Gymnasts Kyra Trowbridge (left) and Lauren Dauberman work with coach Valentina Pintchouk during practice at Paragon Gymnastics. ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Lauren Dauberman (foreground) stretches during practice this week. Lauren and her teammate Kyra Trowbridge have qualified for a USGA event in Nashville, Tenn. ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Lauren Dauberman (left) and Kyra Trowbridge chat before practicing their routines on the balance beam. The two gymnasts will join their team at the Eastern National Championships. ROBERT A. MARTIN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Hard work and discipline paying off for Paragon gymnasts

Date published: 4/7/2006

By KURT NICOLL

For years, Ken Wood actively pursued Craig Tetreault to become the primary coach of his Paragon Gymnastics program. Landing Valatina "Vala" Pinchouk as part of the bargain proved to be a major coup.

The pair have guided the roughly 50 competitive team members (Levels 4-10) to a banner season. Level 9 gymnasts Lauren Dauberman and Kyra Trowbridge have qualified for the Eastern National Championships in two weeks and are preparing for regional and national testing in June.

"Going to nationals is going to be a new experience for them," Pinchouk commented during a recent team practice at Central Park. "What I want to see is, when they step out on the floor, are they going to represent our club with big smiles? They have to look like they enjoy whatever they are doing.

"Of course, it is competitive. All year, they have been polishing and cleaning up their routines and adding a little more difficulty," she added. "They have to be ready for the competition and believe in themselves in a really nice way."

Pinchouk moved from Belarus (formerly part of the USSR) in 1996 and had trained a number of top gymnasts from Europe. She did receive a bit of a shock, though, when she switched jobs last February.

"The people here are a little more laid back than they were in New Jersey," she stated. "When I asked one of the gymnasts about how she felt not qualifying for regionals, she said, 'That's OK.' If you aren't dreaming about doing something, it doesn't make any sense to [train regularly]."

Pinchouk knows about employing the "carrot-and-stick" strategy of coaching. Her daughter, Alexandra, did not start competing until she was 11, but advanced rapidly. She qualified for nationals three times and now competes for Stanford University.

"For the little kids [ages 5-7], you have to work with them and have them set goals," said Pinchouk, who recognizes her pupils' achievements with super sapphires. "You give them hugs. First they have to love you [like a parent], then they will do anything for you."

Daily practices last roughly four hours and the coaches often vary the event from the Olympic rotations (vault, bars, beam and lastly floor) to keep their pupils fresh and prepare them for competing in weekend tournaments (where sequence order is determined by a draw).

Date published: 4/7/2006