Year: 2011

Dwight Normile doesn’t post often.

But when he does, I read every word. And agree with every word.

He speaks truth to Mustafina, Uchimura, FIG Women’s Tech, FIG Men’s Tech, Excessive Celebrators, “Impatient” landings, the NCAA and more.

important stuff – International Gymnast – Stretching Out: Resolutions for the Gymnastics World

OK, there’s one point on which I might take exception:

Danell Leyva, Yin Alvarez/USA: Keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll take a coach who hugs over one that scolds any day. Yin, I realize people think your sideline contortions are a distraction, but they are unique and entertaining. And anything that enlivens the crowd at a men’s gymnastics meet is a good thing.

I do find Yin distracting. But I’m slowly being won over. He’s become an iconic character, almost like Bela Karolyi. Larger than life.

I once called Shayla Worley a strong contender for NCAA all-around champion. … Was I wrong, or what.

She should be a super star in College gymnastics. This routine is almost there.

Click PLAY or watch her on Gymnastike.

http://videoplayer.flocasts.org/player.swf

From the Canadian Centre for Sport and Law – email Newsletter Winter 2010 by Kevin Lawrie

Coaches – not just organizations – should have a social media strategy

… a coach must plan in the same way that an organization does. Individuals do not have hardcopy strategic plans, obviously, but coaches have goals to achieve (e.g., player development, performance, team communication, etc) and they have developed best practices for reaching their goals. Thinking about and evaluating these best practices can help coaches determine if/how using social media fits into their personal strategies.

Consider a coach who emails team reminders to players. The goal here is that players should be informed about team activities. Are the emails accomplishing that goal? Would the goal be better achieved if the coach text-messaged the players?

Consider a coach who talks with players about their school activities and future plans. The goal here is to get to know the players and better understand how to coach them. Would the goal be better achieved if the coach added the players to Facebook and viewed their profiles? What are some consequences or benefits of this tradeoff – face-to-face chats vs. unobtrusive online observation? …

This is a BIG issue in 2011.

The solution, I think, is to use Facebook. That’s where the athletes are. That’s the easiest place to reach them with YOUR BRILLIANT PLAN.

But to avoid Facebook problems, you probably need to set up a Facebook persona specific to you as a coach. “Coach Rick”, for example.

That’s not technically allowed on Facebook, though. Mark Zuckerberg only wants to have one Facebook page / person on Earth. (For some reason.) It’s common practice, though, to have two or more. As I do.

NCAA Collegiate Schedule | Friday NCAA WAG results | Saturday NCAA WAG results | Sunday NCAA WAG results | American Gymnast videos FREE

… coming SOON a new Recreational Gymnastics blog

You can win some team competitions with Grishina and Sidorova in the line-up:

Anastasia Grishina
Anastasia Sidorova
Irina Sazonova
Kristina Kruglikova
Maria Dunaeva
Tatiana Solovyova
Maria Stepanova

Those are the RESERVES (some due to age) for the Senior Russian Gymnastics team posted recently on Full Twist.

Do they have depth, or what.

Sadly, Anna Pavlova is not listed.

Bregenz Opera Festivals production of “André Chénier” is looking for male and female “stunt dancers”.

Artists should have acrobatic training in gymnastics, circus and/or martial arts.

The contract will begin rehearsing June 13th in Austria. 25 performances will run from July 20-August 21st.

Please submit questions or your CV, photos, & any media via email to: Casting AT airealistic.com

This will be an invited audition February 22-24th in Bregenz, Austria.

The company is airealistic.com

Update – this is Allstar Gymnastics. The photos originally came from their Facebook page.

Looks like the water has finally peaked in Toowoomba, Australia.

I saw a few pics of the clean-up of one gym. What a mess. The pit’s a swimming pool.

Photos posted by Colin Lorback on Facebook.

Thinking of my friends in Brisbane right now. The water tops out there next.

Have been posted.

click through to see the latest round of fan favourites – The Couch Gymnast Awards: Part Three

Aunt Joyce linked to this article:

… the Ute gymnasts have decided to incorporate the “U” into all of their floor routines this year.

“I think that is such a fun way to get the crowd involved,” said Ute junior all-arounder Stephanie McAllister …

“We all started to talk about it,” McAllister said of the “U” hand-sign, “and decided it would be a fun and good idea, so we all put them in our floor routines. It makes our routines more fun.”

“They got together and decided they’d all choreograph the ‘U’s’ into their routines,” said coach Greg Marsden. “It’s just something within our team and with our fans.”

It’s not totally original as all Florida floor workers have the two-armed Gator Chomp in their routines, but this is much more subtle. …

read more – Red Rocks incorporating ‘U’ into routines

You know what would be original? … A College team deciding NOT to put on face tattoos. Leave a comment if you know of any that do not have them.

related – Vanessa Steck dishes on the rather disappointing first weekend of College Gymnastics on Couch Gymnast.

Several blogs linked to this routine recently. I’d forgotten about the unique skills she competed.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Erin’s now a coach. Watch her interview on Gymnastike.