Coaching and Firefighting: The Next Phase for Blackson
One of the best in Boise State gymnastics history takes the next step in her career after competing
Chris Kutz
Where does an elite gymnast go once their athletic career ends?
Coaching is a natural choice. Why not when all the skills one has learned are best passed down to the next generation.
But firefighter? That is not what most people expect.
For Courtney Blackson, one of Boise State’s most successful gymnasts in program history who always exceeded expectations, the future of a coach and firefighter is what lies ahead.
Blackson, who became the first Bronco to win the Mountain West Scholar-Athlete Award in five years on August 8, is in the next phase of her life. One of the most decorated competitors in Boise State gymnastics is currently serving as a club coach at the Mountain West Club Gymnastics, working with 8 to 18 year-olds.
The new chapter is an extension of some brief coaching experience she acquired while competing as a Bronco. She coached in Boise State summer camps and had a stint at Bronco Elite during the summer between her junior and senior seasons.
“She’s a really good coach,” said Tina Bird, Boise State’s head gymnastics coach. “You never know because sometimes the most talented athletes are just naturally talented. So you’re not sure what kind of coach they’re going to be. We visited the gym that she’s coaching at right now, and it was really fun to watch her. She’s totally immersed in it.”
Although her experience in coaching was limited prior to her current role, Blackson knows the role allows her to further influence younger athletes.
“As an athlete at Boise State the last four years, I’ve had the opportunity to inspire young girls and other athletes to set big goals for themselves and achieve what they want to,” said Blackson. “I believe gymnastics holds a super-high standard for academics, to be respectful, willing to help others, and to be determined. All these other attributes that are super important. I’m using my name, image and likeness – not from a money sense – but some people know who I am and I want to use that to inspire young girls to not only succeed in gymnastics but to succeed in their academics, to be nice to others, to be respectful to their coaches and parents – the whole package.”
Blackson’s future will include firefighting at some point. Her plan is to ride out the next year or two as a club coach and when the time is right, to enter the Boise Fire Academy.
“I wanted a transition period, so I wasn’t hopping into the next field,” said Blackson, a native of Elk Grove, Calif. “I want my body to rest and enjoy life for a year or two before I hop into a very demanding career.”
Blackson’s eventual pursuit of becoming a firefighter was inspired by her parents. Her mom, Cindy, was an ER nurse at UC Davis Hospital for 30 years, and Courtney would see the impact her mom had on lives.
However, entering the medical field seemed overwhelming to Blackson. But the desire to help others was not.
“The medical field always interested me; however, some of (my mom’s) stories scared me a little bit,” said Blackson. “So I thought, what’s a career where I can still help people but not be 100 percent responsible for their lives like that.”
Her father, Robert, had several friends and connections in the firefighting community, and Courtney saw herself in that field.
“The main selling point for me was every firefighter I’ve talked to said, ‘You come from a sports team and going to the fire academy is basically joining another sports team,’” said Blackson. “Everything is team-affiliated, they are a big family and we love each other. Everything they do benefits each other. And I said, ‘Yeah, that’s what I want.’”
The skills of a gymnast are more connected than the eye may see when it comes to firefighting.
“Strength will be in my favor,” said Blackson. “All sports are demanding and you have to be a tough person to get through seasons for each sport, but I feel like gymnastics is one of those sports that is not only physically demanding, but also mentally challenging. Being able to balance some of your fears and aspirations with physical toughness. As a firefighter you have to see some tough things and be put into some hard situations. You have to be mentally tough.”
Blackson’s career at Boise State was one of the best in school history. She was a national runner-up in 2023, two-time conference champion, two-time first team All-American, four-time NCAA Regional Championships participant, nine-time all-conference honoree, and 15-time conference specialist of the week winner.
“Cherishing those memories being on the team, and not sweeping those under the rug because those matter,” said Blackson when reflecting on takeaways from her athletic career. “I tend to be someone who doesn’t relish in my success. I usually sweep it under the rug. At the end of the day, I need to acknowledge those and realize they are a big deal. And they do matter. I want to use that success to support others to have the same journey.”
But that’s only a snapshot of her achievements in competition. In the classroom, she had a 3.84 GPA. She was a CSC Academic All-American, four-time WCGA Scholastic All-American, two-time CSC Academic All-District, and three-time all-conference academic honoree. All of that culminated with her Mountain West Scholar-Athlete of the Year award received in August 2024. She was also nominated for the NCAA’s Woman of the Year Award by the Boise State Athletic Department.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a super academic person – academics didn’t come very easy for me so I had to work hard to achieve the grades that I did,” said Blackson. “Just to see it pay off is cool and an honor. I feel like a lot of my gymnastics career has been to inspire and motivate others to be their best. So achieving this (MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award) shows, ‘Hey guys, this is possible. You can do it, too. Buckle down and get your stuff done.’ That’s all I did. Set a timeline, be efficient, get it done, and be happy with your outcome. You can’t control every grade, every professor, so be proud of yourself no matter what.”
The scholar-athlete honor is the final bow on her final season that was filled with personal adversity. She suffered a calf injury during a meet at San Jose State in mid-March, which forced her to miss several weeks at the end of the season – including Senior Night and the Mountain West Championships. While Blackson was forced to watch as a spectator, the Broncos went on to win the inaugural Mountain West team title.
She always stayed ready, though. The injury kept her out of floor and vault, but she kept working at her routine in the bars to maintain her endurance. She was not in the team’s regional lineup until the day before the team departed for Arkansas when she stuck the dismount and proved she was ready.
She went on to win the uneven bars at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, making her the first Bronco since 2018 to qualify for back-to-back nationals. At the NCAA National Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, she finished sixth, which gave her another first team All-American honor.
“Courtney has had the most growth of maybe all the athletes I’ve ever coached,” said Bird. “When she came in, it was during COVID. So it was during that tough time. She’s really close to her family and friends back home, and it was a really tough first year for her. The one thing I love most about Courtney is she’s always very honest. To watch her come from that place of ‘I’m not really sure I’m loving this (college athletics experience)…’ to all the success that she’s had and now carrying that out of school and into what she’s going to do in the future is really cool to watch her grow.”
While her gymnastics career has ended as a competitor, she feels prepared for what’s next thanks to the trials and tribulations that one faces. Through her time at Boise State, she learned success was not dependent on the outcomes, but also the people stationed throughout her life.
“Right now I am a club coach and I’m trying really hard to bond with my athletes and my coworkers to create the relationships around me because I find that really important,” said Blackson. “If you don't have a social construct around you that is loving and supportive, it makes life really difficult. Finding the people I really care about and creating the community around me because it makes me more successful and life really enjoyable.”
Blackson’s post-gymnastics career will be scored not on her next routine, but the impact she has on others. From fighting fires in the Treasure Valley and Pacific Northwest, to lifting young girls and boys to be well-rounded gymnasts, she will lean on experiences to help others navigate their physical, emotional and mental health needs. And in the moment, she will be guiding people through a new role, as a coach. Like all the ones who helped her along the way in her career.
“When I think about it as a coach,” said Blackson, “that’s what I want to do, to give (young athletes) their most successful future, and not just in gymnastics.”