Gymnastics Coaching.com

Couch Gymnast has some interesting and entertaining summary thoughts on her trip to World Championships.

Here’s a sample:

… Nadia Comaneci, … gave Ana Porgras a little pep talk before beam was quite sweet too. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I also have to say, that the one thing I really noticed about the Romanians, particularly Forminte, is what good care he took of little Porgras. He was always by her side. Just look at how he is looking at her during this clip, all fatherly and proud and ‘how exciting is that you are meeting Nadia?’

I mean, they seem to take care of all the other girls too. The Romanians have such a family like vibe about them. Not lovey- dovey, but just a practical, healthy family dynamic that probably comes from living together all year round.

… I noticed, during the floor final, when Ortiz was hurt, he was kind of shielding her from watching what was happening. He seems happy to let her just stay the child she is, which is more than I can say for Belu and Bitang whose baby gymnasts looked like careworn war widows by the time they’d made it onto the senior national team. …

Couch Gymnast – WORLDS TV COVERAGE: SOME THOUGHTS (READ: RANT!)

Click through to read the rest. It’s great.

It will premiere in December at the new CityCenter in Las Vegas.

Click through to the official Cirque show page for video links.

Facebook Viva ELVIS fan page.

A big story in Aussie Gymnastics. I saw the official notice reprinted:

Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), in conjunction with Gymnastics Queensland (GQ), have announced the appointments of Vladimir Joura (Head Coach) and Irina Joura (Senior Coach) to their Women’s Elite Program. …

Vladimir Joura coached for 12 years at the highly successful West Australia Institute of Sport (WAIS) Women’s program and takes with him to Brisbane his youngest daughter Natalia Joura who is a current member of the National Junior Squad.

Vladimir’s departure will create a coaching opportunity at WAIS. …

Australian Gymnastics Blog

No confirmation yet if big sister Daria “Dasha” Joura would stay at WAIS. Or move with the family.

Thanks yet again MostepanovaFan.

Now I know what skills to focus on, as a coach. (Just kidding.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The first skill I’d devalue is the first skill, the so called 1/1 twisting Tkachev (Shushanova).

What skill shown should be an H?

Triple back on Floor would be an H, for example. If it was in the code.

Romanian Coach Nicolae Forminte said:

… the Code of Points does not help Romania develop and retain many gymnasts.

“Now the scoring is open(-ended), so everyone tries to do many difficult combinations that take a lot out of the body,” he said. “It’s not easy to make many routines. There are two notes, Difficulty and Execution. To have good execution you have to do it many times, and when the difficulty is higher, it is not easy to do many times.” …

IG

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Some 2009 World Championships clips including the fall by Rebecca Bross on FX.

It’s interesting to look at a large number of falls closely to see why they happen – often very bad technique and form – and to speculate on why the coach left the skill in the routine.

Seems to me there’s too much incentive to do “difficulty” in our rules.

And that many of these athletes have not done enough landings on competition mats prior to the meet.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The second reason to watch this edit is to analyze how some athletes can fall, and not get hurt, while others do get hurt.

I wonder if there is a “psychology of falling” that “saves” some kids. And not others. Or is it physical preparation, technique of falling … and luck?

Old timers like me love Tracey Ullman, who’s actually the wealthiest British born comedian, according to Wikipedia.

Click PLAY or watch her spoof Marta on YouTube.

(via IG forum)

Just posted. Scroll down from the home page.

… This moment made me laugh because Kayla was sooo overwhelmed after vaulting so well, that even though she’d already hugged him and then stood there a while, she turned back and clung to him for dear life for a minute because, it seemed she just didn’t know what else to do! Seriously sweet. To me, Kayla won the US’s most well-earned medal for the women. She was consistently brilliant on vault. …

More Canadian gymnastics news.

Kristina Vaculik has verbally committed to Stanford University. This is a big gain for Stanford. Vaculik is currently back in the gym working basic skills. Peng Peng Lee has just returned to the gym and is starting conditioning again. …

Aunt Joyce’s Ice Cream Stand – This and That

little Peng Peng (Sport Seneca) from 2005 – Gymn.ca

I’m from Canada. Yet the first I hear of this good news is from Aunt Joyce.

That blog breaks more news than any other of late. Gymnastics and Figure Skating.

Profanity warning if you click through to Aunt Joyce’s Ice Cream Stand.

But there’s no profanity on the Dominique Moceanu on Dr. Phil post.

You can watch the Dr. Phil interview online – Pressure for PERFECTION

A new video from GymSmarts. Must see for every beam coach.

Fresh from training the 2008 Olympic Beam team, Tammy Biggs saw a need to develop an effective set of Balance Beam warm-up drills to improve the weaknesses she saw during the last Olympic Cycle. Tammy’s Beginning Tumbling Beam Complexes is the set of warm-up drills to correct these fundamental weaknesses she designed and is in current use by elite athletes throughout the United States. The DVD includes excellent demonstrations by athletes at Cincinnati Gymnastic Academy and is a must have for any program that needs to improve their Balance Beam performances.

Beginning Tumbling Complex for Balance Beam

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