Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.This epic quote from Babe Ruth’s character in the 1993 movie ‘The Sandlot’ perfectly sums up the career of former LSU gymnast Ashleigh Clare-Kearney.Clare-Kearney’s name will live on forever in LSU gymnastics lore. She is the most decorated gymnast in LSU history, garnering an LSU-record 114 individual titles and becoming the first two-time individual national champion in LSU history.The accolades do not end there for the Manchester, Conn., native. She was named to the All-Southeastern Conference First Team three times, was the 2009 Central Regional Gymnast of the Year, won 2009 first-team All American honors on floor exercise, uneven bars and vault, was a 2009 national champion on the floor exercise and the vault, the 2008 SEC Gymnast of the Year and she was a 2008 first-team All-American on the floor exercise and uneven bars.But these days, Clare-Kearney isn’t just focusing on athletics.Clare-Kearney is in the process of completing her master’s degree in Kinesiology-Sports Management at LSU, which she hopes to one day use to become a sports agent.To become a sports agent, though, Clare-Kearney would be required to attend law school. Although she said she feels certain she will at some point attempt to go to law school, she is considering taking a year hiatus from the books following the completion of her master’s.”I might take a break just to have some ‘me’ time,” Clare-Kearney said. “Even with gymnastics not in my life anymore, with the grad assistantship [at the Cox Communications Center for Student Athletes], and studying for the LSAT and coaching the kids at night, I just haven’t had any time for Ashleigh.”Even though she can no longer compete, the two-time national champion still keeps an eye on the LSU program. 
Since she is still in school in Baton Rouge, she comes by the gym on occasion to watch her former teammates prepare for the 2010 season.”A lot of the girls ask me for my thoughts and how I would approach an obstacle,” Clare-Kearney said. “Having that relationship with them keeps me coming back here and wanting to see them succeed.”Clare-Kearney’s presence was welcomed by the current team members.”She  knows how college gymnastics is supposed to look,” said senior gymnast Susan Jackson. “When [head coach] D-D [Breaux] is not there or when [assistant coach] Bob [Moore] is looking somewhere else, Ashleigh can be there and say to fix this or fix that.”But Clare-Kearney has other priorities now, outside of LSU gymnastics. She is a graduate assistant for the Cox Center and is coaching a Baton Rouge club gymnastics team called The Bengals.Her role as coach of The Bengals entails training kids from the ages of 7 to 15 years old.Clare-Kearney said coaching younger kids who have not yet developed a sense of competition and dedication to the sport has been a challenge for her at times.”I even told D-D the other day that I have a new found appreciation for coaching that I didn’t have before,” Clare-Kearney said. “There are so many different types of gymnasts and attitudes that you have to tend to their specific needs, even when you want to do it your way.”Senior gymnast Summer Hubbard said she believes Clare-Kearney has the ability to be a successful career coach.”I don’t think that’s what she wants to do,” Hubbard said. “But in the future if that’s what she wants to pursue, I think she’d be great at it.”Clare-Kearney said she is enjoying the extra time she gets to spend with her former teammates when she makes it by the gym.”It’s been fun,” Clare-Kearney said. “I was ready to be done with gymnastics as far as my body was concerned, but I wasn’t really ready to eliminate it from my life completely.”Even though the hero has moved on from her competing days, the legend of Ashleigh Clare- Kearney will always live on within the LSU gymnastics program.”Ashleigh is someone who could bring 39 points to the table every Friday night,” said LSU coach D-D Breaux. “So we’ve got some big holes in our lineup.”————Contact Rob Landry at [email protected]