Gymnastics Coaching.com

On my first look at the new site, I had a few complaints.

Many of those have already been answered.

NOTE: A link to Grace Chiu’s photos has been added to the home page. Nice!

Also a link to competition results – Gym Score Depot.

The Classified ads are now easy to find. Including the blurb on the coaching job at Altadore in Calgary.

It’s still being improved, by the looks of things.

Congratulations Gymnastics Canada.

Gymnastics Canada – English

Congratulations. A number of people I really admire were honoured today.

Carly Patterson won the all-around gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

larger original – flickr – jodfevic

Patterson was selected to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame on Tuesday, a day before her 21st birthday. She and 12 other members of this year’s class will be inducted Aug. 14 during the national championships in Dallas, where Patterson trained.

Joining her in the Hall will be Mary Sanders, the national rhythmic gymnastics champion from 2002-04 and an Athens Olympian; 1996 Olympian John Macready; Steve McCain, a member of the 2000 Olympic squad; two-time world acrobatic champions Shenea Booth and Arthur Davis; James “Jimmy” Yongue, bronze medalist in synchronized trampoline at the 1968 world championships; and Fred Turoff, the men’s gymnastics coach at Temple.

Also being inducted is the men’s double mini-trampoline team that won the gold medal at the 1999 world championships. Pat Wilson Henderson, a trampoline and tumbling judge for almost 35 years, will be honored for lifetime achievement. …

AP – Patterson, 12 others chosen for U.S. Hall

Gymblog notes that Carly does not meet the criteria for induction into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Gymbrooke Sports News posted a partial list of Canucks currently training in the American College system:

Marci Bernholtz – UCLA

Alyssa Brown – Stanford

Laura-Ann Chong – Oregon State

Aisha Gerber – UCLA

Alexandra Grant – Iowa

Brittnee Habbib – Nebraska

Danielle Goldman – BYU

Nicole Heikkila – Michigan State

Melissa Hough – BYU

Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs – UCLA

Jennifer Lezeu – BYU

Gael Mackie – UTAH

Leslie Mak – Oregon

Heather Purnell – Stanford

Casey Sandy – Penn State

Jennifer Simbhudas – Iowa

Rebecca Simbhudas – Iowa

Kylie Stone – Nebraska

Melanie Tham – Iowa

Click through for information on each.

Gymbrooke – Canadian 2009 NCAA Gymnasts

JANUARY 22: Alyssa Brown – original

We talk about Elise Ray every day in my gym.

A couple of our girls do Stalder from low to high (“Ray”) as a bar transfer. That’s not the only “Ray” on Bars. She also has the dismount named after her. As well as the toe-on toe-off to Tkachev.

Click PLAY or watch Elise Ray on Bars at the USA 2000 National Championships finals on Gymnastike.

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

Nance at the Perfect 10 blog named Elise one of the best bar workers EVER.

She went on to University of Michigan on a full athletic scholarship, tying with Onnie Willis of UCLA for the All Around title in 2001. She is currently a performer in the Cirque du Soleil in the Las Vegas show “O”.

From the Tumbl Trak email newsletter:

… Below are some of my reasons for minimal spotting and the value I believe it brings to our young athletes. 

Minimal Spotting Approach – Rationale

Using a teaching approach to gymnastics skills that relies minimally on spotting results in:

1.  Independence:  children learn by finding out what they can do by themselves, not what an adult/teacher can do for them; dependence on a spotter is diminished, or doesn’t occur.

2.  Confidence:  when children accomplish a skill and can do it alone, this builds their confidence.

3.  Saftey:  children learn how to fall and not get hurt; children who learn what they can do by themselves do not have a false sense of security.  For example, a child knows she needs to grip the bar in order not to fall.

4.  Body Control:  children learn what it takes to move body parts (trunk, legs, arms, shoulders) and hold a position (straight, arch, hollow).  Teachers may move parts not in position, then see if a child can “find” it again…

5.  Teacher Observation:  when spotting a skill, the teacher is often too close to see what the child is doing; when the teacher stands back and observes, attempts at a teaching station, she or he can analyze body positions, timing, etc. to provide corrective feedback.

CRITICAL:  in order to teach with minimal spotting, the right equipment is necessary, as well as knowledgeable teachers.  The equipment is only as good as the teacher who can create appropriate stations with it.

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Thanks Doug.

Good advice.

Subscribe to the free newsletter from TumblTrak.com

Coach Mihai was smiling when I dropped off a pile of sponges at the gym. ($1 for 8 sponges at the dollar store.)

larger version

I’m oft to say, “The sponge is the best coach.”

Christchurch School of Gymnastics

<img align="right" border="0" hspace="10" vspace="5" blockquote id="image7217" src="https://gymnasticscoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/Coach-Sommer.jpg&quot; alt="Coach-Sommer.jpg" / Coach Sommer of GymnasticBodies shares an advanced version of the classic leg lift.

Russian Leg Lifts are an advanced hanging leg lift variation. They are an extremely challenging exercise and quite effective at increasing core strength.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

more conditioning videos from Coach Sommer on YouTube

Congratulations to Utah Head Coach Greg Marsden and the incredible gymnastics machine he has built there.

The Utah Utes are #1 this week, the first time since Mar. 28, 2005.

This is the pre-meet highlight video shown at the Utah Gymnastics meet on 2.6.09. The highlights are from the meet on 1.23.09.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

We learned today that Shannon Miller will be a celebrity Olympian at one of our upcoming meets, the Great West Gym Fest in Idaho.

Of course many of our gymnasts have never even heard of Shannon Miller. (They are so young!)

One of our coaches fired up YouTube to find some examples of her amazing gymnastics to show the kids.

Click PLAY or watch it on Gymnastike.

Gymnastics Videos on Gymnastike

The Olympic gymnast confronts a fire breathing poodle in a long internet TV commercial so weird, it’s watchable.

It’s called The Quest for G, a Gatorade spoof on the old Monty Python comedy troupe.

Watch it on MissionG.com.

The recession does not seem to be slowing down Gatorade (PepsiCo). They must be paying a fortune on this campaign tied to the Superbowl. They hired director Spike Lee for the commercials. And signed a pile of famous athletes, including Nadia and Alica.