Dawnita “Nita” Teague was named interim head coach of the NIU gymnastics team in late September after previous head coach Sam Morreale retired. Since undergoing the coaching era of Teague, NIU gymnastics appears fresh-faced and eager to reach new heights. Teague is ready to lead the Huskies to victory this season.
“I feel like the culture that we have is very positive,” Teague said. “It’s like that with Chris [Weiss], the assistant coach, too. We can talk a lot about stuff. We can be honest with what’s going on. Same thing with the athletes; they’re free to speak their minds. This year, I’m trying to empower these ladies to take the team where they want to go.”
Between being a Huskie Hall of Fame gymnast and spending 17 years on the NIU gymnastics coaching staff, Teague’s list of accolades makes her more than fit to lead the squad.
“I’ve been a Huskie for a long time,” Teague said. “NIU means a lot to me and my family. We’ve been connected to this university for a long time. Being from Sycamore, it’s played a major role in our life. This is a full-circle moment here, being able to take charge and coach this team.”
Assistant Coach Chris Weiss has worked closely with Teague for 25 years, first working together at Energym Sports Campus coaching different teams. They’ve been on the NIU gymnastics coaching staff together since 2013 when Weiss became the event coach and the strength and conditioning coach. He endorsed his longtime colleague and fellow Huskie alum.
“She has a lot of really great fresh ideas,” Weiss said. “These kids absolutely love her. I love working with her. We collaborate amazingly, so I was excited to hear that she was one that’s going to be stepping up.”
Huskie gymnasts appear equally enthused by this change, with different members of the team singing her praises. Senior Natalia “Talia” Kraus expressed excitement when she first heard that Teague was named interim head coach.
“Nita has just been a great rock for all of us in this new change,” Kraus said. “I know a lot of people have mixed views and mixed emotions on it, but Nita and Assistant Coach Chris Weiss have been amazing for us. We all feel so loved and important, and we all have a voice with them. It’s been great for me.”
Feeling more encouraged to speak her mind and perform well, Kraus believes this change has been great for team morale.
“She is one of the most genuine people that I know in my life,” she said. “[Teague] leading us as a team is not for her benefit, it’s for us. She wants us to be successful for ourselves. You’ll see her out on the floor when we’re competing and she truly just cares about each one of us so much. I feel like that’s just something that shows what kind of person she is, and it’s something I look up to as well.”
As a beam competitor, junior Jocelyn Harbeck worked closely with the former beam coach to perfect her craft. She certifies that Teague is a hands-on coach who takes time to help each gymnast in a way that best serves them.
“If you’re having a rough day, she doesn’t beat on you more about it,” Harbeck said. “She’ll [want to] talk about what’s going on. She’s very uplifting. I feel very comfortable going to her and saying ‘Hey, today’s just not my day.’ She’s really good about coaching each person specifically based on how they like to be coached. With me specifically, she understands that I work well with visuals and numbers. She will sit down with me and write in my notebook with me on certain things that I know are going to help me in the future.”
Harbeck credits Teague as the driving force behind NIU gymnastics’ goals and cohesive demeanor going into the season.
“In the past, we’ve always said that we wanted to win [the Mid-American Conference championship],” she said. “Obviously, that’s a goal, but I don’t think I ever truly believed it just because of team dynamics and everything like that. I think this year has been a flip of a switch. Everyone has a different motivation going into it this year, and we are definitely closer than ever, just constantly pushing each other in and out of the gym. There’s no pettiness or no one’s jealous of each other. Everyone just wants what’s best for the team.”
NIU gymnastics takes the mat for the first time this season for their annual Red/Black Exhibition at 1 p.m. Sunday at Victor E. Court. They kick off the regular season at 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 10 at the Florida Quad Meet, hosted by the University of Florida.
