I thought this was a good book from the coaches perspective. I learned a lot of behind the scenes things.

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Press for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Trigger Warnings: sexual abuse of children

I’ve been following women’s gymnastics for a long time. We’re talking 1980’s here, when Mary Lou Retton won gold in the Olympics. And I remember the 1996 Olympics, too, and Bella Karolyi pushing Kerry Strug (“You can do it. You can do it!”). I remember them all, whether it was the national championships or an Olympic year. And when I first saw Simone Biles, I knew she was something special. You know when you’re in the presence of greatness, even if it is through the television screen.

I loved hearing about Simone’s coach Aimee that channeled her energy and got her more focused and precise. Aimee’s background is an important conduit to how she coached Simone, and it paid off big time.

It was so interesting learning about the process of gymnastics and how hard these athletes have to work in order to compete on the world stage. Simone Biles may be the GOAT, but it took thousands of hours of working with her coach to get where she is. I did not know that Aimee Boorman and Simone parted was after the 2016 Rio Olympics, when Aimee moved to Florida.

There was a bit of talk about Larry Nassar, the team USA doctor who sexually abused at least two dozen girls (and probably dozens more) which is why I mentioned the trigger warning. Boorman, just like dozens of other coaches and parents, had no clue what was going on; that’s how big of a predator Nassar was. He was an expert in subterfuge.

I am so happy I was able to take my kids to see many of the Team USA gymnasts in Milwaukee last fall for the Gold Over America Tour, featuring Simone Biles, Pommel Horse Guy, and most of the rest of the gymnasts we watched over the summer. My son even got to high-five Jordan Chiles. Bucket list item done, because we’ll never be able to afford the Olympics.

This inspirational book is a must-read for fans of Simone Biles, who want to learn more about the other side of gymnastics

For as much of a gymnastics fan that I am, I knew surprisingly little about Aimee Boorman other than she was Simone's coach for the beginning of her elite career. I duel read/listened (the audiobook was read by Boorman herself) and I really enjoyed the story of her upbringing and her entrance into the coaching world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Review:
If you’re a gymnerd and/or super fan of GymCastic like I am, then "The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles" by Aimee Boorman with Steve Cooper should be your next must-read. And includes a foreword by Simone Biles herself!

This behind-the-scenes look at Simone Biles’s rise to greatness isn't your standard "she was born to be a star" fare—it’s about the work, the coaching, the collaboration, the care, the village, and the humanity it took to get there. Told by longtime coach Aimee Boorman, this sports memoir chronicles her journey coaching Simone during her evolution from a talented, fearless kid in Texas to the most decorated gymnast in the world—all while navigating the dark undercurrents of the sport’s most traumatic chapter.

I loved the honesty in Boorman’s voice—it’s smart, it’s funny, and most importantly, it’s rooted in BALANCE, not just medals and winning. She doesn’t shy away from her own missteps and keeps mental health front and center without ever getting preachy. Boorman weaves positive coaching techniques and valuable lessons seamlessly throughout the book, showing why she's a leader at the top of her sport.

For someone who loves the sport of gymnastics (and appreciates the gymternet drama, too), this book scratched that itch with coaching insight and BTS tidbits (like the post-Rio departure from Simone’s gym, which I never realized wasn’t all glitter and gold).

That said, I craved a deeper dive behind the curtain and to spend more time in the reality of the problems that have plagued the sport for decades. It’s touched on, but I expected more since it's such a huge part of the story. I also would have liked to have more information from Aimee on the negative coaching experiences she viewed firsthand to draw a direct comparison between coaching strategies that don't work versus ones that have more positive outcomes. Still, it’s refreshing to see a coach admit mistakes, examine language, and model what evolving coaching looks like. And I devoured it in less than 24 hours.

This book is not only a story about a coach and her star pupil, but it’s also about shifting the entire culture of gymnastics, and hopefully, "The Balance" nudges that conversation forward.

Thank you to Aimee Boorman, Steve Cooper, Abrams Press, & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my authentic review.

Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She’s won six all-around world championships and eleven Olympic medals (seven gold). Five gymnastics moves are named after her, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the youngest recipient ever), and at an age when most elite gymnasts have retired, Biles is not just still competing—she’s dominating. She’s soaring in Paris this summer, bringing home more Olympic gold. She’s having so much fun that LA 2028 is not out of the question.

