After Stanford men’s gymnastics won their fourth-straight national title, rising junior Khoi Young caught up with CardinalSportsReport.com about his thoughts on the season they had and what’s been the key to the championship culture that head coach Thom Glielmi has built on The Farm.
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While there are many things that have contributed to the program’s championship culture, the biggest thing that stands out to Young is the way that everyone is united in purpose, not letting other things get in the way of their team goal of winning a national title.
“Everyone is in it for the same thing,” Young said. “Like, we have guys that are on the national team and have opportunities to compete internationally. We had a few guys go to Germany earlier this year. But, everyone’s number one priority regardless of national team assignments is to win that NCAA championship because that’s what you’re on the team for.
“I’m a guy who competes all six, usually. But many of my events weren’t really going as well this year, so I said you know what, I’m going to drop what I need to drop and I’m going to focus on the two events that really help the team out. And I think having that mindset collectively among everyone on the team is what leads to our success.”
For Young, letting go of some events wasn’t what he wanted to do, but because of the culture that has been established at Stanford, it was easy to let go because the betterment of the team came first. That kind of team-first mentality is truly vital to having the kind of success that Stanford has had. It’s all about lifting where you stand.
“Yeah, so I stuck with pommel horse and vault,” Young explained. “Those two I’m very good on. Because being sick and getting a little bit of injuries, the other four weren’t really going that well, but horse is one that isn’t too hard on the body and vault is one that I’ve been very good at. Very consistent at for a very long time. So I said hey, I can really contribute to the team here and I’m just going to focus on these two since my body is ready for those two events.”
In addition to having a team-first mentality, the coaching staff does a great job of maintaining a competitive atmosphere at all times. Even when they are practicing, the team stays in competition mode. This ensures they don’t slack off when it’s game time.
“So, I think one of the greatest things that our coach Coach Thom does is that he emphasizes the importance of training as if you’re competing,” Young said. “Like every day is you walk in and it's competition mode. It’s not time to waste time, it’s not time to have fun, it’s time to focus on your routine, how you approach the day, how you approach a competition day, because as soon as you step out on the competition floor, it feels like practice. And that’s the time when you have fun because you already know everything that could possibly go wrong, what could go right, it’s like a piece of cake. So he really emphasizes that every day is a competition day and when it’s time to compete, that’s when you have fun.”
By maintaining this kind of intensity, this really helps them stay in shape for the Olympics as well. There’s no feeling of putting off Olympics for Stanford. Success at Stanford and success internationally truly go together.
“Yeah, so one of the greatest things about Stanford men’s gymnastics is that there are so many guys that are international and Olympic level athletes,” Young said. “So, whatever I do to prepare myself for the Olympics goes hand in hand with what’s going to prepare me for the NCAA season. And that’s one thing that our coach Thom really emphasizes as well. We push difficulty, we want to be not just the greatest guys out on the NCAA floor, but amongst the greatest guys in the world. So, sticking to this training plan that is given to us is not only going to help me and I believe the rest of my teammates succeed at NCs, but also at world championships and the Olympics and where else we wish to go.”
In such a technical sport as gymnastics, it can be easy to get rattled by making a mistake. The key to not letting mistakes get to you is staying in the present and not dwelling on the past. That approach has really helped Young maintain the level of success and focus that he has had.
“I think one of the best things that I’ve been able to harness for myself is having a short memory,” Young said. “As soon as something goes a little left, you forget it even happened, brand new routine, everything is from the start, you know? You take a step, doesn’t matter, I forgot it happened, I’m going into this as if nothing ever happened. I think that really keeps you in the zone because if you’re going into the next skill, the next routine, even the next competition, thinking about what happened yesterday five minutes ago, one second ago, then you’re not going to go at it with the same intensity and the same confidence that you would have otherwise.”
The challenge that comes with gymnastics both mentally and physically is what Young most enjoys about his sport. He braces the grind and the patience that the sport teaches you.
“I think the thing I enjoy is how difficult it is,” Young said. “It really, it’s taught me a lot about delayed gratification because it could take a day, it could take a month, it could take a year to learn just one simple skill that may take your teammate five minutes. It may take me a year to learn something it takes Asher five minutes. So, it really forces you to learn how to be patient and just respect how difficult things are and just expect that it may take longer than you wish you hope it to, but just be ready for the ride. Be there and just enjoy the strength and the struggle. Enjoy the struggle.”
During those long hours honing his craft and dealing with the frustrations that can come with gymnastics, Young is grateful to be a part of a Stanford community that supports and values what athletics brings to campus. While it’s known as Nerd Nation, the Stanford student body and faculty truly appreciate and respect what the athletes do, giving them a more well-rounded and vibrant community.
“I think, well of course we all know how amazing Stanford is and how uniquely amazing Stanford athletes and Stanford student-athletes are,” Young said. “I dunno, being in a sport like gymnastics that may not have the biggest crowds and the most viewership, I really feel like I get to be one of the main proprietors of this sport that I’m trying to keep alive. I really feel welcomed here in the Stanford athletic department and everyone seems to want to help Stanford men’s gymnastics and men’s gymnastics around the country continue to grow.
“So, I really am grateful for the support that we’ve gotten. Especially after this fourth championship from faculty, staff, and student athletes around campus. And I’m sure that I may have gotten that elsewhere, but I’m grateful that I’m here and getting it.”
Similar to Asher Hong, it’s clear from talking to Khoi Young that the success Stanford men’s gymnastics has had is truly a team-effort. Everyone has had to put the team first and bought into the same collective vision. By doing that, they’ve won a mind-boggling four straight national titles and will be gunning for a fifth in 2024.
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