There have been a lot of crashes at the Pacific Rim Championships. In the Jr Women’s Bar Final only 3 girls of eight stayed on.
This WAG Code has too much incentive to add another tenth of difficulty, not enough incentive to try to save a tenth in execution deduction.
Inside Gymnastics (www.insidegymnastics.com) on Facebook:
We just caught up with Georgia Simpson… She said she’d like to thank all of the fans for their encouragement and support…. For her recovery after surgery, she’ll have two weeks on completely non-bearing activity and then doctors will evaluate from there. We are wishing her a speedy recovery…
… Georgia Simpson, from East Perth Western Australia, has suffered a dislocation to her left ankle, with bone protrusion, whilst competing at the 2012 Pacific Rim Championships in Everett, Washington, USA.
Georgia was performing a full twisting double somersault (on Floor) …
We have school groups in our Gymnastics Club every day. For recreational gymnastics. The number of overweight and obese children is shocking.
Kottke linked to an important Daily Beast article:
Ten years after his seminal book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser reflects on how little has changed in the production, safety, and consumption in America—but why he’s still hopeful.
Every day about 65 million people eat at a McDonald’s restaurant somewhere in the world, more than ever before. The annual revenues of America’s fast-food industry, adjusted for inflation, have risen by about 20 percent since 2001. …
About two thirds of the adults in the United States are obese or overweight. The obesity rate among preschoolers has doubled in the past 30 years. The rate among children aged 6 to 11 has tripled. And by some odd coincidence, the annual cost of the nation’s obesity epidemic — about $168 billion, as calculated by researchers at Emory University — is the same as the amount of money Americans spent on fast food in 2011. …
Living in Canada, most of our examples of BAD coaching come from Ice Hockey.
Dauphin Kings coach Marlin Murray went ballistic Thursday night during a playoff game at Winnipeg’s St. James Civic Centre.
… Murray threw sticks, water bottles and what appeared to be medical supplies at the referees during a stoppage in play.
The Kings lost the game 5-1 to the Winnipeg Saints and now trail the best-of-seven Sher-Wood Division series 3-1 despite finishing with the second-best regular season record.
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The “Scam Cup”: How A Very American TV Event Gives U.S. Gymnasts A Leg Up On The Olympic Competition
That’s the provocative title of post by DVORA MEYERS on Deadspin.
She does a terrific job of explaining to the general public why the American Cup is the most mocked of the major competitions.
… Among dedicated fans the event is often called the “Scam Cup” or, more the point, the “Scamerican Cup.” The real “scam” isn’t any sort of outright cheating—the American judges haven’t colluded with the Germans to produce a favorable result—but instead the lopsided nature of the event, in which the very best U.S. athletes at the peak of their game are pitted against a group of up-and-coming gymnasts that have been sent by their federations merely to gain experience and exposure. …
… the perception that that the meet doesn’t treat foreign women fairly has acted as a self-fulfilling prophecy, harming the prestige of the American Cup. Though the U.S. women mostly deserved their last decade of wins, the damage had been done long before the current crop of gymnasts even started competing.
So once again, after Saturday’s competition concluded, some fans were crying “scam” online. Wieber’s and Raisman’s bar marks were too high and Iordache’s were too low, they claimed. …
There was some SCAm. And the greatest injustice was Aly’s Bar score.
… clearly, international judges like Aly on this event. They obviously see something the rest of us don’t. We thought nothing could top her 12.9 in the Tokyo AA, which by our calculation would have been mid 15.5s if she’d hit. But Scam came very close.
… When that set can get 14.333 from an apparently international judging panel, it’s time to get up and go home. …
But will she qualify to the American Olympic team?
Three Americans successfully competed Amanar Vault at America Cup. Many feel McKayla’s odds of becoming an Olympian are now reduced, as a result.
It does seem slightly unfair. If McKayla were from Vietnam she would have already qualified to London. But because she’s from a nation that qualified a full team, there’s no guarantee we will see the World Champion at the Olympics.
