Gymnastics Coaching.com

Here’s the schedule of competition.

And the list of competitors.

In spite of concerns of lingering radiation, this is an excellent chance for competitors to prepare for World Championships in the same venue this coming October. A test event.

Click PLAY or watch Danell Leyva’s P Bars in training on YouTube.

More Leyva videos on Universal Sports.

This is gymnast Kelsie Hendry, who competed at the Beijing Olympics. In Pole Vault.

Kelsie is from Saskatoon, Canada, a city with a strong Women’s Athletics program.

It’s fair to say that the Pole Vault coaches (back in the day) would lurk around the Saskatoon gym clubs, awaiting the day the taller girls might retire from gymnastics. They knew that within months a gymnast could surpass their dedicated Pole Vault competitors.

I recall back in the 1990s borrowing the Pole Vault matting one winter, in order to construct a resi-pit under our Bars. University of Saskatchewan Head Coach Lyle Sanderson was happy to loan me the mats. The gymnastics clubs were his Pole Vault development program.

related – Longtime Canadian friends share pole vault bronze medal (gymnast Carly Dockendorf)

Of course Pole Vault is just one sport where ex-gymnasts excel instantly.

Thanks Dana Brass, for the link.

The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) is the governing body for the sport of Acrobatics and Tumbling at the collegiate level.

This is a new program similar to competitive Cheer. They have 6 member schools, so far.

They’ve gotten rid of “Cheer” in the name (good idea) but now are easily confused with both “Acrobatic Gymnastics” and “Tumbling”.

You might be interested in their Safety Certification Guidelines (PDF) downloaded from this page.

It includes an Emergency Plan, Injury Report Form, 911 Script, Concussion procedure, Transportation guidelines, and more.

You know what I’m talking about …

Every time we let the general sports photographer into our gyms, the photo chosen (out of hundreds) is a crotch shot.

I won’t link to this AP photo as I’m not wanting to send them even one visitor.

It happened at the Canadian Championships this year too. The local sports reporter working for us was terrific. Later the paper’s sports photographer rolled in, wandered the floor, and posted a crotch shot unrelated in any other way to the results of the meet. Or the text of the article.

There’s no debate on this topic. Photographers that deliberately choose photos that emphasize the genitals of girls and young women should be named, denounced and specifically disallowed ever to attend our competitions in future.

Feel free to name names in the comments if you know of a scumbag photographer you’d like to ban.

related:

• NCAA photographer LuckySo-n-So defends his crotch shot pics on a photo forum.

• Pornstars in powder: sexism and snow
… on the bigger issue of using sex to sell product

Raj has been doing a terrific job documenting his transition from Olympic medal gymnast to ‘Buffoon’ and acrobat in Cirque du Soleil.

You can see him soon in the new permanent show IRIS.

… In June, the entire team, production and cast, moved to our new home city of Los Angeles. We were taken to see the Kodak Theatre the same week, and when I first saw the stage, my jaw was on the ground. For one, I could not believe that we will be sharing the same stage that previous Oscar-winning actors and actresses have walked and talked on. When I set foot on the stage for the first time, I could literally feel the immense energy of the place. Believe me when I say, there is something magical about this theater. There is a special quality about it and I haven’t yet found the words to describe it. All I can tell you now is that it’s a pleasure and I am humbled to be performing there. …

read more on IG – Bhavsar Blogs on New Life in Cirque du Soleil

Preview tickets are available for as little as $33. But if you want to feel like a high roller, you can plunk down $253 for the Red Carpet treatment.

Click PLAY or watch an IRIS Preview on YouTube.

It’s TODAY … according to Facebook. June 26th.

Thanks for the link, Tasha.

The Special Olympics World Games 2011 will take place in Athens, Greece June 25th – July 4th. 7,500 Special Olympics Athletes from 185 nations will compete in 21 Olympic-type sports. These will be the first games that founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver will not attend, Ms Shriver passed away in 2009. …

The Artistic Gymnastics events will take place from June 26th – June 29th in the Hellinikon Olympic Indoor Hall and the Rhythmic Gymnastics will also take place in the same venue on June 30th – July 3rd. I know that Ireland have 5 gymnasts competing in Artistic Gymnastics (Alan Quinlan, John Michael Gannon, Carole Ryan, Laura Rumball & Pauline Connell) and 2 gymnasts competing in Rhythmic Gymnastics (Barbara Norris & Una McGarry). …

read more on Full Twist

official website

I saw the Iceland Special Olympics team training last week. Never had I seen athletes with intellectual disabilities so serious. Athens will be a very serious competition.

Talia is going to train in Vancouver en route to the competition in Tokyo.

I dunno about wearing those colours, girl.

Sarnia gymnasts Dominique Pegg and Talia Chiarelli admit they harbour very remote worries about health conditions in Japan. …

The two gymnasts, who train at Sarnia’s Bluewater Gymnastics Club, are in a pool of 13 Canadian women vying for a spot on the seven-member team going to the World Cup in October.

They qualified for the pool at the Canadian Gymnastics Championships in May, and will compete again in August to find out if they go on to the Worlds. …

read more – Gymnasts take on Tokyo tune-up

Talia’s dad is the GM of the team that defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the hockey playoffs this season. The losers started burning down the town after that loss.

I reckon it’s more dangerous to wear a Boston jersey in Vancouver than to compete in Tokyo.

Sept. 7-13th, 2011

What are the Commonwealth Youth Games, you ask?

… a small-scale version of the Commonwealth Games, … (for) the youth of the 71 Commonwealth countries …

The 4th CYG will be hosted by Isle of Man, a self-governing British Crown Dependency.

Artistic – Team (3 to count), Individual All-Around & Individual Apparatus.

FIG regulations for Junior competition:

Men: 14 – 18 years of age (athletes born in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 & 1997)
Women: 13 – 15 years of age (athletes born in 1996, 1997 & 1998)

official website

Different age minimum for boys and girls?

High profile international meet for the (supposedly) vulnerable youth younger than age-16?

Some must feel this is too much, too soon. But not me.

Charlotte Sullivan, Rebecca Morrison and Brittany Robertson have been selected to represent New Zealand.

I’m happy and excited for you. Good luck at the Isle of Man.

Has anyone ever said you are manic about gymnastics.

You’ll say that about these folks.

Jig tells the compelling story of the 40th Irish dancing world championships in Glasgow. Thousands of dancers, their families and teachers take part in the drama-filled seven day event where dance talent is pushed to the very limit in the quest for perfection.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.