Here in Forest Hills, our gymnastics team is filled with many hardworking girls who strongly flip into their season every year. With the entire world being short-staffed after the recent pandemic, coaches get thrown around tremendously. The girls will be welcoming two very important people into the team this year: coaches Jordan Lytle and Marie Clark. 

Marie is going to be taking on the position of assistant coach. She is currently attending nursing school at Grand Valley State University as she attempts to graduate with her second bachelor’s degree. She got her first bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State University. She grew up in Troy, MI and competed on her school’s gymnastics team. After competing, she went on to coach when she was living in East Lansing, MI.

Locally in Grand Rapids, she works at Grand Rapids Gymnastics. She got connected with the Forest Hills team one day when she saw them practicing, and she continued to show up for them when she could. She developed a passion for our team and decided coaching us would be the path for her!

“Coaching gymnastics was my first job and I’ve coached kids anywhere from preschool high school so I felt really excited to take on this role of being more involved this year,” she shares. “I am looking forward to creating an encouraging team environment where I see the gymnasts accomplish their goals and cheer one another on.”  

“The new coaches will provide a new perspective of what our team can be and how we will function, especially since our team is made up of girls from Forest Hills Northern, Forest Hills Central, and Forest Hills Eastern,” senior Abby Cummings shares. “This will help the team to gain new insight on skills and schedules to hopefully make a more organized year.” 

Jordan will be taking on the position of head coach in the upcoming season. She is currently pursuing her degree in psychology, as well as getting married last month. She has a pretty extensive background in gymnastics being that she was a USAG level 9 gymnast and competing for Lowell High School in her senior year of high school. She has been coaching on and off for the past decade and has had experience with all ages. 

“I came to FHC to help build and grow the gymnastics program. Coaching has always been a passion of mine, and I am really excited to see what I can bring to this program,” Jordan shares. “I am looking forward to watching our team grow together over the next season and then on.” 

Not only are the coaches ecstatic, but the gymnasts share in that feeling as well. “I am very excited to have new coaches. Both of them have competed in gymnastics in the past 10-15 years, so they are very familiar with both the sport and the way high school gymnastics works,” senior Charlotte Stephan said. “I think they are going to be a huge help to our team and help us grow stronger as a team and as individuals.” 

The season will be starting soon, and we as a school and community are excited to see what these coaches will bring to the team.