Gymnastics Coaching.com

by site editor Rick McCharles

Since I’m a Canadian, every once in a while I get criticism that the blog is pro-Canada, anti-USA.

Every once in a while I get criticism that this blog is pro-USA, anti-Canada.

For example, this point that I have emphasized many times …

… Let’s not gloss over the fact that the coach education non-system in the States is far inferior to any other developed gymnastics nation. The mandatory safety certification for professional members is not nearly enough.

In sadly Socialist Canada, for example, we have mandatory coach training called the National Coaching Certification Program. It’s not great. But our NCCP is far better than the hodge podge of coach education schemes in America.

original post – USAG rebuts recent gymnastics injury study

… drew this reaction from one commenter on that post:

… If the US is so bad when it comes to gymnastics and safety, why do so many foreign coaches come here to coach? I have seen your comments in the past about how bad our system is but, for God’s sake, enough is enough. You seem so high and mighty on your soapbox. Just give it a rest. No one’s system is perfect (as your site showed us earlier this week about the Canadian athlete that was paralyzed and the Canadian gymnastics federation just acts like she was never a part of their program.) I assume that at least some of the competitions you attend in the US are sanctioned by USAG? If they are as bad as you like to make them out to be, why do you come? I mean, I am sure they don’t mind, but why be so critical of an organization then turn right around and support them? I don’t know what the term is in Canada, but in these parts we call that hypocritical. ….

For the record, I feel that the gymnastics system in the USA overall is far better than the system in Canada. The glaring problem in Canada is the Women’s Artistic competitive structure. It’s not uniform across the country. The rules are overly complex and frequently changed. More coaches, judges and athletes end up frustrated.

The J.O. (Junior Olympic) girls program is excellent. They’ve kept the “perfect 10”. The American competitions are faster, more fun and more consistently judged. And I love the fact that Level 10 J.O. leads directly into NCAA.

The Canadian Trampoline and Tumbling program is better in Canada. Our Men’s Artistic program perhaps equal to the USA.

Last season I attended about 12 American competitions, only 1 in Canada.

I visited about 50 gyms in both countries in 2007. There’s not the slightest doubt that the “average” coach in Canada is more knowledgable and better trained than the “average” coach in the USA.

That’s mainly due to the mandatory Coach Education system in Canada. And the wildly varying modes of coach education in the USA.

In the long run the USA will be far more successful than Canada due to club structure. Almost all gyms in the States are “owned”. Almost all gyms in Canada are run by volunteer parent Boards of Directors, a big competitive disadvantage in my opinion.

Leave a comment below if you have an opinion. Or something to add.

A coach and three Russian acrobatic gymnasts perished in a fire that ravaged their hotel the night of Saturday, August 30-31, 2008: Gymnasts Anastasia Golovitnina, Anna Maryina and Olga Gofman and their coach Svetlana Kushu – the foursome was training in Gelendjik (RUS), a coastal town on the Black Sea not far from Socchi and Krasnodar.

Lightning hit the building causing an immediate blaze.

Swiftly moving flames and a caving roof left the victims with no chance of escape…

The gymnasts were training in preparation for the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships set for Glasgow (GBR), October 10 – 12

In a state of shock and grief, FIG President Prof. Bruno Grandi (ITA) expressed his distress and consternation on behalf of the international gymnastics community, addressing his condolences to the bereaved, and to gymnasts of the Russian Federation (FSAR) and Acrobatic throughout the world.

GymMedia.com

This is tragic.

I attended the USA Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships the past 3 years. It’s my favourite of the gymnastics sports.

There are so few Acrobatic gymnasts the world over that this is a big blow to the sport.

related: USA Gymnastics names 2008-09 national team for acrobatic gymnastics

Gymnasts in Brazil:

source – Natal Images

Gymnasts in Canada:

original – flickr

LEGO pommel gymnast photo.

It’s not the first retirement.

But I fear Beijing was the last time we have seen one of the world’s greatest gymnasts compete.

AP

Four-time world champion gymnast Marian Dragulescu says he is retiring for health reasons and will become a trainer.

Dragulescu, 28, one of the world’s top vaulters, said Thursday he would retire after medical tests revealed he had chronic back problems. He said that he would likely train young gymnasts for the Dinamo Bucharest club.

Dragulescu was bitterly upset when he failed to clinch a medal at the Beijing Olympics saying “my soul broke” after he fell on the landing of his second vault attempt. …

Dragulescu was also bitterly upset at failing to get a medal in Beijing and receive the bonus promised by Romanian authorities, which he planned to spend on treatment for his three-year-old daughter, who is unable to hear or speak.

Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu has offered to contribute to the costs of the child’s operation in Austria.

Although he competed in various events, Dragulescu was best known for the vault and even had one exercise_ a handspring double front with half turn_ named after him.

Herald Tribune

Some feedback from this photo:

Reiko Beach of GymSmarts likes these bar pads from Carolina Gym Supply. Excellent products. Great prices.

