Emily Gibson Named Dance Head Coach

Coach Gibson grew up in Mound, MN, and began dancing at 2.5 years old and continued dancing with a local studio through her teens. She also competed with Mound Westonka in high school and was a second-year captain when the school appeared in its first state dance tournament. She received her bachelor's degree in marketing management from the University of St. Thomas, where she danced for two additional years. 

Immediately following college, Coach Gibson accepted a position as an assistant coach for the Mound Westonka dance team. She played an integral role in growing the program from a small group of dancers to more than 40 team members. Additionally, her responsibilities as an assistant varsity coach included all aspects of dance team management, including practice planning and execution, apparel design and ordering, choreography, parent communication, youth event coordination, and end-of-season banquet organization.

Activities Director Rory Oster feels fortunate to have found a coach with this depth and knowledge. He states, “l am grateful for the opportunity to bring such a highly qualified and talented coach to Holy Family to prepare our team for a successful 2023-24 competition season and to grow our program moving forward. I am confident that she will continue to build on this program’s legacy of success.”

Coach Gibson enjoys spending time with her husband, James, whom she met at UST and their four young sons. Her family recently moved back to Minnesota after one year in Tennessee, which, along with a brief hiatus, clarified her passion for coaching. She says, “I had the realization there is nothing quite like the sport of Minnesota Dance Team! While I have had the most amazing experience being an assistant coach for almost 15 years and learning from a phenomenal head coach, I know God placed me into this role to help even more young women develop and grow into incredible adults.” She continues, “I deeply love the sport of dance, but my faith is even more important. Being a part of the Holy Family community allows me to coach athletes in both areas of their lives.” 

The dance team had the chance to meet Coach Gibson after school on Tuesday, October 10.  She is excited to share her vision for the program with parents at the pre-season meeting on Tuesday, October 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the B-wing IS area.