Q&A with Rosemount Irishettes Dance Team coach Olivia Conn
ROSEMOUNT, Minn. — A Q&A with Olivia Conn who is the head coach for the Rosemount High School Irishettes Dance Team.
How long have you been coaching?
Olivia Conn: This is my fourth season coaching. My third season as a head coach.
What is your background in this sport?
Conn: I started dancing when I was 3 years old. I attended a local studio growing up and then in high school I changed studios to Dance Connection here in Rosemount to be closer to home. I was also a member and captain of the Irishettes in high school, and participated in the school’s dance shows and modern dance company. For college I attended the University of Northern Iowa where I continued my dance career for 3 years.
What is the biggest life lesson you鈥檝e learned from being a coach?
Conn: When I first started coaching I just thought it would be a great way to keep dance in my life, but now it has turned into so much more. I would say the biggest lesson I have learned so far is how much influence I have over my athletes. Yes, we spend our time getting into better shape and becoming better dancers, but as a coach I am also teaching them so many life skills that they can take and use in their adult lives. Time management, resolving conflict, how to work in groups, persevering during tough times. When I started I had no idea that this is what my main role as a coach would be and I definitely didn’t know that it would become my favorite part of my job!
What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?
Conn: Our focus on fitness and strength is what I think helps our athletes be successful. Dance is unique because it is both a sport and an art. So we not only have to spend a lot of time on exercise and a variety of workouts, but also have to train on flexibility and movement quality. This is where I give huge props to my coaching staff. Coach Sarah Speltz has a 20+ year background in dance and fitness. She creates very dynamic workouts for our athletes and caters them to their specific needs for that day or week. Coach Kaitlynn Carpenter comes from a dance program that has had tremendous success over the last two decades and uses what she has learned there to teach our athletes proper high kick technique.
How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?
Conn: This is a great question. My coaching staff and I constantly talk with our girls about what we can control as a team. We try to emphasize that we can never compare ourselves to others. So when we do have a tough competition where things don’t go as planned they already have that mindset of “ok what can I do next time to fix that mistake or how do we increase our score in that category for the next competition”. We also spend a lot of time talking about the scoresheet with our athletes. That way they can really understand what they are being judged on. After each competition we take the time to go over our scores as a group and talk about our highest and lowest scoring categories.
Describe your proudest coaching moment.
Conn: My second year coaching, my first year as a head coach, my main goal was to create an environment that was super positive and a community that people wanted to be a part of. That season we were a brand new coaching staff and felt we had a lot to prove to not only the families of our team but also the Rosemount community. At the end of our last practice of that season my athletes did not want to leave. They all stayed after talking, hugging and crying with our seniors who had just had their last high school dance team practice. At that moment I felt so proud and accomplished. We had met our goal. I even remember one senior saying to an underclassman that they were so lucky to get another year with our coaching staff. That comment will stick with me forever.
What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?
Conn: I hope to accomplish many things in my time as a coach in this program. I want to grow the program. Right now we compete with 3 teams. My hope in the future is to have a full roster and all 5 teams (Varsity Kick, Varsity Jazz, JV Kick, JV Jazz, and B Squad Jazz). I also hope to start a youth Irishettes program eventually. Overall, the legacy I want to leave is that the Irishettes program is full of hard working athletes both on the competition floor and in the classroom.
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