This was posted a year ago. But it’s just as appropriate today.
Jim Holt is a former USAG Board member and is widely recognized internationally for his passion for and commitment to the development of gymnastics worldwide.
Category: planning
new Aimee Boorman interview
Vanessa Steck on Medium:
- Karolyi Camp
- Larry Nassar
- the U.S. system
- education and transparency
- future of USAG
Aimee Boorman Will Now Take (My) Questions
Nick Ruddock interview
Amanda Turner:
Ruddock served as junior national coach for the British women’s team from 2010-14. In the team competition at the Junior European championships, the British women rose from fifth in 2010, to fourth in 2012 and then to second in 2014, placing behind gold medalist Russia and ahead of Romania. The team also won five more individual medals that year in historic success: the all-around bronze and vault gold for Ellie Downie, floor exercise gold for Catherine Lyons, floor silver and vault bronze for Amy Tinkler.
He then spent a year as personal coach to Durham’s Amy Tinkler, the 2015 British national champion who helped Britain win a team bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and then captured the bronze medal on floor at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
IG: You’ve said that most coaches focus too much on the technical side, instead of what you have called the big picture of “happy/healthy/hungry to learn.” How did this idea come to you?
NR: … Coaches now have access to every single drill and exercise ever used, so these no longer form part of a competitive advantage for people. It’s now the application of this knowledge, the standards and crucially; the delivery of the content that is the “difference that makes the difference.”
Soft skills such as communication, emotional intelligence and relationship management should be at the core of a coach’s skill set, but I don’t know too many coaches who sign up for online courses or workshops in these areas. They’re not as glamorous, but will have a far greater effect on their performance.
NR: … I sought the very best mentors early on in my coaching whom I owe an awful lot to, notably Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong, and Valeri Liukin, who all took me under their wing, and continue to guide me. The Fongs have created a truly remarkable environment, one which I have never seen emulated elsewhere …
read more …
Nick just launched a coaching group called his Inner Circle. Those who sign up will have personal access for resources and advice.
related – GymCon 2018 – June 24th in the UK
Nick Ruddock on reducing injuries
Good advice.
Higher difficulty + surfaces with higher forces + older athletes = INCREASED RISK OF INJURY, particularly to those who aren’t physically robust. …
#32 Reducing Injuries
Uchimura training in Australia
After his injury at Worlds, Kohei was feeling down.
But scenery and warm weather in Australia helped him get training effectively again.
Here’s a rare insight into how the GOAT thinks, plans and trains. Kohei feels he needs more difficulty. He’s shown training Richards on P Bars and (scary) Bretschneider.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Margzetta Frazier on the future
#WST — “We Stand Together”
Margzetta wants to move forward. With or without USAG.
related – U.S. Elite Gymnasts Stand Together During Uncertainty
focus on improvement, not perfection
Be process oriented.
Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.
1st year for FIG President Morinari Watanabe
At this point I still don’t have much understanding of where Watanabe wants to lead the International Gymnastics Federation.
His statements are often cryptic. Almost poetic.
He’s enthusiastic. Energetic. Encouraging. I’m still hopefully for great things during his tenure.
Here’s a timeline he presented in the autumn of 2017.
President Watanabe:
Nine months have passed since I assumed the position of FIG President. The matter I have been struggling with most in this period is the FIG Statutes. Although we are aiming to promote various reforms, almost no reforms can be realised before the year 2021 because of the FIG Statutes. …
Times are changing at a speed beyond our imagining. The sports community is not an exception. The IOC has decided to introduce Urban Sports as “the new pillar of the Olympics” from 2020 onward. Even in the case of the Olympics, if they rely only on the existing sports, they will become endangered.
The FIG has been engaged in implementing Parkour, one such Urban Sport as its new discipline …
Laurent Landi on Simone Biles
… it’s not as easy as people may think. Aimee (Boorman) did such an incredible job in the past 12 years of Simone’s life. …
… “I’m not going to change Simone Biles; I would be a very bad coach if I would do that. I will help her as much as I can with my technical knowledge and my understanding of how to plan and how to produce at the right time. I’m not going to change who she is.” …
Nick Ruddock’s advice for your Gym
It All Starts With a Vision
INVEST Time in Communicating Your Culture
Leadership Should be Demonstrated at All Levels
It’s Your Ship
Be Accountable
Develop ‘Buy In’
Be a Role Model
Encourage Diversity
Remove Toxicity
Avoid the 3 C’s
… Complaining, Comparing and Criticizing
10 Quick Tips
Click through for details.
