Shelba Waldron
USA Gymnastics

Shelba's Regional Congress Sessions

Region 3 - Saturday
9:30 - 10:30am
Gym Studio B
The Three Layers of a Strong Gym: Behavior, Systems, Culture (and Where Problems Really Start)
Region 3 Saturday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Risk doesn’t show up out of nowhere…it builds. This presentation introduces the Three-Layer Risk Model, a simple, clear way to understand how individual behaviors, weak systems, and unhealthy culture combine to create preventable problems. Club leaders will learn how to assess each layer, identify gaps, and take actionable steps that strengthen their entire program. It’s a modern, practical approach to creating safer training environments.

10:45 - 11:45am
Gym Studio B
Coaching in a Connected World: Phones, Platforms, and Digital Safety
Region 3 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Digital life is now part of coaching life. And if you’re not actively managing it, it’s managing you. This session is your crash course on the tech tightrope coaches walk every day: social media boundaries, messaging expectations, group chats, recording and posting culture, and what “digital professionalism” looks like in 2026. Get tools, scripts, and guidelines you can implement immediately to keep yourself, your athletes, and your club protected in a world where everything has a screenshot button.

2:30 - 3:30pm
Gym Studio B
Reject the Script: Breaking Generational Patterns in Coaching
Region 3 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Every coach steps into the role carrying a script they didn’t write. It’s the one handed to them by the coaches who came before — the good, the inspiring, and the deeply harmful. Those patterns repeat from generation to generation, shaping how coaches set expectations, communicate, motivate, and respond under pressure. Some coaches follow the script exactly because it’s all they’ve ever seen; others rebel against it, but still feel its pull when things get hard.

This session looks directly at those inherited patterns and how they show up in today’s gyms. Through lecture and guided discussion, coaches and managers will explore which behaviors are worth carrying forward and which patterns need to be intentionally broken so they aren’t passed to the next generation.

Region 3 - Sunday
8:15 - 10:30am
Dance Studio 2
Readiness & Response: How Clubs Navigate the Unexpected
Region 3 Sunday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Emergencies and unexpected situations don’t wait for the perfect staff member or the perfect moment. How a club responds in those first few minutes depends heavily on the preparation, communication, and systems that were built long before anything went wrong.

This session gives coaches and club leaders a clear, practical look at how readiness is developed — from strong policies and daily communication habits to tabletop walk-throughs, staff training, and on-the-floor decision making. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore how well-designed systems can prevent confusion, reduce risk, and shape a coordinated response when the unexpected happens.

Note: This is an extended, 2-hour session.

Region 4 & 5 - Friday
8:30 - 9:30am
Cypress
Coaching in a Connected World: Phones, Platforms and Digital Safety
Region 4 & 5 Friday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Digital life is now part of coaching life. And if you’re not actively managing it, it’s managing you. This session is your crash course on the tech tightrope coaches walk every day—social media boundaries, messaging expectations, group chats, recording and posting culture, and what “digital professionalism” looks like in 2026. Get tools, scripts, and guidelines you can implement immediately to keep yourself, your athletes, and your club protected in a world where everything has a screenshot button.

1:45 - 4:00pm
Magnolia B-C
Readiness & Response: How Clubs Navigate the Unexpected
Region 4 & 5 Friday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Emergencies and unexpected situations don’t wait for the perfect staff member or the perfect moment. How a club responds in those first few minutes depends heavily on the preparation, communication, and systems that were built long before anything went wrong.

This session gives coaches and club leaders a clear, practical look at how readiness is developed — from strong policies and daily communication habits to tabletop walk-throughs, staff training, and on-the-floor decision making. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore how well-designed systems can prevent confusion, reduce risk, and shape a coordinated response when the unexpected happens.

Note: This is an extended, 2-hour session.

Region 4 & 5 - Saturday
8:30 - 9:30am
Cypress
Reject the Script: Breaking Generational Patterns in Coaching
Region 4 & 5 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Every coach steps into the role carrying a script they didn’t write. It’s the one handed to them by the coaches who came before — the good, the inspiring, and the deeply harmful. Those patterns repeat from generation to generation, shaping how coaches set expectations, communicate, motivate, and respond under pressure. Some coaches follow the script exactly because it’s all they’ve ever seen; others rebel against it, but still feel its pull when things get hard.

This session looks directly at those inherited patterns and how they show up in today’s gyms. Through lecture and guided discussion, coaches and managers will explore which behaviors are worth carrying forward and which patterns need to be intentionally broken so they aren’t passed to the next generation.

11:15am - 12:15pm
Cypress
Managing Emotions and Expectations with Athletes
Region 4 & 5 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Coaches aren’t just teaching skills. They’re managing the emotional temperature of a training environment. This session dives into the real mechanics of communication under stress: how to regulate your own reactions, how to calibrate expectations, and how to guide athletes through frustration, fear, and pressure. Participants will leave with practical strategies for setting clear expectations, redirecting intensity in healthy ways, and creating a training space where athletes feel supported.

