1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - One-On-One with DP: October 27th, 3pm - Heather Brink (Husker Women's Gymnastics)

Episode Date: October 27, 2021

One-On-One with DP: October 27th, 3pm - Heather Brink (Husker Women's Gymnastics)Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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You bet, you win, you get paid, betus.com with promo code EB-125. It's time to go one-on-one with DP. Coming at you live from the couple Chevrolet GMC studios. Here is your host, Derek Pearson, presented by Beatrice Bakery on 93-7 the ticket and the ticketfm.com. Happy Wednesday, everybody.

Thanks for joining. We know the deal. You can communicate, add to the conversation, ask questions 402, 464, 566885. The Honda Lincoln Hotline, you can call in if you wish. Jump on the Sartar-Hamond text line. There's certain days when you need to have

the Sartar-Hamond video stream going. You can follow this on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. Jump on. The chat room's open there as well. Got a good one for you today. I'm actually thrilled. We've talked before, but this is the first time having her in studio. And you guys know how I get down.

Engagement is positive and good because she deserves it. Let's bring in. Husker Gymnastics coach, All-American Hall of Famer all around. There's a long list. Let's get you up close, coach. All right. There we go. Let's bring in Heather Brink from women's gymnastics.

First of all, thank you for doing this. Greatly appreciate it. Oh, absolutely. We appreciate all the coverage we can get for sure. Well, we're going to take care of that.

I like it. We're going to take care of that. Okay, so I can always tell who's been in the studio before me. Would you hit the A, the air, please? Kind, sir. Sorry.

Yeah. No, you can do that. So lots to go over. And you mentioned. the thing just now that coverage isn't always what it should be. And a part of what I'd like to do in this hour is to give all the exposure and have all the conversations. And I find you extremely interesting because your journey has been crooked and I love crooked stories. It has been a journey for sure and one with a lot of backstory, but definitely one that breeds

breathes, bleeds, Nebraska Red for sure. Well, that's part of what it is. So let's start at the beginning. I always, I love to ask people how they got here because nobody gets to this level. Nobody has this amount of success. Nobody has this journey without assistance, without guidance, without boundaries, without leadership and mentors. So let's start at that. Let's start at home.

Let's talk about the family. What's the message that you walk with that your family, implicitly gave you. You know, just dream big, work hard, that nowhere, no dream is too big. And sometimes you've got to sacrifice a lot to be able to get there and just continue to believe, you know, one foot in front of the other. My screensaver on my phone is the way an elephant is one bite at a time. And it's just a lot of hard work.

I think that that's not just my family, but Nebraska in general. I mean, I'm born here, born in Lincoln, Nebraska, raised here, raised around Nebraska athletics, got to be able to watch and dream and see a lot of the athletes before me, be able to achieve their dreams, and watch them be able to overcome their adversities and how it made them stronger as people and be able to give back to the community is been very important. Is it a greater responsibility being from here? Are you holding it in gentle hands because you know how important it is to the people who are born and raised here? You know, I just genuinely want Nebraska to succeed. The University of Nebraska, our athletic department, our teams.

I mean, when I was a little kid, we used to have practice in Mabelie Hall, which now has been torn down. And when the football team would score, we'd all run outside. and backflip on the lawn, you know, out in front of it. Got to be able to go watch volleyball games and just really had an opportunity to understand the passion and the support that our community. I think that's really what it comes down to is just the environment that our community and our fan base provide for those student athletes. To me, there's just nothing like it.

Like the sound of the crowd, you can hear it across the city, right, when the football team scores. I think that's really where the passion kind of comes from. Of course, this is my alma mater. So I want genuinely the program to succeed because that's my blood, sweat, and tears out on the mat too. And I realize and had the ability to watch the people in front of me share in those same experiences of kind of building Nebraska gymnastics to what it was or what it is. and kind of have a vision of where we're going for sure. When you say what Husker Gymnastics is,

that's kind of the GPS and the ideal version of this thing, right? And then in order to say that, you have to say where we are. So one, where is this program to your liking and satisfaction? Where is it? You know, I mean, I think we all have aspirations of, of always continuing to grow. So I think there's a lot in front of us. I currently in my office have a frame of my national championship leotard and trophies

hanging in there and a blank one next to it for the first team trophy. I think I've had a lot of mentors along the way, probably one of the most important for me as far as coaching roles. Dan Kendig was the head coach for me. He coached me as an athlete. I came into collegiate gymnastics not really understanding the team atmosphere, you know. I mean, when you talk about the elite world, it's dog eat dog, and you're out for your own success. And then coming into college, he was extremely patient with me.

