National Businesswomen’s Day | 2022
What were your career aspirations when you were growing up?
K: When I was younger, I thought I would go into law. My Dad used to say it was because I would argue with confidence. Sales and marketing were more of an interest as I became older and I was fortunate to work for some larger companies.
What kind of other jobs/positions did you hold before starting at Viking?
K: I worked in the sales department for a family owned mid-sized business. I worked in the institutional sales division and then the international sales division before entering middle management at a large manufacturing company. After my son was born, I stayed home and started merchandising part time, eventually becoming a Regional Manager for a large media company. I was very fortunate as I had a lot of flexibility in my position that allowed me to raise my children and be successful running my territory. When the company eliminated the division I was part of and it was sold to another company, the transition was not great. I left the field and became a paraprofessional. I have worked for both the Archdiocese and CPS.
Did you face any challenges along the way?
K: Within each area that I worked, there were different challenges but nothing that was out of the ordinary until the company that I worked for was sold and the transition did not go smoothly. I helped transition my territory but then decided that it was not a place that I wanted to be a part of based on how employees were treated and left after 7 months.
At Viking you have a variety of roles that you take on, which do you enjoy most?
K: Whatever involves helping others to be successful at what they are trying to accomplish.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
K: That is a hard question! I think that the most rewarding part is when I see one of the kids and they are excited to tell me about an accomplishment that they have achieved. Sometimes it is a skill that they may have successfully attained in either their gymnastics or dance class and other times it is something that they accomplished outside of Viking.
What has been your favorite experience since starting at Viking?
K: I don’t know that I have a single favorite anymore! At one time it was watching my daughter successfully execute her first cartwheel on a high beam. There have been so many moments since then and many that have carried outside of the walls of Viking due to relationships that started because of being a part of Viking.
Do you have any advice for girls looking to pursue leadership roles or careers in general?
K: Believe in yourself and what you are doing! Both of my children were raised to believe that they are capable of achieving anything that they set their minds to doing.
Thank you Karyn for being such a valuable part of our business and a wonderful role model for our students!
Viking hosted its annual Da’Viking Invitational the weekend of March 5th and 6th at Niles West HIgh School. Proceeds from this event went towards Hank and his family to help with the cost of yearly training for their seizure alert dog. Hank has an early childhood epilepsy syndrome called Doose Syndrome. You can follow “Hank’s R Hero” on Facebook to learn more about Hank and his journey, as well as ways to further support the family.
The Gymnastics Invitational welcomed gymnasts from Viking Gymnastics, American Academy, Firehouse Gymnastics, Flipstar Gymnastics Academy, Kids In Action Gymnastics Academy, Riverside Brookfield Gymnastics, Superstarz Gymnastics, and Tri-Star Gymnastics. Day one hosted competitions for GIJO Girls’ levels Silver, Gold, and 2 through 8 gymnasts. Viking levels 4 and 5 ended their competitive season on a strong note, along with many of Viking’s optional gymnasts returning from their high school season to join in the fun and perform new skills!
Day two hosted competitions for Special Olympics gymnasts levels C, and 1-4, both girls and boys! This was the third consecutive weekend of competitions for our Rising Stars team, twenty-one of whom have qualified for State! Their confidence is growing with each performance and it’s wonderful to see their personalities shine through in their routines.
The meet was extra special for Viking gymnasts Madison and Raya, who are also coaches at Viking, as it was their final gymnastics competition. Both have been part of Viking’s program for many years and in that time have formed strong relationships with their teammates and coaches. Coach Abbey says, “
Madison: 
Raya:
The event began with a wonderful speech from our guest speaker, Dani Tyler. An Olympic Gold medalist, Tyler spoke to all ages on the importance of believing in yourself. Her words of motivation set a positive tone for the rest of the day, and from there it was time to get started with the activities!
Representatives from the Kids Stem Studio led a fun and educational coding workshop! The students learned how to format a computer game on their laptops using a program called Scratch. Through this activity, they accomplished the task of learning a new skill and found how rewarding it can be to push through a new and complex assignment. They even got to see their creation come to life and play their game at the end!
