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Ellen M., Chicago, IL Gymnastics Coach

Ellen M.

Gymnastics

SILVER
55 reviews

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Women's JO Gymnastics Coach/Choreographer/Clinician/Judge with 20+ years experience on all 4 events. Having trouble with a skill or need a new floor routine? I can help! View all coaching experience

This coach is unavailable to take clients at this time.

Training Locations
Training Locations
  1. Tri-Star Gymnastics Inc, 1401 Circle Avenue, Forest Park, IL
  2. Prairie Gymnastics Club, 1241 North Raddant Road, Batavia, IL
  3. ELITE SPORTS COMPLEX, 6360 Belmont Road, Downers Grove, IL

Coach is willing to travel up to 50 miles

  • University of Illinois--Chicago (IL)

  • 20 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Acrobatic, Vault, Uneven Bars, Trampoline, Floor Exercise, Balance Beam, Artistic

  • Tumbling, Straddle, Stick, Salto, Roll, Pike, Mount, Layout, Kip, Gainer, Frontflip, Front handspring, Flight series, Dismount, Cartwheel, Balance, Backflip, Back Handspring

Credentials

  • University of Illinois--Chicago (IL)

  • 20 years

  • Qualified Private Coach
    Passed Coach Course

Services

  • Adults, Kids, Teenagers

  • Acrobatic, Vault, Uneven Bars, Trampoline, Floor Exercise, Balance Beam, Artistic

  • Tumbling, Straddle, Stick, Salto, Roll, Pike, Mount, Layout, Kip, Gainer, Frontflip, Front handspring, Flight series, Dismount, Cartwheel, Balance, Backflip, Back Handspring

More About Coach Ellen

Gymnastics has been my #1 passion for most of my life, and I have over 20 years of gymnastics coaching and choreography experience--throughout the USA and Canada. In 2017, I became a judge and currently hold a IHSA High School, NAWGJ Level 10, and NCAA ratings.

Although I have coached all ages and levels, both competitive and non-competitive, my main area of concentration and interest is in Girls' competitive. My services would be perfect for any USAG Level 3-10, high school or college competitor. My main strengths as a coach include being a strong high-level spotter on all 4 events, ability to trouble-shoot difficult skills-making them eventually seem easy, and being able to identify skills that will serve a gymnast in her short and long term competitive and personal goals. A few things I am very good at and have proven success at include: training uneven bars at the pivotal point between Level 5-8, thus setting the athlete up with the proper building blocks for Level 9/10. Giant swings, clear hips, reverse grip training, all circling skills, kip cast HS, pirouetting, dismounts. I'm also a very confident and intuitive tumbling coach, and feel that I can see the direction a gymnast should go, based on her natural ability and what will serve her best; training bonus tumbling passes, I also love training acro skills on beam, introducing gymnasts to the possibilities that lie within them, and well as training routines to have good rhythm. I'm a stickler for good vaulting basics, as it is such a fast/power event, and details are so important. Emphasis on a strong approach (hurdle technique) for front entry vaulting and drills to introduce Yurchencko entry safely and early on.

Dance is also something I love, and I currently keep my choreography skills sharp by attending classes and clinics in in a variety of dance styles. Choreographing new floor & beam routines is one of my strengths, and brings me great joy--I love the opportunity to be creative and bring out the "athletic artist" that lies within each gymnast. It's important to me that the movement compliments the gymnast and the music, and I aim to come up with unique, eye-catching acro/dance combos--making up signature moves that can make a routine more fun and memorable!

Because I'm a coach and a judge, it makes me able to be kind of a "gymnastics corrector". I know exactly what judges are looking for at all compulsory & optional levels of USAG, AAU, and IHSA---and it has been an invaluable asset for me as a coach! Combining my coaching ability, knowledge of the rules, and experience judging, I'm able to pinpoint and correct questionable/problem areas a gymnast my have, and give her some "tips & tricks" that can increase confidence, performance quality, and ultimately raise those scores!

