LSU senior gymnast Susan Jackson was named the recipient of the prestigious Honda Sports Award for gymnastics as the nation’s top collegiate female gymnast, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. announced Wednesday.
The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 34th year.
This marks the first time an LSU gymnast has received the award …
Sure genetics, physical ability, and technical / artistic preparation are important …
But, in the end, what makes or breaks a gymnast is in the psychological domain.
A “good motivator” coach is typically more successful than a “biomechanist coach”.
It’s relatively easy to coach a Yurchenko, for example, but difficult to convince a young girl that she wants to jump backwards over a big obstacle.
Mark Folger from Wichita, Kansas posted on this topic – Goal Setting and Motivation:
A sense of accomplishment increases motivation. Success and accomplishment are relative to past performance and current goals. Therefore, choosing appropriate goals plays a key role in consistent motivation. I use a simple flow-chart I call the Progressive Motivation Cycle to remind myself and my staff of the relationship between setting goals and motivation.
The Blue Cycle is the preffered cycle. When our athletes are rolling along in the blue cycle, life is great. …
click for larger version
The challenge for coaches is what to do when the gymnast does not achieve the goal. How best to handle the process of reevaluating and committing to new goals.
If you let a gymnast get to the red level on the chart, you might lose them from the sport.
I never miss reading Mark’s posts. Read the rest of this article – Folger’s Gymnastics – Goal Setting and Motivation
Dead certain that Shawn would never compete again, seems I’m wrong.
West Des Moines native Shawn Johnson, a gold-medal winner in gymnastics at the 2008 games in Beijing, announced … that she plans on training and making another run at the next Summer Games.
She first revealed her decision to a crowd of 8,000 area students …
Certainly Shawn could get into shape and contend quickly on Floor and Vault. Her chances of making the Olympic team are low, in my opinion. But it would be great for the sport. And great for the up-and-coming American gymnasts if she was in the mix.
On the Sunday following the competition I’ll be assisting with an “open” audition for Cirque du Soleil. Anyone can try out. If interested, email me Rick_McCharles {AT} hotmail.com
Strength guru Christopher Sommer, author of Building the Gymnastic Body, is offering only two workshops in 2010.
The first is end of May at his gym in Arizona:
“Spend a jam-packed day with Coach Sommer, as well as some of his own assistant coaches and athletes …
Through the use of presentations, demonstrations and hands-on experience, the subjects covered will include:
• basic joint pre-habilitation
• passive flexibility
• introduction to active flexibility
• fundamental static positions
• fundamental bodyweight exercises
• basic handstand work
• basic ring strength work
The Level 1 Seminar Sat. May 29th is prerequisite to attending Level 2 on Sunday and/or Level 3 on Monday .
Register early and receive a $150 discount on tuition.
SEMINAR LOCATION: Xtreme Gymnastics, 15821 N 79th St., Scottsdale, AZ.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 