Bellefonte Gymnastics Coaching Staff

  Susan Besch (Head Coach)

    Coach Besch began her career in gymnastics at age 4 taking gymnastics lessons at the Bellefonte Family YMCA.  She competed for Bellefonte High School when in school and is returning now as the head coach.  She also competed for the Bellefonte Family YMCA from age 7 throughout high school.  Coach Besch was a two-time state qualifier and the PIAA District 6 Champion on the uneven parallel bars, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around in 1990.  She attended college at the State University of New York, College at Cortland, where she participated on the intercollegiate Gymnastics Team all four years.  She was the team captain and Red Dragon Award winner her senior year, while also participating in a program called "Choices" speaking with youngsters in schools about the choices one makes to be a student athlete.

     Coach Besch earned a BS in Secondary Mathematics Education with a minor in Geography.  After college she began teaching middle school mathematics for the Baltimore County Public Schools in Baltimore, Maryland.  After four years, she transferred to Harford County Public Schools in Bel Air, Maryland and taught three additional years of middle school and two years of high school mathematics.  During this time, she earned her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola College in Maryland.  Coach Besch returned to her home town of Bellefonte where she is now teaching High School Mathematics. 

     Coach Besch resides next door to her parents in Zion, where she lives with her husband Duffy, who teaches Chemistry and coaches varsity football at Bellefonte High School.  They have fun playing with their three children Cati, J.D., and Colby. 

      This is Coach Besch's fourth year as Bellefonte's head gymnastics coach.  In 2005-2006 she took the team to a State Championship at the PA Classic in the Bronze Division. In the 2003-2004 season she assisted the team to a District VI Championship victory.   The 2007-2008 team is looking at staying healthy and strong, recovering from injuries and focusing on creating an awesome cohesive team attitude.

Susan Fredericks (Assistant Coach)

Susan is a wonderful asset to the coaching staff at Bellefonte.  She is the head coach at the Bellefonte YMCA and assists the high school team.   Susan and her family moved to Bellefonte in August of 2004 from Missouri.  She has 3 children: Cydnie, Cortney, and Spencer.  The only men in the house are her husband Todd and the dogs Bronce and Apollo.  Can you tell they were Bronco fans even though they are quickly becoming fans of PSU!!  Susan enjoys golfing, camping, and working in her flower gardens.

Susan started gymnastics and dance at age 3.  She competed in gymnastics in high school at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri for 4 years and received a varsity letter in her 8th grade year.  After healing from a knee injury she continued with diving.

Before coming to Bellefonte, Susan coached compulsory gymnastics at Arising Stars Gymnastics in St. Joseph, Missouri.  She was the coach of the Optional team and level 7 and above gymnasts.  She has also worked with Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Camp.  She was on the staff of the World Gymnastics Team Trials in 1999.  Susan started a YMCA program in Hutchinson, Kansas where the program quickly grew in excess of 100 gymnasts.  This lead her to work with the Kansas City Gymnastics Club where she coached level 4 and 5 gymnasts and assisted with the level 6 gymnasts.

Welcome back for a third year as assistant coach.

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