by site editor Rick McCharles
Gymnastics Coaching is an aggregator. We try to link to the best of the best published online in English. The most interesting ideas, photos and videos.
NEW ideas, in particular.
Artistic Gymnastics, especially WAG, dominates the Gymternet over all other acrobatic disciplines. That’s OK — I guess — since we want every child to start with Artistic & Trampoline before specializing. 🙂
I’ve blocked recommendations into 3 categories:
INDEPENDENT SITES (blogs, coaches, etc.)
OFFICIAL SITES (magazines, organizations, FIG, NOCs, etc.)
PHOTO & VIDEO SITES
Artistic Gymnastics is the Foundation.
_____ INDEPENDENT SITES:
The very best have not changed much since a year ago:
Brigid McCarthy (Australia) and friends – The Couch Gymnast | Facebook | @TheCouchGymnast
Blythe Lawrence (USA) – Gymnastics Examiner | Facebook | @GymExaminer
Albert Minguillón i Colomer, Nora Schuler & Elizabeth Long (Europe) – THE ALL AROUND | Facebook | @THEALLAROUND
Katie (Ireland) – Full Twist | @full_twist
• Beautiful Gymnastics had some fantastic posts in 2013.
Every WAG coach should be following Swing Big closely. Since March 2013, Zari has been methodically posting practical drills. The best of what’s out there. I love this new site.
• Triple Twist Gym Blog | Facebook | @tripletwistgym
Tony Retrosi’s Gym Momentum – Gym Momentum | Facebook | @gym_momentum
Gigi Khazback-Farid – WOGymnastikA (new URL late 2013) posts more often than anyone else. Often highlights from Tumblr. Make sure you’ve updated her new social media feeds.
GymFever on Facebook is one of my best sources. But I don’t link as it’s Private (460 members).
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Other must reads not focused on WAG:
• T&T Coaches Canada on Facebook is a terrific T&T source, too. Invitation only.
• Ron Noe – Stick It Media (MAG) | @StickItMedia
• NCAA MEN’S GYMNASTICS ALUMNI on Facebook (Open)
• GYMMIN’ MIEL! (all disciplines)
Those sites post prolifically. Each is quite unique. Please subscribe, follow and/or like those as well as others listed here that don’t post quite so often. (A much longer list of sites we follow is listed in the right hand navigation of every page on this site.)
The only site with more content for coaches than this one is GymnasticsZone, a terrific resource. Original content.
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Ask Al Fong is another superb site for technique.
I’m collaborating with Sara Gill, a coach / consultant for those looking for NCAA scholarships. Her site is GymDynasty.
I follow the NCAA mostly on these sites:
The following sites publish less frequently, but I never miss a post:
• Andy Thornton – American Gymnast | Facebook | @americangymnast (company tweets)
• Kristal Sergent Boulden – Double Front | Facebook | @Double_Front | Tumblr
• MCSMaria
• the always thoughtful Gymnast Crossing
• Bronwyn & Clara Stoi!
• JAO Coaching Gymnastics in the New Millenium
• Between the Olympics | @BTOgymblog
• E Panel | @TheEpanel
Valentin Uzunov’s The Gym Press | @thegympress.
The best site for recreational gymnastics is another I edit, RecGymnastics.com. We’re looking for contributors.
Sites dedicated to geographic regions:
Germany
• GymMedia (English & German)
• turn-news (German)
Romania:
• Cris – Gymfever
• Alina – Tare! magazine
• Mihai – FanGymnastics (Romanian)
• Bea – Gymnastics No Ceiling | Facebook
• Carmen – Romanian Gymnastics Fans on Facebook
China:
• Blossom, Chinese Gymnastics Flowers
• Chinese Gymnastics Blog
• Rewriting Russian Gymnastics
• GymPower (Dutch)
• Gimnasia Latina (Spanish American)
• Revista Magnesia | Facebook | @revistamagnesia (Mexico)
• Doble en Plancha (Spain)
• Tsukahara Tucked (Argentina)
• Gymnastikfabriken (Sweden)
• GimSpor.pl (Poland)
• Gymania (Hebrew)
• gymnet.org (French)
• Gym-Nast-iique (French)
• Gym Blog Brazil (Portuguese)
• Jenn Isbister’s Gymn.ca (Canada) … perhaps the original dedicated National site
The Chrome browser offers automatic Google language Translate, one of the main reasons I use it.
