John Court’s last Arizona gymnastics staff consisted of a group of relatively young coaches. He’s split the difference with his latest hires.
The program announced the hires of two assistant coaches on Monday afternoon. Court kept it in the family with the hire of graduating senior Emma Strom. He went for experience with former Georgia gymnast and assistant coach Julie Ballard Clark.
“I am very excited to announce the hiring of Julie and Emma as assistant coaches for our program,” Court was quoted in the press release. “They believe in Arizona Gymnastics and what it can be in the future and will help us grow and be successful in the newer landscape of college athletics.”
Strom will be the most familiar to current Arizona gymnastics fans. She just completed her fourth season as an athlete in the program by pushing through regionals after injuring her ankle before senior day in March.
Strom competed in every meet during her sophomore and junior seasons at Arizona. Her freshman year, she competed six times. As a senior, she competed in every regular season meet except senior night. She then sat out Big 12 Championships before returning for NCAA Regionals.
Strom’s strongest event was floor exercise, where she ended with a career high of 9.925 and scored at least 9.900 in eight of 12 appearances in 2026. She also had a career high of 9.925 on balance beam, but she only competed it three times as a senior and seven times over the course of her career. Her career high on vault was 9.875, which she set as a sophomore. She scored at least 9.800 on vault 18 times in her career.
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to give back to a program that has shaped me, and to help carry forward the standard of accountability, consistency, and excellence that defines Arizona Gymnastics,” Strom said. “This program means a great deal to me, and I’m committed to being a strong, reliable leader who pushes and supports our athletes while helping elevate the team to new levels of success. I’m looking forward to building meaningful relationships, preparing our athletes to compete with confidence under pressure, and contributing to an environment that energizes our team and the Tucson community.”
While it may seem like a quick move into the coaching ranks, it’s not the first time Court has given a young gymnast her first job in college coaching. Former associate head coach Kylie Kratchwell joined the staff immediately after completing her college career at the University of New Hampshire. Kratchwell was the primary bars coach and choreographed most of the floor routines for the GymCats during her time in Tucson, a period when they reached a number of historic marks.
For his second hire, Court went the opposite direction. This time, he went with someone who has decades of experience as an athlete, a coach, and a businesswoman.
Ballard Clark competed for Georgia from 1995-1998, helping the Gym Dogs win the national championship her senior year. She was a two-time All-American during her collegiate career. In 1995, she was named SEC Freshman of the Year.
Ballard Clark joined the Georgia staff as a volunteer assistant in 2001, then became the director of operations in 2008. In 2009, her then-husband Jay Clark took over as head coach and she joined his staff as a paid assistant coach. She competed for, was a volunteer assistant, or worked in operations as the team won six national titles and nine SEC titles.
During her time at Georgia, she also worked as a club coach and general director at Classic City Gymnastics Academy in Athens.
In recent years, Ballard Clark has worked as an assistant coach and personal trainer at D1 Training in her home state of Louisiana. She helped young athletes with strength, speed, agility, and conditioning. She served as the program director and head coach at Pinnacle Gymnastics in Colorado prior to returning to Louisiana.
“I am incredibly honored to join the University of Arizona and be part of such a strong, tradition-rich program,” Ballard Clark said. “This opportunity allows me to continue doing what I love – helping athletes grow into the best version of themselves – while contributing to a team culture built on excellence, grit, and pride. I am so grateful for John and the vision he has to elevate this program to new heights. This is a dream come true and it’s time to get started!”
Court could still hire another assistant. He spent last year with two assistants after previous associate head coach Taylor Spears left college athletics in August. Two more positions opened when Kratchwell and former GymCat Shelby Martinez left after the end of the season.
