Author: Rick Mc

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via FIG on Facebook)

Gymnastike:

10. The Maroney/Ross Connection
9. Mikulak is Undeniable
8. Appreciative Alternates
7. The Smiling Illini
6. Bridget Sloan
5. Floor Exercise Brilliance
4. Nastia’s Graceful Exit
3. The Crowd
2. LIVE Team Announcements
1. One Word: Comebacks

details – Top Ten: U.S. Olympic Trials Moments

Here’s that emotional interview (#6) with Bridget, injured out of Trials.

http://www.gymnastike.org/embed/NDgzNjQ1MTQx?related=1

Watch more video of 2012 Olympic Team Trials on gymnastike.org

The Canadian/British 🙂 coach and Beam guru, Carol-Angela Orchard, visited Renmore Gymnastics in Ireland.

see more photos from the clinic on Facebook

At one of his sessions at USA Congress, Dr. Bill Sands talked about the mechanism of fear. At a stage of brain development, children finally start to grasp consequences of action.

The age is predictable.

I feel it happens to both boys and girls, but there’s some sort of override in the male psyche — perhaps Testosterone. 🙂

Boys can almost always overcome fear issues in the gym. Some girls cannot.

Most often it involves backwards elements.

Fear can be a great struggle. Right now Emily Wilson’s daughter is having problems.

Try everything. Especially high reps of simpler skills.

For example, for backward tumbling balking on saltos, do endless series of backward handsprings on Tumbl Trak. At least 50 backward handsprings a day before going back to somersaults.

Fear can be overcome. 🙂

One strategy to reduce the frequency and severity of fear going backwards is to train forward elements first. For example, I like girls to do forward flyaway before backward flyaway. Forwards is not “scary”. The confidence gained later transfers to the backward. Usually.

(via Tumbl Trak on Facebook)

Don’t look down, Dad.

Create the ultimate Olympic Games! Build your own city, attract visitors and host the world’s best sports.

app

Here’s a good idea.

For every medal American swimmer Ryan Lochte wins at the London Olympics, you can pledge a $1 donation to Special Olympics New York Inc.

OR … you can donate $1 or more for EVERY American Olympic medal.

That site — Pledge4Good — is a for profit start-up that people can use for fundraising.

Details via Fast Company – Fast Talk: How Pledge4Good Is Like A Virtual Dunk Tank

Thanks for the link, Michael Fahner.

… The MAG Team will be leaving for Ireland on the 10th, and the WAG team will follow on the 15th. Both team will live and train in Ireland until the 20th before they move into the Olympic Village in London. …

Blossom

Many are predicting big and unexpected routines from the defending Olympic Champions. I’m not so sure.

The state of Artistic Gymnastics in China is not nearly so strong as it was in 2008. (And some economists are already predicting the decline of the Chinese economy.)

The women’s team may have peaked.

Or perhaps they are concentrating on the Junior girls (VIDEOS) for the next cycle.

Aunt Joyce links to many illicit videos. 🙂

Click PLAY or watch Kennedy Baker’s Bars on YouTube.