Coaches Corner

Kids, here's your chance to ask your favorite Nittany Lion coach a questions. With your parent or guardian's permission, just fill out this form and send it on its way. Check back here frequently to see if your question was one of those answered by or Penn State coaches!

Form must be filled out completely to be eligible for entry.

Sport Baseball Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Cross Country Fencing Field Hockey Football Men's Golf Women's Golf Men's Gymnastics Women's Gymnastics Men's Lacrosse Women's Lacrosse Men's Soccer Women's Soccer Men's Swimming & Diving Women's Swimming & Diving Men's Tennis Women's Tennis Track & Field Men's Volleyball Women's Volleyball Wrestling

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Head Coach Glenn Thiel

I enjoy watching just about anything that involves athletics. I am an avid college football fan, lacrosse fan, and basketball fan. My only exercise today is to walk daily on the treadmill; getting too old to actually do other things competitively. I do enjoy trips with the team and one of the best places to travel for lacrosse we will do tonight - to Annapolis, Maryland. Trips are better now because my wife usually goes along.

Thanks for asking,
Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Glenn Thiel

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Head Coach Steve Shephard

The hardest skill I had to learn for compulsories was a press handstand. I had to work for the entire year to get it mastered. Once I learned though, I was so proud and never missed one after that. I started gymnastics when I was 13 years old. Kind of late , but it worked out well for me.

Steve Shephard
Head Women's Gymnastics Coach

I remember a press to handstand from a straddle sit being one of the hardest compulsory skills for me to learn when I was young. It's a skill that involves many physical qualities: strength, flexibility, balance, and timing. I don't remember exactly how long it took me to learn, but I know I had many failures with few successes before I learned it on a consistent basis. It took a lot of determination and the belief that if I worked hard enough and did all the repetitions necessary that eventually I would get it consistently.

I started gymnastics at about 5 years of age. My older sister would teach me things on the front lawn or in the basement. I was about 6 or 7 before I started in and organized setting at our town's recreation program. I was about 10 when my parents were able to send me to a program with a competitive team.

Jessica Bastardi
Assistant Women's Gymnastics Coach

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Erica Walsh

Hi Kelly, thanks for the great question! My favorite part of coaching in the Olympics was the opportunity to work with the best athletes in the world. Their desire to work hard and improve every day was incredible to witness. It was inspirational to see how disciplined they were in every area of their lives. They had an excellent understanding of their bodies and how much sleep, food and balance was needed to make them successful. I would love the opportunity to do it again!

Erica Walsh
Head Women's Soccer Coach

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