Gymnastics Coaching.com

Over the past week we’ve been using an iPad in the gym pretty much non-stop. It’s a winner. We’re using the Swim Coach Plus HD ($2.99) video app. Excellent.

Whether you like it or not, this is the year of the iPad. It’s soon going to be everywhere.

Grace Chiu snapped this pic of judges using them for analysis during Gymnix podium training.

See more of Grace’s Gymnix photos on Examiner.

UPDATE from Grace:

Haha… that was a posed shot… We don’t judge using iPads. We keep our documents, like the Code, Help Desk, Models, clarifications there so they’re at our fingertips and we don’t have to print loads of paper and lug around 4-inch binders. Plus, it holds up my ProScore keypad.

related – The iPad Is Unbeatable

Why Apple’s tablet competitors don’t stand a chance—and maybe never will.

A very detailed and original discussion on this important topic.

… the role human head position plays in Artistic Gymnastics Performance.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (10min)

Nick Blanton‘s is the definitive word on head position. Leave a comment if you know of any other resource similar.

What would change if humans had eyes in the back of their heads? Or on top? 🙂

UPDATE from Nick:

I started my “research” on head position after I went to the UEG Clinic in 2008 in Tirrenia, Italy. One of the coaches, Valentin Potapenko, was the former Soviet Union’s acrobatics coach – the “brains” behind the triple back.

Valentin was a big advocate of positioning of the head during tumbling and acrobatics. Ever since his lectures I have become fascinated with the positioning of the head and its effects. That video was an initial project into the venture – I am sure at some point I will update another video, or paper, highlighting further information…

Balance Beam Situation:

… They’re the last Suzanne gymnasts on this Georgia team, and to me, they are this Georgia team. …

Click PLAY or watch them on YouTube.

Seniors we’ll miss.

I’ve seen a few predictions.

Manual on Handstands: is impressed:

… Jessie DeZiel competes like a seasoned veteran rather than a freshman. She has competed in the all-around every meet this year and has hit 100% of her routines. How many other NCAA freshmen have done this, and can DeZiel finish the season with a 100% hit rate? …

Shocker of the Season: Nebraska at Utah (03/09/12)

Click PLAY or watch her Vault on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch her Bars on YouTube.

… short handstands

Click PLAY or watch her Beam on YouTube. (poor quality video)

Jessie DeZiel is the real deal.

If not Jessie, then whom? … Leave a comment.

What are the best drills for preparing kids to land Tsuk and double back on Floor?

I used this series in the gym yesterday.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Leave a comment if you’ve a personal favourite drill.

(via Gym Momentum)

The Kyle Shewfelt Gym Fest goes March 22-25th at the University of Calgary. He’s got about 800 attending this year, the second annual.

China is sending a Men’s team again this year.

Check the new Facebook page for the meet. Click over and LIKE that.

Kyle was inspired by another competition, the Great West Gym Fest in Idaho.

What’s the value of this SWING combination to dismount?

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Kayleigh.

Rachel Potee by email:

Three-time Olympian Dominique Dawes and 2012 Olympic hopeful Danell Leyva were announced today as members of “Team Citi” in advance of the upcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. …

… athletes were selected because they exemplify an unwavering commitment to excellence and demonstrate what it is possible to achieve when you reach for a dream. …

details on CitiGroup

Demo at the Konami Sportsclub, Japan.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That’s the most Tkachev releases in series I’ve seen. Sharipov did 5 in a row, as I recall, at a demo in Australia.

Former Olympian Chainey Umphrey once did 10 in a row, his brother Eddie recalls. No video, though.

Nor is there video of when Chainey caught Tkachev front.

Eddie’s coach, who once coached Yang Wei, said only two things ever impressed him: Sherbo on floor & Chainey’s Tkatchevs.

(via The All Around Gymnastics News on Facebook)

Octavian Bellu:

… We still have the same problem, which is bars, and only one clear detail Catalina Ponor will not be doing bars.

Basically, the team for London is already clear: young Larisa Iordache, Sandra Izba?a, Diana Bulimar, Diana Chelaru and Ponor.

The qualification system is 5-4-3: 5 gymnasts will be there, 4 will compete and only the best 3 scores will count. We will take to London the oldest team in the last 8 years, the average age is 20.” …

Romanian Gymnastics Fans is surprised to hear him name the team in March.

I’m surprised too. It’s the very last thing Marta Karolyi would do.