Newly announced Olympian Kieran Behan is generating a lot of publicity.

Renmore, Galway

Links and photos from my visits last week on RecGymnastics.com.

Print Friendly

This gym has more air matting than any other I’ve ever seen.

Some things are the SAME in every gym. The smell. And a cluttered collection of grips.

see more photos

P.S. … the tidiest gym I’ve ever seen is run by Wolfgang & Elfrida Goermann, the Winnipeg Gymnastics Centre. Here’s their story.

Print Friendly

A new report has found Queensland gymnastics and trampoline clubs need to improve safety for sport participants. …

… the risk of contact with all possible hard surfaces was controlled in only 8 per cent of facilities.

… nine recommendations to boost safety at clubs

New report aims to boost safety in Queensland gymnastics clubs

It’s now been over 2yrs since the death of adult recreational gymnast Michelle Maitland who hit her head on concrete at Townsville Gymnastics. Nothing can bring her back. But this report — released the day before what would have been Michelle’s birthday — might help prevent future catastrophic injury.

My friend Mike Outram survived after hitting his head on concrete.

Surely the very first thing coaches must do in any facility is make sure it’s impossible to hit concrete or steel. Long term, we need modify all foam pits to suspended systems, the best being the Jim Walker design.

Here are the 9 recommendations:

1. Gymnastics Australia should review the level of training, assistance and monitoring provided to clubs to implement the Club 10 program. This review should include the methods of monitoring compliance with, and implementation of, the program.

2. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Sport and Recreation Services and Gymnastics Queensland should research how to link improved safety outcomes in the sport of gymnastics with the funding and non-financial support provided by SRS.

3. Gymnastics Australia should review their GA lesson plan template, in consultation with its members, with the view to developing a lesson plan template that includes coach positioning and key safety controls. Consideration should be given to sample lesson plans for each apparatus and level.

4. Gymnastics Australia should conduct a training needs analysis and ensure that access to coach accreditation and professional development courses is available.

5. Gymnastics Australia should research and develop methods to assist gymnastics clubs to conduct risk assessments, specifically in the use of gymnastics apparatus.

6. Gymnastics Australia should review the Club 10 equipment maintenance policies and procedures with a view to achieving greater compliance with Club 10 documenting processes.

7. Gymnastics Australia should research and develop methods to assist gymnastics clubs in managing the risk of manual task injuries in gymnastics coaches.

8. Gymnastics Australia should review coach knowledge on spotting and provide additional guidance and training where required.

9. Gymnastics Australia should research the viability of a simple method to document skill progression of gymnasts, including any injuries suffered. This may vary for high level, competitive gymnasts and low level or recreational gymnasts.

Download the entire 25 page report. (PDF)

This report needs be circulated to sports governing bodies worldwide. Leave a comment if you have ideas on how to make that happen. I’ll send it to some FIG committee members and Gymnastics Canada.

Update: As commenters have pointed out, an improvement to this report would be to better specify exactly what parts of the gym need be “padded”. In the past I’ve narrowed it down to pits and trampoline devices. But it should be broader than that.

Print Friendly

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

But if we call it “Parkour” or “Free Running”, many kids are quick to sign up for the class. Those are some of the hottest classes in many gyms, right now.

Unfortunately some Insurance companies are starting to list “Parkour” as an “extreme sport”, too dangerous to cover. Check your policy.

Print Friendly

… Ten retired gymnasts told The Orange County Register that (Doug) Boger, a 62-year-old former national team coach, sexually or physically abused them while they trained in Pasadena, Calif., in the 1970s and 1980s. …

Since that revelation, at least 10 more recent athletes have contacted me to say that Boger was a great coach, and that they felt completely safe with him.

In the court of public opinion, certainly, Doug Boger will be assumed guilty. Whether he’s innocent or not.

… Is there any upside at all for the rest of us?

Perhaps clubs will be more open to scrutiny.