But when coach Aimee Borman met her at a gym in Texas, Simone was just a seven-year-old kid. An exceptionally athletically gifted one, to be sure, but not yet great. That would take time, care, love, and balance. Boorman helped shape Biles, both pushing her and holding her back, protecting both her mental and physical health. “She’s like a second mom to me,” writes Biles, and Boorman was the National Team coach in 2016, where the US—and Biles—took home all-around gold.

I'm a super gymnastics fan and a super Simone fan, and this was a special peek into some of the history of one of the most famous athletes of our time. I was surprised to learn new things and often touched by the sentiment that Amy and Simone have for each other.

For sensitive readers, there are some things dealt with here that may trigger you, but I would honestly recommend skipping that chapter (if you choose to) and reading the rest, as mental health is another aspect that's discussed. Highly recommended for gymnastic fans!

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Balance was the perfect title for this memoir by Aimee Boorman. Simone Biles is a one of a kind generation talent, but what sets her apart is how balanced she is. She advocates for her mental health, she exudes lightness and joy (though still maintaining her absolute fierceness). While Boorman provides lots of evidence of how she stood up to Martha Karolyi 's toxic coaching methods to advocate for Biles, the proof that this happened is in Simone and what Simone values as an athlete. I'm a mom of a 14 year old girl and an educator and I can tell you how much teaching (and coaching) styles affects our students (and athletes). I think this is a story that needed to be told because as Boorman says, alot of parents are putting undue pressure on their children to succeed and mental health issues in young people are at crises levels now. How can we as parents, coaches, teachers, advocates change the cycle? It starts one person at a time. The stories Boorman told were engaging and thoughtful as she led us through her teenage years, early years coaching, her years with Simone and what happened after. I don't think like other reviews have mentioned that this is damage control to highlight the differences between her and the Karolyi's...I think Boorman's accounting is believable based on what we know from other gymnasts and what Biles's values as an adult athlete. Highly recommend this book for all fans of gymnastics, but also for all parents of young people in sports.
Thanks to #NetGallay and #Abrams for the ARC.

I'm a huge gymnastics fan who has followed Simone Biles' career since the very beginning, and by proxy, most of Aimee Boorman's. I enjoyed reading more about her background and coaching philosophy and even learned some things I didn't know before. As is common with memoirs, some situations came off as a bit biased towards the author, but nothing too crazy. I would definitely recommend this book to any gymnastics fan, people interested in sports psychology, as well as any coaches hoping to improve their processes and bring out the best in their athletes.

It’s been an interesting book for two reasons. One, Simone Biles is an amazing athlete that it’s fun to learn more about and two, this is kind of like a memoir…but it’s about another person? Aimee is of course sharing her life, but so far it has been about how she coached Simone and events with her. But it’s fun to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of professional athletes and competitions.

I absolutely loved this behind-the-scenes look at how to coach an elite-level athlete. Boorman clearly admires her former student and acknowledges her own shortcomings (and strengths!) as a coach.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I give this book 3.5 stars. As an avid gymnastics fan, I was so happy to be able to receive an ARC. This book was written by Simone Biles' first elite coach: Aimee Boorman. I enjoyed learning about Boorman's history, including her upbringing, her own participation in gymnastics competition, and her transition to coaching. Fans know so much about the athletes, so it was nice to learn about the coach who is not typically in the limelight.

I very much appreciated Boorman's honesty. She never claims to be the perfect coach, but discusses the importance of continually learning to be the best coach for their athlete(s). There is also very much needed emphasis on putting the athlete's health first and the importance of an athlete enjoying what they are doing.

As I previously said, I am an avid gymnastics fan so when she lists off the competitions and results, I felt that part a bit dull for me because I know what Simone has participated in and the USA Olympic history. I would have liked her going more into depth about certain occurrences she mentions briefly, for example Maggie Nichols not being selected for the 2016 Olympic Team. However the book is not about that - it is about her time coaching Biles so I understand why more of the, "behind the scenes" events are not discussed further.

This is an excellent book for up and coming athletes, parents, and coaches, to learn about how to be happy and successful in gymnastics. Boorman also includes her ideas of how she would improve the gymnastics system in more detail at the end of the book. I was surprised to hear that some of the basic psychology and childhood education is not already a pre requisite for coaching children!

