Without speaking a word of English, Chun-Chih Tsai has, in a little less than two weeks, commanded the awe and respect of the entire Warehouse gymnastics team.
"Attention," he firmly speaks in his native accent to the girls who are talking, playing or not paying attention to the task at hand. It takes only a few seconds for the wiry, athletic little girls to "bounce" back into line and stand straight with wide eyes focused intently on the coach.
Hailing from Taipei, Taiwan, Joe, as he is affectionately called by the girls at the gym, has traveled to Greenwood to visit friends and relatives. He is now working daily with Aubrey Whittington in training the Warehouse gymnastics team.
He has served as head coach for several Taiwanese middle, high school and college gymnastics teams. Joe was also the head coach for the Taiwan National Gymnastics team at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
He also coached a student who received a bronze medal in the rings competition at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, Korea. He has also coached gold medal winners for numerous years at the Taiwan District, Collegiate and National Gymnastics competitions. Joe has been involved in numerous other gymnastics competitions where he served as observer, judge and coach.
He's the cousin of Li Nash, wife of Gary Nash, who is in the music department at Mississippi Valley State University. Li comes with him to the gym every single day and serves as his translator.
Lee Singh, a former student of Warehouse Gym owner Aubrey Whittington and whose parents are professors at MVSU, is a good friend of the Nash family. She suggested that Li talk to Whittington about letting Joe come to the gym to help out.
"I said, 'Great! When can you start?'" Whittington said. "The girls just love him."
Whittington said Joe gave her some thoughtful insights on the training of the girls, who travel across the state for several gymnastics meets each year.
"He told me, 'This always the problem. You need fresh air,'" Whittington recalls. "But, of course, with his background, he's used to having girls in the gym seven days a week. This (American experience) is quite different for him."
Joe says that American girls are not as focused, but that's because they have so many other things going on, but he did say that America was "fun."
"In Taiwan, the girls are not as active," Joe said, with the help of his translator. "They listen to the coach and they don't have as many opinions and ideas. The girls here are more active, free and have their own opinions." Joe is used to dealing with Taiwanese girls who start out in the gym at age 4 or 5, and they are hand-picked right away for Olympic competitions years in advance.
It's not the first time Joe's been in America. He's visited the USA several times before with his national gymnastics team.
But, it is the first time for him to work with American gymnasts.
When asked about their strengths and weaknesses, Joe admits the girls need more time, but they are doing a lot of extracurricular "stuff," and it's just impossible for them to be in the gym all the time.
"They are not technically very high skilled, but that's understandable because this is not their career," Joe said. "But they have the desire to learn. They are active and very tough."
Joe admits that the most enjoyable aspect of his trip to America has been working with the girls in the gym.
"I'm happy when they are making progress, and I am getting along really well with the girls," he said.
Whittington hopes that having Joe aboard at the gym will attract more boys to the gymnastics program.
When asked how he communicates most effectively with the girls, Joe doesn't give a verbal explanation. He simply gets to his feet and walks over to the uneven bars. He dusts his hands with white chalk and begins to do movements on the bars.
"This is best way to show them," he said. "Show them by doing it first."
Joe also said the most important thing about working with the girls is motivation.
"I'm not going to teach them the difficult things at first," he explained. "They have got to have that confidence and interest in it first.
"Give them the easy jobs to do at first. That's the best way," Joe said.
He emphasizes spotting the girls, and said that safety is paramount.
"It's important for them to feel safe and confident and to get the basic, technical details," Joe said.
"I think it's been good for the girls," Whittington said. "They are trying to please and impress him, and it makes them work harder."
Joe has been working with the gymnasts on a number of techniques, including baby fly-aways, or back flip dismounts off the high bar, and other bar and floor techniques.
"I am very grateful to Aubrey," Joe said. "The environment here is very good. We will have bright future here."
"We have good parents, as well, and that's important." Whittington said.
Joe is also working with the MVSU cheerleading squad during the times when he's not in the gym.