Here is a list of some of my certifications, accredidations, clinics, and achievements:

NAWGJ 2019 National Symposium, Fort Worth, TX
USA Gymnastics 2019 National Congress, Kansas, City, MO
USA Gymnastics 2019 Region 5 Congress, Grand Rapids, MI
USA Gymnastics 2019 IL State Congress, Sycamore, IL
USA Gymnastics 2018 National Congress, Providence, RI
USA Gymnastics 2018 Region 5 Congress, Louisville, KY
USA Gymnastics 2018 IL State Congress, Sycamore, IL
USA Gymnastics 2018 SafeSport Certified
USA Gymnastics 2018 Safety Certified
USA Gymnastics 2015 National Congress, Indianapolis, IN
2009 Yogaview 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Chicago, IL
USA Gymnastics 2008 National Congress, Philadelphia, PA
USA Gymnastics 2008 IL State Congress, Itasca, IL---Presenter
USA Gymnastics 2005 National JO Compulsory Clinic, Reno, NV
USA Gymnastics 2004 National Congress, Anaheim, CA
USA Gymnastics 2003 National Congress, Anaheim, CA
USA Gymnastics 2002 National Congress, Cleveland, OH
USA Gymnastics 2002 Region 6 Congress, Burlington, MA
USA Gymnastics 2001 National Congress, Philadelphia, PA
2001 Woodward Camp Coaches Training Program, Woodward, PA
USA Gymnastics 2001 Region 6 Congress, Lake Placid, NY
USA Gymnastics 2000 National Congress, Boston, MA
USA Gymnastics 2000 High Performance Camp, Downers Grove, IL
USA Gymnastis 1999 National Congress, Sacramento, CA
USA Gymnastics 1999 High Performance Training Seminar, Salt Lake City, UT
USA Gymnastics 1999 Region 5 Congress, IL
USA Gymnastics 1998 National Congress, Indianapolis, IN
USA Gymnastics 1997 National Congress, Denver, CO
1997 Woodward Gymnastics Camp Coaches Training Program, Woodward, PA
USA Gymnastics 1997 National JO Compulsory Clinic, Reno, NV
USA Gymnastics 1996 National Congress, Boston, MA
USA Gymnastics 1996 Region 5 Congress, MI
USA Gymnastics 1995 National Congress, New Orleans, LA
USAIGC Training Seminar, 1992, Oak Park, IL
USA Gymnastics Safety Certification, 1992
University of Illinois at Chicago, B.A. Anthropology, 1995

Former member of the UIC women's gymnastics team - NCAA Division 1; former USA Gymnastics club gymnast and tumbler; former USFS and ISI figure skating competitor. Competed in last competition at age 25-Level 10 BB and FX.

First, I will go through a quick warm-up that will compliment and properly prepare the athlete for the skill(s) to be focused on during the lesson. Drills for the focus skill will be set up using proper gymnastics mats, to enhance safety and comfort, thus creating an environment where a gymnast can feel confident to try something new with less fear. There will always be a touch of cardio/conditioning/stretching during warm-up and cool-down, but the majority of time will be spent on skill breakdown, acquisition and mastery--or whatever you want to focus on!

Action Photos

Client Reviews

Coach Ellen is excellent at breaking down skills into smaller pieces that my daughter understands. She is incredibly supportive and provides a lot of positive feedback.

(no details provided)

Our daughter has not only been getting closer to her goals in a few sessions with Coach Ellen, she has also remained motivated and inspired - only a truly excellent coach can accomplish this.

Coach Ellen is amazing. We work together virtually. Her corrections are just what my daughter needed. The coaches are noticing her improvement.

Coach Ellen is one of the best! Both my daughters have had multiple sessions with her and definitely recommend if you are looking to improve your child's performance outside their own gym.

Very impressed after only one session. Coach Ellen is very knowledgeable. Looking forward to seeing the progress over the next year.

Coach Ellen is an Amazing coach! After just one session my daughter figured out her Kip and how to properly run and jump vault.
Coach Ellen is not just great at spotting but also explaining of the mechanism behind gymnastics.
My daughter is a visual learner and coach Ellen is able to not just verbally capable to explain the skills but also can show gymnast how to properly do the skill with her little paper gymnast! Love her!

Coach Ellen has really helped my daughter's score improve. Ellen really takes the time to let us know where her deductions are and gives great feedback to use as a future reference. I would recommend Coach Ellen to anyone needing help with their routine or perfecting a gymnastic skill.

We have been thrilled with our sessions with Ellen. Her supportive and encouraging demeanor, coupled with her technical expertise, make her a wonderful coach. We are so glad to have her in our corner!

(no details provided)

Coach Ellen was very informative about what my daughter needs to work on and helped her fix those areas and gave great tips. I would recommend her a thousand times.

Very thorough when working with my daughter on her floor routine

Great coach! My daughter has learned so much during her sessions with coach Ellen, she has more confidence in her skills has improved greatly!

After not training for three and a half months from an injury, Ellen gave my daughter the extra boost she needed to confidently compete on beam and floor for her last few meets of the season where she was able to medal and show confidence in her routines. We will def routine to Coach Ellen for roadblocks and confidence boosts for my tiny gymnast.

