Dave Tilley on Athlete A

#GymnastAlliance

Dave is pissed at bad coaches. 

Quit coaching if you can’t do it safely. 

He points out there are many excellent, ethical, safe coaches too.  We don’t hear about them.

He calls for mandatory sport science coach education in the USA.  The States is the only major western nation where coach education is not required.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sam Mikulak will retire after this season

Sam’s done a lot of reflecting during COVID-19 shutdown.

He’s engaged to be married, too.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Chellsie: “It’s a comeback”

#official

The 2005 world all-around champion, mother of two, age-32, says she wants to compete.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

related – THIS CHELLSIE MEMMEL COMEBACK IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE REAL

following the #GymnastAlliance allegations

If you are having trouble keeping up with the ongoing series of gymnasts brave enough to come forward with incidents of past abuse, catch up on the GymCastic podcast.

432: #GymnastAlliance

434: Svetlana Khorcanceled

Svetlana Khorkina was a fantastic gymnast. But she’s clearly an egomaniac with no empathy. Literally the last person in the Gymnastics world who should be commenting on safety and ethics.

Dutch team enjoys a ‘healthy sports climate’?

UPDATE

The Dutch Federation has taken allegations very seriously.  And especially the admissions of Gerrit Beltman, now coaching in Singapore. 

Last week, the KNGU announced an independent investigation into all Gym Sports.  And urged athletes to report abuses to the Center for Safe Sports in the Netherlands. 

And now they’ve stopped the coaches of the current National Team from working with those athletes while the investigation is underway.  Gymnasts can still train, but not with their personal coaches. 

‘The stories are coming from all sides,’ KNGU chairwoman Monique Kempff told a news conference. ‘And if you want to make a cultural shift, you cannot take half measures.’

Read more at DutchNews.nl

___ original post from July 28, 2020 below:

Good news.  Things have changed for the better.

The current Team Netherlands supports their coaching system.

The statement can be read on the Instagram pages of Sanne Wevers, Lieke Wevers, Eythora Thorsdottir, Vera van Pol, Laura de Witt, Tisha Volleman, Sara van Disseldorp, Naomi Visser, Kirsten Polderman and Sanna Veerman. Céline van Gerner, who stopped last August, also shared the statement. …

“The past period has been an accumulation of sad news from the world of gymnastics. First internationally, but now also nationally. Our condolences go to everyone who has had negative experiences in our sport.”

“We do not recognize ourselves in the image that is now sketched of Dutch gymnastics with regard to the stories of the past. Where in the past there was room for physical and mental flogging, this is a thing of the past … 

National gymnastics team responds: ‘We do not recognize ourselves in the sketched image’

Netherlands at Doha 2018

Gymnastics training and growth

Dr. Keith Russell, former Canadian Men’s Artistic Gymnastics National Coach and personal coach of two Olympians. Past President of the FIG Scientific Commission.

This session is mainly MAG and WAG.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Simone’s first week at the Ranch

It was 2011, when Simone was 13.

Aimee Boorman: When Simone became a Level 10 [the highest level before elite], we started talking about her becoming an elite. But when we first submitted videos to get her into [USA Gymnastics] developmental camp, the national team staff declined our request. We were told, no, she’s not ready, even though she had all of these skills, because her uneven bars skills were too weak. So when we did get an invitation to camp, we were very excited and we tried to showcase what Simone was good at.

Nellie Biles: I thought attending this first camp was the turning point for Simone in her career, so I was very excited.

Boorman: Simone was praised by the [national team] coaches about what a great job she had done. Then Martha just railed at her, said she wasn’t working hard enough and that she wasn’t good enough. Simone was devastated …

Boorman: The next camp was only three weeks away, so I talked to Simone and her parents. I never made any decisions without involving her and her parents. I think if she had the same experience at that next developmental camp with Martha, it would have broken her. It may not have taken her love out of gymnastics, but it would’ve made her not want to go back to the Ranch. We decided to decline the next camp. When we did, we weren’t invited back [by Martha] for more than a year. …

How Simone Biles found her voice and changed gymnastics culture

teaching walkovers

Best practice is starting from forward walkover to a soft elevated surface.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Progressively lower the surface.

The same process should be used for the forward limber to kick backward walkover.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Start young. Do not rush. The gymnast must be strong enough at the end range of the shoulder flexion / upper back extension – with straight legs – before lowering the target surface. Psychological confidence is as important as physical preparation before moving to low Beam.

Happily, almost every girl on every team can achieve this drill. If they work it enough. This range of motion is trainable 🙂

7 superb athletes – Greatness Code

In July, Apple TV+ has a 7 part documentary series coming that might be of interest.

Superstars who’ll be interviewed include four-time NBA MVP Lebron James, six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, co-captain of the US women’s national soccer team Alex Morgan, eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt, 15-time world champion swimmer Katie Ledecky, and 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater.

I’m keenest to hear how Shaun White thinks.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Simone – Performance Under Pressure

A moderated conversation with the world’s most recognized and awarded athletes to talk about the emotional, cognitive and physical demands of working under pressure.

They’ll discuss sport and relatable approaches for getting comfortable with discomfort.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (30min)