Valorie Kondos Field, head coach of the women’s gymnastics team at the University of California Los Angeles, encourages her athletes to embrace individuality and joy with her unique training style.

In this conversation. Parents, coaches and managers ought to heed Field’s advice to teach their wards the true meaning of success. UCLA gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field finished the last home match of her final season in March. So we wrote to Valorie Kondos Field, former head coach of the UCLA Women’s Gymnastics Team and asked if she would help with our collective cabin fever.

About the Speaker. As a society, we honour the people at the top of the pyramid. Veteran coach Valorie Kondos Field works at ‘planting seeds’ to build trust among female gymnasts bruised by the harsh demands — and abuse — that have marred their sport. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users “In our schools, in our businesses, in politics, winning at all cost has become acceptable.

"The title of Valorie Kondos Field's book, Life is Short, Don't Wait to Dance, offers wise advice, a metaphor and a tribute all at once. "Miss Val" leaves behind a legacy that includes seven national championships and over 500 wins.

Valorie, who won multiple championships in her career, spoke about our obsession with winning, in a Ted Talk. “Miss Val,” as she is affectionately known, has had a storied career of inspiring young people, both as a dancer and coach, plus as the author of Life is Short, Don’t Wait to Dance , and a TED Talk speaker. The coach of UCLA's women's gymnastics team built her extraordinarily successful career on encouraging self-direction and being 1% better each day at a form of expression that feeds your soul."

Valorie Kondos Field coached the UCLA women’s gymnastics team for 29 years. Former professional ballerina Valorie Kondos Field--or Miss Val, as she's affectionately known--has never tumbled, flipped, or even played any type of organized sports, and yet she has been able to craft a legendary coaching career through curiosity, creativity, attention to detail, and unwavering care for the overall well-being of her athletes. No, believes longtime head coach of UCLA woman’s gymnastics team Valorie Kondos Field who retired recently.