His Yurchenko DVD is still the best single resource out there.

Previously you had to email John … or see him at an event … to buy them. Those days are over.

Brilliantly, John’s using Facebook to promote and distribute.

If you are a member of Facebook, click through to his DVDs page.

They are $30ea or 4 for $100. (Ask your club to buy them for the staff.)

He will have a website, as well. But it’s not up and running, as yet.

_______

NOTICE: Starting Oct. 1st this site is going to start linking directly to Facebook pages. If you are not a member, that’s going to be frustrating.

But even Dave Adlard and Miguel Costante have joined FB. How many more coach holdouts could there be?

• Level 2 Manual – CAD$75
• Level 3 Manual – CAD$75

Though not updated for years, these are still the best English language coaching manuals. The Rings, Pommel and Parallel Bar chapters are particularly strong.

Planning, Biomechanics and Physical Preparation content is good, too.

Leave a comment if you’ve other MAG coaching manuals you still use.

The Association Sportive Gymnastics Gymnastic Club Integral Carbonell, with the backing of the Sports Federation of Gymnastics and Allied Costa Rica are pleased to invite you to the XI International Championship Stars Gimnàs-Ticas.

Through each of the events has succeeded, with the participation of more than 500 athletes representing clubs from different countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Puerto Rico, USA, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Dominican Republic, Honduras , Bolivia, Canada, Jamaica and our 2010 edition, we for the first time with some of Cuba’s national team who gave a high level competition and brilliant show.

Dates:15 TO 19 JUNE 2011

Location: National Gymnasium Eddy Cortes La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica

Women’s Gymnastics:
Level I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X (USA Gymnastics Levels) Pan Child A and B and FIG

Male Category
Class 4 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13 +
Class 5 7-9, 10-12, 13 +
Class 6 8-9, 10-12, 13 +
Class 7 9-10, 11-12, 13 +
Class 8 11-12, 13-14, 15 + (child 11-12 years Programme Pan)
Class 9 +15 (Pan Children’s Program ages 13-14)
Class 10 FIG Open

Thanks GML for recommending this meet. A tropical alternative to the meets in Cancun.

jamaica/ puerto rico/ bahamas/south america?

I’m one of the organizers of my favourite meet, the Great West Gym Fest near Spokane. (Feb. 25-28, 2011)

Courtney Kupets loved it last year …

Leave a comment if you can recommend the best invitational gymnastics meet, anywhere.

Labor Day Weekend, September 3-5, 2010, 44th Annual Gymnastics Association of Texas Convention at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Speakers include:

… Beach, Tom & Reiko, Biggs, Tammy, Jason Jarrett, Foster, Bill, Forster, Tom, Gardner, Beth, Gehman, Paula, Gehman, Tony, Jarret, Cheryl, Maloney, Connie, Metzger, Jeff, Sahlein, Frank … and more

home page and registration

Dr. Gerald George, author of the new book, Championship Gymnastics: Biomechanical Techniques for Shaping Winners, will be there:

Sat., Sept. 4: Ten Critical Factors for Vaulting Success
Sat., Sept. 4: 5 Basic Principles for Refining Gymnastics Movement
Sun., Sept. 5: Mechanics of Rotation and Twisting
Sun., Sept. 5: Mechanics of Swing

Matthew Miscisin authored The Big Book of Gymnastics Games:

While growing up in a family of ten children I had an abundance of early lessons in cooperation and competition. …

Matthew sent me a copy for review. It’s excellent.

But what I got was much different than expected. From the title – Big Book of Gymnastics Games – I expected traditional warm-up games like those in Rushkin’s Up Down All Around lesson plans. And in Dave Adlard’s Cool Games DVDs.

Not.

Matthew’s “Games” are mostly contests and drills. With FUN names like:

• Cartwheel of Doom
• Human Catapult
• Flip-Flop Factory

It could be called Big Book of Gymnastics Contests for Serious Skill Development.

Matthew:

One of the biggest challenges a gymnastics coach faces is motivating the students to perform a skill or exercise with enough repetition to produce mastery. Another challenge is motivating the students to put 100% of their effort and concentration into each attempt …

If you want to have more FUN at training, this text is highly recommended.

Amazon

Retail price is $25 plus about $3 standard shipping (in USA), $7 priority shipping and about $14 international shipping. It is also available at the wholesale price of about $15 domestic shipping included (media mail) through Gymnasticsman.com.

You can also download games one-at-a-time for a dollar each.

The review copy will be donated to Keith Russell‘s library at U of Saskatchewan.

… GymSymbol is a training program specifically designed for Women’s Artistic Gymnastics judges and coaches who want to improve their skills in using the standard FIG shorthand symbols. It uses a flash-card like interface to test your memory of all the symbols in the Code of Points. …

No more need to break open a hefty Table of Elements to find that elusive D acro skill on beam. Filter any apparatus and select an element to bring up its matching FIG symbol, description, number and difficulty value and the gymnast to first compete the skill in a qualifying FIG gymnastics competition. …

The SEARCH function interface is a bit confusing. But if you select “Gymnaste” and search for “Mohini” … you will find her skill:

This is a fantastic little program. WAG judges will find it useful, for sure.

Download it for FREE at GymSymbol.com

Available for Mac and Windows. In English, French, Russian, Spanish and Chinese (simplified).

Thanks to The European Gymnastics Institute for developing it!

DScore is a program, designed for Gymnastics coaches, athletes, and enthusiasts, that assists in the creation of Men’s Gymnastics routines and calculates start value.

Various rule sets are supported, including USA Gymnastics J.O. program levels 10, 9, and 8, the NCAA, and International Senior Elite (F.I.G.). DScore is available for Mac OS X and Windows, and also supports live updates to the Code of Points. …

Dscore is currently in Beta. Mike is still making updates and would appreciate feedback.

It works. Here’s my first routine analysis:

sample pommel routine - click for larger version

Here’s the resulting start value for F.I.G.:

Update: Oops. Seems I made a mistake in this example. Jeff says: 5 elements from group 4. Better replace that DSB with a 2/3 travel before the Sivado.

DScore is $14.99. But there’s a Free Trial available.

MLW Software – DScore

Geddert, Biggs, Marinitch, Sahlein, Jepson, Metzger, Lulla, Greeley, Reive, Mizoguchi, Spring, Liukin, Ivanov, Gilemi, Resnick, Forster, Kovic, Maloney … even Alvarez. … and many, many more.

Dr. G.S. George is leading 5 different sessions. How many years has it been since he’s presented at Congress?

Plenty of “business of gymnastics” gurus.

The line-up looks great this year!

National Congress & Trade Show Schedule (PDF)

All-Session Artistic Packages at the XL Center start at $105. Get them onsite. The Trade Show runs Thursday through Saturday at 1PM.

The registration form is posted. Deadline Jan. 1, 2011 … though you’d be well advised to send a deposit much sooner if you plan to attend. It’s going to be awesome.

… the Great West Gymfest celebrates it’s 10th anniversary with a meet extravaganza like nothing you’ve ever seen!

Featuring our world famous awards, FREE leos for every competitor, “Rock and Roll” march-ins, tons of Olympians, great socials, and some “new for 2011? suprises that are guaranteed to make the 10th year celebration of the “world’s best invitational” even more of a special memory for coaches, parents and athletes alike! …

more photos from 2009

official website – Great West Gym Fest