Owego Gymnastics coach starts new chapter

Long-time Tioga County, N.Y. resident, Anne-Marie “Annie” Mott, a beloved coach at Owego Gymnastics and Activity Center, and known in the community as “Miss Annie,” said goodbye to students and staff on June 24. An admired coach who has touched the lives of hundreds upon hundreds of young people, if not thousands, as well as their families, closed the book on her incredible gymnastics career after 34 years.

Leaving a job she loved was difficult, but the decision was made clearer after the loss of her brother earlier this year. Not intending to retire completely, Mott plans to seek other employment, with a focus on finding a job that will allow her a different schedule so she can spend more time with family.     

“I will miss the kids tremendously,” Annie commented, and added that all of the young people and staff have become like extended family.

For Mott, coaching came naturally, and considers one of her career highlights to be when young gymnasts became proficient at a skill they struggled with or worked on for a long period of time.

She shared, “It has always been exciting when they finally get it!”  

Mott explained that she was also pleased to see other athletes utilizing gymnastics as a way to improve their conditioning for other sports. Mott has always enjoyed sharing her experience with everyone, and that included wrestlers, cheerleaders, dancers and divers, among others, and anyone who could benefit from gymnastics.

During the three-plus decades she was with Owego Gymnastics, Mott commented that she participated in every Strawberry Festival parade, with the exception of one or two, and one year being when she marched as part of the Waterman Center group. Mott previously worked at Waterman Center and the Ross Park Zoo, and simultaneously while she worked at the gym.    

“I grew up on a farm in Owego,” Mott said, and explained that her love for animals led her to the University of Colorado where she completed a Zoology degree which, in turn, led her back to the Southern Tier to work at Ross Park.

While at Colorado, Mott was a member of a successful gymnastics team, where she earned several medals and trophies, her favorite events being bars and floor. 

But it was never just achieving wins or bringing home the medals and trophies.

Annie commented, “The sport helped me manage time, it gave me self-confidence, and, above anything else, she added, “It was always more the ‘life skills’ that the sport offers that makes a difference.”

Looking back, it was Annie’s parents, the Kwaitkowski’s, along with other local parents, who were instrumental in founding a local gymnastics program so their young children could pursue athletics. From the early days practicing inside a barn on Main Street to using space at the former Washington Gladden School, and where equipment had to be broken down and put away every evening, it was gymnasts like Annie, her sister Karen, and Center Director Jana Bowen, among others, who paved the way for young gymnasts today.  

Formerly known as The Girls Gymnastics Athletic Club of Owego and the Owego Scamps, classes were held in the basement of the Tioga County office building for many years until the flood of 2006. A new facility on State Route 38 opened ten years ago has provided much needed space and improved features, and has provided the opportunity to grow with more class offerings.    

Bowen shared, “Annie has been an asset to the Center where she has coached a generation of coaches. She is enthusiastic and diligent, and with her meticulous instruction and upkeep of the Center, it has rubbed off on all of us,” and continued, “Our motto has always been to build skills to last a lifetime, and Annie has done just that. We owe her a lot, and will truly miss her.”

A part of the legacy that Mott leaves behind, and a piece that she is especially proud of, is, she said, “Sharing with others the true joy of the sport.” 

For information about the Center, call (607) 687-2458, find them on Facebook or visit owegogymnastics.com.