We are so impressed and pleased with Coach Ellen that I've been struggling to find sufficient words to express what an amazing coach she is and what a difference she has made for our daughter, Julia, in just 2 2-hour sessions, but here goes. Coach Ellen is exactly what a coach should be. One of the things that we really wanted our daughter to get out of these sessions is self-confidence. After the very first 2-hour session, Coach Ellen instilled confidence in Julia and reignited her spark. And, unexpectedly but so encouraging -- she worked with Julia and in 2 hours, Julia had 3 new skills on beam and bars. In the second session, because of Coach Ellen's careful coaching, Julia got the shape for a layout that she has been trying to get all season but never had anyone work with her on the mechanics. She can't wait to get to the gym to keep working on it. She's also working on several new skills on beam, bars, and floor.
Julia reported that Coach Ellen is strict in her coaching but gives constructive criticism and also praises her when she does something well so that Julia feels energized and even more determined to perfect or attain a skill. I've also seen that Coach Ellen will work with Julia on a skill and then record her doing that skill. They then pause and look at the recording of Julia doing the skill while Coach Ellen points out things that are executed well, where Julia is going to get a deduction, and what Julia needs to do to fix her execution. Because of her unique background not only as a gymnast, coach, and gymnastics judge, Coach Ellen knows exactly what Julia needs to not only improve her skills but also to gain confidence, enjoy herself while achieving more, and get the best scores possible in all 4 events. And as a parent, one of the best things about Coach Ellen (in addition to seeing our daughter so excited, happy, and proud) is that she gives excellent feedback so that parents know what is being done at these sessions, how our child is doing, and what is planned for future sessions to further improve the child's skills. We will be continuing with Coach Ellen for as long as our daughter is involved in gymnastics and she is willing to coach Julia -- Coach Ellen is worth every penny and is the best coach I have ever personally worked with or seen (our daughter agrees).

Great Coach, really understands the positioning needed in bar skills and what skills are needed for each event. Will meet with again.

Coach Ellen is an amazing coach. I noticed major improvement in my daughter’s skills. I was so impressed that I drove 6 hrs for an in person session. I was beyond impressed and will continue ongoing sessions. I highly recommend her services!!!

(no details provided)

Ellen is a great instructor. My daughter learned a lot from her and most importantly had fun. It made me happy to see her so happy!

Ellen is great at reviewing step by step techniques for excellent results !

Coach Ellen was phenomenal!!! Her attention to detail is amazing and it helped my daughter be able to make changes to events she previously struggled with. The first session definitely helped boost my daughters confidence and we are looking forward to more sessions

(no details provided)

Coach Ellen has been great for my daughter. After the first session my daughter was happy because she felt like she learned new skills already. Ellen knows how to work with her strengths, gives good feedback and corrections. She explains and suggests skills that will help my daughter in her next competition season. We are looking forward to see great progress working with her.

(no details provided)

Coach Ellen was great! She gives great feedback and really pushes the gymnast to do her best.

Coach Ellen is great. She has really helped my daughter with her skills and she has greatly improved. Highly recommend hee.

I hired coach Ellen to do my daughters gymnastics choreography for optionals. She did a great job working and being patient with my 9 year old, and she was very professional. Would recommend her and will hire her in the future for any private lessons when the time comes.

Great Coach! My daughter loves training with Coach Ellen. She’s a top-notch Coach!!

Excellent session with Coach Ellen. The feedback during and after the session was very helpful. Looking forward to continuing with more training with Coach Ellen. Definitely would recommend her.

Coach Ellen knows what she’s doing! What my daughter couldn’t get in months, Coach Ellen was able to get her to do it after just two lessons! She’s very encouraging, professional, and great to work with!

Good advice

My daugher had a great lesson with Ellen. Coach spent time to get to know the goals and worked with her to make immediate progress.

Coach Ellen is very knowledgeable, encouraging and great t what she does. We are so happy with the training she is providing.

(no details provided)

Coach Ellen is a phenomenal coach! She really knew how to point out what my daughter, who's a level 9, was doing wrong, and what was causing her point deductions. Then she taught her step-by-step on how to do the skills properly, which made doing other higher skills easier. In just one session, my daughter improved tremendously. My daughter really likes her approach and said she was really kind. We are definitely doing more sessions!
Thanks Coach Ellen!

I am a little bit surprised by how well Coach Ellen handles an untrained guy like me. I thought there is nothing I can do at this age at 33, and yet after just one coaching session with Ellen, I have the motivation to go for the senior Olympics after I am older than 70. She is just fantastic at planning the course for everyone, no matter how unprofessional they are! I would recommend coach Ellen to anyone who is interested in gymnastics and has no chance of doing anything related to it for whatever reason.

