protecting Cheer athletes

HBO Real Sports did a segment. It’s hard to watch.

U.S. All Star Federation — owned by the private company / monopoly Varsity Spirit — has been doing a lousy job protecting their athletes.

Sports attorney Sarah Klein is interviewed.

It includes the 2020 arrest of Jerry Harris.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

U.S. Olympic TV coverage

… here are the biggest takeaways from the #RespectHerGame report:

  • Women got more overall coverage: Athletes in women’s sports received a staggering 59.1% of screen time in primetime Olympic coverage.
  • But men overwhelmingly control their stories: Men make up 82% of live Olympic commentators.
  • Men’s sports is still viewed as the default: Athletes in men’s sports are referred to as “male [athlete|sport]” just two percent of the time, while athletes in women’s sports are given the “female” qualifier 13.6% of the time.
  • Women are more exposed and sexualized than their male counterparts: Athletes in women’s sports wear revealing outfits in competition more than their male counterparts (69.9% compared to 53.5%), and are 10 times more likely to be objectified by camera angles (5.7% compared with 0.6%).
  • Women are still infantilized: Athletes in women’s sports are seven times more likely to be referred to using gender diminutive language (such as “girl” or “lady” or “chick”) as their counterpart in men’s sports. …

For women at the Olympics, more coverage doesn’t equal respectful coverage

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Apparatus Finals 1-touch warm-up

FIG:

Following several comments and requests made by gymnasts during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the EC unanimously agreed that athletes taking part in the Apparatus finals in Artistic Gymnastics must have the opportunity to warm up on the apparatus on the field of play, as already allowed in the All-Around and Team competitions.

The right to have a one-touch warm-up will come into force as soon as the amendment to the Technical Regulations is approved by the FIG Council. …

Official news from the Executive Committee – August 2021

pressure of social media harming self-esteem

Another terrific and important DOVE commercial.

Reverse Selfie

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

learning to fall safely

Pull the hands into the stomach.

Never reach back.

Some of the top Gyms assign an occassional Falling and Landing warm-up.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

Thanks John.

Fastfluff™ inflatable Vault mat

No mats to move, no time wasted.

Inflate to Drill, Deflate to Skill.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Kohei – 2014 Floor

I’d argue Kohei Uchimura singled handedly reinvented how male gymnasts land.

Easily the best in the world in his prime, many emulated Kohei’s exaggerated technique.

I love it as he turned the science of safely reducing huge impact forces to zero into an art form.

At the same time WAG was foolishly deducting low chest position. Dangerous!

Of his many stuck routines over many years, Blythe chose this as one of her decade-defining routines.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

train landings train landings train landings

Landings are incredibly important in NCAA competition. Yet College girls are not very good at them. 😕

Almost any male gymnast is more skilled at bringing impact forces to zero than almost any female gymnast. Male gymnasts work seriously on landings.

Click PLAY or watch Scott Morgan on instagram.

Click PLAY or watch U.S. guys working landings on instagram.

Yes. Part of the problem in WAG is judging expectations. We need to educate judges to the biomechanically, physiologically BEST and SAFEST techniques of landing.

more comfortable medical casts

I’ve not used either of these, but they look promising. Leave a comment if you’ve tried any alternatives to standard casts.

Click PLAY or watch FlexiOH™ on YouTube.

FlexiOH™ details.

Click PLAY or watch Cast21 on YouTube.

Cast21 details.