Really helped me fall in love with a sport in a whole new level and understanding that I didn't really grasp until I had graduated and moved on. And so to me, Nebraska gymnastics really ultimately as a family. I think there's tradition built behind that. I loved my experience being able to watch the alumni in front of me. That's important to me. Also being able to experience it as a student athlete and just understanding, you know, the commitment and the dedication that it takes to get to that point. So now it's, to me, it's about giving back not only to Nebraska, not only to University of Nebraska or Nebraska athletics, but our sport.

And every year, women's gymnastics is, you know, ranked number one in like the Olympics, right? So I think giving back to that sport, allowing these young athletes or these young adults be able to transition from a high school club perspective to a collegiate perspective. and be able to do that in a way that allows them the opportunity to gain their strength, gain their purpose, gain their own journey, and be able to reach new heights. I mean, ultimately, that's my goal.

I have that blank frame hanging on my wall for a reason. How much of the conversations you have, whether it's recruiting or with the returning roster, is pointing to that empty space and going, okay, it's time to fill this. I mean, we talk about it all the time. I mean, it's a huge piece of the recruiting aspect and realizing and having the conversation with the recruits when they come in, we're not there yet.

We're not there. And I need people who are going to be committed to wanting to succeed, put in the work, make the sacrifices, dedicate themselves, and ultimately find the same level of passion that I have, not only for our sport, but for our university. and really kind of align the two visions so that we can continue to work together. It's going to take a lot of effort on both sides, right? Like, it's not just me, it's not just them. It's ultimately blending those two visions together.

But what's this young lady going to look like? Like, what's she going to look like? What character is she going to possess that make her uniquely elite? Life is back on sports bettors and Betts has your NBA, NHL, UFC, PJ, and yes, NFL betting lines up for their 27th year and live betting and all of it. Log in to BETUS.com or call 800792-3887. That's 80079 BETUS, BetUS for 125% bonuses with promo code EB-125. Customer service pros are ready to get your phone, social and online sports betting kickoff started now.

Play with the proven mainstay in the industry, BetUS. You bet, you win, you get paid, betus.com with promo code EB-125. I tend to really enjoy athletes who share what I consider to be the Midwest values, the hard work, the loyalty, the dedication. It's not always about finding the easy way to the top. There's a lot of hard work and a lot of things that go on behind the scenes. It's not just, you know, being in Devaney Center under those lights. It's everything that leads up to that.

And the people that really want to embrace that journey of growth, take ownership of that, right? And really be able to have some form of self-reflection so that we can continue to have those important conversations and what that looks like. and then getting that vision kind of aligned so that we can do that. I think ultimately, you know, if you're talking about like what they look like beyond those characteristics, you know, the family dynamic, the support of their of their parents and in that aspect. But somebody who really has goals, right? Like what are their goals? What are their goals individually, whether that's athletics, academics,

outside of both those realms? And are they willing to do the next? necessary work and make the sacrifices necessary to achieve those goals at whatever cost. Is that the toughest conversation to have with somebody that, whether it's a recruit or somebody that's here, is that maybe that line needs to be addressed? You know, there's always the conversations where you have to have, I don't even like the word confrontational, but you have to have the conversations with somebody, especially young adults, really. They're going to make mistakes and you got to be able to have those conversations

to kind of help them understand, you know, the principles, core values, a vision, and then just kind of redirect them. My standpoint is I prefer to educate the athletes so that they can make their own decisions. I mean, ultimately, when they're done with collegiate gymnastics, there's not like a pro level. It's not like we're going on to the NFL or the NBA or whatever, is to educate them and use my sport in a way that allows them the opportunity to become independent young women who have goals in their life and understand in order to get there, it's going to take some work or some commitment to be able to achieve those. So yeah, there's definitely opportunities that I sit down and have conversations with these young women. And I need them to

understand that it comes from a place of love. Right? Or, We're all about working towards achieving a team goal. And we're all on the same page. And whether that comes from them, you know, sometimes there's an accountability factor for them to even have conversation with us. But when it comes from a coach to an athlete, they need to understand or work really hard to help them understand that it's coming from a place of, I believe in you so much that I'm willing to hold you accountable to this standard that I think that you're capable. of achieving. We're talking to Huskers gymnastics head coach, Heather Brink. And I, we talk to coaches several times a week.

We talked to student athletes several times a week. And I have to be, I have to totally admit that when a coach uses the word love actively, it gives me greater faith in that coach. And I don't know how many people miss that. That look, can't leave what you don't love. and it's absolutely necessary. I'll ask you this, though, what's your favorite thing about doing this thing that you do 24 hours a day,

seven days a week? I mean, ultimately, it's that athlete that really just can't see the potential in them. And seeing them achieve what they thought or what they didn't think was possible and maybe even bigger, right? I love being able to stand on the sidelines. an athlete, you know, maybe at one time wasn't in a lineup, maybe wasn't able to do her skill or whatever it was, be able to stand there and watch her achieve that and then achieve it at such a high level under such immense pressure.

