WHO should USA hire?

I’m often consulted when clubs hire a new Head Coach. About 50% of the time the new hire is not better than the old. It’s the math.

Many coaches of the top teams in the world would be reluctant to consider the position.

Spencer has some advice for the USAG hiring committee. (If smart, they’d ask Simone to join that group.)

… USAG may be best served at this point by hiring an elite national team head coach—one whose purview is routine feedback, coach development, and a non-abusive culture but who is explicitly not involved in team selection—then hiring a literal Excel document to select teams, and establishing a separate injury-petition committee made up of definitely-not-the-coaches to intervene on judgement calls that a spreadsheet and extensive documentation can’t manage. …

BBS

My vote would go to K.J. Kindler. But she’d be crazy to apply.

TIME magazine Athlete of the Year

Simone may have done more for the world by withdrawing from the Olympics than by winning a fistful more medals.

Winter Olympics – pressure on China

As a volunteer for IOC and keen booster of the Olympic movement, I support this decision.

Let the athletes compete — but pressure China in every other way. That de facto dictatorship (like Russia) only responds to strength.

UK., Australia, USA and Canada have announced. I expect more to join.

Nassar victims reach USAG settlement

… 476 of the 505 ballots submitted by survivors were in favour of the plan, USA Today reported. …

The settlement still needs to be confirmed at a hearing in Indianapolis on December 13 and 14.

Inside the Games

female Olympians – 87% of abuse

World Athletics has found that female athletes were the target of 87 percent of all online abuse at this year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Gymnastics injuries questionnaire

Fairly quick and easy to fill out, this survey from Oporto University is looking at injury patterns in our sport.

They would like gymnasts and former gymnasts to respond. If you are a former gymnast, answer the questions with data from when you were training competitively.

Click through to fill it out online:

Gymnastic injuries study

Thanks Lourenco.

about Foam Rolling

Dave Tilley:

… Foam rolling, lacrosse ball work, stick massages, and other tools are being seen all across practice and competition floors during warm-ups.

… People go crazy with polar opposites on this topic saying foam rolling is either a miracle or completely useless. Spoiler alert, it’s probably somewhere in the middle. I’m clearly more on the pro side …

THE “WHY, WHAT, AND HOW” FOR SOFT TISSUE CARE IN GYMNASTS

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foam Rolling on Performance and Recovery

Olympians for Climate Action

Max Whitlock and friends call for world leaders to deliver on climate action.

Click to watch it on YouTube.