Competitive gymnastics career over? Gymnastics in your blood? Stay involved in the sport that you invested so many hours in. For former elite, collegiate, high school, and club level women gymnasts, and anyone who loves women’s gymnastics and wants to stay active in the sport, here are some websites that can provide you with employment opportunities.
Gymnastics Coaching
Many gymnasts already have some experience in coaching. There are many positions open in coaching, from the YMCA or community center level, to private gym clubs, to high school and college level coaching. Many local positions are advertised on Craigslist. You can also visit clubs in your area and inquire about any openings. Check high school websites for high school level jobs. University jobs can be searched at College websites. Here are some other coaching position search engines for you to try:
USA Gymnastics website job opportunities – Currently have over 100 jobs posted. They include preschool, recreational, camp coaches, girls competitive program coaches, compulsory and optionals coaches, spotters, directors, and team coaching jobs. There are jobs posted from all over the nation and some international.
Intercollegiate Gymnastics Jobs
Employment Opportunities in Intercollegiate Athletics NCAA search engine: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Employment+Information
You will find many jobs openings here, as well as contact information. This is a great resource. The website also lists job openings at the NCAA Indianapolis, Indiana headquarters.
Cheerleading
One of my retired gymnast teammates used their tumbling and acrobatic skills to become a NFL Cheerleader for the Minnesota Vikings. Check your nearest professional football team’s website to find out when tryouts are. About.com has a NFL Cheerleading page with links to many of the NFL Cheerleader websites;
Ex-Gymnasts as Stuntwomen – Women Stunt Professionals
As a gymnast, you already know you are daring, know how to fall, and have performed in front of a crowd. So how about thinking about becoming a stuntwoman or stunt double? You might end up in the movies! This highly competitive career would probably mean relocating to Los Angeles. A web search shows there are organizations devoted to stuntwomen and helping them find work.
United Stuntwomen’s Association (USA) Browsing through the bio’s on their site, I found a former National level gymnast who is currently working as a stuntwoman.
Luci Romberg is featured at stuntwomen.com, another website showcasing their stuntwomen lineup. According to her bio, she was a “USAG National All-Around Champion and 11 Time All-American gymnast….and her many film credits include Bratz: The Movie – stunt double for Skylar Shaye and Zombieland – stunt double for Abigail Breslin”.
Top gymnastics skills are tumbling, trampoline, mini-tramp, and of course if you can double as a top actress, that couldn’t hurt!
Gymnastics Judge
Check with your state high school league for requirements to becoming a high school gymnastics judge. I was a high school judge for a year and it was a great way to keep involved in gymnastics part-time.
If you are interested in becoming a Gymnastics Judge with USA Gymnastics, check out the guide: How to become a Judge of Women’s Artistic Gymnastics.
To be a Judge at the Olympic Games, you need to become a member of United States Gymnastics (USAG). Then, you need to get accredited and rated by taking exams. Check their requirements: Judging Accreditation.
Cirque Du Soleil
It would be a dream to be part of the Cirque Du Soleil! Find out about auditions and their current opportunities at their website. Here is a current opportunity: “Auditions in Brazil…. apply now! Acrobatic, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, Trampoline, Tumbling skills needed.”
They also accept general applications. You need to fill out a profile and submit a video demo. They also have a facebook Casting Call page with up-to-the-minute job opportunities for ex-gymnasts.
