In conjunction with Artistic Worlds, FIG is running a Safe Sport symposium in Antwerp, Belgium.
It’s FREE. You can attend LIVE or online.
Register online.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Category: ethics
Elena Mukhina 1979 Floor
Elena Mukhina was the 1978 World Championships AA champion. An amazing talent for her time.
Did Elena compete the first 1 1/2 twist step-out?
Recall the tragedy when she broke her neck two weeks before the opening of the 1980 Summer Olympics, leaving her permanently quadriplegic. That was on a now-banned rollout skill on Floor. Her coach Mikhail Klimenko was blamed by Elena.
She died likely of complications from quadriplegia on 22 December 2006 (aged 46). Klimenko died of cancer age-65.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
RUS not competing Asian Games
This makes it even more difficult to believe Russian athletes will end up competing the Paris Olympics.
The 19th Asian Games — confusingly called 2022 Asian Games — are scheduled to be held from 23 September to 8 October 2023 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
Gymnastics should welcome ALL
Tom Farden – under review
This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a complaint about the Utah Head Coach.
According to 5 former gymnasts, mothers of 4 gymnasts, and 2 former staff members who worked with Farden during his 23-year collegiate coaching career, he’s accused of verbal and emotional abuse.
Sydney Soloski, for one, defended Farden. And she’s quite outspoken about ethics.
future USA Gymnastics Training Centre?
Interesting idea.
There are pros and cons with National Training Centres. Recall that Gymnastics Australia quit the Australian Institute of Sport due to problems.
MAG and all other FIG disciplines would benefit most by training with WAG, the highest profile discipline.
IF it happens, USAG will have to choose a location. More central geographically would make for easier travel logistics.
Certainly any State with abortion restrictions should not be considered. After all, USAG wants to call this a “Wellness Center“.
Worst are those in dark orange.
Axios – Where abortion has been banned now that Roe v. Wade is overturned
Human rights and safety of athletes should be highest priority for parents sending their children off to camp.
mental health in sports
The best way for the coach to deal with psychological problems is to treat them like physical injuries.
One day your athlete might have a sore ankle. Anther day lack of motivation. Or unexpected fear of a skill. Even depression.
You’d have experts as part of the coaching team. Trainers. Psychologists. Etc.
Athletes can recover from a sore ankle. Athletes can get over fear issues.
In recent years, mental issues among athletes have gained visibility thanks to role models like Simone Biles and Ricky Rubio; now, the focus is on prevention and tangible action …
There’s no longer a taboo. There’s no more secrecy or stigma. Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz talks openly about his psychologist. So does Spanish badminton player Carolina Marín.
Ricky Rubio recently announced that he is taking a break from basketball for his mental wellbeing.
Simone Biles took a step back from gymnastics for two years to take three steps forward now. She left the Tokyo Olympics and today, she is thinking about the games in Paris. …
Mental health in sports: How the new generations broke a taboo and learned to take a break
Simone for ‘Friends of the Children’
Friends of the Children is a national nonprofit organization that selects and invites youth – all of whom have unique talents, interests and dreams, and face multiple systemic obstacles – to be paired with a paid, professional mentor called a Friend.
We hire and train Friends to support our youth from as early as age 4 through high school graduation – 12+ years, no matter what. …
Friends of the Children
FIG eLearning platform – a review
As one of the authors of the Canadian WAG & MAG coach education online platform materials, I am impressed with what FIG has done with theirs.
It’s inevitable that eventually all our resources will be digital. Only a few of those printed.
Every organization is struggling with how BEST to move online.
FIG has challenges: 8 disciplines x 3 languages.
NEW is a requirement that all coaches in an FIG competition must get their Safeguarding Certificate by December 1, 2023.
The FIG is happy to announce that the Safeguarding Online Course is now available on the eLearning Platform. As approved by the Executive Committee in March 2023, the purpose of this course is to provide all coaches with a Safeguarding Certificate and therefore give them the tools they need to ensure a safe environment in Gymnastics.
This course is mandatory for all coaches registered in the FIG Coach – Sport Database, and the deadline to comply with this requirement is 1 December 2023. After this date, coaches who did not comply will see their registration pending until they obtain a Safeguarding Certificate.
via email
The guidelines are available here:
Step #1 is to register for the FIG E-learning platform. Anyone can do this.
There is a LOT of free content in all disciplines for anyone who registers:
- Age Group Development Program VIDEOS and ROUTINES
- Safeguarding
- Ethics
- Anti-doping
- Webinars
- More …
Create NEW Account
Enter your email address and choose a password.
Step #2 is to have your national Federation create a “Coach – Sport” profile in the FIG database for you.
Only those coaches who are planning to compete in an FIG sanctioned meet need their Federation to create a “Coach – Sport” profile in the FIG database, however.
Nike Leggings ad
Nike is now sponsoring USA Gymnastics.
Good timing as Simone just returned, one of the biggest names for the Paris Olympics.
Click PLAY or watch a new ad on YouTube.
I’m reminded of the time USAG disastrously hired a former Republican Congresswoman … for 5 days before she was dumped as CEO. 😀
She felt Nike was too woke.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 