Gymnastics Coaching.com

Episode 13 California Girls is up. Again, no gymnastics.

But they are riffing on issues from the sports world. Does this remind you of one of Nastia’s photo shoots?

Paparazzi break into a private party to get photos of celebrity athletes with drugs a la Michael Phelps.

Episode 13 is online free if you live in the USA at ABCfamily.com.

And online here if you live outside the States.

Linked from Brett MacAuley on Facebook.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

related – Nike – Michael Jordan – Failure TV commercial

Shannon Miller: “I Was Intimidated By Everything, Except Being On The Balance Beam”

Every coach needs to read this article published in … Celebrity Baby Scoop.

I learned a lot about one of the gymnasts I admire most.

One excerpt:

SM: … As far as beauty goes, I never felt beautiful in everyday life. It wasn’t until I stepped on the gymnastics floor and became engrossed in my routines that I felt truly beautiful. It was all about the work and the skills not the makeup and the nail polish.”

CBS: How was your self-image and self-esteem affected while being a gymnast? Do you feel you had a strong sense of body image throughout your gymnastics career?

SM: “I was painfully shy growing up. I would hardly speak at school and still remember the anxiety of trying to fit in, knowing I wouldn’t. Some people thought I was being ‘stuck up’ when in reality I was just intimidated by those around me.

Gymnastics gave me an escape. I didn’t need to speak, just do. My self confidence soared when I got on the balance beam. My teammates had the same goals and fears that I did. High school is tough when you are 4’ 8” and weigh 65 lbs. However, when I got to practice and put on my leotard I looked like everyone else.

I never truly worried about my weight until I was about 18 years old. I lived with my family so I ate whatever was on the table. I remember eating ribs from our favorite barbecue place before workout on many occasions. Most people saw how tiny I was and thought I was dieting. They didn’t realize I was training 40+ hours a week and burning a zillion calories. I ate 5-6 times a day just to fuel my body.

However, at 18, right before the 1996 Olympics I started getting asked about being overweight. I had had a growth spurt and was now 5 feet tall and weighed 96 lbs. I hadn’t been concerned until I started having to field questions about my age and weight. I had always looked different than the other girls in my classes but now I really noticed it. …

read it – Shannon Miller: “I Was Intimidated By Everything, Except Being On The Balance Beam”

Though Shannon is too diplomatic ever to disparage her coach, Steve Nunno, he was as verbally abusive and elitist as they came back in those bad old days.

Steve was not a man who would build the self-image of a shy young girl.

On the other hand, Shannon is today a terrific success story. She survived the challenges of being one of the world’s greatest gymnasts.

official website – ShannonMiller.com

If you speak French, check it out – Gymnet.org

If you’d rather read it in broken English, check one thread discussing kip. (Google translated to English.)

When you click to other pages, they are also translated.

I like the quick summary posts put up by Blythe Lawrence on Gymnastics Examiner.

But if you want more on your favourite teams, click over to The Center of Your College Gymnastics Universe.

That’s Gymnastike. They’ve really upped their coverage this season. Bookmark their 2010 College Gym home page.

The other site I follow is CollegeGymFans.com. Home of the hard core NCAA fan.

Even USAG is posting weekly summaries. Nice. … In the past USA Gymnastics has been criticized for not being supportive enough of the NCAA. Looks like that’s changing.

Collegiate gymnastics – Week 2 recap

I’m just home from the celebration at Olympic Plaza.

Shawn was there. But I didn’t see her. The place was packed. I could hardly get a look at the stage.

Leave a comment if you know where and when she’s carrying the torch tomorrow, Tuesday.

Two more gymnasts have qualified to the inaugural Nastia Liukin Cup:

Stephani Canizaro of Nesbit, Miss., Memphis GymStars

Pauline Hanset of Knoxville, Tenn., Premier Athletics Knoxville.

I’m happy to hear they are both Level 10s. What a terrific opportunity.

… The balance of the field will be selected from the remaining 13 invitationals that comprise the Nastia Liukin Cup Series during the next six weeks. A total of 36 gymnasts will be chosen based on the results at the 15 invitationals in the Nastia Liukin Cup Series to compete in the inaugural Nastia Liukin Cup, scheduled for March 5, 2010, at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. …

details – USAG

After weekend #2, UCLA still holds the #1 position.

top 20

Scores are tight. The season is very, very young. Still … I think there’s more team parity this year. New Hampshire posted a 195.0 this weekend!

The best site this season for College updates, MAG and WAG, is Gymnastics Examiner. Those posts are linked from the right hand navigation.

Congratulations to LSU’s Susan Jackson who holds down the #1 position in the all-around. She’s a champion.

You’ll see her in Cirque, one day.

full list NCAA AA

Bad news.

2007 U.S. All-Around gymnastics champion David Durante posted it on Facebook today.

… and Dave thought he was getting away from injury, retiring.

Get well soon.

This is Maddie Gardner of Cheer Extreme!

She won the Nfinity’s Golden Ticket contest, pulling the lucky ticket placed at random in boxes of Nfinity Passion cheer shoes.

… Gardner won the trip of a lifetime – an unforgettable three-day experience where she attended a show during Fashion Week, was treated to a $5,000 shopping spree from Barney’s New York, and her own personal limousine.

She also got the cover of Inside Cheerleading magazine.

A partner publication of Inside Gymnastics magazine, “Inside Cheerleading is designed to help you enjoy, train, perform, compete and live cheerleading to the max!”