Time to move on

It can be difficult to leave a fun, fulfilling job, but life keeps moving on.
At least it has for Hannah Thomas, Pittsburg Family YMCA gymnastics director, and coaches Michela Smith and Jeryka Lobner. They are leaving their positions, and will be honored with a “good luck” party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today in the basement of Watco Companies. All friends and gymnasts are welcome to stop by, share memories and wish them well.
“These fabulous young women have made a huge impact on hundreds of lives in our community,” said Susan Baden, whose family has been involved with the local YMCA, especially the gymnastics program, for many years. “I feel these people warrant the recognition our community owes them for always being positive role models for our future generation.”
Thomas, a lifetime Pittsburg resident, said she started out as a competitive gymnast when she was 11.
“When I was 16 I had the opportunity to become gymnastics program director,” she said. “It was a big opportunity for me.  I probably didn’t know just how big and important it was when I took the job.”
Thomas stressed that she hasn’t been alone in the program.
“I think it is very important for the community to know that the YMCA gymnastics program has been a group effort,” she said. Melissa Troth, Jeryka Lobner, Michela Smith and Susan Baden each contributed so much time, effort, energy and support. I was so lucky to get to work with such a great staff.”
The staff appreciates her, too.
“The YMCA gymnastics program has grown so much since I was a gymnast, and has been so successful,” said Michela Smith, Frontenac, who started in gymnastics as a child at the YMCA. “This would not have happened without Hannah.”
Smith was 16, involved in tumbling and sustained an injury, when Jack Bache, YMCA executive director, offered her a coaching job.
Under Thomas’ leadership, the Pittsburg Family YMCA started sending gymnasts to the YMCA National Gymnastics Championships.
“I don’t know any other YMCA in Kansas that sends a gym team to nationals,” Bache said.
“We were the only gym from Kansas at Nationals last week in Pennsylvania,” Smith said. “That was pretty cool.”
“This Nationals was the best, in terms of overall atmosphere, the spirit we had and how many girls placed,” added Jeryka Lobner. “This has been a good ending to my coaching experience here.”
Originally from DeSoto, she came to Pittsburg to attend Pittsburg State University.
“I was a gymnast myself, so I applied for a job at the YMCA, and coached for four years,” Lobner said.
Thomas said she felt very fortunate to have served as director at the YMCA during a time when the gymnastics program was growing and improving.
“I was able to see the facility expand, the number of participants increase, and the overall quality of the program increase,” she said.
Thomas gives a lot of credit for this to the gymnasts themselves.
“I would like to tell the gymnasts whom I worked how much I appreciate the hard work and dedication they put into the sport,” she said. “I have enjoyed watching them set goals and work to achieve them. I know that I will have memories of the Shooting Stars gymnasts that will last forever.”
She said that she has worked with gymnasts aged 3 to 11.
“I’ve known a lot of the girls in the program now for most of their lives,” Thomas said.
She will be leaving Pittsburg to accept a position as gymnastics director at Pinnacle Gymnastics in Shawnee.
“It’s a growing program with 500 to 600 students,” Thomas said.
It’s a wonderful career opportunity for her, but the decision to leave the Pittsburg Family YMCA was not an easy one.
“It’s probably the most difficult choice I’ve had to make in my life,” said Thomas, a Pittsburg High School graduate who majored in psychology at Pittsburg State University.
Smith earned a bachelor of science in nursing from PSU in 2007.
“I put my nursing career on hold to stay at the YMCA, but I’m now looking for a job in the health care field,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed every part of this, and I’m sad to leave.
Smith said that gymnastics will probably always be a part of her life.
“I’ll just have to learn to be a fan and a spectator, not a coach,” she said.
Lobner , who has moved back home, said she plans to look for a gym so she can continue coaching.
“Maybe I’ll open my own gym some day,” she said. “I had never coached before I came to the YMCA, but I’ve learned a lot and hope I can use it in the future.”