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Past world Floor medallist Charlie Tamayo from Cuba is one powerful tumbler.

Click PLAY on the video below or watch the clip on YouTube.com

He’s done 7 forward somersaults off tramp into the pit at Woodward West.

Rick McCharles

This was my third year coaching the Mountain Shadows Camp in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. The club is owned by Jim McLuskey, a legend of gymnastics in my region, the first man to hire me as a coach back in the 1970s.

The most unusual aspect of this camp is that girls as young as age 7 spend 5 nights in sequence living and training in the gym. This is the first time away from parents for some of the kids.

The camp is an unforgettable experience in the life of a young girl. I recommend it.

more photos on Flickr

Any athlete training at a high level, training a high number of hours per week, risks getting “stale”.

Cross training is ideal for keeping athletes “fresh” and may even enhance physical development. I schedule one voluntary cross training activity each month: kick boxing, swimming, cycling, even “tree climbing”.

Here athletes from Altadore Gymnastics take a hike in the mountains.

The Canadian Men’s Gymnastics team trained in Beijing June 30-July 12th as part of the team preparation plan for the next Olympics. Kyle Shewfelt, 2004 Olympic Champion on Floor, sent us some photos of the Chinese National Training Centre.

The US Olympic Team got advice from USOC Coaching and Sport Sciences: ANY WHERE, ANY TIME, WE WILL BE READY: PLANNING FOR BEIJING

I think Beijing (official website) may well be the best Olympics ever. Certainly the Chinese athletes will be very well prepared. But can they handle the added psychological pressure of competing in front of the home town crowd?

Peter Soul from Integrity Gymnastics in Ohio makes many training aids including a forward hip circle teaching device for bars.

It is awkward to get into — but quite fun and easy to swing a series of forward hip circles.

Click PLAY on the video below or watch the clip on YouTube.com

A group of coaches at Mismo Gymnastics were discussing the many reasons why it will not work — when it did work. One of the girls did forward hip circle on her own right after doing a series in the machine.

NEW — CD produced by U.S. Skiing and Snowboarding and USA Swimming and hosted by Deborah Phelps, a HS principal and mother of swimmer and six-time Gold Medalist Michael Phelps.

Topics include information for parents on a child’s growth and development, physical well-being (including nutrition, hydration and disordered eating), competition and training, as well as tips on how to best balance and support your child.

Also addressed is how coaches and parents can work together better (dealing with conflict, being part of a team) and how clubs can better work with parents (volunteers, meetings, communication tools, retention, code of conduct).

The CD features more than 30 interviews with top coaches, athletes, parents and sports psychologists (including athletes like three-time Olympian and World champion Daron Rahlves, three-time Olympian Rowdy Gaines and Dr. Dan Gould, Director of the Institute for Youth Studies).

The CD is endorsed, used and distributed by the U.S. Olympic Committee, U.S. Tennis Association, USA Hockey, U.S. Speed Skating, U.S. Rowing, USA Water Polo, U.S. Curling, U.S. Figure Skating, USA Diving and U.S. Synchronized Swimming. The CD … retail price is $39.99 and a discount is available for volume and organization orders.

Successful Sports Parenting

Rick McCharles

USA GYMNASTICS NATIONAL CONGRESS and TRADE SHOW
Held in conjunction with 2006 Visa Championships, August 16-19, 2006, St. Paul, Minnesota, I am confirmed to attend. Congress is the best networking opportunity for coaches anywhere.

Look for me if you are going. I’ll wear the suit.

I did my first giants at a summer camp over sawdust, not mats. (Yep, we had it tough in the old days.)

At summer camp in Idaho we put as many gymnasts as possible through giants. An important goal of the week was to do new skills.

Check the video clip below to see how carefully coaches John Smith & Peter Soul spotted the kids on their first giants.

Click PLAY on the video below or watch the clip on YouTube.com

FUNtastics Gymnastics, Idaho

The Canadian National Men’s Gymnastics Team trained at the Chinese National Training Centre June 30-July 12, 2006. Olympic Floor Champion Kyle Shewfelt sent some photos (posted on Flickr).

The Chinese are psyched for the 2008 Olympics. And the Canadians much enjoyed training with the host team. In fact, a number reported this to be their best ever international training camp.

To top it off, Brandon O’Neill took home 2 silver medals from a World Cup event in Shanghai.

I’ve always admired the precision and excellent body position of divers. Divers are far more artistic than Artistic Gymnasts.

I’ll be representing Cirque du Soleil at the 2006 Kaiser Permanente National Diving Championships in Indianapolis, August 2-5. Cirque has many divers in their spectacular water show in Vegas, “O”. Coach Tom Otjes sent me the dive list of an ideal Cirque artist.