Good idea.

But how many gyms, in reality, have such an unenforceable restriction?

A gymnast from Tennesse recently had that rule imposed. And started a thread on the Chalk Bucket forum.

In fact, at her gym the rule is in effect for competitive and non-competitive kids.

Like that’s going to work.

Find out in a brilliant documentary profile on a new club in Norwich, England, the Norfolk Academy of Gymnastics.

Congratulations to Head Coach Sara-Jane Inglis. Yours is an inspirational story.

What do you think of British Gymnastics TV?

These are by far the best promo videos I’ve seen produced by any National Sports Governing body. Thanks Gareth Finchett, Production Editor of BGTV.

British Gymnastics is really on the rise!

Awesome.

Coach Jamie Atkin custom ordered a custom built “Super Tramp”. It’s HUGE.

Edge is one of the top Trampoline and Tumbling clubs in Canada.

But it’s also got a terrific facility now for WAG.

more photos

This new state-of-the-art facility is four times larger than our previous home and will provide participants with an incredible gymnastics experience. …

official website

Congratulations to everyone out in Airdrie, population about 30,000. You’ve got a world class gym.

Watch a video of the gym under construction on YouTube.

Drop-in $12 / class:

Teen drop-in (13-19): Wed @ 8-9 and Sat @ 5-6

Adult drop-in (18+): Tues @ 8-9 and Sat @ 5-6

Airdrie Edge is close to the monster new Cross Iron Mills shopping mall.

Carly Patterson 2004.

Nastia Liukin 2008.

More clubs should use window wraps. They look great and have high visibility.

The other day I was watching the workout of our level 5 and 7 teams during my break.

The level 5’s were working on vault and they were doing the front handspring drill. The drill was to develop good blocking action by using the under arm swing when they punch the board. I was impressed because the entire group was doing the same under arm swing and all the girls were reaching their hands to the table very quickly. Most of the girls were getting a quick turn over of the body from the board and getting a fairly good blocking action.

Of course their handspring vaults weren’t even close to perfect, but the consistent emphasis of good technique was very evident.

Then I looked over to the bars, there were level 7 girls doing back giants, but some of them were still working on their three-quarter giant.

Here too, I was very pleased to see that all the girls were trying to use a proper tap swing to make the giant. Some of their body positions were not good yet, but the tapping action was there. Also, the girls who were struggling with the three-quarter giant were also using the tapping action to kick stronger and lift the swing higher.

I could tell that they will eventually learn a good back giant if they continuously try that way.

Educating all the staff so they teach the specific technique on key skills is not so easy. Many of the younger coaches do not have much coaching experience. …

read the rest – In-house Staff Education

Mas coaches at the excellent Byers Gymnastics Clubs in California.

How is the Staff training at your gym?

Level 4 Canadian beam clinic 2007

Flipper missed 2.5 weeks of gym and school with H1N1. She had seemed to recover by the end of the first week, but was very sick again on Monday – and is still not at 100%. …

Chalk Bucket Forum – Back in the gym

Recall last May that some Dallas Gymnastics Clubs shut down completely.

Will that be happening again soon?

Girls wearing masks to prevent the H1N1 influenza virus are seen at the venue of the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships in Ise, Mie prefecture, central Japan September 11, 2009.

Reuters – Treehugger

Obama declared a National Emergency in the States.

Leave a comment if your gym is doing anything new to prevent the spread of the flu virus.

The excellent website tells of 300 locations in 21 countries.

Click through if you might be interested.

In order to open a The Little Gym location, a candidate must have a net worth (assets minus liabilities) of at least $250,000. Additionally, the candidate must have $75,000 in liquid assets in order to be considered. …

Franchise opportunity

Leave a comment if you have experience with any of those gyms.

The new iPod Nano is also one of the world’s smallest video cameras. We think it could be a game changer. As it turns out, it could also create a new kind of privacy problem. A fitness chain in Minnesota has banned the new Nano from locker rooms in an effort to protect members from the possibility of photos or videos being taken with it. …

read more

Are you worried about cameras in your gym?

Recall coach John Valdez, who coached Justin Spring at the Beijing Olympics?

Jon Valdez, a former gymnastics coach in Illinois, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of unauthorized videotaping. Valdez set up a camera to film a gymnast removing his clothes.

Valdez was captured on a camera positioning his video cam in an open locker in Kenney Gym. Valdez’s camera taped a male gymnast stripping and appearing nude in the locker room. The victim was unaware he was being filmed. This incident happened on September 25, 2008.

Valdez pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 months probation.

read more

… installing new hand sanitation stations. All people are required to sanitise their hands prior to entering the building (front door station) and athletes are required to use the stations when they enter and exit the gym.

I also encourage all athletes to wash their hands WITH soap before entering the gym, at break, and after gymnastics. After all, you just put your hands on a beam where EVERYONE has placed their feet….

details – Beat the Bugs

My gym added some last season. Could not hurt. And it just might make the kids more aware of hygiene.

Leave a comment if you have an opinion.