I'm really happy to have worked with Ellen and look forward to more. She has been a fantastic gymnastics coach; creative, detail oriented, and she has great ideas. I'm looking forward to more sessions with Coach Ellen!

Coach Ellen was great! She's a breath of fresh air! She answered all of my questions & she's came up with solutions for my daughter! Ellen is a wealth of information regarding gymnastics! Her knowledge of the sport is definitely going to make it easier for my daughter to get her skills so she can move up!

We loved working with Coach Ellen! My daughter had been struggling to regain her kip and we hired Coach Ellen to give her some extra pointers virtually. Ellen was so personable and encouraging and we felt like we knew her for years. She gave my daughter some great pointers and exercises to help her along and she got her kip the very next week! Thank you, Coach Ellen!

Friendly, professional, and experienced

Coach Ellen was a great coach online. My daughter loved working with her. Directions were very clear and easy for my daughter to understand. Feedback was also clear and easy to follow to help correct mistakes. We will definitely book again while we are waiting for her gym to reopen.

It was a pleasure working with Ellen, my daughter was struggling with a few things on an event and Ellen was able too help immediately!! We are booking Ellen a few more times before her state competition, I Highly recommend Ellen for anyone looking too improve your son or daughters gymnastics!!

Session 2 was great. Declan has gained a lot of confidence and this past week during gymnastics practice he was doing a back handspring on a tumble track for the first time.

Coach Ellen is fantastic! I wish we would have found her sooner. In one session, she quickly pointed out areas that my daughter could make small tweaks and significantly impact her routine and scores. Because Ellen is a coach and a judge she can see what the judges see and can she can quickly coach the gymnast to improve the routine.

A lot of great tips to get me where I want to go. And many different ways to get me there. Ellen was patient, fun and knowledgeable. As an adult trying to learn gymnastics I wasn't sure I would be "coachable". Ellen made me feel at ease and addressed my questions and concerns.

Ellen is knowledgable, detailed-oriented, and friendly. We were impressed with her narrowly tailored plan of action to enhance the performance of my child athlete. Her coaching style was effective because she: 1) observed my daughter's execution of a skill, 2) demonstrated the proper form/technique, and 3) provided specific feedback to improve her performance of that skill. With this method, Ellen quickly fixed every skill that my daughter struggled with--on every event that we mentioned--in one visit. Ellen is a rare jewel, and we are forever grateful to her for helping to develop a stronger, better but also more technically sound athlete.

My daughter had a wonderful session with Coach Ellen. She was very insightful, knowledgeable and encouraging!

Ellen was very helpful and professional! We did an online video session where she was able to tell me and my daughter how to “clean up” and improve her routines, all of her deductions, help her with her form and show her drills to get better at these.

Coah Ellen helped my daughter tonight with fantastic tricks to improve her flexibility! Her knowledge of gymnastic are top notch and she continued to talk to my daughter during session explaining details on how the techniques worked and giving lots of encouragement, always keeping in mind my daughter's safety and the final goal we want to reach. My daughter needs to have flat splits in a few weeks and coach Ellen gave us a load of energy, strategies and enthusiasm that we can get there! we will definitely book her again soon!

Coach Ellen is a great coach.
After just one lesson I can see some improvements in my daughter skills.
I would recommend coach Ellen to everyone.

Ellen is amazing! She has really helped my daughter with her floor and beam routine. She knows what will look good and what will not. She really knows how to pull it all together.

We just finished a session with coach Ellen. She is an exceptional gymnastics coach. I am the grandmother of the gymnast and my granddaughter has been in gymnastics since the “terrible twos” and now at 11 years old she learned more today then she has ever, I learned a lot too, I was surprised how much I didn’t know! We are so very ready for competition now! Her (coach Ellen) knowledge of gymnastics is above and beyond what I would have ever thought! Her professionalism and hands on approach were excellent.
I am so happy with this “coach up” experience. I would for sure go this route, using coach up in the future!
Thank you coach Ellen!
Grandma

(no details provided)

Ellen is perfect. She listens, instructs clearly, immensely knowledgeable and makes it fun for my son.

Ellen is a great coach, not to mention one of my most favorite people! She brings her own passion and knowledge of the sport, along with much energy and positivity. She was my coach as an Optional level gymnast, and really pushed me to be the best athlete I could, not to mention person. She has a strong work ethic and is very encouraging at the same time. She has a wealth of information from her years of coaching, and has much experience through judging. She is creative, upbeat, and fun! I highly recommend her for all of your coaching needs.
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