Rhonda Faehn asked to retire

Rhonda Faehn was at a national training camp in Tennessee late Thursday afternoon when she got the call from (USA Gymnastics President Kerry) Perry, who asked her to return to the organization’s headquarters in Indianapolis, the sources said. …

Faehn, who did not respond to a request for comment, decided to stay at the camp with the 22 gymnasts and their personal coaches, who were blindsided by the news, the sources said. The last two practices were canceled at the gymnasts’ request, they said.

As of early Friday, Faehn had not resigned, the sources said, and it’s unclear what will happen next. …

USA Gymnastics turmoil: Head of women’s program asked to resign

The move comes days before the organization’s president testifies before Congress.

Timing of that phone call could not have been worse. National Team members were understandably upset with the distraction.

UPDATE

“Rhonda Faehn is no longer with USA Gymnastics. This is a personnel matter that we will not discuss in detail.

We recognize that change can be difficult, but we will not be deterred from making necessary and bold decisions to transform our organization. At USA Gymnastics, we are focused every day on creating a highly empowered culture that puts our athletes first.

Over the next few weeks, we will be communicating some positive changes that reinforce our desire to have our athletes train and compete at the highest level in an empowering and safe environment.

USA Gymnastics is moving forward and positioning for the future with the commitment to our athletes’ safety and well-being at the heart of everything we do. We encourage member clubs, coaches, administrators and the gymnastics entire community to align their efforts to this important task. Together, we will create a culture of empowerment for the young men and women who are pursuing their gymnastics dreams today while honoring those who have gone before them.”

This is a breaking story. There could be even bigger announcements from USAG today.

Changing Gymnastics Culture – a review

I just finished my first skim of Dave Tilley’s new book, more than 450 pages.

Something for every coach: sports medicine, injury prevention, conditioning, ethics, …

I’ll be going back through and excerpting some of my favourite sections.

Dave was partly inspired to put his ideas together by the Nassar crimes. He sensed “outdated training methods and a toxic culture can foster abusive practices” in Gym … making it possible for a pedophile to go undetected for decades.

Coaches spent inordinate amounts of time with young children and parents place complete trust in them. Young athletes are taught that their dreams may depend on the approval of a famous trainer or coach. They are also programmed to believe that obeying orders given, without question, is the only path to achieve their dreams.

Together, these truths about certain areas of our sport, while not necessarily inherently malicious in nature, certainly open to the door to abuse and mistreatment of young athletes. …

I certainly recommend you download and check it out for yourself.

Dave’s made his book free. Click through to download.

The book is 3 PDFs.

In addition are two resources: Myofascial Release Checklist and a Splits Complex.

gymnasts can’t pitch

Balance Beam Situation :

We have one hallowed tradition in American gymnastics, valued above all others.

It goes as so: When you achieve some degree of success, you are rewarded for this accomplishment by being carted off to a local baseball establishment so that you may embarrass yourself for all eternity by revealing to the world that your willowy gymnastics bird arms have never actually done a ball-throwings even once before. …

Fish one. Katelyn zero.

GYMNASTICS FIRST PITCHES — A GIFSTORY

FIG’s 2nd Parkour World Cup

Montpellier, France May 11-13

Results.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

WAG clubs at JO Nationals 2018

Clubs with the most gymnasts competing at JO Nationals:

1. Metroplex Gymnastics (TX) – 13
2. Texas Dreams (TX) – 12

3T. American Twisters (FL) – 11
3T. Southeastern (NC) – 11

4T. North Stars (NJ) – 10
4T. La Fleur’s (FL) – 10

full list

Metroplex

top MAG clubs at JO Nationals 2018

1 Cypress 249.500
   Head Coach Tom Meadows

2 5280 North 243.750
   Head Coach Vladimir Artemev

3 Wallers GymJam 238.300
   Head Coach Raj Bhavsar

4 OMEGA Gymnastics 235.600
   Head Coach Seth Smart

5 New England Academy of Gymnastics 235.400
   Head Coach Cal Booker

full results

Cypress

Gymnastics coach superheroes compete

Calgary Gymnastics Centre coaches put on some costumes and competed at the Gymtastics Hollywood Classic meet. … Next year they might even train for it. 😀

Click PLAY or watch some of the fun on YouTube.

Arthur Ashe Courage Award

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award … is presented as part of the ESPY Awards.

… presented annually to individuals whose contributions “transcend sports”.

“… strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost”

Anna Huber – van Leeuwen to giant

Very cool.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

 

(via Lauren)