Assistant coaches often have specified roles, and Sam Morreale is no different.

As an assistant with NIU gymnastics, Morreale’s job essentially boils down to helping head coach Mark Sontag with training the gymnasts.

Morreale sat down with the Northern Star to discuss his history in the gym and his aspirations for the future.

Northern Star: How did you get involved with gymnastics?

Sam Morreale: As a child I played many different sports and I was very active, always running around. I was the fourth child in my family and my brothers and sisters before me did gymnastics, so I tried gymnastics out and I found that I really liked it. I became a gym rat and was always in the gym.

NS: What is it that you like about gymnastics?

SM: I enjoyed the challenge that gymnastics presents. Gymnastics allows you to master your body and make it move in different ways and make it do things that other people can’t do.

NS: What do you like about being an assistant coach?

SM: I love being an assistant coach. I really get to work with the girls on their routines and help them overcome problems that they are having. It feels great when I can help them learn new skills and overcome their problems. I love being able to help them.

NS: Would you like to be a head gymnastics coach down the line?

SM: Every coach aspires to be a head coach at some point and I would love to be a head coach eventually. But right now I love what I am doing and Coach Sontag gives me plenty to do.

NS: What has been your favorite moment in gymnastics?

SM: My favorite moment is as a coach. I love watching our team break our season high scores and continue to improve and get better each week. I also enjoy bringing the girls to regionals and the MAC Championship and watching them compete.

NS: What are your interests outside of gymnastics?

SM: I love all other sports and am a fan of all college teams. But I really love football. So if I was not coaching or involved with gymnastics then I would want to be a football coach.