To say that Brandon Jary has been in gymnastics in some form or another all his life is probably a very accurate statement. Brandon started gymnastics when he was just 2 years old at Brampton Gymnastic Club, beginning in the recreational program until he was 7 years old. From there, Brandon moved to the competitive program and competed in provincial and national level Men’s Artistic Gymnastics.

During his teen years, Brandon also competed in Power Tumbling and even travelled to Australia to compete at the World Age Group Championships.

“I think my most memorable moment was competing in Australia,” recollects Brandon. “The whole experience – from the long flight to the Canadian team experience, from all of the unique sights and animals that Australia has to offer to the competition itself (and finishing 9^th) and meeting new people from around the world.” All the extra icing-on-the-cake that came with the competition was memorable, but overall he attributes gymnastics as the vehicle that allowed him to experience it all.

After that, Brandon was a named Canadian team member of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in England but he had to withdraw due to an injury. Brandon competed as a National Team member until retiring at the ripe age of 18.

A Coaching Career

So how does a young athlete turn into a coach, you ask? Well for Brandon, it was a way of staying active while he was earning his way through college (15 years ago). Brandon started coaching in the Oshawa area for Gemini Gymnastics within their recreational gymnastics program. From there, he moved onto supporting their provincial and national programs.

“While I was at Gemini I got to work under one of my mentors, Elena Davydova,” says Brandon. “She helped me understand how to really become a coach.” A coach is not just a person who teaches a sport but is a true a coach in all aspects. Brandon often remembers her advice, “You must love the person before you love the athlete.” From there, Brandon fell in love with working with young athletes in order to help them achieve their goals in sport and life.

“I love the challenge that gymnastics brings young people. Not just in sport but in life,” says Coach Brandon. “Necessary skills to be a high-level athlete don’t stop with acrobatic and tumbling skills. Time management, teamwork, perseverance, leadership are all developed. I love that gymnastics helps to shape young athletes into well rounded grown-ups.”

Brandon’s coaching career eventually led him to the WAG program at Shenderey Gymnastics Institute in Newmarket and eventually to OGC. In total, Brandon has been a professional gymnastics coach for almost 20 years in various capacities – recreational, WAG, MAG, and most recently Tumbling where he is our Provincial and National level coach alongside Coach Don Holmes.

As a coach, Brandon can’t pinpoint an exact moment or happening as his most memorable. Instead, he says, “I am so proud when my athletes do something that shows great sportsmanship and leadership in their community of gymnastics.” He remembers, as an example, last year one of our athletes was at a qualifier and was the loudest cheer in the room. So many coaches approached him afterwards saying they were so impressed with her sportsmanship and support for everyone competing. “I felt extremely proud that our athlete stood out from the crowd for the right reason. That sort of stuff means 1000 times more to me than any achievement or medal.”

When I asked my own daughter to describe what stood out for her about Coach Brandon, she says, “I like that Coach Brandon starts each training session with a message of motivation and inspiration for the training day.” I think this sets the right mood and attitude for training for her. I find it a testament to Brandon’s goal-oriented coaching style that leaves that impression on her, at 9 years old.

So what Brandon would say to my daughter and her teammates? “Remember, straight legs!” He’s probably only half joking at this! But in all seriousness, his advice to his athletes is to, “Strive to be successful. With every rep, every turn, and every thought. Winning a gold medal isn’t the measure of success – achievement is.”

Never Stop Learning

When Brandon is not coaching or at the gym, he plays guitar – a lot. “I own 15 guitars. Maybe it’s slightly obsessive but I needed something to do with my time after 30 hours of gymnastics!”

It’s not surprising because Brandon attended school for Music Business Management and was looking towards a career in live and recorded sound engineering when he fell in love with coaching instead.

Plus, the avid learner in him loves to read biographies and books about self-improvement. His favourite book is The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle. “I highly recommend this book for anyone trying to build their understanding of how talent is grown and developed,” but beyond self-improvement, “I also enjoy reading the sports section of ANYTHING!”

One last surprise about Brandon is that he enjoys a good antiquing day. “I really enjoy going to small town marketplaces and antique stores. I love the history and recycled love for something that might have been overlooked.”

Some Fun Facts About Coach Brandon:

“Every year I try to learn a new skill in life. One year my mom taught me how to sew and knit my own clothing. I have since lost the knitting skill but I can still say with confidence that I can sew (with a machine) a pair of pants!” Wow – impressive, Brandon!

What is your favourite movie?

Dumb and Dumber by a million miles, but in second place Happy Gilmore. Comedies are his thing!

What is your favourite food?

The best thing ever – homemade perogies!

Finally, Coach Brandon’s favourite quote to live by: “People don’t fail. They just stop trying.”

Very poignant and true – don’t give up.