you really understand of a man who struggled to survive under Ceausescuâs regime? Who defected with his wife but was forced to leave his daughter behind, with the knowledge that it might take years to get her out of Romania? Can you comprehend what it takes to help a young girl recognize her potential and then live up to her dreams . . . dreams that are enormous and beyond the reach of almost anyone in the world? How much can I really understand Bela, for that
matter? I can only tell you what I perceived then and what I believe today. You will have to make your own judgment on this subject.
Bela Karolyi is a great coach; he is a masterful motivator and a powerful man who is as complex as any human being. I do not know the details of his coaching relationships with other gymnasts, but I do know that he is a good person. He motivated me as well as the rest of our team by the sheer force of his personality, which could be incredibly fun and animated when we tried our best or disappointed and somber when we failed him and ourselves. Because we all knew that Bela was a skilled coach and a fair man, we took his coaching very seriously. But Bela also understood how to read our emotions, and when he sensed we were tired, heâd devise countless games that combined fun with the conditioning exercises we still needed to do to complete our workouts. Weâd have races while doing backbends or hold each otherâs feet in the air in a wheelbarrow position, using our arms to scamper across the floor exercise mat. Bela used fun, discipline, and our powerful desires and personalities in combination with his own to motivate us to strive for success.
Bela and I did not always see eye to eye, and as I grew up, we needed time and distance to help us both deal with the changes that came. But he was never cruel to me. Fierce, yes; a tough disciplinarian, yes; and fairâalways. Plus, he was funny. I know that when Bela came to the United States, he didnât speak the language. Maybe some of the things he said to his gymnasts then didnât quite translate into humor. But thereâs also a big difference between the cultures of Romania and America.
Four years after Bela arrived in the United States, he made Mary Lou Retton into a top-notch gymnast, and
she won Olympic gold. For a little while, everyone thought Bela was great . . . but happy endings are only interesting for a short time. Itâs controversy that sells. Bela single-handedly refashioned the U.S. system of gymnastics. In order to be competitive with the Soviets and Romanians, he told American girls that they had to practice six hours a day, not three. He would have loved to find a way for his gymnasts to work less and be that good. But it just wasnât possible. The secret of success was the three extra hours. Everyone started to do it, and everyone got better. For the first time in its history, the United States began winning gold medalsâlots of gold medals. But when there is money to be made and when there are disappointed girls and parents, there is always the danger of being targeted by unhappy people. Iâm not saying that Bela has always done the right thing, for itâs impossible for a human being to be right all the time. But only he and the gymnasts in question know the truth of their situations. I was not there, so I can only tell you what I know of my old coach.
Bela always believed that if a kid didnât want to work as hard as was necessary to win, fine. But he wasnât going to waste his time on any gymnast who wasnât as committed as he was to achieving in the sport. Whatâs wrong with that? If a child just wants to play, then enroll her in a gymnastic program thatâs designed for play. If she wants to shoot for the moon, then work with Bela. It takes a great coach to train a great gymnast, and not all coaches can work effectively with certain girls or boys. Finding the right coach who can bring out a
matter? I can only tell you what I perceived then and what I believe today. You will have to make your own judgment on this subject.
Bela Karolyi is a great coach; he is a masterful motivator and a powerful man who is as complex as any human being. I do not know the details of his coaching relationships with other gymnasts, but I do know that he is a good person. He motivated me as well as the rest of our team by the sheer force of his personality, which could be incredibly fun and animated when we tried our best or disappointed and somber when we failed him and ourselves. Because we all knew that Bela was a skilled coach and a fair man, we took his coaching very seriously. But Bela also understood how to read our emotions, and when he sensed we were tired, heâd devise countless games that combined fun with the conditioning exercises we still needed to do to complete our workouts. Weâd have races while doing backbends or hold each otherâs feet in the air in a wheelbarrow position, using our arms to scamper across the floor exercise mat. Bela used fun, discipline, and our powerful desires and personalities in combination with his own to motivate us to strive for success.
Bela and I did not always see eye to eye, and as I grew up, we needed time and distance to help us both deal with the changes that came. But he was never cruel to me. Fierce, yes; a tough disciplinarian, yes; and fairâalways. Plus, he was funny. I know that when Bela came to the United States, he didnât speak the language. Maybe some of the things he said to his gymnasts then didnât quite translate into humor. But thereâs also a big difference between the cultures of Romania and America.
Four years after Bela arrived in the United States, he made Mary Lou Retton into a top-notch gymnast, and
she won Olympic gold. For a little while, everyone thought Bela was great . . . but happy endings are only interesting for a short time. Itâs controversy that sells. Bela single-handedly refashioned the U.S. system of gymnastics. In order to be competitive with the Soviets and Romanians, he told American girls that they had to practice six hours a day, not three. He would have loved to find a way for his gymnasts to work less and be that good. But it just wasnât possible. The secret of success was the three extra hours. Everyone started to do it, and everyone got better. For the first time in its history, the United States began winning gold medalsâlots of gold medals. But when there is money to be made and when there are disappointed girls and parents, there is always the danger of being targeted by unhappy people. Iâm not saying that Bela has always done the right thing, for itâs impossible for a human being to be right all the time. But only he and the gymnasts in question know the truth of their situations. I was not there, so I can only tell you what I know of my old coach.
Bela always believed that if a kid didnât want to work as hard as was necessary to win, fine. But he wasnât going to waste his time on any gymnast who wasnât as committed as he was to achieving in the sport. Whatâs wrong with that? If a child just wants to play, then enroll her in a gymnastic program thatâs designed for play. If she wants to shoot for the moon, then work with Bela. It takes a great coach to train a great gymnast, and not all coaches can work effectively with certain girls or boys. Finding the right coach who can bring out a
Similar Books
