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When Utah's gymnastics coaches sat down with Baely Rowe at the end of the 2014 season, they held nothing back in their review of the freshman, saying they expected more from her.
Rowe took the criticism and went home. Not to pout, but to have her butt kicked.
"My family, we grew up as competitors," she said. "I went back home, and they all helped me a lot, my parents and my brother and sister. I got a lot of feedback from them."
Most importantly, she got better.
Rowe, from Federal Way, Washington, has emerged as one of the team's best options in the all-around in 2015 after spending her freshman year only competing on the balance beam.
That Rowe has improved enough to justify her inclusion on every event in a team laden with talent is a testament to her dedication in the offseason, Utah coach Greg Marsden said.
"It's not like she was horrible, but she certainly didn't do what we thought she was capable of doing last year," he said. "It's a big transition to college. In club, you pay your entry and you get to compete. It's not like that in college. You have to do your job and earn your spot every week, and it's a hard transition for someone to make."
Rowe's natural talent led her to junior Olympic titles — with a little help from that family advice.
Rowe's mother, Sherri, played soccer for San Diego State University, while her father played football for Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Both siblings played soccer in college, and her brother Kelyn plays for Major League Soccer's New England Revolution.
With all that skill, the Rowe's family backyard games were more than friendly get-togethers.
"My mom didn't like losing and she usually won," Baely said. "But they've helped me. Having my brother and sister in college before me helped me know what to expect after I talked to them because they'd been through it."
Rowe spent the offseason working on her gymnastics, getting into better physical shape and meeting with the team's sport psychologist.
"I didn't realize how much of a change it would be at first," Rowe said of the move to college gymnastics. "But I have gotten a lot of my confidence back, and I'm proud of the changes I've made."
The changes are showing in the results, too. She won the balance beam event at BYU with a career-high 9.9 and is tied for 24th on the floor with a 9.863 average.
She was slated to go in the all-around against UCLA but was pulled from the floor due to illness. However, she did contribute a 9.875 on the vault and a 9.75 on the bars.
Rowe could be in the all-around Saturday when the Utes take on Arizona, and not as filler, either. Marsden believes she will make a bigger impact as the season goes along.
"She should be a solid scorer for us," Marsden said. "She is a good dancer and is a good entertainer, so she should be a top performer on floor and balance beam. Those are the two where she should make a real difference for us."
That is what Rowe plans to do. After all, as she joked, she didn't go to Utah to be the slacker. Her family wouldn't let her.
Twitter: @lyawodraska —
About Baely Rowe
Height • 5-foot-3
Class • Sophomore
Hometown • Federal Way, Washington
Noteworthy • Competed on the balance beam in every meet as a freshman, scoring a season-high 9.85 vs. Georgia. … Only freshman starter in 2014. … Hit 12 of 13 beam routines. … Athletic director's honor roll. … Three-time junior Olympic champion.