Kent Reporter Coach of the Month: Julie Foree

For the month of January the Coach of the Month is Julie Foree from Cedar Heights Middle School. Foree is a gymnastics coach for 15 years.

Kent School District Athletics is working with coaches and athletes to better understand #myreasonwhy they participate in

athletics. Please share with us your reasons for coaching:

It is simple: I love coaching. I love getting to know athletes (or students that don’t quite believe they are athletes yet) and getting the priviledge to see them push out of thier comfort zones to become better than they thought they could be physically and mentally. I had 2 very impactful coaches when I was in high school that I will never forget because they took the time to see me for who I could be instead of letting me settle for what I saw at the time. I do my best to do the same for everyone I get to coach.

What are some of the ways you seek to explore and provide opportunities for students to become involved in athletics?

I love that as part of our gymnastics program we put on a camp for elementary students. It not only lets my team get a chance to coach/inspire younger students, but also lets us show them how fun working hard can be no matter what your skill level may be. I also often get the chance to help my past athletes or others they know come up with workout plans to do together. I find myself encouraging or coaching students even though I have never had them officially on one of my teams simply because they have heard that working out in groups makes you want to do more.

After they leave your school, what are some of things you hope your students will take away from their experiences on your teams and with athletics?

I hope that each athlete comes away feeling positive and like they were seen and known. I want them to realize that they can accomplish hard things, and it is worth the work to get there. It is important to set goals for yourself and continually strive to reach them. It can be so fun to try new sports and see that our bodies can do so much more than we often think we can- especially when we are making new friends in the process!

Do you have a favorite book that has helped you become a better coach?

This may seem a bit silly, but often my best inspiration comes from children’s books. (I used to teach kindergarten.) A current favorite I have is Woo Hoo! You’re Doing Great! By Sandra Boynton. It is all about the importance of encouraging others and yourself no matter how things are going.

Why does this coach deserve to be honored as Coach of the Month?

Julie runs a very disciplined and organized program with high expectations for her athletes. She creates a fun, safe, and positive environment that students want to be a part of. She gets the biggest student turn out every year for Gymnastics amongst all of the schools. She is excellent at teaching technique and goal setting, and does an awesome job of charting individual and team progress. She is well deserving of being selected as the Coach of the Month.