Courtney Aalbu aka Coach Banana

Courtney's favorite event is beam and her favorite gymnast is Shannon Miller, women's artistic gymnast and 7 time Olympic medalist. Courtney has been coaching gymnastics since 1997. She taught at Rising Star in Marysville, WA; Leading Edge in Everett, WA; and Gyminny Kids in Oceanside, CA. Courtney's favorite type of class to work with at SGA is the Kinders class. In this 45 minute class for 4 to 5 year olds, she especially enjoys how they can be so funny yet so strong. Courtney's favorite event to teach is the balance beam. In her opinion, the balance beam is the hardest event to do, yet it is Shannon Miller's best event. (Shannon was the first US gymnast to win the gold on the balance beam at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta).

Courtney encourages student learning and participation by adapting her interaction with gymnasts to include their various learning styles. She enjoys demonstrating (when she is not in crutches or a sling) and modeling the movements and skills she desires of her own students. She also guides her gymnasts with a hands-on approach in helping the students develop their skills. Courtney brings a joy and vibrancy to her classes that her students adore. .