Gymnastics Coaching.com

by site editor Rick McCharles

This is a repost, as my friend Barkat from Bangladesh has now completed his 3rd year of an honours University program … and is looking to travel abroad for more education.

Does he look like a “physically challenged” athlete to you?

He is.

Barkat was a full-time gymnast who had competed internationally in Asian regional competitions. One day he decided to do some circles on pommel horse without any matting in place. He slipped, falling as he had thousands of times before, but this time somehow landed in such a way as to damage his upper spine. A fluke.

He was partially paralyzed.

If that happened to you, how would you respond?

It would either crush your spirit. Or you would get SUPER tough.

Today, with the support of family, friends and his Gymnastics Federation, Barkat is one of the most inspirational athletes I know. Charismatic, enthusiastic, well-spoken in English, he has redirected his talent into studies at Jahangirnagar University outside Dhaka.

Within months he became the University champion at able bodied table tennis, the only sport left he could do with limited lower body mobility.

He and I spoke at length about the future of Paralympic sport in his fast developing country. I believe Barkat will be one of the leaders.

I’m researching Paralympic sport right now, encouraging Barkat to get involved as an organizer now, despite his youth. He’s planning on organizing at the two largest Universities in Bangladesh, as a start. Paralympic Table Tennis, as a start.

If you have any advice or information that might help his cause, please leave a comment.

Everyone in the gymnastics community worldwide needs rally around any of our athletes catastrophically injured.

Leave a comment if you have any recommendations for him. A College or University that supports physically challenged athletes. Barkat has some financial backing, but he’d love to apply for any available scholarship.

Update: Stick It Media tells that the programs are “de-funded effective upon completion of the upcoming 2011 season”. … Does that mean they could self-fund for 2012?

… The campus will honor existing scholarship … for those student athletes whose teams have been eliminated, and the campus will support students wishing to transfer to other schools to compete. …

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original post:

Both Men and Women’s teams.

UC Berkeley will eliminate its baseball, men’s and women’s gymnastics and women’s lacrosse teams after this year and will stop fully funding the national-champion men’s rugby team.

The move, announced today, is part of the school’s attempt to trim a nearly $13 million athletics-department deficit. The cuts will save $4 million in 2011-12, the school said.

The decision will affect 163 athletes, and 13 coaches will lose their jobs. University leaders hope to lower the department deficit to $5 million by 2014, …

read more – Matt Krupnick

Contrary to what you might have read, fan favourite Anna Pavlova is still training.

There was speculation she might retire after not being named to the Russian World Championships Team:

Aliya Mustafina, Tatiana Nabieva, Ksenia Afanasyeva, Ksenia Semyonova, Anna Dementyeva, Anna Myzdrikova and Yekaterina Kurbatova

Yet after Anna’s very successful competition at the Russian Cup, she’s decided to continue.

This is confirmed on her official website. Thanks Alan.

Aunt Joyce:

… Anna Pavlova won the AA at the International Dinamo tournament with a 14.8 on vault and a 14.870 on beam. It remains to be seen how big of a mistake it will be leaving her off the world team. …

Action Gymnastics Academy NJ. Looking for coaches for USAG and Tops program. We have over 70 team members and have won over 30 state champion titles over the past 3 seasons. Pay between 20.00-30.00 per hour based on experience. Contact Michele Rogers 732-804-4792

A leaping catch 19ft 10in.

And a high forward pike salto into shoulder roll attenuating the landing force over time and surface area.

Fight Science is a television program shown on the National Geographic Channel in which scientists and martial arts masters work together to analyze the world’s fighting techniques …

Click PLAY or watch a segment on YouTube.

Read the comments on that YouTube video. Many are irked that a “science” show branded with National Geographic sensationalizes a simple shoulder roll.

We live in the era of reality TV.

(via FlipCatch)

Love this pic of Utah’s Kyndal Robarts.

From the Facebook album: Red Rocks Photo Shoot by Preston Norris

(photo via GymFever and Full Twist)

Good luck !!

Michel Charron, Liz Brubaker, Valerie Oudin, Emma Willis, Catherine Dion, Gabrielle May, Kristin Klarenbach, Cynthia Lemiux.

From the Facebook album: Women’s Commonwealth Games Team 2010 by Craig Smith

China and Russia are the leading nations. This was the second last international meet before World Championships.

Dong Dong and Huang Shanshan (CHN) prevailed in the men’s and women’s trampoline finals of the sixth World Cup of the 2010 World Cup Series that took place … in Loule, Portugal.

Grégoire Pennes-Sébastien Martiny (FRA) and Kirsten Boersma-Tara Fokke (NED) took the gold in the synchronized trampoline events.

Timofey Podust (RUS) and Anna Korobeynikova (RUS) triumphed in tumbling.

Acrobatic Sports

Tumblers Alex Seifert and Emily Smith, Canada

Added by Brett MacAulay to the Facebook group “CGC – Calgary Gymnastics Centre”

(via Gymnastics Alberta)

A success. Congratulations.

2010 NATIONAL GYMSPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS – Hamilton
24th – 28th September 2010

… New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games gymnastics team are “raring to go” to India this week after a successful weekend at the National Championships in Hamilton.

Rhythmic gymnast Mereana Rademakers, who won the senior international rhythmic title at Mystery Creek yesterday, said she was “excited and focused” on the challenge ahead.

“This is what we train for. We have had a boot camp in Bulgaria and a competition in Italy followed by nationals this weekend and we are totally ready to go,” she said.

Rather than worry about conditions at the Games, which have been racked by controversy over unfinished facilities, Rademakers, 19, said she was placing her trust in the New Zealand Olympic Committee and GymSports New Zealand who she said “would not put athletes at risk”.

“I train 25 hours a week and have put my MBA (business degree) at Canterbury University on hold for this opportunity – I plan to make the most of it,” she said. …

read more – Stuff

With all the earthquakes in Christchurch, Delhi may be a relief. They can sleep through the night.

Commonwealth Games Team:

Rhythmic gymnastics: Keziah Oliver, Kimberley Robson, Mereana Rademakers.

Women’s artistic gymnastics: Holly Moon, Lani Hohepa, Jordan Rae, Briana Mitchell.

Men’s artistic gymnastics: Misha Koudinov, Matthew Palmer, Patrick Peng, Mark Holyoake, Brandon Field.