Valorie Kondos Field
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Coaches Biographies VALORIE KONDOS FIELD UCLA head coachValorie Kondos Field has positioned her Bruins as one of the premier programs in collegiate gymnastics. Not only has she consistently recruited and coached some of the top talent in the world, but she has produced the results. The Bruins won their \ rst NCAA championship in 1997 under Kondos Field and won again in back-to- back seasons in both 2000-2001 and 2003-2004. In 2010, UCLA won its sixth NCAA title with a 24-for-24 performance in the Super Six. UCLA has remained the Leader of the Pac under Kondos Field's tenure, winning 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, to go along with 15 NCAA Regional titles. Kondos Field emphasizes a team concept, but her student-athletes have also found individual success, winning 25 NCAA individual titles during her years as head coach, including 22 in the last 13 years. But even with all of her successes on the court, what gives Kondos Field most satisfaction is seeing Head Coach her student-athletes succeed in all facets of their lives. Academics is a big part of that equation, and 22nd Year Kondos Field's teams regularly place members on UCLA '87 the Conference All-Academic teams and Scholastic All-American squads and annually contend for the Career Highlights school's team GPA award. continued. "That inner voice, known as integrity, is vital With legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden in living life to its fullest and enjoying the journey in #2010, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1997 NCAA as her role model and cherished friend, Kondos Field's every aspect of life." Championships coaching philosophy stresses balance and integrity. Kondos Field's professional journey has been a unique #2001, 2000, 1997, 1996 National Coach of "Growing up in the classical dance world, I spent the one. A former professional ballet dancer with the the Year majority of my youth in a very disciplined environ- Sacramento Ballet, Capital City Ballet and Washington, D.C. Ballet, she initially got her start in gymnastics at #2003, 2000, 1995 Pac-10 Coach of the Year ment," she said. "The reward was the self-satisfaction that came from the culmination of months of hard Agilites in Carmichael, Calif. by playing the piano for #15 Pac-10 Championships and 19 Regional work in preparation for our performances and know- ] oor exercise music. From there, she became a dance Championships as head coach and assistant ing I did my best to become the best I was capable coach, and under the guidance of former University of coach of becoming. The reward wasn't monetary or about Minnesota co-head coach Jim Stephenson, learned the #Coached 16 athletes to 31 NCAA Individual 'winning'; instead, it was being able to have pride in fundamentals of the sport. In 1983, she was hired to be UCLA's assistant coach and choreographer. While Championships a job well done." working under head coach Jerry Tomlinson, Kondos "In a sport as subjective as gymnastics, it's important to #2010 UCLA Athletics Hall Of Fame Inductee Field helped put UCLA Gymnastics on the map with have an honest internal voice that knows when you've their distinctive choreography and ] air. The Bruins done your best even if your 'score' says you didn't 'win', earned NCAA runner-up \ nishes in 1984 and 1989 and conversely knowing when you can push harder Year by Year Results and won six NCAA individual titles from 1987-89. Year Record Pac-10 RegSl NCAA even if your 'score' says you are the 'champion'," she 1991 19-5 2nd 4th O 1992 14-5 3rd 2nd 9th 1993 19-3 1st 1st 4th 1994 25-3 2nd 1st 5th 1995 26-5 1st 1st 4th 1996 15-6 4th 1st 2nd 1997 23-2 1st 1st 1st 1998 16-6 4th 2nd 5th 1999 20-5 1st 1st 5th 2000 25-5 1st 1st 1st 2001 23-2 2nd 1st 1st 2002 22-5 1st 1st 3rd 2003 19-2-1 1st 1st 1st 2004 15-5 2nd 1st 1st 2005 20-3 1st 1st 4th 2006 21-6 2nd 3rd O 2007 15-6 1st 1st 4th 2008 18-6 3rd 2nd 7th 2009 17-3 1st 2nd 7th 2010 17-3 1st 1st 1st 2011 16-8 2nd 1st 2nd Total: 405-94-1 (.811) 4 2012 UCLA Gymnastics Coaches Biographies Kondos Field was appointed head coach of the Bruins in 1991 and brought in Scott Bull as her co-head coach. The duo earned West Region Co-Coach of the Year honors in 1993 What TheySre Saying G and in 1994. As the sole head coach in 1995, she earned Pac-10 and West Region coaching PThe vibrant personality of Valorie carries over in her work with the honors and guided her team to \ rst-place \ nishes at the Pac-10 and Regional Championships. young ladies under her supervision. ItSs no wonder that all of them are so Just one