I hope this book shows USA Gymnastics that they need to hire people like Boorman who are looking out for the health of the athletes and want to help athletes grow into strong, confident woman, and not just medal winners who burn out and/or experience serious injury that could have been avoided,

As a huge fan of gymnastics, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I requested it immediately. I was interested in getting the "behind the scenes look" at what I had watched unfold for years. I remember the first time I saw Simone compete (on TV of course). I was immediately drawn to her charisma and stage presence... of course in addition to her difficulty and execution. It seemed like a no brainer that Simone would excel and that she would become an Olympian.
The memoir started, as most do, with a look at Aimee's childhood. I was surprised to learn about her gymnastics journey, as I had always assumed that coaches needed to have a pedigree. She had seen what NOT to do as a coach, but she hadn't reached an elite level, which I always thought was needed to be an elite coach.
After describing her childhood, Aimee moved on to talk about how she got into coaching and just a hop, skip, and a jump later, she told the story of how Simone found her way into the gym. The bulk of the rest of the book followed Simone's career, through each major event and competition. I loved hearing about their relationship and how Aimee would fight for Simone's wellbeing. Knowing what we know now about the bad apples in USA gymnastics, I'm glad that Simone had Aimee on her side. It was particularly shocking to read about how Martha treated Simone (it truly seemed as a fan that Simone was the golden girl).
What I loved about this book was that even after Aimee was no longer coaching Simone, she continued to proudly tell her story. The "her" in this case referring to both Simone's story and Aimee's own story. I loved hearing about Aimee's career after she left WCC but also wondered what it must have been like watching Simone continue in the sport without her, particularly given what happened in Tokyo and with Nassar.
The book ended with an Afterward giving tips to coaches, gymnasts, and parents. I felt that it was a great way to wrap everything up. It's definitely a Read It for all gymnastics fans!

Note: I received an ARC of this book, at no cost to myself, from NetGalley.

Wow! I could not put this book down. I was fascinated by Aimee's story and could relate to so much of her stories of growing up in the sport. Her's is an important story: you do not need to have been a medal-winning elite to coach, and it might be even better if you aren't! You can clearly see how she developed her coaching style, which led to the nurturing of Simone Biles from the beginning of her career to her first Olympics. I also found the behind-the-scenes stories about the gym switches around Biles' career intriguing, and the detail around the end of their time together even more so. Aimee's advice to coaches, parents and gymnasts is very useful. There is only one negative about this book as I read it (as a review copy.) Aimee does not shy away from telling stories about her positive times with controversial coaches. Those stories don't lend much to the book and I think could discredit the author in the eyes of many readers (even with the preface she provides.) I think the book would have been just as strong without those stories. I look forward to reading this book again in further editions!

You might not know Boorman's name, but you know her highest-profile client: Boorman coached Simone Biles from childhood to Olympic success. Many a gymnast has written a memoir (which I'm a sucker for), but I've seen fewer books by coaches, and I was curious to see how her take might be different.

I approached "The Balance" with a certain degree of caution; elite gymnastics in the US has taken an extremely well-deserved beating to its reputation in recent years (just to be crystal clear: I'm speaking of coaches and administrators, not of athletes), and I'm not here to read the story of someone who perpetuated or was complicit in abuses. Before picking this up, I checked two things: one, that Simone Biles wrote the foreword (suggesting that she is still on good terms with Boorman—which in this context makes a difference), and two, that I could not, on a quick search, dig up any controversy about Boorman. I'm not particularly plugged into gymnastics, but not being able to find anything concerning felt like a good sign.

As a book, it's okay. It felt longer than it was—Kindle says it was under 300 pages, but I remember it as closer to 400, and my ARC includes a note that the final, published version will be revised and expanded to include (to paraphrase) thoughts on Biles' most recent successes. I suspect that some of that sense has to do with the disconnect of reading someone's story when it is so heavily dependent on someone else's story (Boorman cannot speak for Biles or her experience and by and large does not try to), and some of it has to do with so much of the book being about the broader picture rather than specific moments and scenes. There's also a definite element of damage control here. Regardless of her own actions, Boorman was deeply entrenched in US gymnastics (and, more to the point, USA Gymnastics), and it's clear that she's eager to distance herself from people who have emerged as villains of the USA Gymnastics story:

"This was the first time I had stood up to Martha [Karolyi], and it wouldn't be the last." (loc. 1248*)

"This went against Martha's instructions, but I felt it was important for Simone's physical and mental well-being. In fact, I often told Simone to ignore Martha when we were at camp or traveling because I knew what Simone needed and I felt I cared about her health much more than Martha did." (loc. 1861)

"It felt to me like [Steve] Penny was ready to exploit them any way he could, and I wasn't having it." (loc. 2976)