Library Resource specialist Caroline Schaab led a reading activity for various age groups. By sharing empowering stories from books, students learned the value of self-confidence and how they can apply the same lessons to write their own real-life success story.
The Dance hallway was home to a variety of body movement workshops, including meditation and yoga with Julie Penn, pilates with Coach Angie, and Dance with Ms. Lynn and Ms. Jessica! Teenage and adult participants learned muscle control and relaxation poses, and younger students were taught to appreciate their bodies and the abilities they possess. This included the importance of personal space and what to do if another individual is invading that space in an unsafe way.
Jessica Caccavallo led activities regarding body safety and personal space. Students practiced the “NO – GO – TELL” rules and were taught tips on how to make empowering choices and get help if they or a friend are in trouble. They also learned to identify safe adults to talk to and got comfortable with having those kinds of conversations. Our bodies are our own, and we should expect other people to treat them with respect.
Amy Bell from Athletico led an injury recovery session, where students learned how to care for their muscles and get the proper aid in the event of an injury. This included using resistance bands, foam rollers, and massage tools, as well as how to determine when professional medical assistance is needed. For all that our bodies do for us, it’s important that we know how to keep it safe and healthy!
Creative outlets were also provided by Oak Park art teacher Michaela Ruff, Coach Kaylie, and Coach Marisa. These included Jewelry making, creating a collective body, and warm & fuzzy feeling keychain making! Each creation came out as beautiful and unique as the individual who made it, highlighting the importance of self-expression and artistic imagination.
Coach Marisa provided students with different colors of yarn to make their keychains. Each color represented a positive question about themselves, such as their strengths, things they love, and what their aspirations are. After sharing their responses, they were taught that their responses might change at different points of their life. It’s important to check-in with ourselves from time to time and look at how we view our self-esteem, and with these keychains everyone was able to go home with a beautiful reminder of what makes them special and what they value most about themselves.
In Coach Kaylie’s activity, students drew different parts of the body that help them do the things they love. They taped all of their body parts onto a single figure, and although a figure with three eyeballs and five arms may look silly, it was a great visual of all the different things our body is able to do!
Participants also got to showcase their talents in a circus activity led by performer Amanda Crockett. Group members cheered each other’s uniqueness as they performed their best dance move, acrobatic skill, or entertaining act!
Nicole Reynolds led a teamwork exercise as students were paired into small groups with the task of unlocking a “breakout box.” Through a series of clues and puzzles, they had to work together to achieve success and win their prize as a team, for which they were rewarded with a sweet treat! Each group beamed with excitement as they were able to open their box, learning to value the ideas and problem-solving strategies of those they were working with as they helped in completing a common goal.
Susan Fosco and Teri Jakuc led a team-building obstacle course. Through this activity, students found that it was quicker to accomplish something when working together than if they were to try and complete the course on their own. In addition, it’s more fun to work as a group and make friends along the way!
In addition to this being their first meet of the current season, it was the first one they’ve attended since March of 2020. Coach April Sawyer says of the event, “
This year Viking’s Rising Stars Special Olympics program gained thirteen new athletes, making a total of twenty-nine, and allowing Viking to expand from one weekly practice to two. In expanding the program, Viking is able to help more athletes with special needs learn what it means to be part of a team, as well as improve motor skills, memorization, spatial awareness, and encourage socialization. 
Next, it was time for a scavenger hunt! Athletes worked together in small groups that included a mix of members from all three of Viking’s competitive gymnastics teams to track down answers to gymnastics questions that were provided throughout the gym. Seeing the kids work together to make sure that they were pairing their questions and answers together correctly was very fun to watch!
After that, the gymnasts got to do what they do best… gymnastics! All the events were open and kids were free to move around the gym. Obstacles courses were made, girls taught some boys their floor and beam routines, favorite skills were practiced, and fun was had by all. The night ended with a team favorite – a Handstand Contest followed by a recap of the importance of working as a team and the awarding of some Open Gym passes.
The most important tool is communication with oneself. Talking through one’s own thoughts, skills, and fears can help break down all of the anxiety and make the issue easier to understand. Dr. Patrick Cohn is a highly regarded sports psychologist who helps athletes train from the inside out by understanding their mentality to overcome those mental obstacles.
What has been your proudest coaching moment?
