Gymnastics is a sport that has seen many changes over the years on an international and national level. The recent rise of NIL deals among young athletes is also noticeable to the community, as it has been an interesting debate among them. Simone Biles’ former coach, Cecile Landi, shares the same interest, having witnessed numerous NIL deals during her years of mentoring gymnasts.

Landi is aware of the way these contracts work and how they can be a lot of beneficial but also can have a stressful factor towards it. As a result of her experience, the coach has provided a balanced perspective on the NIL, sharing her insights with the public.

NIL may be a double-edged sword for these young athletes

For a long time, Cecile Landi gained notoriety among the gymnastics community by coaching none other than the GOAT, Simone Biles. In addition to her significant contributions to the gymnasts’ gold medal feats, Cecile Landi also mentored numerous young talents who went on to achieve professional success. So she has witnessed these NIL deals in the scene and feels a range of emotions about them.

During an interview with Bridget Sloan on YouTube, the coach unveiled her feelings toward the program, stating, “I mean, like social media, it’s a blessing and a curse. Uh, great things can happen for the athletes, but when it’s an added amount of pressure, I feel like it’s really unnecessary, but that’s part of it, I guess.” Indeed, the contracts present numerous opportunities for the selected athlete, but is the subsequent strain truly worth it? Cecile doesn’t think so.

Furthermore, Biles’ former coach added that, in her opinion, enjoying college life is more intriguing than these deals, but it’s also important to consider their financial implications. Money is a major factor in every sport, and not every aspiring athlete has a fortune to their name. Therefore, NIL contracts can be a significant help in maintaining their careers. “So just try to enjoy that, but yeah, sometimes it can be a lot of pressure on the athletes, um, especially, you know, the best ones. So it’s great, but at the same time, they’re still struggling with themselves, you know?” Cecile unveiled the dark side of the same that comes with it.

The 45-year-old has her set of students, who she trains on a daily basis, and she knows them quite well. And as these young gymnasts are not much different from each other in this aspect, she gave a piece of advice, stating, “They’re still building and growing, and, uh, it’s not that easy to always look perfect. Um, and um, you know, I remind them you don’t have to. You need to be you, and some days you’re not going to be perfect, and that’s okay; that’s fine, but yeah, it can be a blessing and a curse for sure.”

Throughout her coaching career, Cecile has seen a variety of gymnasts. However, she knows how tough the training these youngsters go through is, so she never makes them go through more strain. Even so, she encourages them through various ups and downs in their life, as she wants them to enjoy whatever they are experiencing throughout their career, rather than pressuring themselves by putting them into various situations. For her, her students are gems, and she has also raised a diamond-like Biles in her coaching career. The Team USA gymnast has always been appreciative of her, and recently, when Cecile was about to decide on the next chapter in her life, she received an uplifting note.

Simone Biles’ coach is set for her new journey in her stellar coaching career

The number of accolades that coach Cecile Landi has achieved in her career is difficult to count. She played a crucial role in helping Simone Biles secure their first gold medal at the 2018 Doha World Championships. However, their partnership has also seen its darkest times when the gymnast suffered from twisties in Tokyo and had to drop out of competition for a few seasons. But the way Biles made her comeback in the 2023 Antwerp World Championships shocked everyone, where she earned four golds and a silver medal. She continued her form into Paris and earned more medals to her name.

However, their partnership was about to come to an end when Cecile received a call from Ryan Roberts at the University of Georgia, who wanted her to join in as the head coach of their program. While she had mixed feelings towards it, it was her student, Biles, who cheered her up to take the new role, which she mentioned, stating, “Simone was the first one to tell me: I’m so happy for you. You need to go.” Indeed, the gold medalist wanted her coach to succeed more in her life, but with a new role, and she also issued a statement on this, stating, “Congratulations, Cecile, I can’t think of a more deserving person.” While Biles will miss her on the mat from the next events, she is happy that she has taken up a new opportunity that would further make her one of the greatest gymnastics coaches out there.