Category: Uncategorized

original – Jac

Summer is ending where I live.

THIS is what we’ve been waiting for. NEW TEAMS being added to the NCAA.

San Diego State will explore adding more women’s sports in order to meet a California State University target for gender equity in scholarship rates.

SDSU has been more than 6 percent under its female grants-in-aid target rate the past two years, according to a report presented to the CSU board of trustees this week.

“We are looking at our options, which include adding two women’s sports,” SDSU spokesman Jack Beresford said. “There won’t be any changes with our men’s sports.” …

Sign On San Diego

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Insiders knew that a teenager from England had an outside shot at a Pommel medal in Beijing. Louis Smith had finished 3rd at World’s in 2007.

When he took the Bronze, despite form breaks, he became “the first British gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal in 100 years.”

Click PLAY or watch the routine on YouTube.

His coach, Paul Hall, had this to say:

… “He is not the classic proportions for gymnastics, not the normal model for sport but what a competitor, put the pressure on Louis and he delivers”. …

British Gymnastics

Smith is a throwback to old school pommels. He reminds me of Magyar and Philip Delasalle. Very tall. Very slow circles.

I expect Louis will be much more stretched next time we see him. And have an even higher start score.

Of course he will be a media magnet in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics in London.

This commercial is making the rounds on the internet.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Shawn Johnson gave the traditional Pledge of Allegiance at the Democratic National Convention in front of over 80,000 spectators. (video)

The (Un)Orthodox Gymnastics blog reminds us that gymnasts gave the Pledge 4yrs-ago too. At the Republican National Convention.

Kerry Strug and Mary Lou Retton

Shawn Johnson, Unregistered Democrat

Zach Aguiar from Lowell, MA, injured his Achilles tendon. So, this summer, ended up training a LOT of horizontal bar. He posted a video of some new bar skills on Gymnast.com.

Check the excellent pads they have on their bar:

Much tastier than that Michael Phelps Wheaties. …

or

(via Live.Breath.Love Gymnastics)

From email. Thanks Stu.

Gymnastics Canada and Gymnastics Ontario have finalized plans to launch a donation campaign beginning next week to help support injured gymnast Taylor Lindsay-Noel.

Taylor, who suffered a spinal cord injury while training in the gymnasium at Seneca College in Toronto on July 15th, is undergoing rehabilitation at Bloorview Kids Rehab in Toronto.

The Gymnastics Canada-Gymnastics Ontario fund will help provide additional financial support for Taylor during her recovery.

“We wish Taylor and her family our best wishes at this difficult time,” says Jean-Paul Caron, President & CEO of Gymnastics Canada.

“The Canadian Gymnastics community, including her coaches and fellow gymnasts at Sport Seneca, is confident Taylor will show the same spirit and determination to meet the challenges ahead that she did as a gymnast.”

Information about the donation campaign will be posted on the Gymnastics Canada and Gymnatics Ontario web sites.

I assume Sport Seneca will be a partner, as well in this campaign.

I’ll post when the campaign goes live.

Thanks to all the people who have contacted me about this terrible accident.

Trick biking is getting pretty nuts.

Daniel Dhers won the Dew Cup in both 2006 and 2007. And X-games gold in 2007 and 2008.

In Portland, on the Dew Tour, responding to a near impossible Quad tail whip by Mike Spinner, Daniel threw down this first run.

Click PLAY or watch Daniel on YouTube.

Daniel’s family lives in Argentina. But he trains at Woodward, Pennsylvania.

related video: BMX Daniel Dhers vs Mike Spinner

Of course another form (less entertaining) of BMX was introduced as an Olympic sport in 2008. Here are the medal winners:

full results

For BMX Racers, Olympic Debut Is a Surreal Experience – NY Times

An update to the old “agility ladder”, this product called “Universal Strength Apparatus” made by BodyWeightCulture might be terrific for young gymnasts. It’s quite inexpensive at $99 in the USA.

Each Universal Strength Apparatus – (USA) – Suspention Training Ladder features:

-12 handles

-1 foot attachment

-2 hooks

-1 over-the-door attachment

When two USA ladders are attached to one another in series you get a total length of about 16 feet and 24 steps. That’s a lot of climbing fun! The USA handles are designed to rotate freely which allows for less friction on the skin, yet forcing fingers, wrists and forearms to work harder than on the stabilized bar.

… the hook over the bar attachment design allows to adjust the height of the apparatus to place the foot attachment exactly where you need it.

Can USA handle my weight?

USA can support up to 300 lbs, however while testing this apparatus it was able to support 4 grown men with a total weight of over 600 lbs.

read more – Elastic Steel

Click PLAY or watch a video of the device in use on YouTube.

Thanks Celciusss who sent us a link to that video.

It may be safer to introduce climbing to preschool kids on something like this rather than a rope. And there are dozens of advanced conditioning variations for the older athletes.

related post: teaching safe rope climb to beginners