And then the team going crazy, right? Like just that immense pride that they get when they're like, oh, my God, I did it. I did it. I mean, there were so many times where I didn't think this was possible and I did it. whether that's a I mean ultimately I love it on the athletic floor I mean that's my that's my pride and joy but I also like it when I hold their feet to the fire a little bit within academics or you know so many of them have these aspirations or dreams of I mean we talk about things like what do you want to do in life when you're done like what does that look like and they're like

well my dream is this well why is that not possible why is that not possible you have to pay attention to your nose to make room for the yeses, right? Like is the no because you can't or you're just not willing? Well, I mean, they have such a great example right in front of them. It's you, there was a moment when you didn't know. Right. And then there's the moment when you go, wow, that was pretty nice. I kind of surprised myself there.

It was absolutely for me, the journey within my collegiate experience here that, ultimately when I left I took a business job right and I'm sitting there at this business job going what's my purpose like what's my what do I want in life what is it that I you know um so I thought oh I want to give back to the sport so I started coaching you know coaching these little kids and classes recreational that turns into some you know compulsory level and then optional level and then ultimately I'm like you know I think this is really my calling like I think this is really what what I enjoy to do. It ultimately makes my heart happy. And I went from there back to, I was in Arizona, and I came back to Nebraska, didn't have a coaching job. I started family,

didn't have it. There wasn't a position available. And then one of the assistants left Nebraska and Dan Kendig called me up and was like, I want you to apply for the position. And I did. And I don't think without not only his guidance as an athlete and the patience he had for me to kind of grow in my own footsteps. He never was one that like walked in front and pulled people or, you know, stood behind them and pushed them. He really kind of walked beside me, allowed me to make the mistakes, but guided me and helping me, you know, really learn from that as a student athlete. and I saw the benefit of that my senior year when I, you know, when I won nationals. And so like coming in as a coach, he had that same kind of kindness about him,

the same ability to kind of take me under his wing and guide me in that sense. And that was important for me, not only as a student athlete, but early on in my collegiate coaching career, I had a pretty good example. I mean, I got to sit back and watch and he would let me come in and vent and he would listen to me or he would heed, you know, some examples or advice that I was like, you know, let's try this way or why can't we do this way. And he'd be able to explain it in a way where that was never, it never made me feel less than. It always continued to build me up. And he empowered me to find those, the way to be able to continue to find different. avenues to grow Nebraska gymnastics.

It's always interesting when you have people who achieve at a high level, getting them into their recall of a moment is usually pretty fresh, no matter where you are in life. So I'll ask you, let's go into recall the moment you realize and recognize that you are a national champion. it okay so we started on vault that meat right um and i had no idea individual standings it was a team competition at that time i had fully bought into this team and we were trying to qualify for finals um we actually did qualify that i believe that was the first team that ever qualified for the super six finals uh which was a huge accomplishment obviously for the entire team um that my mind wasn't even

really on all around standings, right? So I finished floor because that was our last event. And I run off. And at that point, when the score came up, I think Dan and the assistant coaches, Rhonda Fane and Dennis Harrison at the time, knew what I needed to win the all-around. And so Dan had come over and said something. And I was like, what?

Like, I just remember it being like, are you kidding? Like, I just didn't even. Did you not know before? I watched some, you know, rankings, right, going into the event. Like, I knew my best shot at winning a national title was probably in vault going into that meet. Okay. But I had no idea. And there were, you know, other elite girls that when we competed in the elite realm would beat me, right?

I just assumed, you know what I mean? Like, I'm just going to go in and do my thing and, you know, be okay with it. And whatever the score is, that score went towards the team score. And that ultimately was where my mind was. It wasn't even on the all around. That's so many great moments that people just didn't. You were so present that you weren't aware of how great you were big. Like that's, come on.

Look, it doesn't get any better than that. That's pretty amazing. You've mentioned Dan several times. And I love to ask coaches, we all tend to speak in the voice of a, of, other coaches, right? The coaches that have voiced through us. And there are times when I catch myself barking something and I went, wow. Right. Okay. Coach Walker, where did you show up? Right. Whose voice do you coach it? I mean, I hope it's my own, to be honest with you. I hope I've I do feel like I've had a lot of strong coaches in my upbringing, you know, in gymnastics,

that I hope I've taken a little bit of the best of each one of them and been able to apply it. But then, I mean, ultimately, what I want for my athletes is what's your dream and make it yours, right? Not mine. So this is my dream. This is my dream sitting here in this position, coaching. And I hope when I walk out on the floor, I'm Heather Brink, you know. And that's what's important to me. and staying true true to that.

