As gymnastics fans, we know that the NCAA season is approaching, and, now that teams have started releasing their meet schedules and tickets, we can truly start to get excited. After looking at the schedules, I came to realize that many of the programs follow a formula for picking an ideal schedule. To get a better understanding of the process, I took a look behind the scenes by getting several coaches’ perspectives on crafting the perfect schedule.
K.J. Kindler, head coach of Oklahoma’s gymnastics team, reports that finding match-ups every weekend that work for each team’s stacked schedule is a bit like doing a puzzle. Executing this kind of strategic scheduling comes down to a few main things: strong coaching connections, publicity for the program, and preparation for the postseason. Depending on the size of the program, each of these factors comes into play to different degrees.
According to Kindler, the initial process of reaching out to coaches is “just a phone call.” Every conference has its own set of guidelines that programs follow, so some coaches have more control over their scheduling than others. For example, in the SEC, the majority of the schedule is already planned out because it is largely filled with SEC matchups. Each team is required to…
