Category: safety

Katelyn Ohashi is tough

A do-over was allowed after Katelyn’s foot knocked out the Beam end cap.

UCLA freshman Katelyn Ohashi stood tiptoe on the balance beam in Arizona’s McKale Center. With one more dismount, her debut as an all-around competitor in college gymnastics would be complete. …

“The end of the beam came off,” said coach Valorie Kondos Field. “Her foot stepped on that, and (she) had a very scary fall, landing on her neck.” …

Ohashi, though, was quick to stand on her feet again and Kondos Field said afterward that the freshman was uninjured.

The judge panel ruled that the failed dismount was caused by an equipment malfunction and, to ensure fairness of play, Ohashi was allowed another go on the beam.

“I was definitely not expecting that at all,” Ohashi said. “But they asked me if I wanted to do it again. And I was like, yeah, of course.” …

Kondos Field was not enthusiastic about pushing the freshman to the front line. She told Ohashi that she didn’t have to go and that she could also do an easier dismount. But Ohashi refused both offers, insisting on completing a full routine. …

The judges gave Ohashi a 9.825 – a new career best for the freshman. The beam score was added into the individual total of 39.375 that won Ohashi the all-around meet.

Gymnast doesn’t let fall throw game off balance, leads UCLA to win

Click PLAY or watch the second routine on YouTube.

The NCAA is super cautious when it comes to medical issues. I’m surprised medical let her back on the Beam so quickly.

Coach Sahil on mental blocks

Tumbling Coach Sahil offers detailed advice on how to overcome a mental block.

The Unbeatable Formula For Conquering Mental Blocks In Tumbling

formula for mental blocks

Thanks Greg.

coach Gerrit Beltman to Canada

Gerrit, age-54, is moving to my city, the new Technical Director at Calgary Gymnastics Centre.

There’s a long back story regarding his unexpected, much criticized, dismissal as Women’s Head Coach of Belgium in 2008

(via GYMpower)

gymnastics – the less spotting, the better

The advantages of spotting are highly over-rated.

From Dr. Bill Sands, research on emergency rescue spotting:

… the act of rescue spotting is at the very least extraordinarily difficult. The fact that coaches can perform a rescue spot at all is astonishing (and I have seen some spectacular saves, even been the recipient of a few from my coach a million years ago).

However, I believe that the coach, athlete, parent, and legal communities must come to understand the inherent limitations that constrain rescue spotting. Not only is not spotting a fail-safe, sometimes hand spotting of an unplanned fall effectively is IMPOSSIBLE. The impossibility of some hand spotting should be communicated to coaches, athletes, and parents so that all understand the physical and biological constraints on hand spotting and no one expects more from the spotter than the spotter can deliver.

USA Technique Magazine

My philosophy is: The Less Spotting, The Better.

Very few spotters are as good as Don Eckert, technical director of Woodward West Gymnastics Camp, here coaching at Stars Gymnastics in Colorado Springs:

Click PLAY or watch an emergency rescue spot on YouTube.

more Salto Cafe videos

Interesting trivia in North American English terminology:

Hartley Price: Coined the Term “Spotting.” In 1930 Price, recently graduated from Springfield College, was hired to coach at the University of Illinois. He was an excellent recruiter and gathered together some of best gymnasts in the country. He founded the University of Illinois Gymkana which put on shows to raise money and found ways for his gymnasts to earn money to pay their tuition.

“Doc” wasn’t much of a coach. His theory was, “Put the best gymnasts in the country together in the same gymnasium and they’ll coach each other.” That they did, winning five NCAA team titles in eighteen years.

He tried to emphasized safety by painting a large white circles (4′ in diameter) on the gymnasium’s walls. He called these “spots.” When his gymnasts saw the spot, they were supposed to think safety and look for those who could assist them through one element or another. Such assistance became known as “spotting.”

Gymn Forum: Gymnastics Centurions

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