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 BIG news from 2014 was Lauren Hopkins launching The Gymternet. Lauren and her writers have BIG plans to expand coverage in 2015.
Gymternet (with a capital G) instantly became the 1st site Women’s Gymnastics fans should check. Timing was perfect as Blythe Lawrence’s Gymnastics Examiner went quiet in 2014. Blythe got a real job – working for the International Gymnastics Federation in Switzerland. 🙂
Blythe Lawrence (USA) – Gymnastics Examiner | Facebook | @GymExaminer
Bea Gheorghisor has taken over as the main editor of The Couch Gymnast | Facebook | @TheCouchGymnast. It’s a must read.
Albert Minguillón i Colomer, Nora Schuler & Elizabeth Long (Europe) – THE ALL AROUND | Facebook | @THEALLAROUND
Katie (Ireland) – Full Twist | @full_twist
Anne Josephson’s JAG GYM BLOG was rocking this past year. Much reposted. It’s thoughtful and unique. One of the few sites discussing gymnastics judges and parents. Check the Top 10 posts of 2014.
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.
• Triple Twist Gym Blog | Facebook | @tripletwistgym
• MCSMaria is another must read
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.
• Beautiful Gymnastics had some fantastic posts in 2014.
• Dvora Meyers has been busy writing for other sites. And working on a Gymnastics book. But still posts occasionally on her old site Unorthodox Gymnastics
Gymnastics News Network is an aggregator like this one. But they also post unique content. I particularly like their coach interviews. Unfortunately, they sometimes take full content from other sites without permission. Do not link back to that site. After discussing our concerns with founder Brandon Chaney we’ll no longer be linking to them.
GymFever2012 on Facebook is one of my best sources. But I don’t link as it’s private. I belong to a number of private Facebook groups, in fact. Those groups seem to have increasingly taken over from private forums.
___
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)
• Nico launched a new site in 2014. The Liukin, dedicated to Men’s Artistic Gymnastics.
• 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.
___
Ask Al Fong is another superb site for technique.
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
• the always thoughtful Gymnast Crossing
• Bronwyn & Clara Stoi!
• JAO Coaching Gymnastics in the New Millenium
• @TsukthePain | Tumblr
• Between the Olympics | @BTOgymblog
• E Panel | @TheEpanel
Valentin Uzunov’s The Gym Press YouTube channel | @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
British Gymnastics does a terrific job of communicating. Other nations, … not so much. I’m looking at you Canada. 🙂
With a small staff, Inside Gymnastics magazine does a good job during LIVE events. And especially on Facebook.
Inside Gymnastics News | Facebook | @InsideGym
_____ AUDIO, PHOTO & VIDEO SITES:
Gymnastike are the leaders in unique online VIDEO.
But I’m currently boycotting Gymnastike.org as are many other sites. That started with the Joe Battaglia Flocasts scandal, but – in fact – I don’t like some of Gymnastike’s business practices. And haven’t for some years. Those concerns I’ve taken directly to founder Anne Phillips, but there’s been no change. Her site seems locked into the Flocast corporate culture.
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 (now in French and English) 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 2014, me thinks. I link most to AshleyakaFlipper and CSaccullo.
For AUDIO there’s only one superb site. GymCastic. … That’s regular Uncle Tim and moderator Jessica O’Beirne of Masters Gymnastics. They have a number of guest hosts as well as celebrity guests each week.
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.
Former Michigan State Spartan Christy Ann Linder and her team capture some fantastic images. Many sport photographers do not really know gymnastics. Christy does.
_____ …
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 2013
Gymternet – best of 2012
Gymternet – best of 2011
Gymternet – best of 2010
Lastly, a big THANKS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the individuals who emailed or messaged me with links in 2014. 🙂
Gymnastics Coaching.com 