Like Mike Ditka and Joe Torre, ISU assistant gymnastics coach Janet Anson hopes to become the next great athlete to have success in coaching.

After finishing her Cyclone career in 2007 as arguably one of the best Cyclone gymnasts ever, she joined the 2008 squad as a volunteer assistant coach.

“I wanted to learn what goes on in recruiting and just wanted to get to know the girls on a different level I guess,” Anson said.

Anson said she was already friends with all of the girls on the team from the previous season, but it was strange to be a coach and be hard on them.

“It was really hard for me to see everybody learning new things, and I just wanted to be out there doing it with them and not just watching them,” Anson said.

One change that Anson experienced was her outlook on practice.

“When you’re the coach, you know what they need, and when you’re the gymnast you’re thinking, why do I have to do this today?” Anson said.

Anson joined the ISU coaching staff after having one of the most successful careers in the history of Cyclone gymnastics. She was an eight-time All-American in her four years at Iowa State.

She was also back-to-back Big 12 Gymnast of the Year in 2006 and 2007. In 2004 and 2006 she was named the ISU Female Athlete of the Year.

“[I miss] competing in front of our home crowd – every time we went back it was great to see how many people were there supporting us,” Anson said. “Competing in general is what I love.”

As a coach, Anson’s main job this season was to work with the athletes on the floor exercise. It’s fitting that Anson coached the floor because she scored a 9.950 four times and a 9.925 12 times during her career. Over her four years, Anson scored higher than a 9.900 on floor exercise 28 times – a number that was reached once by this year’s gymnasts.

After starting out the season poorly on floor, the Cyclones saw their scores improve as the season progressed. Iowa State’s season high was a 48.975 when they defeated Iowa.

The Cyclones also used a 48.900 on the floor to come out of nowhere and finish second at the Big 12 Championships.

“I think we did really well – we were a really young team this year,” Anson said. “They had a lot to learn, they had a lot of growing up to do.”

The Cyclones’ 3-15 record shows that this season was a rebuilding year and with all the gymnasts returning next season, Anson expects a much better year.

“I’ve learned so much in the first year. There is so much that I had no idea about, and I have a new respect for the coaches who have been doing it for so many years,” Anson said.

Anson said she expects to be coaching again next season, but she doesn’t know where.

She was a volunteer assistant coach this season, and she would like to be an actual assistant coach next season, but with the current coaching staff full at Iowa State, she said may have to look elsewhere.

“My original goal is to apply for an assistant position. If not, I would love to stay here again – I love it here with the girls,” Anson said. “So I wouldn’t mind sticking around if that is an option.”