Year: 2010

There are at least 3 good choices today of blogging platforms, … in my opinion.

Gymnastics Coaching is a WordPress.org site, hacked once or twice each year I’ve had it on BlueHost. I love it … aside from the terrible security. My host blames me every time something goes wrong.

I’m tempted to move the site to new-on-the-block, Squarespace.

What’s the difference?

WordPress is cheaper. Squarespace more secure.

Price

Squarespace – Squarespace services include both web design tools and hosting. Basic packages start at $8/month. To host your site on your own domain, accounts start at $14/month. Coupon codes can save you around 10%. Squarespace provides an excellent value for their slightly higher monthly price tag.

WordPress – Free-ish – WordPress is completely 100% GPL open source however you still need to pay for hosting and domain name. The price ranges from ~$3/mo (GoDaddy) to $100/mo (Rackspace)

The article is referring to WordPress.org sites, not WordPress.com (free). … Confusing, I know.

Best would be if WordPress.com changed their name. (WordPress.com is the third good option: secure, but no ads allowed.)

Security

Squarespace – Being a completely hosted system means Squarespace is not prone to the same security holes as open source systems like WordPress and Drupal. I’ll never have to pay someone to cleanse my hacked blog because I bought my domain on GoDaddy. Daddy. My site is just plain safe.

WordPress – You need to maintain your own updates and be careful with plugins. Also – a good host helps. Remember in hosting – you get what you pay for. We prefer to host at Rackspace – but you can still have problems if you don’t keep your site updated to the latest version and security fixes. …

big picture web – Squarespace Vs. WordPress: Both Sides of the Story

My advice for a new blogger?

Go to WordPress.com … unless you want to host ads. … In that case, go to Squarespace.com.

Avoid the much advertised and promoted WordPress.org sites like mine. Hosts simply cannot keep up with the hackers.

Note: some are unhappy with Squarespace.

Leave a comment if you’ve any advice on this topic, especially for those considering starting their own blogs.

The new Romanian Men’s National Coach, as best I can tell from the translation.

RomGym.ro – translated to English

International Gymnast:

2008 Olympian Ksenia Afanasyeva and newcomer Dmitry Stolyarov won the all-around titles at the 2nd Summer Youth Spartakiada, which concluded Sunday in Saransk. …

Afanasyeva took her second victory in a month, having won the Japan Cup in Tokyo in early July. The 17 year old defeated training mate Ksenia Semyonova during the two-day all-around competition, with 2010 European vault champion Yekaterina Kurbatova placing third.

“Ksenia Afanasyeva competed very smoothly and steadily,” national coach Valentina Rodionenko reported …

http://view.picapp.com//JavaScripts/OTIjs.js

“Stolyarov from Moscow Dinamo looked great,” Rodionenko said. “He made no errors throughout the competition. …

read the article and see results – IG – Afanasyeva, Stolyarov Win Russian Spartakiada

(via Gymnastics Examiner – The gymnastics week in review)

On Chalk Bucket coaches are discussing, as they love to do, Reverse Hecht.

There are many, many different ways to do that technically easy, psychologically difficult, trick. Best advice is to look at the ultimate performances to date. Cade Raggio, for example.

Click PLAY or watch him on YouTube.

Click through to see the discussion – Chalk Bucket – Tkatchev: Men’s vs. Women’s technique

Valentin Uzunov and others have already weighed in.

related posts tagged Tkatchev

Sara Eckert and Mike Jojola at McArthur Burney Falls State Park in northern CA.

by site editor Rick McCharles

Coach Jim Holt (Seattle) sent me a review copy. Jim’s been a friend for decades. I knew I’d enjoy his gymnastics autobiography.

A book of Jim Holt’s memoirs about his two decades striving for the international development of gymnastics. It is an extraordinary saga of inspiring and (often) hilarious efforts to change the world through sport. …

Anyone who knows Jim Holt knows that he does not do what he does for money. He’s in it for love of the sport. Jim’s got the #1 “talent” required of a gymnastics coach: irrational dedication.

I was immediately charmed by the many typos and the conversational tone of the book. Jim Holt is talking to me personally.

He’s a terrific raconteur. Intelligent. Witty. Eloquent. Engaging.

(His many references to literature and classic movies may turn off some younger readers, though.)

Jim’s led Olympic Solidarity coaching courses in 9 nations. I’ve so far led 2 courses and am booked for Saudi Arabia this Fall. His anecdotes and misadventures in Bolivia, Chile, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Yemen and Egypt (amongst others) were the highlights of the book for me.

Read an excerpt – Fun in Bolivia

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any gymnastics buff, especially older coaches who’ve lived through similar personal gymnastics disasters.

Jim’s subtitle is “An Odyssey in International Sport“. Indeed, he’s a hero to me. His accomplishments as a coach are extraordinary considering the obstacles overcome.

The only sour notes are in Chapter 14. Jim’s failed (so far) attempt to be awarded an “FIG Diploma”. … And his too harsh critique of the F.I.G. Academy Program, currently run by the best man at his wedding, Hardy Fink.

Sour grapes?

If you are looking for an exposé of international gymnastics you’ll be disappointed. There are plenty of examples of corruption, petty greed, cronyism, miscommunication and epic inefficiency … but also much love.

Jim Holt even has some good words for Grandi. How about that?

What is Jim doing today?

Chasing impossible dreams, of course. Last time I saw him was at the Canadian National Championships. He’s coaching 2008 Olympian Nashwan al-Harazi from Yemen.

Jim’s bags are packed. If you need an experienced coach, contact him via the official website:

ChasingImpossibleDreams.com ($22.45 USD)

Keep speaking truth to power, Jim!

related post → profile – Jim and Hannah Holt

Here’s that video showing Olympic Training Centre athletes putting together routines for VISA Championships.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I saw this terrific montage linked from Gymnastics – No Ceiling:

… one of my favorite channels on youtube is pikedjaeger. Lauren’s montages are great because they always remind me why I love gymnastics despite the controversies. This is Fresh Feeling:

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

“Coaching for Coaches”

2010 Gymnastics Ontario Coaching Development Weekend (Oct. 1-2, 2010)

Futures Gymnastics Center, Mississauga

details (PDF)

G.S. George is author of Championship Gymnastics. Greg Marsden is the legendary women’s coach at Utah, oft credited as the most important builder of the successful NCAA Women’s Collegiate program.

Sadly, my entry on behalf of Cam and Scott – Worst Gymnastics SPOT Ever !!!! – did not win.

Click PLAY or watch the 2 winning videos on Gymnastike.

http://c1403192.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/player.swf