Gymnastics Coaching.com

Active gymnastics coaches are telling me they love the quick fix of a short video tutorial.

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

The best so far for me personally was Mary Lee Tracy’s tip on Yurchenko.

Tom Beach, 1976 Olympian head honcho of GymSmarts, filled me in on the back story:

The Gymnastic Minute is all Tony Retrosi’s idea.

When he was growing up in NY there as a one minute TV spot called The New York Minute (most have heard of a NY minute). This TV show gave things to do around NY and was fairly popular.

Tony wondered if we could do the same with gymnastics. We were at his gym to film one of his Yurchenko DVDs so we just asked if he had any tips that he could do that day, and he did. We shot the Yurchenko video and 3 or 4 gymnastic minutes.

We were going to Mary Lee Tracy’s gym in two weeks so we edited one for Tammy and Mary Lee to see and they loved the idea so we shot several more with them on that trip. They are realitively simple to shoot (compared to the DVD’s we produce). The really cool thing to us is the music in the short intro is performed by Tony’s Band!

Follow GymSmarts on twitter at @gymsmarts. Or GymSmarts on Facebook.

Or subscribe to the GymSmarts YouTube Channel.

Or, best strategy of all, follow Tom Beach’s blog.

On Gymnastics Coaching I only post some of The Gymnastics Minute videos. All are posted on Tom’s GymSmarts Community blog.

This workout was filmed June 14th at the Region 3 Elite Clinic at Texas Dreams. Coach Chris Burdette took the girls through the National Team Warmup.

Click through to Gymnastike to watch the video – National Team Warmup, Texas Dreams, Coppell, TX

Thanks Meagan.

With John Roethlisberger and John Macready, former Olympian Camp Directors.

Via NLiukin on Twitter.

I’ve never attended this camp at Lake Frances, Tennessee. But everything I’ve heard has been positive.

This video is excellent. Good drills for a problematic skill.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Follow GymSmarts on twitter at @gymsmarts.

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

The University of Oregon does not have a competitive “cheer” team.

But in July 2007 they added a new women’s varsity sport, “team stunts and gymnastics.” And hired a proven, veteran Cheer coach from Georgia, Felecia Mulkey.

I’m not clear on the differences between this sport and Cheer. They are similar:

… The 2009-10 season will officially begin for the Oregon team in winter. The women will compete mostly against club teams throughout the season, with two of their home meets being at McArthur Court. …

The University of Southern California, Arizona State University and Sacramento State all have thriving team stunts and gymnastics club programs on the West Coast, while the University of Louisville’s club team is a collegiate powerhouse. …

Starting over again – Felecia Mulkey hopes her past success translates to Oregon’s new program

What I’m really interested in is the opportunity for scholarship in this new sport. The Ducks will offer 12 by 2012-13.

Head coach Felecia Mulkey has announced the signing of 13 additional student-athletes to financial aid agreements to compete for the Oregon Team Stunts and Gymnastics squad. With 13 more signings, the 2009-10 Team Stunts and Gymnastics squad currently has 29 members, 22 incoming student-athletes and seven currently on campus. …

Team Stunts and Gymnastics Signs 13 Student-Athletes for 2009-10 Season

I’m a little surprised at the furor over the fake news video posted by comedy site The Onion:

Shawn Johnson Put To Sleep After Breaking Leg

By Onion standards, it was only medium offensive. If you are easily irked, there’s no way you should ever read anything posted by The Onion.

Personally, I think the world would be less rich without the Onion. They are cutting edge social satire as insightful as the Colbert Report.

And, as Steve Martin famously said: “Comedy is not pretty.”

Comedy that is not edgy, is not funny.

So far, I’m in the minority, it seems.

About.com Gymnastics is taking a poll:

Click through to add your vote: The Onion: Shawn Johnson Joke

This site is all about keeping coaches up-to-date on what’s happening. It would have been a mistake, I feel, not to post that video on Gymnastics Coaching. You should see it, if only to be an informed critic.

==== UPDATE:

Shawn’s agent said, “No comment.”

Shawn herself laughed it off:

“Oh and, look, I’m still racing around the world even after they tried to put me down,” she (@ShawneyJ) Tweeted. “Ha, ha. And my leg has healed quite nicely too! Gotta love the ONION!”

I saw this posted by Inside Gymnastics on Facebook.

Registration information on my favourite gymnastics competition anywhere was posted today.

It’s organized by Dave Adlard in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Spokane airport is less than an hour away.

For further information, please call 208-664-0135. You can also fax us at (208) 772-9924 or email us.

We want to provide you the BEST and MOST FUN Gymnastics Competition of the season. Get your preliminary 2010 entry form (PDF) and deposit to us as soon as possible. Spaces will be limited.

official website – Great West Gym Fest

I just subscribed.

Japanese Gymnastics Blog

A sample post:

The official Japanese Gymnastics site has posted these goals for the World Championships in London coming this October.

Men’s – Two Golds. Looking for medals on Floor, Parallel Bars, and High Bar

Women’s – Top 8 AA. A medal in a “separate event.” I’m assuming this means Koko Tsurumi’s balance beam.

Goals for Worlds 2009

This is tough.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Thanks Jason Mortimer who sent us links to two other similar videos:

Swiss Ball Jump

Re: Swiss Ball Jump