Category: Gymnastics

advanced Gymnastics skills in training

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monitoring Growth & Development

Dave Tilley:

… regularly tracking growth from a young age, as well as monitoring other aspects to athletes (resting heart rate / heart rate variability, perceived fatigue, sleep, movement screening, etc), is essential for coaches or healthcare providers involved in youth sports. …

HOW TO TRACK GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH ATHLETES

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related – A quick and easy way to anticipate pubertal growth spurt is to ask kids if they’ve recently needed bigger shoes. Distal body parts grow first.

While not foolproof, it’s a useful first tool.

benefits of Gymnastics

There are many.

Click over to GymnasticsHQ to see more like this.

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(via Tony Retrosi)

introducing Planche

ESSENTIAL for MAG.

And important for WAG – Cast Handstand.

Introduce it in conditioning from a young age.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. This is coach Alex McInnis who trained at Island Gymnastics Academy in PEI.

Jason Mortimer catches gymnast on Tap Swing

Yep. Coach was ready. You never know.

Tap swings (and backward uprise) are surprisingly dangerous, especially for kids who are really trying to get as high as they can.

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Kazuki Minami – AMAZING landings

Check out some of Kazuki Minami’s landings in training and competition at the 2025 Cottbus World Cup.

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Feeding the Young Athlete

Coach Melissa Coombes recommends this book.

Feeding the Young Athlete – Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players, Parents, and Coaches (2012)

Amazon

You can read the first 38 pages online for free.

introducing backward hip circle

Training back hip circles with an emphasis on getting into the tap swing in the level 5 routine.

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In addition to the cast to ‘hollow’ position, I like to have beginners do some from cast to ‘archy’ position. (The timing of the late drop is easier.)

Simultaneous with these drills, it would be ideal that the gymnast is learning backward uprise to backward hip circle on straps bar.

If you’re not confident to spot the ‘airplane propeller’, the alternative is to do backward hip circle series without spot until the gymnast can do 2 or 3 in series with speed and tight body. That will take longer, however.