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Olympic coach Mazeika makes impact locally
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| Kevin Mazeika, the 2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Coach, opened Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics last January. Gymnasts, from novice to elite, compete and train at the gym. |
By Michael Sudhalter
Last summer, Kevin Mazeika beamed with pride after his United States men’s gymnastics team captured the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“I think it was a great example of teamwork and never giving up, good team spirit,” Mazeika said. “We very proudly wear the USA on our chest when we compete. We represent not only ourselves, but our families and our great country, the USA.”
It was Mazeika’s second time as the US Men’s Olympic Head Coach; he guided the 2004 team to a silver medal, it’s best finish in 20 years.
Mazeika, the 46-year-old Houston native, said that at least one fellow competitor acknowledged his team’s dedication in Beijing.
“After the competition, a couple days later, a coach from another country came up to me and said ‘congratulations, and I wish I had what your team has’, and I said ‘what’s that?’,” Mazeika said. “He said ‘you have this energy, enthusiasm and spirit that my time doesn’t have. He said ‘I think that’s because your from the United States of America’. To me that was just a tremendous compliment, and I believe that to be true.”
Mazeika, a 46-year-old Houston native, coached a six-man team that included fellow Houstonians Raj Bhavsar, Justin Spring and Jonathan Horton, a Cy-Fair graduate.
He’s not sure if he’ll return for a third medal in the 2012 London Olympics but plans on making a decision relatively soon.
“These four years go by faster and faster, I’ll make that decision sooner rather than later,” Mazeika said.
Having returned from the grand stage of the Olympics, Mazeika is training gymnasts of all abilities at Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics (mazgym.com), a gym that he and his wife, Laura, own at 12902 Haynes Road, Suite E
The couple opened the gym last January; they also own Houston Gymnastics Academy in the Galleria area.
“We looked at all areas of the city, and we thought (FM 1960) would be a great place to come to and open up a new facility,” Mazeika said. “We looked all over, and it was just a thriving community, lots of growth as well.”
Mazeika’s Elite is geared towards female gymnasts, at the moment, and everyone from collegiate/Olympic hopefuls to toddlers call it their athletic home. The gym also hosts birthday parties and holiday/summer camps.
“The whole goal is to learn gymnastics, and it doesn’t matter what level that you’re at,” Mazeika said. “It’s an amazing sport, and it can help you with other sports as well.
Our mantra is that it’s fun, positive and progressive, and you can progress as far as you want to go.”
Mazeika became a gymnast when he was 4, following his older sisters to the gym. He competed at Lamar High and earned a gymnastics scholarship to Southern Illinois University, where coaching first appealed to him. He became a coach immediately after graduating and worked his way up to the Olympic level.
“Gymnastics is ever-challenging, there are so many skills you can learn,” Mazeika said. “It really helped me with setting goals and accomplishing goals, self-discipline and responsibility and accountability.”
“The whole goal is to learn gymnastics, and it doesn’t matter what level that you’re at,” Mazeika said. “It’s an amazing sport, and it can help you with other sports as well.
2008 US Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Coach Kevin Mazeika, on Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics at 12902 Haynes Road, Suite E
“I think it was a great example of teamwork and never giving up, good team spirit,” Mazeika said. “We very proudly wear the USA on our chest when we compete. We represent not only ourselves, but our families and our great country, the USA.”
It was Mazeika’s second time as the US Men’s Olympic Head Coach; he guided the 2004 team to a silver medal, it’s best finish in 20 years.
Mazeika, the 46-year-old Houston native, said that at least one fellow competitor acknowledged his team’s dedication in Beijing.
“After the competition, a couple days later, a coach from another country came up to me and said ‘congratulations, and I wish I had what your team has’, and I said ‘what’s that?’,” Mazeika said. “He said ‘you have this energy, enthusiasm and spirit that my time doesn’t have. He said ‘I think that’s because your from the United States of America’. To me that was just a tremendous compliment, and I believe that to be true.”
Mazeika, a 46-year-old Houston native, coached a six-man team that included fellow Houstonians Raj Bhavsar, Justin Spring and Jonathan Horton, a Cy-Fair graduate.
He’s not sure if he’ll return for a third medal in the 2012 London Olympics but plans on making a decision relatively soon.
“These four years go by faster and faster, I’ll make that decision sooner rather than later,” Mazeika said.
Having returned from the grand stage of the Olympics, Mazeika is training gymnasts of all abilities at Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics (mazgym.com), a gym that he and his wife, Laura, own at 12902 Haynes Road, Suite E
The couple opened the gym last January; they also own Houston Gymnastics Academy in the Galleria area.
“We looked at all areas of the city, and we thought (FM 1960) would be a great place to come to and open up a new facility,” Mazeika said. “We looked all over, and it was just a thriving community, lots of growth as well.”
Mazeika’s Elite is geared towards female gymnasts, at the moment, and everyone from collegiate/Olympic hopefuls to toddlers call it their athletic home. The gym also hosts birthday parties and holiday/summer camps.
“The whole goal is to learn gymnastics, and it doesn’t matter what level that you’re at,” Mazeika said. “It’s an amazing sport, and it can help you with other sports as well.
Our mantra is that it’s fun, positive and progressive, and you can progress as far as you want to go.”
Mazeika became a gymnast when he was 4, following his older sisters to the gym. He competed at Lamar High and earned a gymnastics scholarship to Southern Illinois University, where coaching first appealed to him. He became a coach immediately after graduating and worked his way up to the Olympic level.
“Gymnastics is ever-challenging, there are so many skills you can learn,” Mazeika said. “It really helped me with setting goals and accomplishing goals, self-discipline and responsibility and accountability.”
“The whole goal is to learn gymnastics, and it doesn’t matter what level that you’re at,” Mazeika said. “It’s an amazing sport, and it can help you with other sports as well.
2008 US Olympic Men’s Gymnastics Coach Kevin Mazeika, on Mazeika’s Elite Gymnastics at 12902 Haynes Road, Suite E
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