Gymnastics Coaching.com

I have always been supportive of a stuck landing bonus in competition.

This results in coaches and gymnasts making more conservative (safer) decisions in which dismount to compete. And greatly reduces the risk of injury on landing.

Best of all was a regulation we once had in place for beginner boys in Alberta which required a 3-second hold on landing in the bent knee position … before standing up and presenting.

(Young kids tend to get excited and stand up too quickly.)

We had no deduction for “feet apart”.

Last season at women’s competition in my region and was shocked to see the stick bonus disallowed for some of the “best” landings in the meet on vault.

Why? … Feet “too far apart”.

This is crazy. And may actually cause ankle injury (sprains) by forcing gymnasts to land with feet too close together.

So long as the athlete can “pivot” the heels together to touch without moving the toes, the feet are close enough together. This distance is almost shoulder width for most kids, creating a stable base of support.

In fact, I would prefer we deduct athletes who land with feet “too close together”. That would make a lot more sense medically.

photo – Kyle Shewfelt, Olympic Floor Champion at 2004 Olympics

related: About.com Gymnastics – top 10 “sticks”

… some quick drills using theraband elastics to improve flexibility and strength … from Tammy Biggs.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Good drill from Tony Retrosi:

Being able to accelerate front tumbling make the more difficult skills easier. Here Tony show drills for the handspring front and handspring front layout using an inclined mat.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Gymnastics Minute is a series of free introductory video tips produced by GymSmarts.

The air mat of course from TumblTrak.

How about that old AMF folding crash mat? I haven’t seen one of those in decades.

I enjoyed the many festivals, including the Fringe, immensely … but did not find much acrobatics on display.

One capoeira group impressed.

The Couch Gymnast posted a detailed second look at the most famous and popular gymnastics movie of all time.

… Stick it is a weird movie. I watched it again last night with some friends who know nothing about the sport of gymnastics. They loved Bring It On and wanted some more of that kind of funny, infectious teen-brand zing.

Seeing it through their eyes really adjusted my focus on the film. I realised, Stick It is confusing.

It is really funny in parts, and quite enjoyable but I think it has a huge plot problem, particularly for the layman viewer. …

read the review – A Tale of Two Movies

I saw it last with a bus load of gymnasts en route to a competition. They mostly enjoyed it.

Imperfect as it is, it´s a movie about them. That´s part of tha attraction of the Make it or Break It TV show too.

Fine Art and Freelance Photographer Debra Frieden flew to Nevada to photograph Elena Lev, a rhythmic gymnast and hula hoop artist in the Spring of 2009.

UPDATED: Ms. Lev performed in Alegria and Quidam for Cirque Du Soleil Productions. She has been a highlight performance artist of those shows.

Debra Frieden is a fine art photographer based out of Atlanta, Georgia USA. For more information about her work, please visit www.debrafrieden.com for print sales, exhibitions, representation or other inquiries. All photographs herein are registered and copyright protected.

Click PLAY or see these photos of Elena on YouTube.

The College Season is revving up.

Who will the stars be this season?

Utah Coach Greg Marsden has high expectations for the German Olympian:

Bijak is ranked No. 3 in the nation on the bars and has scored 9.85 or higher in her last four floor routines. After being held out of the vault lineup early in the season to give her time to recover from the Olympics, Bijak is expected to go in the all-around the second half of the season as the Utes make their push toward the NCAA Championships.

“When she is at her best, she can be an Ashley [Postell] or Kristina [Baskett] kind of gymnast,” Marsden said. “She has a different look to her, in the way she does things and the amplitude she gets in her routines.” …

She’s well known in College gymnastics for her amazing Handspring front layout vault. And for her double front punch front on Floor.

Daria’s amplitude on leaps and jumps makes most elite gymnasts look “low”.

(Chris Detrick / Tribune file photo)

Salt Lake City Tribune – Bijak aims for greatness

more commentary on Daria posted on the College Gymnastics Board

The Full in Full out blog plans to post a series of gymnastics coach profiles. The first features – who else – Valeri Liukin.

This story I had never heard …

… So when an opportunity came along to win $15,000 in a costumed gymnastics event, the resourceful Liukin went for it. Fifteen grand later, the Liukins and Marchenko were ready to get the gym off the ground. …

read the profile – Know a Coach – Valeri Liukin

Valeri and his coach Edouard Liukin, from Kazakhstan, were always outsiders. Never favourites of the National Coach.

It did not help that Edouard was not a vodka drinker. Not part of that grand Russian coaching tradition.

From the Salta Gym Club blog:

… installing new hand sanitation stations. All people are required to sanitise their hands prior to entering the building (front door station) and athletes are required to use the stations when they enter and exit the gym.

I also encourage all athletes to wash their hands WITH soap before entering the gym, at break, and after gymnastics. After all, you just put your hands on a beam where EVERYONE has placed their feet….

details – Beat the Bugs

My gym added some last season. Could not hurt. And it just might make the kids more aware of hygiene.

Leave a comment if you have an opinion.

A cute edit …

Click PLAY or watch WOGA – 2009 VISA, Behind The Scenes: We Are Family on YouTube.

With the past 2 WAG Olympic Champions, and 3 booming gyms, the future looks bright for WOGA.

It’s the #1 privately owned gym in the world, for sure.