Category: safety

Simone on internet trolls

I feel each sporting organization should set their own qualification rules.

Transgender athletes should have equal rights to participate. But they might be added to the male or female competitions, depending on the sport.

In coed sports where men and women compete directly against one another, it wouldn’t matter.

Certainly politicians are the worst possible people to decide sport qualification rules. Rather than look at what’s fair, they’ll politicize the issue.

All kinds of right wing politicians worldwide have never met a transgender person, but find they can get hateful people to vote for them if they take a stance against.

Simone regrets she engaged with some historically unimportant athlete who’s merely trying to get attention.

We should all support the rights of transgender athletes to get the chance to compete. While severely ignoring trolls.

VIDEO – Why It Sucks To Be A Gymnast

Many gymnasts will relate to this commentary.

For young kids, Gymnastics is fantastic — until the chronic pain from training begins. On average, kids are mostly chronic pain free until about age-10.

After that, competitive Gymnastics is not for everyone. It’s no failure to then switch to any other sport or activity.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Letter to Sport Parents

A fantastic short video put together by Arsenal academy players for their parents.  …

Parents in Sport

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Baseball DIVE ROLL to home plate

Chris Coghlan scores with a dive roll over the catcher to give the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead. 2017.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Shallon Olsen on Mental Health

Shallon is amazing. She juggled an NCAA career simultaneously with Elite, competing 3 Olympics. (so far)

One of the most amazing young gymnasts I’ve even seen, Shallon could do Yurchenko Double Twist at age-8. Tiny … she could barely deflect the FIG Spring Board.

Her age group training was with strict Russian coaches.

Looking back, Shallon wishes she had been listened to more. And supported better.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

Now age-24, Shallon’s still competitive in Elite. And is considering a run at her 4th Olympics.

Will Graves – NAIGC interview

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERCOLLEGIATE GYMNASTICS CLUBS (NAIGC) wants to “serve and expand opportunities for all levels of collegiate and adult gymnastics by providing structure for competition on local, regional, and national levels; facilitating communication; and building a community of support and camaraderie that encourages sportsmanship, leadership, teamwork, and fun.”

One part of that is offering the chance for anyone 18 and older to compete the Women’s Artistic apparatus. Anyone can compete the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics apparatus. Or both, if you choose.

Freedom.

Top sports journalist, Will Graves, covered their 2025 Nationals in Pittsburgh, PA from April 2-5.

He wrote an important article for the Associated Press. It’s important because Americans are living under a Presidency that attacks minorities to gain votes from the intolerant. The GOP hopes to motivate people to show up to vote by encouraging them to HATE.

Trans athletes are under more scrutiny than ever. Some have found a safe space in gymnastics

Click PLAY or watch an interview on YouTube.

Shane Wiskus – Documentary

Shane Wiskus represented the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was named as an alternative for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Additionally, he represented the United States at the 2019 World Championships and is a three-time NCAA Champion. …

The Documentary on YouTube is titled Losing Grip – Shane Wiskus Full Documentary.

It was put together by one of Shane’s former teammates, Steven Nye.

The title references that astonishing SAVE Shane made on H Bar, swinging out of Cassina on 1-arm. (VIDEO)

Also interesting for coaches, is how Shane grips-up for H Bar. (VIDEO)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (1 hour)

Straps Bar on a WAG rail?

Putting safety straps on a traditional Asymmetric Bar has been done — but many have been injured when the the hands stop unexpectedly, and the gymnast keeps swinging. Dangerous.

However … it looks like this club in Australia has taken an old women’s rail.  Stripped off the wood laminate.  And used it as a straps bar. 

The BOUNCE of a WAG rail is a little different than the metal MAG rail normally used as a straps bar.  So this could be a good idea.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.