Region 6 & 7 - Friday
4:15 - 5:15pm
Monocacy
The Three Layers of a Strong Gym: Behavior, Systems, Culture (and Where Problems Really Start)
Region 6 & 7 Friday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Risk doesn’t show up out of nowhere…it builds. This presentation introduces the Three-Layer Risk Model, a simple, clear way to understand how individual behaviors, weak systems, and unhealthy culture combine to create preventable problems. Club leaders will learn how to assess each layer, identify gaps, and take actionable steps that strengthen their entire program. It’s a modern, practical approach to creating safer training environments.

Region 6 & 7 - Saturday
9:45 - 10:45am
Monocacy
Coaching in a Connected World: Phones, Platforms, and Digital Safety
Region 6 & 7 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Digital life is now part of coaching life. And if you’re not actively managing it, it’s managing you. This session is your crash course on the tech tightrope coaches walk every day: social media boundaries, messaging expectations, group chats, recording and posting culture, and what “digital professionalism” looks like in 2026. Get tools, scripts, and guidelines you can implement immediately to keep yourself, your athletes, and your club protected in a world where everything has a screenshot button.

1:45 - 2:45pm
Monocacy
Reject the Script: Breaking Generational Patterns in Coaching
Region 6 & 7 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Every coach steps into the role carrying a script they didn’t write. It’s the one handed to them by the coaches who came before — the good, the inspiring, and the deeply harmful. Those patterns repeat from generation to generation, shaping how coaches set expectations, communicate, motivate, and respond under pressure. Some coaches follow the script exactly because it’s all they’ve ever seen; others rebel against it, but still feel its pull when things get hard.

This session looks directly at those inherited patterns and how they show up in today’s gyms. Through lecture and guided discussion, coaches and managers will explore which behaviors are worth carrying forward and which patterns need to be intentionally broken so they aren’t passed to the next generation.

Region 6 & 7 - Sunday
8:30 - 10:45am
Berks
Readiness & Response: How Clubs Navigate the Unexpected
Region 6 & 7 Sunday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Emergencies and unexpected situations don’t wait for the perfect staff member or the perfect moment. How a club responds in those first few minutes depends heavily on the preparation, communication, and systems that were built long before anything went wrong.

This session gives coaches and club leaders a clear, practical look at how readiness is developed — from strong policies and daily communication habits to tabletop walk-throughs, staff training, and on-the-floor decision making. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore how well-designed systems can prevent confusion, reduce risk, and shape a coordinated response when the unexpected happens.

Note: This is an extended, 2-hour session.

Region 8 - Friday
8:30 - 9:30am
Topaz
The Three Layers of a Strong Gym: Behavior, Systems and Culture (and Where Problems Really Start)
Region 8 Friday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Risk doesn’t show up out of nowhere…it builds. This presentation introduces the Three-Layer Risk Model, a simple, clear way to understand how individual behaviors, weak systems, and unhealthy culture combine to create preventable problems. Club leaders will learn how to assess each layer, identify gaps, and take actionable steps that strengthen their entire program. It’s a modern, practical approach to creating safer training environments.

11:15am - 12:15pm
Topaz
Coaching in a Connected World: Phones, Platforms, and Digital Safety
Region 8 Friday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Digital life is now part of coaching life. And if you’re not actively managing it, it’s managing you. This session is your crash course on the tech tightrope coaches walk every day – social media boundaries, messaging expectations, group chats, recording and posting culture, and what “digital professionalism” looks like in 2026. Get tools, scripts, and guidelines you can implement immediately to keep yourself, your athletes, and your club protected in a world where everything has a screenshot button.

Region 8 - Saturday
1:45 - 2:45pm
Topaz
Reject the Script: Breaking Generational Patterns in Coaching
Region 8 Saturday Professional Development
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Every coach steps into the role carrying a script they didn’t write. It’s the one handed to them by the coaches who came before — the good, the inspiring, and the deeply harmful. Those patterns repeat from generation to generation, shaping how coaches set expectations, communicate, motivate, and respond under pressure. Some coaches follow the script exactly because it’s all they’ve ever seen; others rebel against it, but still feel its pull when things get hard.

This session looks directly at those inherited patterns and how they show up in today’s gyms. Through lecture and guided discussion, coaches and managers will explore which behaviors are worth carrying forward and which patterns need to be intentionally broken so they aren’t passed to the next generation.

4:15 - 5:45pm
Topaz
Readiness & Response: How Clubs Navigate the Unexpected
Region 8 Saturday Business
Presenter(s): Shelba Waldron
Session Summary

Emergencies and unexpected situations don’t wait for the perfect staff member or the perfect moment. How a club responds in those first few minutes depends heavily on the preparation, communication, and systems that were built long before anything went wrong.

This session gives coaches and club leaders a clear, practical look at how readiness is developed — from strong policies and daily communication habits to tabletop walk-throughs, staff training, and on-the-floor decision making. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore how well-designed systems can prevent confusion, reduce risk, and shape a coordinated response when the unexpected happens.