By Aidan O’Connor | Sports Writer
Since head coach Felecia Mulkey arrived in 2015, No. 1 Baylor acrobatics and tumbling has known nothing but success, winning a national championship in every season under her leadership.
Expectations remain sky-high for Baylor (2-0), but with Mulkey at the helm, the team embraces the pressure and believes they have what it takes to continue building on their dynasty.
“The sport has evolved so much since we’ve gotten here,” Mulkey said. “Baylor has evolved. Our philosophy has remained the same, but the sport has evolved because of the athletes that are coming in and their influence on it.”
Mulkey’s success in Waco stems from her ability to maintain a steadfast philosophy while adapting her coaching approach over time. She tailors her leadership style to match both the needs of her athletes and the phase of life she’s in as a coach.
“I’m in the mom phase of coaching,” Mulkey said. “I started out in the big sister phase of coaching. I went into the cool aunt phase of coaching, and now I’m in the mom age of coaching era, and I’m rocking the mom era.”
This phase has shaped her into a wise authority figure who focuses on guiding and developing her athletes’ maturity. It demands more from everyone on the team, pushing them to rise to Baylor’s elite standard.
“I will point out, with Mary Hardin-Baylor’s young program, we went into that meet 16 points ahead of them,” Mulkey said. “We only came out in execution three points more than they came out. So everybody sees this 20-point victory. What I see is a lack of execution on our part. And we have to improve that because we need to go in 16 points up, and we need to come out 30 points up because our execution needs to be that good.”
For Mulkey, there is no resting on the laurels of a win but a proactive look at what needs to be improved. Her hope is for the team to continue to grow and reach the Baylor standard. That outlook has become ingrained in the program, and the players have fully embraced it.
“We’re ready to showcase what we are capable of doing, and so many people have stepped up to the plate [and] have challenged for their spot,” senior Mariah Polk said. “This team is really unique, it’s special, and I’m just excited for us to put all of our pieces together.”
Coming into the season, there were concerns after the team lost some key contributors like bases Bayley Humphrey and Riley Chimwala. However, Polk and the Bears proved they were up to the challenge, winning their first two meets and extending the program’s winning streak to 40 straight competitions.
“I don’t think we even think about the national championship until we’re at the national championship,” Polk said. “I think something we focus on the most is beating ourselves every week. I feel like our biggest competition comes within the four walls of the gym. You’ve got the best athletes in the country right there standing next to you. So, I feel like our biggest competition is each other.”
With the opportunity to win a 10th straight national championship, the pressure is on for Baylor. But with Mulkey’s philosophy guiding the program, the Bears remain calm, focused, and determined to stay on top. The “mom era” is in full swing, and the team has no hesitation about rising to the challenge.
The Bears will be back in action against No. 4 Oregon at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
