Conversations with the Inspiring Natelle Angelina Gentile

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natelle Angelina Gentile.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Natelle Gentile. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Orange County, California. My father, Virgilio, and mother, Sharon are two of the most amazing people in this world and I would be nowhere near where I am today without their constant love and endless support. If I painted a picture of my childhood, it would be of me in a different colored leotard/tutu combo on a trampoline naively bouncing up and down not knowing how much this sport would direct my life one day. My parents told me that I had too much energy and would never be tired enough to sleep, so they thought gymnastics classes would do the trick. Little did they know what box they had just opened. Although it did not tire me as they had hoped, it took little to no time to see this was my calling. I went from wearing a tutu jumping on a trampoline into a foam pit to being named second in the nation in 2007. When it was time to decide what college to go to, I immediately did what I always had loved to do, followed in my sister, Skye’s footsteps and committed to Arizona State University where I earned a full-ride athletic scholarship onto their D1 women’s gymnastics team.

At this point in time, gymnastics was still what I thought my “career” was. Until I realized what earning a degree meant for my future. I majored in communications with an emphasis in sports media. My mom and I had always been sports people and I knew that sports were where I thrived and wanted to stay. Collegiate gymnastics differs from club gymnastics in the entertainment aspect 10-fold. That first competition in Wells Fargo Arena were lights, camera, action. I walked in to experience cameras in every direction, a video board above me and music louder than it ever needed to be. I had never felt more alive, but my brain wondered what it took to make this happen and where the people were behind the scenes who planned every minute of this “show.” Once asking questions to anyone I could find, I knew my route of where I wanted to go with my future “real career.” I knew it would take hard work so I started at the bottom. I began selling hats and memorabilia at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale Arizona, spring training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. After a season of this, I joined their promotional team where I brought my gymnastics skills back to the forefront when asked to do back-hand-springs down the dugout top during each games’ 7th inning stretch. This led to managing the promotional team and venturing into the Operations department where I got to learn all things “control room.” I dove in headfirst and absorbed as much as I could so that when graduation came around, I immediately looked into the world of Major League Baseball. I applied for a job in California, for the San Diego Padres.

After the rounds of interviews, I was happily and naively on my way to live in San Diego. There is where my career learned new heights and my heart for creating an enjoyable atmosphere that would leave thousands of people with happy memories for the rest of their lives formed. My now mentor and former boss taught me to produce like any good producer does, gives you a headset and says “go”. The sense of unknown pitching change calls, and poor umpire calls was a feeling I will always remember and will always chase. I would put on a “show” just as I did in gymnastics, but this time, I was not the entertainment, I was creating it. I would work with sponsorships, group sales, entertainment groups, and agencies to script out the game. Writing the PA announcer script, programing which music would be played when and understanding that at any moment, with one swing, I would have to change my entire script mid-game to do anything I could to keep the fans engaged.

All the while, maintaining sponsorship obligations and camera times for groups who paid to be there. I did this for 3 seasons in San Diego until I felt that my heart needed more and I was ready to acquire more knowledge in the next step. And this is where I have now landed. As if God planned it, that exact night of feeling that way, I checked a sports job website and typed in Arizona, the state of my alma mater and most importantly, where my sister still lived. I saw “home”  in the first job posting that generated on the screen. Sun Devil Athletics, Game Presentation. One hopeful click and here I am, living in Tempe, Arizona and working for the school where it all began for me. I have continued my role while acquiring new layers to my resume. I work in various sports including basketball and football and learn something new weekly. One thing that I know has gotten me here besides the constant support of my family is my drive. I think that is what is so special about females today. We don’t take no as an answer. I don’t even entertain it. I know that I can do whatever I put my mind to, all it takes is the effort and the tolerance to run through any hills that appear in front of me. Being a female in the sports career world may mean that these walls appear more frequently and a lot more unexpectedly, but this is where I decide to change the game. I use these hills as launch pads, just like a springboard in gymnastics, they launch me to new heights and new levels. These obstacles turn into opportunities. These are the times I soar. And I will continue to spring forward and sour to new heights. Time will only tell how high I fly.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been nowhere near smooth. But I am thankful for that. Now, when anything comes up that seems “difficult” I can laugh, shrug it off and know that I have been through worse and I’m still here standing… stronger than I was before.

For goodness sake, I started selling hats. I had to swallow a lot of pride standing there while someone in front of me asked to try on every one of the 10 sizes their head could possibly be. I have been through the female shaming, the false assumptions solely based upon how I look and that I was a young woman on the field. This is where my advice comes in for other women starting their journeys.

Don’t ever allow an opinion of someone else, be what you think of yourself. I love the quote, “someone else’s opinion of you is none of your business.” You keep your head held high and let those doubts fuel you to do better. I always think if I give up, if I let their assumptions and their thoughts control me, I would not only go backwards, but they would win. I will not allow others to control my life and neither should you. You get to decide your future. No one else does, and even when the voices get loud and the weight gets heavy, you have to keep going. You owe that to yourself, you mean more than other’s opinions.

What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
As far as what I am known for and what sets me apart… hands down, my moxie. Since I was born my mother told me I had this. Moxie is defined as “force of character, determination, and nerve.” I do not take “no” as an answer, I see it as a challenge to get my yes. And what sets me apart is how I do this. I do this with a smile, with a laugh and a quirk or two. I am nowhere near “normal” and I don’t ever plan to be. I speak my mind, and I aim to make other’s days better after those words come out of my mouth. I want to leave every person I meet, better than I found them. And anything I do, I don’t want the work to be the only thing that shows, I want to leave a lasting impression. My moxie is what makes me, me.

It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I wake up each morning at 5 AM and work out, whether it be a cycle class (my favorite), yoga sculpt class or going for a run, I want to start my day sweating and letting those endorphins run through my veins. After my workout, I do a daily gratitude practice followed by reading a daily devotion. My daily gratitude practice is from a New York Times best selling author and motivational speaker, Rachel Hollis. You begin each day writing down 5 gratitudes from the day prior. This makes you constantly begin to look for things you’re grateful for. You then write down 10 dreams you want to make happen, but you write them as if they had already happened making you more inclined to do them. My daily devotion then centers me in my Faith and I am ready for my day. So, to narrow it in, exercise is my number 1 resource, followed by motivational podcasts, books, and music to keep me going throughout the day! I want to ground myself in gratitude and make the most of every day, making an impact wherever my springboards launch me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @natellegentile

Image Credit:
The ones in athletic clothing (sports bra and leggings), Brandon @imbrandontran on Instagram

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