You don’t see this very often. Utah coach Greg Marsden is one of the nicest people in Gymnastics.
… things didn’t go so smoothly for the Utes, who are ranked No. 1 on the floor, averaging 49.204.
Stephanie McAllister was penalized for missing an element that left her with a 9.8 start value, leaving her with just a 9.675 for a made routine.
That low score topped the frustrations for Utah coach Greg Marsden, who was given a yellow card warning minutes earlier when he walked over by the judges following several low scores.
He was still steaming at the scores after the meet. …
Normally near anything goes in Collegiate dual meets. The “show” is more important than the scores.
… Personally, I think NCAA judges bungled it this season, throwing scores too high, too early in the season.
Balance Beam Situation:
… Sure, we’ve had crazy scores over the past couple of years (we always do), but it was much more isolated to specific meets or specific locations. Now, we’re getting it so intensely all over the country to the point where Greg Marsden had to comment on the inconsistency. …
Things That Are Actually Good
That’s a great post. It includes video of TRULY great Collegiate routines. Kupets quality gymnastics!
The fifth-ranked Utes beat No. 12 Stanford 196.3-196.1 in front of 14,756 at the Huntsman Center.
Rebecca and others linked to an article by an award winning teacher and author, Ron Clark:
… new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list “issues with parents” as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.
… Please quit with all the excuses
… if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn’t started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.
His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they’d been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn’t help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some “fun time” during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn’t his fault the work wasn’t complete. …
These are some key points of advice for parents included in the free Tumbl Trak email newsletter (Subscribe):
Success can be defined as:
Healthy and happy kids
Assertive and positive attitudes
Reaching “their” highest potential
Enjoying gymnastics long into college and beyond
Successful programs:
Parents were always openly supportive of the program
Parents openly communicated with coaches about concerns
Parents were very helpful at meets and other special events
Parents taught their kids Ethics, Morals and Character but left Gymnastics to the PROS …
DO encourage your child to attend every workout
DON’T force them to go when they are sick or visibly very tired
DO be supportive when they have a bad workout and come home depressed
DON’T ask your coach for a conference every time it happens
DO expect your child to try their very best at every practice and competition
DON’T base your approval of them on their gymnastics performance
DO come to watch your child train occasionally and ask questions
DON’T coach your child…..PERIOD
DO talk to your coach about their plans for the year and years to come
DON’T question their coach’s authority regarding your daughter’s gymnastics career
DO get involved in your club. Help out at big functions. Show your daughter you care
DON’T expect or demand special consideration because you helped out
DO come and watch your child compete as much as possible
DON’T scream and yell and distract your daughter’s attention during the meet
DO assume your coaches have prepared your child adequately for the meet
DON’T question their judgment when last minute changes are made, or when a coach spots during a meet
DO expect your child’s coach to train her to the best of their ability
DON’T expect perfection…the coaches (and your child) are human
DO encourage proper nutrition at home and when eating out
DON’T talk the talk but not walk the walk. Eat right too.
DO take an active interest in your child’s progress and performance
DON’T undermine her coach’s authority in matters regarding gymnastics
DO constantly remind your child that you love them unconditionally, regardless of their performance
DON’T compare their progress with others…PERIOD
DO give full support to your coach
DON’T hesitate to take your child somewhere else if they will get better training
DO remember why you and your child got involved in the sport
DON’T forget that they love gymnastics because it’s FUN….
… I’ve very rarely had a serious problem. Working with parents is a coaching skill. Rather than wasting time and energy complaining, work on improving your communication with parents.
Olympic champion gymnast Paul Hamm pleaded no contest on a reduced set of charges and was sentenced to probation Thursday in Ohio, where he was accused of kicking a cab driver while drunk, damaging a taxi window and not paying a $23 fare. …
A magistrate suspended a sentence of 90 days in custody on each count, provided that Hamm completes a year of probation. He also had to pay the cab fare, plus nearly $500 in court fees, and must sit with a counselor for an alcohol assessment. …
I agree. 
