Assistant coach Craig Ballard often refers to the women on the gymnastics team as rock stars.

After attending Woodward Camp-which is regarded as the best gymnastics camp in the country-and witnessing many “rock star” gymnasts, Ballard can see the huge amount of talent on his team.

As an assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island from 2007-2008, Ballard led the team to a second-place finish at the conference championships, coached an athlete to a 2008 J.O. National Championship and was named the ECAC assistant coach of the year.

He has been around talent for years and knows when he sees it.

In his first year as assistant coach at BG, Ballard said his previous experience with gymnastics has helped him out greatly.

“[This experience] gave me the chance to plan, implement and execute my own plans for a team,” Ballard said. “All of the knowledge and ideas I was able to accumulate and formulate into my own were actually being carried out with that team.

“Having that kind of experience in every aspect of a program from practice plans, to traveling, to marketing can never be bad.”

Head coach Kerrie Beach has huge plans for the gymnastics program and she thinks Ballard’s experience and excitement to aide her are exactly what the team needs.

“Craig and I have a terrific relationship and it is just great to bounce ideas off one another,” Beach said. “The team always wants to feel like the coaches care just as much as they do. I think the team definitely feeds off of his enthusiasm.”

Ballard is enthusiastic about gymnastics because he really loves what he does.

Along with being the assistant coach, Ballard is coordinating the recruiting information, too. With this, he is finding potential student athletes who will make the gymnastics program better.

Ballard is having no trouble fitting in with the recruiting process because projecting gymnasts’ college careers is something he really enjoys doing.

“I love the opportunity to win and be successful,” Ballard said. “There is no better feeling when a team succeeds and accomplishes a common goal ” and I hate failing.”

Joining the program in October-after the team had been training for over a month-was a difficult task for Ballard.

Beach set up a lot of opportunities so the team could get to know Ballard and so they were able to mesh as quickly as possible.

“The first year when you go somewhere is always the toughest,” Ballard said. “Getting the team used to your terminology and methods is always the hardest part.”

His terminology and methods did not take too long to stick with the team as Beach is seeing a lot of improvement since his arrival.

“Craig is doing an excellent job and he has set standards high for the athletes,” Beach said. “We have seen great improvement on vault and bars due to that.”

This season, Ballard has seen a lot of bright points; however, he thinks the team is still learning how to handle success and seal the deal at the meets.

“This team has a lot of potential to have great meets, win the [Mid-American Conference championship] and make NCAA’s,” Ballard said. “They’re going to have to learn what it’s like to be rock stars because that’s what they are.”

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Contact sports reporter Chris Sojka at [email protected].