_____ OFFICIAL SITES:
I link a lot to IG. Dwight Normile, Amanda Turner, John Crumlish & team – International Gymnast magazine online News | Facebook | @intlgymnast
Last year and again this year I was astonished at the quality of communications out of USA Gymnastics and FIG. Those organizations have media people equal the best bloggers. In the past information from both was whitewashed — no bad news. But both have gotten increasingly open, over time.
• USAG Headlines | Facebook | @USAGym
• FIG News | Facebook | @officialfig
Great Britain did a terrific job too in 2013. Other nations, … not so much. I’m looking at you Canada. 🙂
I’ve long criticized Inside Gymnastics magazine. But the IG2 posts were better this year, I thought. Especially during LIVE events. And especially on Facebook.
Inside Gymnastics News | Facebook | @InsideGym
_____ AUDIO, PHOTO & VIDEO SITES:
Anne Phillips and team are the leaders in VIDEO:
I link only to their free pages, not their Premium content (though I’m told it’s good).
In 2013 Sports2Visuals.com began posting high quality gymnast documentaries in Dutch and English. Everyone knows their The Hard Way To Success videos.
But Sports2Visuals.com is doing much more. For example they created videos for the 2013 World Championships Organizing Committee. See ALL their videos linked from the home page. And subscribe to their YouTube channel.
The Gymneo WAG coaching video tutorials (in French) are superb. But cost 259€ / year. ($352) They do post free teasers on their Facebook page.
The best thing that ever happened for gymnastics coaches is YouTube. Thank Google for buying that company and letting us share with the world for free. In 2011 I still link to YouTube over Vimeo and others as YouTube streams quickest over a weak WiFi signal. The worst place to post your videos is Facebook — link to a YouTube video in Facebook, instead.
Some of my favourites this past year:
• Arabian Punch Front links to the best montage videos. And more.
• American Gymnast Gymnastics on Demand videos on the JoeLangley YouTube channel (1150+ coaching tutorials)
• Sargis Siradegyan’s sKT YouTube channel (MAG)
• Coach Sommers – Gymnastic Bodies videos (the #1 MAG strength guru)
Nick’s recently relocated to Canada. And started up Blanton’s Gymnastics Consultancy. Recommended.
• Tony Retrosi – Gym Momentum YouTube Channel
• Mary Lee Tracy – USAmlt YouTube Channel
• Gymnastics Minute YouTube channel. And GymSmarts for DVDs $.
• RedNasvw YouTube channel, especially his MAG Code of Points videos
There were fewer gymnastics montages in 2013, me thinks. I link most to AshleyakaFlipper and CSaccullo.
For AUDIO there’s only one superb site. GymCastic. … That’s Spanny, Dvora of Unorthodox Gymnastics, Uncle Tim, Blythe Lawrence and moderator Jessica O’Beirne of Masters Gymnastics.
For PHOTOS, Inside Gymnastics has the photographer I link to most. That’s the terrific Grace Chiu. She uses Facebook perfectly, posting a few of her best shots in order to promote sales from GraceClick.ca.
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Did I MISS one of your favourite sites? … or links to their content?
I’m reluctant (yet) to start listing too many Tumblr sites or Twitter feeds. Those can be as messy as Facebook. Too much crap interspersed with good content.
But … leave a comment and I’ll update this list in a week or so. I could name many more.
related:
Gymternet – best of 2012
Gymternet – best of 2011
Gymternet – best of 2010
Lastly, a big THANKS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone who emailed of messaged me with links in 2013. 🙂
Gymnastics Coaching.com 