Carolina 9″ Vinyl Covered Bar Pad: This is it — the perfect bar pad for clear hip circle training. Ingenious and simple, keeps the athlete’s hips clear of the bar without a spot. Covered with rugged red vinyl, hook & loop fastener closure and premium foam it the perfect combination of size, style and function. … $40 each

Even better, for advanced gymnasts are these:

Deluxe Denim Bar Pad: 30″ long x 7.5″ diameter, covered with durable but soft denim, use this pad for training release moves on high bar, uneven bars and parallel bars. One is great, but a pair will be more than twice as useful. $50 each

Ask for a catalogue by emailing info AT carolinagym.com or calling 1-877-GYM-STUF (1-877-496-7883).

You can slide in a single longer pad for dismounts. (The kids will feel more confident in “setting” if they know the bar is padded.

The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, will be held in Beijing, China from September 6–17, 2008. Mainland China is expected to field the most athletes. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao.

On June 26, 2005, The Beijing Olympic Committee announced that the slogan for the 2008 Olympics will be “One World, One Dream” (simplified Chinese: 同一个世界 同一个梦想; traditional Chinese: 同一個世界 同一個夢想). This will be the same slogan for the two events.

About 4,000 athletes from 145 countries are expected to take part. …

Wikipedia

Last week I bragged on Gymtastics as a great club website.

Cindy recommended New Hope Gymnastics in Fountain Valley, California:

… It is one of the best I’ve found. It is kept up to date most of the time, especially their Calendar page. I like how the meet scores link to the athletes’ pages, and vice versa. I also like how the coaches’ names on the staff page link to their schedule. Very clever!

Their Meet Information page appears to be a good communication tool between the gym and their gymnasts (most of the meets I clicked on seem to include complete information — including spectator prices and a map link to the meet site). More clubs should have sites like this!

The one thing is that the alumni part on the teams page seems to be incomplete. But overall, I would give this site an “A” for meeting club gymnasts’ needs. They seem to cover the bases pretty well. The only thing I think could be improved is the ability to make payments directly on the website. Bottom Line: A well-designed site — decent graphics, well-organized, and lots of useful information!

It is elegant and easy to navigate. Check it out.

New Hope Gymnastics

Choreographer / coach Anastasia Umeh-Lees posted some photos and commentary on Australian Team preparation for the Olympics. You can’t see those unless you “friend” Stacy on Facebook, but here are a few highlights.

… the Australian Women’s Gymnastics Olympic team Preparation camp in Canberra. I REALLY enjoyed my time with the team, leading up to Beijing. The girls and coaches gelled so well as individuals, teammates and friends, and to be honest, this held them in good stead when they were faced with some difficult situations in Beijing. …

The Australian WAG Olympic team named late July

Everyday of my 4 weeks with the Aussie girls was filled with hard work, focus, great gymnastics and new experiences. It was an honor to support the Aussie team however I could!

Everyone was incredibly focused upon helping get this group of girls ready for the competition of their lives. And the girls daily rose to the occasion by hitting routines, sticking dismounts and remaining cool under pressure while being bombarded by many distractions in an attempt to prepare them for the onslaught of cheering and the like in Beijing.

It was a really professional and dedicated environment, where everyone was working together towards a common goal, and enjoying the process. Training sessions would often zoom by, without us realizing the passage of time. What a treat!

However, it wasn’t always work, work work. There additional activities that added to the preparation experience! These included:

Hearing a talk by 1 legged, speed skier, Michael Milton

Watching the So You Think you Can Dance, live tour & meeting the dancers …

Travelling to the opening night of Dralion in Sydney

Australian Swimming legend, Petria Thomas came to dropped by to give a few hints about approaching the Olympic experience.

Pistol shooter, Suzy Balogh, shared her Athens journey with all of us!

And…many video sessions arranged by Peggy, watching documentaries of inspirational stories of past Olympians, who related their tales of overcoming hardship and sporting triumph. These sessions really helped up all put our daily experiences in the gym into a great context! It was moving stuff! Thanks for all the extra effort, Peggy!

A few months ago we linked to the controversial Pediatrics journal article (PDF file) on gymnastics-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms over a 16-year period ending in 2005.

On average, 26,600 gymnastics-related injuries are treated by emergency room physicians every year, a rate of about 5 injuries per 1,000 participants. While only 3 percent of the patients were admitted to the hospital, many of the injuries were still serious: nearly half were strains or sprains and nearly a third were fractures or dislocations. Most were to the shoulders, arms and wrists, but a frightening 13 percent involved the head and neck. …

The findings were contested by USA Gymnastics. For one thing, they included all injuries: backyard trampolines, cheer, street tumbling, etc.

There was no breakdown for those who were training on proper equipment under a qualified coach.

Interestingly, more girls are taken for medical care than boys.

Seems the media panic is over now. This updated article offers a much more balanced perspective.

In the absence of firm data about the best age to start competitive sports, the solution may not be to discourage young athletes from working out too much, but instead to encourage them to try out more sports. The journal Pediatrics reported last year that young athletes who participated in a variety of sports had fewer injuries and continued longer than those who specialized before puberty.

Early Focus on One Sport Raises Alarms – NY Times