Gymnastics Coaching.com

Fourth-place finisher on Floor at the 2009 NCAA Gymnastics Championships Brandi Personett threw a full-twisting double layout mount, becoming the second gymnast to compete it at the College level.

I saw on Gymblog that Kristin Maloney in 2005 was the first College gymnast to do this super trick.

This is the first of what I hope will be an ongoing series of videos of female coaches spotting BIG tricks. I’ll call these clips:

female coaches cannot spot … (I’ll abandon that attempt at humour. People won’t “get it“.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

That’s coach Jessica Bastardi spotting.

Here’s another angle.

Brandi competed it last year at Championships in Prelims, actually. But fell.

Penn State’s Brandi Personett – the Gymnastike interview

Former Soviet National Coach Alexander Alexandrov spent 15 years in the USA before returning to his homeland to resume the position as Head Coach of the Women’s National Team.

How is it going for Alexander?

Russians finished in the top 2 AA spots at Europeans:

1st – Ksenia Semenova – 58.175
2nd – Ksenia Afanasyeva -57.600

He’s cautiously optimistic that Russia will again challenge for World and Olympic titles. The first BIG test will be World Championships.

.. we will select the strongest gymnasts to go to London in the autumn. The Americans and Chinese will be there. But I do not think we will be merely “extras”. I think the Russian team will be strong competition for any other team.”

VIOLA ROADKILL quotes an Alexander Alexandrov interview – I hope that our team will have confidence to compete with China and America as equals

Here’s a good edit of “glory years” Soviet Gymnastics artistry. And some HUGE skills.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

Artistry Is Dead posted another 19 excellent videos on Gymnastike. Check them out.

Last month we linked to a triple back video montage from European Championships 2007.

Lourenco Franca now sends us this link. Quad is shown at about 40secs.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Acrogym CUP Albershausen 2009 – Men’s Four from Great Britain – Spelthorne Elite Acrobatics.

This was the winning routine. Link to more videos.

I saw this on Twitter …

twitter.com/gymnasttwit and twitter.com/InsideGym

Sad.

It’s economics. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has more varsity sports than they can fund.

… cut … spending by $1.45 million over three years; the cut amounts to a sharp 24% reduction in spending out of general Institute funds. … current annual budget is $12.9 million. …

MIT Will Eliminate Some Varsity Sports

Both Men’s and Women’s Teams will be cut. Losing a Men’s team hurts the Collegiate program worse than the Women’s, however, because the Men have so few teams left.

UPDATE:

… Last season, the MIT men finished the season ranked 19 out of 20 men’s teams, qualifying three individuals to NCAAs. The women were 76th out of 84 squads. Both programs have had success in the USA Gymnastics-sponsored alternate collegiate nationals. …

… MIT left the door open for club programs to be created for the eliminated teams. …

read more on Inside Gymnastics – MIT ELIMINATES MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

An idea suggested by marikis on College Gymnastics Board.

There are a dozen reasons why this won’t happen. But it’s certainly a compelling idea.

Who better to succeed Márta when she eventually steps down than a master mind College coach?

Suzanne is only in her mid-50s, at the top of her game.

I think it would work.

Photo – Suzanne Yoculan – Kelly Lambert

related – new site for Georgia’s Suzanne Yoculan

World Cheerleading Championships, Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida.

Prelims: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Finals: Sunday, April 26, 2009

… The Cheerleading Worlds has grown to be so large that it needs to be held at two seperate arenas. Disneys Wild World of Sports’ Milkhouse arena and Disney’s Hollywood studios . The Dance Worlds is held in Disney’s famous Epcot.
…

The Milkhouse and Jostens Center at the Wide World of Sports. The Worlds Showplace at Epcot.

USASF Worlds – FAQs

Good luck to the team that trains out of my gym, The Pythons. The first Alberta team ever to be invited to this prestigious event.

Brittany Crowe competed Artistic until age-18. On graduating High School, she decided to join Cheer. That was last September. Eight months later Brit’s going to Worlds.

We gave her pom-poms as a send off gift. (Cheerleaders HATE pom-poms.)

Started just April 16th, I’m already impressed with the quality of the 3 posts, so far.

From the editor:

For sixteen years, I’ve taken part in the great sport of gymnastics. I trained as a gymnast for eleven years and I am now in my fifth year of coaching professionally. Everyone has their reasons for feeling passionate about something in their lives. I’d like to introduce you to mine. …

Full Twist – What are you passionate about?

The first two posts are on Talent Identification:

what exactly are we looking for?

Height
Strength
Flexibility
Attitude and Dedication
Other Factors

Good content. Check it out.

Spotting Talent – Part 1

Spotting Talent – Part 2

Update. Some disagree with my summary that the new site has “good content”. Check the comments.

Highlights from the 2009 Men’s NCAAs last weekend will air Thursday, April 23 at 3pm ET on ESPN2. It will be re-aired on Saturday April 25 at 4pm ET on ESPNU.

Women’s NCAAs will air on CBS at 2pm ET May 9.

About.com Gymnastics

The secret of being a fantastic spotter is being in the right place at the right time.

Here’s one GENIUS coach!

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Region 2 Championships, first rotatation level 9 bars.

Thanks Matt.

related post – worst gymnastics parallel bar spot EVER

UPDATE:

Samantha Peszek has made an early verbal declaration to compete for UCLA. There’s nothing official on their website, however, as I write.

Sources say she will — if she eventually signs — not compete next season, but rather the year after.

Add powerhouse Peszek to the UCLA line-up. And look out at Championships 2011.

First year competitor Vanessa Zamarripa Head Coach Kondos-Field calls “the most talented athlete UCLA has ever had.” (via Couch Gymnast)

More talented than Kate Richardson? Yvonne Tousek? More talented than their own Freshman of the Year Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs?

Wow!

=== original post:

Someday someone will finally topple the juggernaut that has won the Collegiate gymnastics team title 5-years-in-a-row.

But who will it be?

Alabama?

Utah?

My guess is UCLA. The Bruins have a young talented team that could easily challenge Georgia even next season.

2008 Olympic team silver-medalist Samantha Peszek of Indianapolis has verbally committed to attend and compete for the University of California – Los Angeles …

“I’m so excited to be a Bruin,” said Peszek, who is 17. …

USAG Peszek verbally commits to UCLA

(via Laura Reeves on Twitter)

Samantha announced this on Twitter, as well.