Gymnastics Coaching.com

Valentin Uzunov has just upgraded his The Gym Press site. I recommend coaches join that social network.

new URL – http://thegympresslibrary.phile.com

Valentin, now coaching in the States, is a great student of the game, collecting as many clinic videos as he can get.

That site links to books and videos. The best section, I feel, hosts the sport science articles.

It’s all FREE unless you decide to buy one of the resources.

The forum is yet to get going. The faster he has enough coaches join to gain momentum, the better.

The new site is a work in progress. Leave suggestions on their Facebook page.

… the “Tamayo” necklace from Mimi and Lu ! Symbolizing the 5 Olympic Rings, the first necklace will be part of the Silent Auction at this weekends fundraiser! After that it will be available for purchase and 40% of each purchase will go to Flip for Charlie.

via Facebook

College men get off to a slower start than the women. Most teams have only had 1 meet, so far.

17 January 2011 – by Total Season Average

more rankings on GymInfo

Blair Lowe pointed me to this SAVE Cal Gymnastics video.

University of California, Berkeley men’s gymnastics promotional pre-season video. Edited by Nic Blair. Our program has been cut and this is our last year as an NCAA division 1 program. Go to www.calgymnasticsforever.com to pledge and save our program and http://www.calbears.com for season schedule and roster. Contact nicolasblair@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (some profanity)

As of Jan. 19th the fund had reached $700K towards a goal of $1 million by Feb 1, 2011

NCAA Collegiate Schedule | Friday NCAA WAG | Saturday NCAA WAG | Sunday NCAA WAG | American Gymnast videos FREE

… ANNOUNCED a new Recreational Gymnastics blog

Blythe called 2010 the Year of the Comeback in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics.

But 2011 could be much bigger in the USA:

• Shawn Johnson
• Nastia Liukin
• Chelsea Memmel
• Anna Li
• Casey Jo Magee

Ivana Hong is back too, though she never has retired.

It’s a long shot for all of these gymnasts. But the prize – Olympics – is big. And they sense that they have a chance to make the team if they can get in good shape and be uninjured.

Casey Jo’s blog is refreshingly honest:

… Beam has needed one adjustment after the other. Once I got the triple turn consistently I added it to the routine in addition to my double connected that I started connecting with a single full turn. I also was having some consistency issues with the side somi out of the aerial, so I went back to doing that by itself, and put the aerial step through with the switch leap tourjete like I competed at the qualifiers this past summer. They have since improved quite a bit. We rearranged and added in some different dance…and then I was over time! So, we had to take out a bit of dance, and now it looks like every other elite routine –> skill, pose, skill, pose, skill, pose…not what I was hoping for. …

4 Weeks Left

(via Split Leap)

I’ve never seen this before. At University of Michigan.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Last year we had two important books published, both linked from this site.

• Building the Gymnastic Body
• Championship Gymnastics

This year we anticipate the release of a new text, contributors including Bill Sands and John Salmela, titled The Science of Gymnastics.

UPDATE: likely a March 2011 release

• energetic, physical and physiological assessment
• training principles
• diet, nutrition and supplementation
• growth and development issues
• kinetics and kinematics
• angular and linear motion
• angular momentum
• stress, anxiety and coping
• motivation and goal setting
• mental skills training for practice and competition
• the psychology of learning and performance.

Amazon

OK coach, you lost.

Why?

Wayne Goldsmith argues that in most cases the best athlete wins because of coaching and preparation … not “talent”.

There are exceptions. No matter how good a basketball coach you are, if your team plays the Bulls with Jordan and Pippen in the 1990s, you’ll most likely lose. You’ve been out-talented.

Uchimura on an average day can beat any other gymnast in the world right now on a perfect day.

It’s a good read – Sport Coaching Brain – Winning and Losing: Outplayed or Out-talented?

Entertaining. These guys were tough.

Old school trampoline bit included. Also swinging Rings. Double back on grass and horsehair mats.

A look at the Florida State Seminoles‘ championship gymnastic program in the early 1950s, under the direction of coach Hartley Price.

All of it is shot outdoors, with male team members demonstrating prowess on the rings, the parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse, floor exercise, and trampoline. Several are Olympians, including Cuban Rafael Lecuona. …

Nonstop

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via gimnastas.net)

I thought so.

Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics:

“The Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup showcases some of our country’s top up-and-coming gymnasts and provides them with a special experience. …

Nastia:

… “My partnership with USA Gymnastics and the Supergirl brand gives me the opportunity to connect with young girls and talk about the importance of commitment, dedication, sportsmanship and goals in their lives. …

Warner Bros. Consumer Products and USA Gymnastics Announce Second Annual Nastia Liukin Supergirl Cup

Yet who qualified in the first of 17 meets this year?

… former elite Kayla Williams, 2009-10 National Team member and World vault champion, as well as University of Alabama recruit. …

Full In Full Out

I love the Liukin series. But they either have to embrace the original mandate, restricting former elites.

…Or (easier) make it clear that anyone who competes Level 10, even a former world champion, is welcome.