But like you said, I mean, Dan, Dan really gave me an opportunity to kind of understand the patient side of it. I always joke, though, that a lot of times I open my mouth and my mom comes out, right? Okay. That's like, that's usually fair, right? And I'm like, whoa. And there are times where my mom voice does come out, right? Like, I'm a mom too.

So there's a piece of that. But ultimately, I hope that I've grown enough in who I am as a coach and who I am as a person to be aware of what I'm trying to do. How do I want to approach us? And what lesson am I trying to teach these student athletes? It's always interesting just to have people really understand where they're working from. I'll ask you this. For Husker fans who know this roster, who know this sport, what do they have to look forward to this year? What's in store?

Well, I hope that the fans obviously get to come out and be able to just really enjoy our team. We've got a lot more depth this year. It's the biggest team that the University of Nebraska Women's Gymnastics has ever had. I hope that they get to see, obviously, some really great gymnastics. We've been working really hard to not a lot. only be more prepared, but to really focus in on the details, because when it comes down to gymnastics, it's those little things that kind of add up. I really hope they get an opportunity. We have kids or young women from around the world. I've got two Italians. I've got a Canadian,

and then obviously the rest of them are from all over the United States. And I hope they get to see a little bit of each one of their personalities, because I think this group together, is a lot of fun. And I think they bring a lot of unique value to not only their gymnastics, but to the team. And I hope that they get to be able to watch a team that has worked hard, is determined, has the ability to kind of fight through adversity. And when we're out there battling it out on the floor, I really hope that they get to see a true sense of the student athlete's passion for Nebraska.

There's a couple of things that have to be done here. One, I say thank you out loud. It is a coaching thing and an athlete thing. You see something good, say something good, and to be constant in it. Nick, if you would please, thank you, kind, sir. Yeah, that's what we're talking about. That's the coaching aspect of it is being able to say thank you for people who work in service. They're labors of love, no matter how much you.

paid for it. It is a labor of love. You have to make sacrifices. And not many people take time to stop and say, you know what, coach, thanks for all the impact and such. We need a knife and a plate and two plates, if you would, kind, sir. We, we, they went with, oh, so again, Beatrice Bakery is, they're the show's sponsor. And as you talked to Rick before, they had several options in play and then based on your reactions and discussions he made a choice for you to just sample and Cassidy you'll have to just take a little bite and be honest about what your thoughts would be to Husker fans for all sports all throughout the program what's your message to them hmm you know I think uh to all of our fans obviously thank you to them I I hope that that will see

you at Devaney. I hope you show up and pack the bob. I hope you get a renewed sense of the appreciation from our student athletes that we're excited to have you guys there in the stands. Bring the energy because, you know, I think just as much as... See what this is. You see how weird this is? You could have just, you just go on the other side. Just go on the other side. You're okay. You're afraid. Now you're afraid of the camera. Like that not now. Coach, what can you do with a former high school catcher in gymnastics? Can you stay on the balance beam?

You never know, man. You know. Dream big. No dream is big enough. See, we just, this is it. You deal with me every day. You can accomplish most things. I'm sure I have some extra leotards too.

Oh, oh. Look, I would, I would donate. donate to the program to see Nick doing a floor routine of his own doing. All right. All right. Like just our actual volunteer coach is a choreographer. Nick. She could help you with your moves.

Nick, this is. See? He needs to see. He does this. I mean, worst case scenario, it shows up on the dance floor. You know? Well, that's really is worst case scenario having seen young Nick dance. So what we came up, Nick, which, which cake did you choose, kind of sir?

The Pina colato. We're going to go with that. And just you're going to take plenty with you. Just take a bite and give us just a little bit of what Beatrice Bakery does. Okay, here we go. It's pretty good. That's pretty good. Let's take another bite.

So we're going to take some with you. Please feel free to share it with the coaches. and the young ladies on the roster and all this. Again, thank you for doing this. Thank you for giving us access and letting the fans get to know you better. A little bit along the way. This is not, hopefully, this isn't the last time, coach.

We've got to do this on a regular basis because it needs to be done. Perfect. I appreciate your time and the invitation for sure. Thank you for doing this. That's Heather Brink. Women's gymnastics coach. Huskers.

We've got another coach coming. Sit tight. Don't go anywhere. This is one-on-one. Download our app by searching 93.7 the ticket in your app store. You're listening to One-on-One with DP on 937 the Ticket in the Ticketfm.com.