year later, she led the Bruins to a runner-up \ nish at the NCAA Championships, enthusiastic about their sport.Q and in 1997 she became just the fourth coach in NCAA history to win a national title. - John Wooden, Hall of Fame coach Kondos Field's accomplishments did not go unnoticed. She was selected by her peers as the NACGC/W National Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001. She was also named PISve known Val since she helped me on my ] oor exercise routine before the Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1995, 2000 and 2003. In 2010, she was inducted into the the R84 Olympics. She has since become a good friend to me and my wife, UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. Donna, a former Bruin gymnast. She represents UCLA with class and character both on and off the gym ] oor. Valorie is a great coach, but an She is recognized as one of the top beam and ] oor choreographers in the sport. Under her even better person.Q guidance, UCLA has formed a reputation of having the most unique and artistic routines in the nation. Kondos Field has choreographed 16 NCAA championship routines on beam - Peter Vidmar, UCLA R83, NCAA and Olympic champion and ] oor, including an unprecedented three consecutive on ] oor from Kim Hamilton from PThere were many reasons for why I chose to come to UCLA, but the 1987-89. She also earned the Choreography of the Year Award at the 2004 Canadian National most important one was Miss Val. From the moment I met her, I knew Championships for Kate Richardson's ] oor exercise routine. that she cared about me as a person and not just as an athlete. Through- Kondos Field has also come to be recognized for her recruiting ability. Since becoming head out my four years of being on the UCLA Gymnastics team, Valorie coach, she has attracted to UCLA some of the top talent in the U.S. and abroad, includ- emphasized qualities such as integrity, leadership and teamwork. What ing Olympians Samantha Peszek, Mohini Bhardwaj, Kate Richardson, Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, she cared about most was that we graduated far better people than we Tasha Schwikert, Kristen Maloney, Jamie Dantzscher, Yvonne Tousek, Stella Umeh and Luisa were starting out. What I realized was that by becoming the best person Portocarrero; and World Championships competitors Lena Degteva, Doni Thompson, Leah I can be, I also became the best athlete I can be. Valorie is the reason why Homma, Jeanette Antolin, Holly Murdock, Ashley Peckett, Marci Bernholtz, Lichelle Wong, UCLA Gymnastics has become the number one program in the nation.Q Sydney Sawa and Mattie Larson. - Lena Degteva, UCLA R01, NCAA champion More impressively, however, under Kondos Field's tutelage, many of these top recruits went on to compete at the elite level both during and after their collegiate careers. In the sum- PHaving known Valorie since the early R80Ss, ISve been privileged to witness mer of 2010, Vanessa Zamarripa made the U.S. National Team with an eighth-place \ nish the evolution and maturation of a truly remarkable coach; from an unques- at her \ rst U.S. Championships. In 2004, Kate Richardson became only the second female tionably talented choreographer to a highly-respected and greatly admired gymnast to compete at the Olympic Games as a collegiate athlete. She was joined in Athens head coach. Her ability to recruit the nationSs most talented gymnasts year by another Bruin, Mohini Bhardwaj, who captained the U.S. team to a team silver medal after year is not the key to her success. To the contrary, the RadvantageS three years after her senior season at UCLA. Both Richardson and Bhardwaj quali\ ed for of working with high-level talent often presents its own challenge. Elite the ] oor exercise \ nals, with Bhardwaj placing sixth and Richardson placing seventh with athletes frequently come to college with RbaggageS (e.g., fatigue, nag- her Kondos Field-choreographed routine. In 1999, Kondos Field coached then-UCLA junior ging/chronic injuries, negative experiences), and ValorieSs calm, nurturing, Heidi Moneymaker at her \ rst USA Championships, and Moneymaker, Bhardwaj and Lena supportive approach - along with her foremost ambition to graduate self- Degteva all represented UCLA at the 1999 World University Games. suf\ cient, self-con\ dent young women - allows these gymnasts to adjust A 1987 UCLA graduate in history, Kondos Field is also a freelance choreographer with to a collegiate environment and succeed anew within that arena. ValorieSs extensive experience in the entertainment and gymnastics \ elds. She has helped to create, ego never enters the mix.