For the last several seasons, Temple has been a program that hardcore NCAA gymnastics fans have been keeping their eyes on. Much of this recent success was thanks to head coach Umme Salim-Beasley. However, in 2018, after two record breaking seasons at Temple, Salim-Beasley moved on to a new head coaching job. Many wondered if Temple would be able to continue its record breaking ways.
Enter, Josh Nilson. When Nilson was first hired, the administration made it clear that the gymnastics team was one of its banner programs, and it wanted to see it continue to improve. This clearly added some pressure for the first time head coach, but not as much pressure as he had for himself.
“They wanted us to be good,” Nilson said. “But the pressure I put myself under is always going to be more, and the expectations I have for myself and the people that are around me are higher than [what] the administration had.”
Throughout the course of the season, the team made steady improvements. According to rising senior Daisy Todd, she and her teammates were constantly working on changing their mindsets.
“We had established a lot of goals at the beginning of the season, and as the meets progressed, we weren’t complacent with how we were doing,” Todd said. “Each meet we worked a lot on confidence and going in knowing that we have the capability of doing better and competing with better teams.”
This attitude change led to the team’s success.
One thing that had eluded the Owls during their record breaking seasons was an ECAC conference title. They had come in as the favorites each of the last two seasons but finished fifth in 2017 and sixth in 2018. Winning the conference title was a big goal for 2019, but it didn’t come easy.
After a rough outing on bars in the third rotation, Nilson pulled his team together for a pep talk. They weren’t going to let a disappointing rotation rattle them; they were still going to win this meet.
“We knew after that event, it was still very possible for us to come back,” Todd said. “It wasn’t over.”
On the next event, the team put up a 49.255, the highest beam score in program history. The momentum continued through floor, and the team became the first in school history to win an ECAC Championship title.
“We just moved on, and we did our job,” Nilson said. “You don’t have to win every quarter of a football game, you just you have to be the winner at the end.”
Much of the disappointment from the last two conference championships came from the Owls letting early mistakes be their downfall.
“This year we said, ‘We’re winning, and if [a rough event] happens, it doesn’t matter, we’re winning anyway,’” Todd said. “We really had it set in our mind that this was going to be different.”
Temple not only won its first ever conference title in 2019, but it also qualified three individuals to regionals, tied for the most in school history.
As the Owls continue to improve and become a nationally relevant program, the need for social media presence increases. Nilson said one of his goals was to draw attention to Temple gymnastics. This vision led to a weekly video recap on Instagram called #TUGTALK. Produced by Jackie Terpack, a rising sophomore on the team, a typical episode features Nilson and assistant coach Rachel Innis giving a recap of the previous weekend’s meet, as well as a preview of what’s to come. They would also highlight an individual or group who had performed particularly well.
Nilson believes that social media presence is vital for a program like Temple.
“The more I talk to gymnastics people, the more [I realize] they don’t know what we’re doing here,” Nilson said. He said the goal of the series is “to really let the country know what the girls are doing, let the country know what we have here because we have everything we need.”
Just five years ago, Temple wasn’t a fully funded program. While it is now, Nilson believes many people still don’t see Temple in that light, and thinks a social media presence is necessary to change that perception.
“We have a brand new facility,” he said. “We’re on the rise, and the more we can spread that word, the better it is. Once people get on campus, once people see the gym, once people see the goals and the way the girls interact, they want to be part of what we’re doing. But we don’t get the limelight like some of the other programs, so [social media] absolutely vital for programs, especially on our level.”
Looking to the future, Nilson wants to see the team continue to make improvements. He said bars in 2019 was the weak event for the team, but he anticipates that will change for 2020.
“I don’t think it’s going to be our weak event anymore,” he said. “We started hitting a little bit late this year, but that’s been adjusted in our preseason plans. I don’t foresee us having a weak event.”
The team has set big goals for 2020.
“My goal for this year is to be undefeated in conference,” Nilson said. “I want to repeat as ECAC champions, and I want to qualify to regionals as a team.”
If the 2019 season is any indication, Temple is going to be a team to watch in 2020 and in the years to come.
Article by Mary Emma Burton
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Good Luck in 2020, Coach Nilson is exactly what this team has needed for the last 3 -4 years! I believe his intentions towards each athlete are honest and fair. When a team comprehends these qualities in a coach they do not have any fears or doubts and they continue to rise to the top!
Good luck this year Owls! Strong minds will rise to the top!