, gymnastics is not only her favorite sport but her passion.
She started leading gymnastic classes in 2012 at the age of 14. Since then, she feels that she has grown a lot—not only as a teacher, but as a person.
“I needed money, and I also wanted a job that I could enjoy. So I thought, why not combine those two things? Why not become a gymnastic teacher?” explained Boehmer. “I talked with the owner of the gym. I made him an offer, and he said he would be more than glad to have me as a coach. That was how my coaching career started.”
According to Boehmer, what motivates her is the reminder that she is able to grow alongside the girls throughout the years spent at the gym. She said that the gym is a place where she can go and forget about schoolwork for a while.
Brooklyn Harcase, one of Boehmer’s students, said, “I love Coach Bailee. She is the best. What I like the most about her is that she always has fun practices for us, and she doesn’t require a lot of conditioning.”
Despite her involvement and passion about gymnastics, Boehmer does not see herself pursuing a full-time coaching position in the future. She believes she is ready for new challenges and wants to explore her skills in the graphic design area.
“Being around kids can be exhausting. The secret is to keep yourself energized and fresh at each practice.” said Boehmer.
Michelle Morrill, mother of one of Boehmer’s students, said “We could not have chosen someone better to be our daughter’s coach, to spend so much time with her, and to set the example. Bailee is also involved in our church here at Siloam Springs and leads one of the Young Groups there. I think it is amazing, and I would love to see our daughter following her steps.”
Boehmer commented on her many commitments, “Time management is definitely a key point. It is hard to schedule my job, work-study and classes. I usually have to count on a lot of flexibility from my boss. If you have more than one responsibility in life, I genuinely believe that the most important thing to do is to be present with your body and mind and to not let the responsibilities overlap each other.”
She also likes playing guitar, writing, going on adventures, and spending time with people.
One of the most important aspects of gymnastics is confidence. At her work, Boehmer has to deal with the confidence of young women on a daily basis. She tries to motivate her students through scripture and showing them that they can do anything if they put God first.