Vail Gymnastics Center welcomes new head coach
Former Japanese Junior National Team member Sunny Hasebe joins staff after coaching stint in Sioux Falls
Vail Recreation District/Courtesy photo
The Vail Recreation District welcomed new head coach Sunny Hasebe to round out the Vail Gymnastics Center staff, according to a release on Thursday.
Originally from Suginami Ku, Tokyo, Hasebe is a former elite gymnast and Winona State University (Minnesota) women’s gymnastics alumni. She was a member of the Japanese Junior National Team and won five team and individual beam national championships as an elite competitor.
Since graduating, she has been coaching gymnastics for several years in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She also spent much of her time coaching competitive Tumble and Trampoline; she coached the eventual winner of the Stars and Stripes National Championship in August of 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Hasebe, who started in Vail in January, will be working with all recreational and competitive levels at the Vail Gymnastics Center, and is eager to share her passion for gymnastics with Vail Valley athletes.
“I’m beyond excited to be a part of Vail Recreation District and to get to know the community,” Hasebe said. “My favorite event as a gymnast was beam, and coaching beam still is my favorite! I’ve also found the beauty in the vault since I started coaching.”
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Vail Recreation District/Courtesy photo
“We are thrilled to have Sunny join the team,” added Julie Cotter, director of Vail Gymnastics. “We have been down a coach for a few years now, so to have someone of her caliber and talent is such a win for us. The gymnasts already love her, and she’s got a lot of exciting ideas to bring to the table.”
For information about upcoming gymnastics programs, visit http://www.vailrec.com/gymnastics.
