Rick McCharles
From my USA Gymnastics Region 2 Congress 2007 (R2R) presentation:
DVD (VHS) digital video clips
The old techology — DVDs — can survive 5 – 10 more years. I posted previously my BEST gymnastics coaching DVDs.
Online video is far more exciting for me.
I want the exact video clip that comes to my mind, any time, anywhere. I want it on my iPhone, my laptop, my MP3 player. Streamed to my TV. Projected up on the wall of my gym.
I want something like YouTube, but far, far better.
YouTube was better 6-months ago than it is now. Every day it gets more cluttered with low quality junk. (Often with the word “blooper” in the title.)
Tom Beach of GymSmarts concurred. The problem is “filtering” the good stuff. Finding what you want.
The best we have now on sites like YouTube are “channels” put up by people you respect. My favourite gymnastics coaching channel so far is “saltocafe“, videos posted by and linked to by Don Eckert of Woodward West. I “subscribed” to that channel and about 20 others.
But the best source of digital coaching video in 2007 is American Gymnast (AmGym.com) which produced hundreds of quality instructional video clips. Their service called Gymnastics On Demand — which launched in September — costs $9.95 per month by subscription.
I’m a subscriber and highly recommend the service. It would be a great investment for a club, far better value than, for example, USECA Video Club.
Gymnastics on Demand – AmGym.com
The easiest way to see how Gymnastics on Demand works is to watch their video introduction — See it in Action.
Personally, I’m not sure the subscription model will be best long-term. Most people do not want to join sites as a “member” nor plug in their credit card number.
But … I’m excited for the future. AmGym has set a very high standard. It will take some serious talent to compete. (GymSmarts is certainly developing an on-line video clip database as well.)
Leave a comment below if you have other sources of on-line gymnastics video.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 