If I need to shout at any athlete in order for them to work hard, then;

(1) I’ve done a pretty poor job in coaching them to this point, and

(2) I’d rather not coach them at all, even if they were an international medal hopeful. …

read more on Technique Talk #2 – YELLING AND TELLING

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protecting children in Gymnastics

Commentary on Marvin Sharp’s life and suicide is starting to appear online:

Rebecca Schuman – Marvin Sharp Was My Gymnastics Coach

Though I often claim that gymnasts are the best protected children in your city – overall – Sharp’s story is a reminder to check our own Gym best practices.

Does your club allow coaches one-on-one time with children?

As Jessica frequently points out on GymCastic, coaches should not be burying heads in sand. Though rare – there are other Marvin Sharps still coaching today. Our profession must not enable them.

Cordellia linked to USAG’s We Care resources. Every coach and club should look those over to see if we can improve our club practices.

sexual assault in College

Lady Gaga’s just released video is generating serious buzz and for good reason. It’s a raw take on an issue that one in five college women will face this year: sexual assault. …

The video opens with a warning that it can get graphic …

Lady Gaga wants to empower sexual assault survivors to support each other with the new release. Right now only six percent of campus sexual assault survivors are reporting what’s happened to them, a number down from nearly double that last year.

“‘Til It Happens To You” is meant to build solidarity among survivors and a unified strength Gaga hopes will change these startling stats …

Lady Gaga Just Released What Might Be The Most Important Music Video of the Year

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (graphic content)

abolish Olympic Team competition?

Gymnastics Teams Suck

That’s the provocative post put forward by Aussie gymnast Luke Wiwatowski.

Luke:

We should keep in mind team event rules change all the time, even within the same competition (hello team final vs qualification). How are we to take the team competition seriously when the teams that make the team final do so under different rules compared to the ones they follow competing in the final. Team numbers have been diminishing from 7 members to 6 to 5 and now 4 in the next cycle. Some events, such as the European Games, have experimented with 3 member teams. The logical conclusion is not hard to see in the distance. 1 member teams!

Luke admits he’s playing Devil’s Advocate there. But his main point is quite accurate. A group of individuals each doing their own thing is not nearly the same kind of “team” as is a soccer team.

Personally I’d miss the Olympic Team competition if it is eventually ended. 😦

Olympics