… There’s an observation deck for parents, as well as more than a dozen security cameras, at ArtSports, which isn’t a member of USA Gymnastics but mandates background checks for 50 employees and an annual safety certification, according to a statement emailed by ArtSports management after Womack declined comment. Instructors also aren’t “allowed to be alone with a student in our facility at any time,” the statement said. …

… Keeping everything in the open is the name of the game at Aerials Gymnastics, a USA Gymnastics-sanctioned club with three locations in the Springs, all of which have lots of windows, an observation area and security cameras. Aerials also has a policy at the two gyms owned by Tom and Lori Forster, with 1,200 athletes, that prohibits 55 coaches from contacting students outside of class – no calls, no texts, no Facebook posts, no tweets. …

… Stars National Gymnastics Village is contemplating a social media policy …

… Windows overlooking practice mats are a staple of The Little Gym of Colorado Springs …

Those quotes come from an article by Brian Gomez in the Colorado Springs Gazette – Safety of kids at gymnastics clubs called into question

Does your gym have good answers if a reporter like Brian comes asking?

And does your gym have one way glass between the gym and the parents viewing area?

Print Friendly

It’s pretty convincing.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

They want to get part of a  $1,000,000  Community Fund available for non-profits.

You can help by  VOTING for the project online (until Oct 19th, 2011).

I voted. (Registration required, quite painless by Facebook.)

Print Friendly

USA GYMNASTICS NATIONAL CONGRESS and TRADE SHOW
Held in conjunction with 2011 VISA Championships
August 17-20, 2011
Saint Paul River Centre, Saint Paul, Minn.

Something for Everyone!

… Club Owners, Recreational Instructors/Teachers, Offices Managers, Program Managers, and more!

This year’s event will feature 3 days of education with more than 175 sessions.

Sessions are provided on coaching, judging, business, preschool, school age, fitness and cheerleading. Attendees will also have the ability to learn from leading experts from all 6 disciplines Women’s, Men’s, Rhythmic, Acrobatics, and Gymnastics for All.

In addition, USA Gymnastics is excited to announce 2 NEW offerings to the educational line up! Hands on Spotting sessions and Certification sessions will be offered and included in the price of registration. …

details on the 2011 National Congress and Trade Show

Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Here’s the preliminary list Topics and Presenters (PDF)

One new session I’d love to see is

Games Warm Ups for Bars – John Carney/Laurie Reid

John is Bars coach at Oregon State.

Prices vary. Check the Registration page to find out the cost to you.
_____

If your main interest is how to MAKE MONEY at Gymnastics, sign up for the Wednesday National Business Conference. ($150 current Member Club, $250 Non Member Clubs)

Separate registration via the link above.

Congress already has a Business Stream, so the extra Wednesday is BONUS.

Print Friendly

Trials and Nationals are coming up FAST.

The long and short of it is that the club needs raise about $4000 fast.

… We are looking at bag-packing at one of the big local supermarkets. We are running our annual tariff competition at the end of May and will be running a tombola there, but any other ideas that would work at a small competition would be great. …

I know how they can raise an easy $500 on a Saturday morning. …

But leave a comment if you’ve any brilliant, fast fund-raising ideas. Thanks.

Print Friendly

The final appeal for Townsville Gymnastics Association Inc AND Dean Allan Coggins was turned down. They were found guilty of not providing a safe facility:

(1) Concrete flooring and/or

(2) The failure to provide adequate protective covering to the landing area for gymnastic apparatus, namely a tumble tramp/tumble track.

Read the details of the appeal – Townsville Gymnastics (PDF)

What does that mean for us?

There should be no exposed concrete in any gym, especially anywhere near trampoline devices and pits.

If you offer adult recreation gymnastics, you need an excellent, experienced, authoritative coach who can ensure safety.

Rest in peace, Michelle.

related post – Queensland gymnastics safety assessment

Print Friendly

One of the biggest downsides of coaching an Elite is all the time away.

Read the first in a series of his posts on SETTING UP YOUR ELITE PROGRAM.

Here’s an outline of the key points:

• Commitment
• Coach Passion
• Staff Support
• Parental Support

Kamerin MacKay Moore, John Geddert, Jordyn Wieber

details on – JohnGeddert.com

Print Friendly