And on it goes. I absolutely understand why Boorman felt a need for some damage control, though I find it a bit sad that she can't just focus on telling the story—I think at this point I'm more interested in hearing new insights than in reading, yet again, about the Karolyis being gymnastics tyrants. (Also, I think some of Boorman's frustrations with the gym Biles' parents started might need some workshopping?) All that said, there *are* some really interesting things to be found in here. I'm interested in the way Boorman talks about the way in which her own gymnastics training informed her work as a coach:

"I never forgot how to do gymnastics when I'd take a couple months off to go visit [family], which gave me perspective when I was a coach that if a kid needed time off for important things in their personal life, it would be all right." (loc. 247)

"Lakeshore was a time of struggle and growth. I don't have a ton of memories of how each practice would unfold, but I distinctly remember how I felt. During one practice I remember being left on a beam rotation for the entire practice because I was afraid to do my back walkover. I was left standing on the beam with my arms up; I wasn't allowed to get off the beam, nor was I allowed to put my arms down. All I kept thinking was *My arms are numb and I'm going to reach back and my head is going to crash on the beam.* Today, when I'm coaching beam, I tell my students not to lift their arms until they are ready to go for the skill." (loc. 326)

"I made a vow to myself right then and there never to forget how sad, small, and insignificant his coaching had made me feel; that included an unspoken promise to my future students that I would do my best not to repeat the errors in coaching Coach Jeremy had imposed on me. He was the meanest coach I ever had and he influenced me the most in how I *would not* do my job in the future." (loc. 495)

Honestly, I think we don't see enough of that—so often I hear about coaches or teachers (e.g., in ballet) doing something because it is the way they were taught, whether it was beneficial or harmful or traumatic, and it's nice to have, instead, an "I am going to consciously do better."

There's also, kind of apropos of nothing (as far as the review goes, I mean; it's relevant in the book), this story about inquiries:

"During the Olympic qualification round, I submitted three inquiries. This is not that uncommon, but it can get costly. Every time you submit an inquiry—which basically means you believe a judge has underscored the difficulty of a routine—it costs money. Yes, actual money. At the Olympics, an initial inquiry set the federation back by $500 and each subsequent challenge increased the fee by an additional $500 ($500, $1,000, and so on). Prior to 2016, the money had to be paid in cash and had to be delivered in an envelope. (The envelope was a new addition to this ritual after Japan challenged a routine during the 2012 Olympics and started waving a couple of hundred dollars in the air on live TV. it wasn't a good look.) Obviously, a coach handing cash in a discreet envelope to an official doesn't look much better, so today when an inquiry is submitted, the federation is billed for the fee instead of having to post it up front." (loc. 2726)

Now there's some insider info that fascinates me! I'm not a gymnastics superfan or maybe I'd know about this sort of thing already—it makes a certain amount of sense (I imagine the fees were instituted to keep coaches/countries from submitting inquiries on every other routine), but at the same time, it must highlight financial disparities between programs. I'm curious to know whether there are similar fees/rules in other sports; I know she's talking about an Olympics-specific rule, but imagine if football coaches had to pay a fee every time they objected to a call!)

Overall, Boorman has the benefit of a unique perspective here, and though the writing doesn't set my world on fire, I imagine this will be compelling for a lot of gymnastics fans.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was an interesting biography about Aimee Booman the coach who trained Simone Biles, her life and what it was like to coach Simone.

I have followed gymnastics since the 1976 Olympics. I've followed Simone since she was about 14 or 15, and I became a Gymcastic (the podcast Steve Cooper helps run) fan in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics. All that to say, I wasn't sure how much Aimee Boorman could tell me that I didn't already know. I'm so glad I put that aside and read The Balance! I normally fall asleep reading around 11 or 11:30pm. The night I started The Balance, I had to force myself to put it down at 12:30 a.m. only b/c I knew I had to get up in the morning. It's so good.

Aimee does a great job drawing in the reader so he/she cares about her and her life outside the gym and being Simone's coach. She talks a lot about mental health (hers, her kids', Simone's, etc.). The ARC is mostly chronological from when Aimee started lessons around age 6 through 2021 Olympics. There is a note at the end that the final version will include the 2024 Olympics. One of my favorite stories was about Aimee taking an anatomy class and how she applied that to coaching.

There are a few inconsistencies and minor incorrect info that prevented me from giving it five stars, but if those are corrected in the final draft, I'll up my rating. Overall I very much enjoyed and highly recommend The Balance. It really is fantastic.

***Major trigger warning for those regarding the doctor who is in prison and everything surrounding his crimes. I recommend reading the book and just skipping that chapter entirely.***