Author: Rick Mc

Career gymnastics coach who loves the outdoors, and the internet.

Becky Wing, Danusia Francis on the NCAA

Making the transition from FIG competitors for Great Britain.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via papaliukin)

Tumble Tots and Teens needs help

Tumble Tots and Teens is a recreational gymnastics gym in Crowley, Louisiana run by Debbie Jabusch since 1981.

The gym was under water by two feet during the recent flooding and they have lost most of their equipment. 😦

They are trying to raise money to help get the club back operational. Spread the word.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

4 new named elements from Rio

• The Dick II – Beam
• The Gebeshian – Bars
• The Nguyen – P Bars
• Shirai II – Vault

FIG

Click PLAY or watch The Dick II on Facebook.

Shirai II

Jessie Graff crushes Ninja Warrior

After taking circus classes at age 6 and performing in her basement for neighbors, Graff started catching other kids on the flying trapeze when she was only 12.

“The rule was I wasn’t allowed to catch anyone who outweighed me by more than 20 pounds,” she says.

After that, she did competitive gymnastics for 6 years, pole vaulted through high school and college, and earned black belts in Taekwondo and Kung Fu since then.

Now that she’s a stuntwoman who does everything from tumbling on Make It or Break It, to trampolining on Another Period and “anything on rooftops, sides of buildings or bridges, dramatic wipeouts,” she says she’s constantly learning from fellow stunt people who specialize in areas different from her own. …

How ‘Supergirl’ stuntwoman Jessie Graff just made ‘Ninja Warrior’ history

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

Dutch Beam in Rio

Anchored by the eventual Champion Sanne Wevers, Netherlands had the 2nd highest team score on this apparatus.

Click PLAY or watch Olympic prelims on Vimeo.

Dutch coach Patrick Kiens presented at Ontario Congress just after the Olympics. (Netherlands beat Canada in prelims as a team by 0.2)

He feels the much acclaimed Dutch choreography on Beam is reminiscent of the Soviets from the 1988-92 cycle. More continuous movements, more interesting and artistic elements. An era when Beam choreography was more important.

If your gymnasts can do high level elements like Illusion and multiple turns, it’s smart coaching to use those in preference to risky tumbling sequences that require more pounding.

diversity can be unifying

Miss Val:

… (UCLA) is like the United Nations.”

Danusia: Jamaican and Polish, looks Black but has blond hair.
Sadiqua: Black with a mohawk.
Sophina: Puerta Rican and Black with died blue hair.
Peng: Chinese Canadian with her traditional elegant bun.
Angi: Hispanic
Mikaela: One of the few blond Anglo-Saxons.

He said, “I’m not talking about how they look. I’m talking about how you encourage them to develop and celebrate their own personal style.”

“Your team proves that celebrating diversity can actually be unifying versus divisive.” …

The Power of a Mohawk

SadiquaBynum

UCLA was the most entertaining team for me last season. I believe they’ll be even stronger this year.

Simone and social media

Many Olympians in Rio had problems with social media. It seemed they’d not had training in how to manage stalkers, hecklers, etc.

It did go well for Simone Biles.

You don’t have to engage with those who try to bring you down.

When commentator Al Trautwig tweeted that Simone’s parents are not her parents (apparently because he doesn’t understand the concept of adoption…or much about gymnastics but I digress…).  Her response was a perfect eight words:

“My parents are my parents and that’s it.”

When called the “next Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt,” her response was a simple “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simone Biles.” …

That comes from an excellent post – A DOZEN LIFE LESSONS TO LEARN FROM SIMONE BILES