Former APDT coach who left a legacy inducted into MADT hall of fame – Austin Daily Herald

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Former Austin Packer Dance Team head coach Jen Sims was recently inducted into the MADT Hall of Fame. Photo provided

When Jen Sims came back to coach the Austin Packer Dance Team, she had one goal in mind.

Little did she know, she was starting a trend that is still going. Sims, who was recently inducted into the MADT coaches Hall of Fame, led the Packers to their first state berth in the 2002-2003 season and the Packers have gone to state every year since, even well after Sims stepped down in 2013.

“When I took over, they had been in the bottom three of the section meet,” Sims said. “I remember telling them that we were going to state that year. They almost laughed me out of the gym.”

Sims not only led APDT to its first state meet that season, the team took third place. The Packers have now been to state 23 straight seasons and the program captured a state title in high kick in 2022.

It all started in 2002 when Sims wrote the word “belief” and posted it in the Annex Gym for all of the dancers to see when they went to practice. After that first state berth, Sims knew everything had changed.

“I remember saying that it will never be the same again,” Sims said. “We had to prove we weren’t a fluke and we had to come up with something different and new each year. In dance, that can be difficult to do.”

 Sims is known mostly for her role in installing the building blocks of the Austin Packer Dance Team, but she also had coaching stints in Montevideo, Nebraska and even Albert Lea in the 2022-2023 season before she and her husband moved to Wisconsin. Sims also coached APDT for a one year stint before moving away from Austin and then coming back in 2002. She has also worked as a judge at the national level and she has worked at many dance camps in the Midwest.

Through it all, she has inspired many young dancers to push themselves harder and to embrace working as a team.

“You have the opportunity to teach people to be hard working, a team player, and to be dedicated to something bigger than themselves,” Sims said. “In the thick of it, I don’t think you realize the impact that you have, but looking back on it, it is gratifying.”

Sims credited every one of her assistant coaches for helping her along the way and she said her Hall of Fame recognition would not have been possible without the time they put in.

Sims has also enjoyed watching current APDT coach Kayla Sellers lead the Packers for the last 12 seasons. Sellers was once coached by Sims as a member of APTDT herself.

“It’s amazing. I follow the team every year and Kayla has worked hard to continue that legacy and even surpass everything I did,” Sims said. “Through the years, we have become less coach and dancer and more coaching friends. I’ve always loved being behind the scenes whenever she needed help with something.”

Sims was named Austin Teacher of the year in 2014 while she was teaching at I.J. Holton.