The 2025 NCAA women’s gymnastics season is off to a flying start, and the Oklahoma Sooners are already serving notice: they’re still the queens of the mat. Posting a massive 197.950 at the Sprouts Collegiate Quad, the Sooners aren’t just No. 1—they’re lapping the competition. In fact, they’re one of only two teams to hit 197-plus in the first two weeks and one of just five to do it all season. Talk about setting the bar (or vault?) sky-high! OU sits pretty with a 197.750 average in the SEC week two standings, leaving LSU (197.475) and Alabama (197.025) chasing in second and third.

It’s déjà vu for the Sooners, who smashed records last year, including an insane NCAA-best 198.950 at the Big 12 Championships—complete with three athletes racking up five perfect 10s. That’s the kind of dominance you rarely see, and it all points back to one woman: K.J. Kindler. For 19 years, K.J. Kindler has been the wind beneath the Sooners’ wings. So, who is this four-time National Coach of the Year, and how did she build an empire where many said it couldn’t be done?

K.J Kindler’s childhood, family life, and more

Born on June 26, 1970, in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, K.J. Kindler tumbled her way into gymnastics—quite literally. At just four years old, she had her first brush with gymnastics—though it started with a baton in a coach’s basement. Spoiler alert: she hated the baton. In an interview with soonersports.com, K.J. Kindler said, “I hated baton and I wanted to tumble. Finally, my mom moved me over to tumbling and I would tumble in her basement. That is where I started. I was very young but I vividly remember it,” Kindler shared, and once she hit those mats, she never looked back. But Kindler’s sporty roots run deep.

Her dad was a wrestler, her mom was into dance, and all four of her siblings grew up immersed in athletics. In fact, her younger sister Lori and Lori’s husband Bart own Flips Gymnastics, a club in Maplewood, Minnesota. K.J. Kindler’s family wasn’t just sporty—they were a gymnastics factory in the making. “I was the start of the gymnastics family,” K.J. Kindler joked in the interview, adding that even her brothers dabbled in the sport through recreational classes.

But gymnastics wasn’t the only thing fate had in store for K.J. Kindler. While working at a summer camp at Iowa State, she crossed paths with Lou Ball, a former Nebraska gymnast turned coach. Sparks flew, and the two eventually teamed up for more than just coaching. Today, Lou serves as Oklahoma’s associate head coach, focusing on vault and co-coaching uneven bars. Together, they’ve built a powerhouse program—and a family. The couple has two daughters, Maggie Grace and Adelade, proving that gymnastics might just be in the DNA. From tumbling in a basement to leading one of the most dominant programs in NCAA history, K.J. Kindler’s journey is as inspiring as it is impressive. Her achievements?

Kindler’s career as a gymnastics coach

When K.J. Kindler took the reins at Oklahoma in 2006, the Sooners were decent, but nobody was mistaking them for a dynasty. Fast forward to today, and the Sooners are a bona fide gymnastics powerhouse, boasting six national championships (2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023), 14 Big 12 titles, and a truckload of All-America honors.

Kindler’s coaching journey began at her alma mater, Iowa State, where she first joined as an assistant coach in 1992. Nine years later, she stepped into the head coach role and made history by leading the Cyclones to their first-ever NCAA Championship berth. It was a mic-drop moment for the program, but Kindler wasn’t done making waves. In 2006, she packed her bags for Norman, Oklahoma, and that’s when things really got interesting.

At Oklahoma, Kindler hit the ground running. In her very first season, she guided the Oklahoma Sooners to an undefeated regular season—a sign of what was to come. Within a year, she had transformed a middling program into a top-tier contender, and by 2014, Oklahoma claimed its first national championship under her leadership. And that was just the opening act. Since then, Kindler’s Sooners have made “winning” their brand, collecting national titles like souvenirs and dominating the NCAA landscape with flair.

But it’s not just about the trophies (though there are plenty). Kindler’s meticulous attention to detail and innovative coaching style have redefined what it means to compete at the collegiate level. She’s the first head coach to lead two programs (Iowa State and OU) to the NCAA finals. K.J. Kindler’s coaching style? She’s all about keeping things organized and positive while letting athletes show off their love for the sport. “I like athletes to be able to express their love for the sport. I emphasize personality through performance,” she says—because why just hit a skill when you can own it?

Team chemistry is her secret sauce, and judging by the Oklahoma Sooners’ success, it’s a recipe that keeps serving up wins. As for why Oklahoma is such a gymnastics hotspot, K.J. Kindler saw the potential from day one. “The state of Oklahoma obviously has a great tradition, from a USA gymnastics standpoint, an Olympic standpoint and a collegiate standpoint. I certainly think that OU can be one of the top programs in the nation,” she said. And has she been right! With her knack for mixing discipline, personality, and team spirit, K.J. Kindler hasn’t just built a program—she’s built a legacy.