Seems to me this kind of (future) technology would be fantastic for coach education.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
what would you do …
… if you knew you could not fail? 🙂
LIKE it on Facebook.
on mental blocks
Steve Arkell linked to the most detailed article on the topic I’ve yet seen. It was published by USAG Technique magazine in 2009.
16 WAYS TO OVERCOME PSYCHOLOGICAL (MENTAL) BLOCK IN GYMNASTICS
… Occasionally, a clear-cut starting point identifies the origin of the psychological blocking problem – a serious fall, a near catastrophe or a painful collision may precipitate the blocking. Perhaps, observing such events happening to another was the precipitating condition. More often, however, the cause is difficult to pinpoint. Our research shows that blocking has a number of predictable characteristics (Feigley, Robbins & Berger, 1989):
it generalizes backwards within a sequence of skills. For example, blocking on the back somersault phase of the roundoff, back handspring, back somersault sequence quickly spreads to the back handspring and frequently to the round-off itself.
it generalizes across skills. For example, a problem on the back salto on the beam quickly spreads to a back salto on the floor and/or to a back walkover on the beam or the floor.
Athletes susceptible to blocking have similar characteristics. They are … very bright fast learners, at least initially. …
Frankly, we do not know what causes psychological blocking. The cause remains a mystery despite some educated guesses. …
4. MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF EMOTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLOCKING …
8. NEVER MISLEAD THE ATHLETE ABOUT WHETHER YOU WILL OR WILL NOT SPOT. …
9. LET THEM KNOW THEY ARE NOT ALONE …
Have gymnasts with the problem talk to one another. Let them realize that they are not alone; they are not the only one. This is especially effective if they have contact with an older, more experienced gymnast who has successfully overcome similar problems with blocking. …
16. DESIGN THE GYMNAST’S OPTIONAL ROUTINES TO ELIMINATE THE BLOCKED SKILL
Download a PDF version of that article from USAG.
getting up with a smile
Julianna Small:
The judge salutes me in. I face the beam and take a deep breath before I start my routine, going over a million little reminders in my head: point your toes, tighten your muscles, don’t over think it. I jump, and as my feet grip the rough, familiar beam, I relax and the muscle memory kicks in. …
I finish one of my best routines. But as I take off for the dismount, I know something is wrong the moment my feet leave the beam. I am too late, rotating too slowly, and my heart sinks as I slam down onto the cold hard mat.
So close.
As much as I want to sit there and give in to the tears that are attempting to fall at any moment, I get up, turn around, and give the judges a big salute, making sure to smile just like nothing went wrong. As I walk away, I am reminded of just how much I have learned from my gymnastics experiences; get up after you fall, smile, and try again.
More Than Just Sticking It: What We Can Learn From Great Gymnasts
Even the Great Gymnasts fall. And they get back up.
(via Chalk Bucket)
single leg conditioning
Aly Raisman on confidence
Yahoo! Beauty:
You focus on the positives. What are good things you concentrate on?
Aly: Instead of waking up in the morning and picking out things I don’t like about myself, in the mirror, I focus on the positive and not the negative.
On most days, I’m sweating in the gym and leave with messy hair, not wearing makeup. I think it’s really important for me to be comfortable with that. I try to say nice things. … I try to focus more on being fit and not tell myself that I need to be skinny. …
impressive Bar routine
🙂
Several new elements.
here’s a double layout
are you a coach or a teacher?
Years ago, legendary basketball coach John Wooden told people that he didn’t see himself as a coach as much as a teacher. He referred to himself as an educator, and the game of basketball was merely a platform to instruct his athletes about winning in life. He succeeded profoundly. …
Traditional Coach Teacher One-way communication. Two-way interaction. Yells orders. Facilitates learning. Confronts mistakes by shouting. Confronts mistakes with listening. Focuses on what needs to be done. Explains how and why it must be done. It’s about telling. It’s about teaching.
Great article. 🙂
Cockburn, Soehn lead Pan Am Tramp prelims
Sudden victory Final/Medal Round goes Sunday night.
Despite Trampoline being one of Canada’s strongest Olympic sports the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation seems to have decided to not cover it on TV. 😦
THE CANADIAN TRAMPOLINE TEAM IS IN GOOD POSITION AHEAD OF THE FINAL ROUNDAfter the Preliminary Round of the Toronto…
Posted by Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique on Saturday, 18 July 2015
