Author: Rick Mc

More Charlie Tamayo.

Click PLAY, or watch it on Google Video. http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=1391660837387985327&hl=en

Good discussion on the Chalk Bucket Gymnastics Community Forum right now.

Topic: gymnasts getting “stale”.

Jump in if you have a strategy or an opinion.

We’re getting ready for states, which means we’re doing nothing but routines, routines, routines. My girls are complaining, because they’re bored with these routines and want to work new skills.

Chalk Bucket – Ok, I’m ready for meet season to be over

Originally uploaded by eye2eye.

From the photographer:

In October ’77, I was invited to photograph Nadia Comaneci during her practice session for an appearance at the Hartford Civic Center.

If you’re old enough, you’ll never forget the multiple perfect 10 scores she received at the ’76 Olympics, which showed up as the single digit “1” on the scoreboard (there was no provision for a ten).

GymMedia reports a good competition, almost a “Junior World Championships” in Berlin.

As expected, the titleholder of last year’s INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM CUP, the boys from JAPAN, defended the trophy …

The team FRANCE I followed in second place with 247.800 in front of Switzerland (245.700). The competition included the incredible number of 25 teams from 17 different countries!

GYMmedia.com

I thought pit foam cubes were getting much more expensive due to increased cost of petroleum.

But when I did a Google search for pit foam, I found prices looking very good:

6 inch cube = US$1.05 – Ross Athletic

6 inch cube = US$2.02 – Atafa

6 inch cube = US$.99 to 1.29 – NRA Gym Supply

6 inch cube = US$.86 – DGS

6 inch cube = US$1.10 – Norberts sold by Professional Athletics

Call it $1 / 6 inch cube.

With advanced, bigger gymnasts I actually prefer 8 inch cubes.

8 inch cube = US$2.20 – Norberts sold by Professional Athletics

8 inch cube = US$2.36 – NRA Gym Supply

8 inch cube = US$3.77 – Norberts sold by Opentip

You MIGHT be able to get 8 inch cubes for US$2 each.

I expect the actual price would be higher. There are many other variables when shopping for foam cubes. In the past we’ve always bought the most durable, fire-retardant foam, always the most expensive option.

If you are not in the USA, likely your options will be limited. Shipping is a factor.

If you’ve recently purchased foam, leave a COMMENT below with price / cube.

I like this.

Justin Slife let us know about a new program at his club in California — North Country Gymnastics & the Gyminny Kids — that is gaining popularity.

Extreme Cross Training is a non-traditional gymnastics course geared towards skateboarding, BMX, motocross, wakeboarding, snowboarding, extreme martial arts, hip-hop, and anything else that inverts.

This class is designed to increase efficiency in basic aerial awareness, thus decreasing the chances of injury out on the real terrain.

Classes will utilize our trampolines, tumble track, air track, mini tramps, and overhead spotting rigs. This is a boys only class for ages 8-10 or 11 & up. Students must first pass or test out of our Handstand level.

We got your flip! 1-800-656-FLIP

The (so-called) extreme athletes are reluctant to get coaching. But as “trained” athletes begin to excel in each discipline, more will sign on for classes like this.

We’ve not done a very good job educating the general public as to the many benefits of trampoline.

If you search the internet for “trampoline injury” … the results are depressing.

There are a lot of intelligent, well-meaning people VERY concerned about the favourite piece of equipment in our gyms.

Most concerned of all are Joseph S. Torg and Marianne Das.

The final sentence in their 1984 study concluded:

… both the trampoline and minitrampoline are dangerous devices when used in the best of circumstances, and their use has no place in recreational, educational, or competitive gymnastics.

Trampoline-Related Quadriplegia: Review of the Literature and Reflections on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Position Statement – source

That study is still widely cited.

But now it is 2007. Trampoline became an Olympic sport in 2000. Obesity is now a greater concern than minor injury.

By comparison, here’s the position paper of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

Trampolines and Trampoline Safety

The number and severity of injuries resulting from the use of trampolines is significant and increasing. Hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics treated 211,646 trampoline injuries sustained by children under age 19 in 2003. The estimated cost of medical, legal, insurance and disability costs and other expenses in 2001 was more than $4 billion.

Young children ages 5 to 10 are particularly at risk; 102,017 injuries related to trampolines for this group were treated in emergency rooms, doctors’ offices and clinics at a cost of more than $2 billion annually. The most common injuries are sprains and fractures, often severe, which usually result from a fall on the trampoline. Severe injuries are not common, but they do occur and can result in paralysis or, rarely, death. Use of the trampoline by more than one child further increases the risk of injury through collisions among jumpers or the catapulting of jumpers off the trampoline.

In an effort to reduce the number and severity of injuries resulting from the use of trampolines, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends routine observation of the following guidelines:

* Use of trampolines for physical education, competitive gymnastics, diving training and other similar activities requires careful adult supervision and proper safety measures.

* Trampolines should not be used for unsupervised recreational activity.

* Competent adult supervision and instruction is needed for children at all times.

* Only one participant should use a trampoline at any time.

* Spotters should be present when participants are jumping. Somersaults or high-risk maneuvers should be avoided without proper supervision and instruction; these maneuvers should be done only with proper use of protective equipment, such as a harness.

* The trampoline-jumping surface should be placed at ground level.

* The supporting bars, strings and surrounding landing surfaces should have adequate protective padding.

* Equipment should be checked regularly for safety conditions.

* Safety net enclosures may give a false sense of security – most injuries occur on the trampoline surface.

* Trampolines are not recommended for children under 6 years of age.

* Make sure trampoline ladders are removed after use to prevent unsupervised access by young children.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons – source

Personally I would go further.

I would ban backyard trampolines. And intensely promote trampoline training in accredited gyms with trained, certified coaches.

Trampoline devices in my gym are as safe as any other piece of equipment.

And until backyard trampolines are made illegal, I reluctantly recommend the safest tramp on the market: The “Springfree”.

In Australia I met a professional wrestler who trained on backyard trampoline. (He is a certified coach.) One day he was bouncing as high as he could when … the trampoline bed fabric ripped on impact and he went straight through to the ground.

The fabric had been weakened by sun and water.

Yes, he was badly injured.

Still think Vanessa Ferrari’s World Championships All Around victory was a fluke?

It didn’t look that way at the World Cup this past weekend in Paris.

Women’s Results – GymnasticsResults.com

This girl is for real!

Men’s Results – GymnasticsResults.com

Many have called Charlie the most talented gymnast ever.

After defecting to the USA, the World Medalist from Cuba has been vainly trying to get US citizenship. (The American men’s team could certainly use him.)

Don Eckert, the Elite coach at Woodward West Camp, has a huge video collection of Charlie’s feats of acrobatics.

If you watch this 8min video through to the finish, I guarantee you will see at least a half dozen skills you’ve never seen before. Possibly no one has ever done them before Charlie.

Click PLAY, or watch it on YouTube.

We’ve posted pics by this excellent Irish photographer before.

He does great work.

larger version on flickr

USA vs Great Britain