gymnasts dealing with injury

Almost every gymnast — sooner or later — has to reduce training due to injury.

At one big club I scheduled an ‘injury group’ (WAG & MAG). Most trained about 50% of their regular hours at reduced fees. And each had a ‘personal program’ that they completed each day.

I’d coach my own group as well as the ‘injury group’.

Being injured can reduce motivation. Here are some TIPS from top gymnasts.

Inside Gymnastics on Tour 2023

Inside Gymnastics magazine presents Inside Gymnastics on Tour, an all-new one-day, two-track immersive experience for athletes, their coaches, gym owners and parents, dedicated to providing a positive, safe, diverse and fun educational opportunity celebrating the sport of gymnastics in hand-selected gyms across the country. 

… unique set of presenters at each site featuring an incredible some of your favorite Elite and NCAA athletes! … open to any and all ages and levels of participants!

Cost:

  • Athlete – $249
  • Coach – $249
  • Club Owner – $249
  • Parent/Guardian (Attending Without Athlete) – $249
  • Parent/Guardian – $0 to attend select session(s) with their athlete.

SEA – June 17th – Pacific Reign Gymnastics

ATL – July 22nd – Intown Stars

HOU – August 6th – Cypress Academy – Huffmeister

Registration is now OPEN! Click through for details.

paint your toenails for Ava Costa

Ava Costa suffered a serious spinal injury during training.

Friends and family have been painting their toenails pink — to signify that they are “walking” this journey with Ava.

Bars – Porcupine Pad

Andrew Vetter really likes the NEW Porcupine Bar Pad from Tumbl Trak.

It gives gives feedback to gymnasts, helping them learn where how close to the Bar they actually are. It was developed by Brett Wargo.

I’d need 2 or 3 so it could be used for Straddle Giants, as well.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

NCAA Coaches Well-Being Study

In Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, being a full-time NCAA coach is just about the best job in the world.

KJ Kindler makes about $555,000+ / year, for example.

I doubt she’d leave NCAA coaching for any other job. 😀

A study published January 2023 looks at how NCAA coaches are supporting student-athletes … while also caring for their own mental health.

What impact do changes in recruiting and roster management during the pandemic have on their jobs?

What support is desired by coaches to help them navigate the challenges they and the athletes on their teams face?

Over 6,000 head and assistant coaches across all three NCAA divisions answered a short survey …

Kim Bui autobiography

The legend — Kim Bui — represented Germany from 2004 until the 2022 European Championships in Munich. Three Olympics. Six World Championships. Always a fan favourite.

Though reluctant at first to write a career retrospective, she decided to go ahead hoping that sharing her story will help others.

“The hardest chapter to write was the one on eating disorders,” she said. “I had never talked about it until then. …”

Kim Bui on her battle with bulimia: “I want to say that you… are not alone”

teaching kids to be independent

An important post from Wendy Bruce Martin:

As sports parents, we would do anything to protect our athletes. We want to take away their sorrow, we want to give them the answers they need, we want to protect them from pain. We want to ride in our our white horses and be their saviors. We want to fight their battles, remove their enemies, and provide a life a happiness. For if they are happy, then we parents must be doing our jobs.

When we rescue them, what are we really teaching them? If we always come to their rescue when they are hurting, sad, embarrassed, angry, or suffering, we are only teaching them that we will solve their problems, we will save them. We are teaching them they aren’t strong enough to think and fight on their own and we must think and fight for them. …

What happens when we aren’t there? …

You Don’t Need Me…You Got This: Teach your Athlete to Rescue Themselves.

sad gymnast