Senior Spotlight: Brenna Brooks
February 23, 2023 | Gymnastics
For Brenna Brooks, having fun in the sport of gymnastics while also striving for perfection has always been what's kept her going.
Brooks skipped her senior year of high school to come to UW a year early after being invited to Seattle by the previous coaching staff. Five years later, Brooks has never looked back.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Brooks has competed in all four events for the Huskies during her five years, currently focusing on vault, bars, and beam in her fifth season.
She holds career-highs of 9.850 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.950 on beam (which she earned on Feb. 20 against Stanford), and 9.850 on floor. Brooks was named to the Pac-12 Gymnastics Preseason Watch List at the start of her final season.
NEXT STEPS
Many people have told Brooks that she would be a great gymnastics coach, but she always brushed aside the compliments.
With her mind set on pursuing occupational therapy for a while, just a few months ago was when Brooks began to seriously consider taking her love and knowledge of the sport and turning it into a career.
She knew at the start of her senior year that she'd want to take full advantage of her opportunity to return for another year of competition. Now that her super senior season is coming to a close, Brooks wants to stay involved in gymnastics as long as possible.
"There's obviously been ups and downs – like everything in life, every sport, everything you do," Brooks said. "It's been getting better and better each year, which is exciting. I'm really grateful for that growth because there are new opportunities and experiences every year – opportunities that I cherish and that I would have never gotten if I didn't do gymnastics."
Brooks' long-term dream is to become a college gymnastics coach, starting first as a club coach once she completes this season and school year. Driven by inspiration from leaders good and bad over the years, she hopes to make the sport fun for those she leads.
"That's college gymnastics – love and fun," Brooks said. "That's what it should be."
Through the many ups and downs that collegiate gymnastics has produced over the years, Brooks wants to be a leader who can inspire.
Through her positivity, through her desire to strive for perfection, through her insanely high knowledge of the sport – she wants to inspire and lead.
You never know what others are going through, and, as Brooks said, effort and attitude are what matter most.
Thank you for 5?? years of laughter, energy, & good vibes @brenbrookss ??
— Washington Gymnastics (@UWGymnastics) February 23, 2023
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•#GoHuskies x #Unleashed pic.twitter.com/4FTdsW9Wvs
INSPIRATION AT UW
How Brooks views her future coaching mindset is largely shaped by how her coaching staff these past two years have approached the sport.
The nature of gymnastics emphasizes a constant need to be perfect. As an athlete, Brooks has loved that aspect of the sport, but understands how it can be stressful and potentially detrimental for gymnasts.
Coaches Jen Llewellyn, Cody Llewellyn, and Jeffrey Langenstein have done a great job of reminding the team that they're all human, mistakes will be made, and you won't be perfect all the time, Brooks said.
She commends the coaching staff for consistently advocating for her and her fellow gymnasts to take it easy on themselves. Perfection is possible, but mistakes are okay.
"Jen and Cody have really helped me personally, reminding me that when effort and attitude are there, you're okay," Brooks said.
When asked what she would like others to know about her, she reflected back on the factors that have driven her to pursue gymnastics coaching.
"I want people to know that my purpose in life is to bring joy to others and also bring joy to myself," Brooks said. "Be a guide for people who need it. Be a person that can have you lean on my shoulder and cry. People fill my bucket, people feed my soul, and that's why I wanted to coach. I want those relationships and can help them [gymnasts] live their best lives and be the best people they can be."
ADVICE TO BROOKS' YOUNGER SELF
It's not that serious.
As a gymnast, it's incredibly easy to get caught up in the details and bogged down by mistakes, Brooks said.
That's why she would tell her freshman year self – it's not that serious.
Her advice was twofold, the latter piece being: Don't let people take advantage of your niceness. Don't let others walk over you.
"I didn't have much of a voice until my senior year of college, and I wish I had that a little bit earlier," Brooks mentioned. "I'm glad I found my voice, and I want our freshmen to feel like they can use theirs. They don't have to feel that they can't talk or be themselves. I try to demonstrate that in a respectful way – that you have a voice, do what you want."
Having great coaches for most of her career has impacted Brooks tremendously as she has transitioned into a leadership role at Washington. However, those negative experiences – the downs and the low points and the struggles – have influenced her just as much.
Experiencing a serious injury during the 2020 season -- and continuing to compete with it -- has created space for Brooks to reflect on how she is treated by others but more importantly, how she treats herself.
"I'm a people pleaser," Brooks admitted. "I want to make sure that everyone is happy and want to do my best for other people. I've learned that there's an even balance between giving to others and giving to yourself. During that injury, I learned that I was giving a lot to others but nothing to myself."
For these life lessons learned through the trials and tribulations of sports, Brooks' mindset is 'better late than never.'
A FIFTH YEAR WITH CUNNINGHAM
"Thank goodness she came back," Brooks said of fellow fifth-year Amara Cunningham, with a laugh and a big smile.
The two have been through it all together for half a decade, from coaching changes to different teams to injuries to everything in between.
As Brooks noted, the team would have been fine if only she or only Cunningham had returned for another year, but the fact that they could experience another year together is extra special.
"It's nice to have someone who understood the process [of previous seasons at Washington] and could help bring expertise and experience into this new team," she said. "It's so nice to have my person here with me."
Brooks doesn't plan on being far from the gymnastics world in the near future, as she will begin coaching as soon as she can. She also looks forward to continuing to support the team and maintaining the wonderful connections she's made over her years at UW.
Players Mentioned
