Gymnastics Coaching.com

Doug Davis of TumblTrak showed me his latest edition air floor. It’s 3 inches thick.

Looks fantastic though it is not inexpensive.

Check details on their Air Floor page. It includes an endorsement video by Kurt Thomas.

The air mat is designed to sit atop a spring floor, tumbling strip, carpet foam or panel mats. Hard wood floor or grass not recommended.

“More Reps, Less Stress” is the tag line. It should reduce overuse injuries and prevent some traumatic ones.

Using an earlier model I found it added about half a somersault and a full twist to the potential power of almost every competitive gymnast.

The Air Floor is perfect, I feel, for a club that does not own a tumbling trampoline. It’s even better for programs specializing in tumbling, including cheerleading. And if you must move or store your tumbling mats, there is nothing better.

Cost is between US$800 – 1500 for mats between 3-6m (10-20ft) long. Add shipping, tax and brokerage fees (if shipping outside the USA).

Want a price on the air floor? Email TumblTrak at Tumb800@AOL.com.

Next — I also need a thinner (perhaps 1 inch thick) air mat just for take-offs into the pit. Would the (much more affordable) TumblTrak “Sweet Spot” do the trick? It is normally used attached to either the vault horse or the beat board?

Fun at Legacy Trampoline & Tumbling training at Flips USA, Sparks, Nevada.

See if you can correctly “call” each trick as you watch.

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

Double back tuck
Half-in half-out tuck
Half-in half-out straight x2
Double back straight
Ooops – crazy double back
Half-in half-out tuck
Full-out tuck
The end… psyche!
Double back straight x4
Full-in full-out puck
*Miraculous flipping/twisting flight out of the pit back onto the tramp
Full-in full-out puck x2
Another miraculous re-emergence from the pit
Slo-mo full-in full-out puck
Half-in Rudi-out straight
Rudi-out Pike
(ugly) Half-in Rudi-out straight
Double front layout
Double back layout
Full-out tuck
Half-in half-out tuck
Double front layout
Another (ugly) Half-in Rudi-out straight
Ultra slo-mo full-in full-out

Of a number of similar resources in print and on the internet, I like best a pyramid book published in French called Pyramides Humaines by Micheline Nadeau.

Coach Jim Rand bought a copy in Quebec. To get your own copy you could try contacting the publisher Les Editions Quebecor — or click on the book below for details in French.

You do not need to be able to read French to make good use of hundreds of pyramid diagrams.

Nadeau’s book starts with solo positions. Advances to duos, trios and on up to large group formations. It does not include this one:

Castellers de Barcelona – Wikipedia on Human Pyramids

more images of pyramids on Google

More great gym pics posted on Flickr by Flaw13.

He has some excellent shots of the USA Championships 2006.

I am coaching kids looking forward to a competition in Japan. They will be training at Tsukahara’s gym.

Most young gymnasts do not know Mitsuo Tsukahara. To them it is simply a vault they misspell as “Suk”.

Younguns should click PLAY on the video below or watch the clip on YouTube.

Cheerleaders have been banned from baring their midriffs, with their governing body fearing it might be encouraging anorexia. Gymnastics Australia has given cheerleader troupes until the end of the year to find new uniforms, saying current revealing costumes make other teenagers feel uncomfortable about their weight.

… The ban is already in place (for some teams) in the United States and will effect about 105 teams registered with Gymnastics Australia.

Anorexia fear: cheerleaders’ bare midriffs banned – National – smh.com.au

This is going too far, I feel.

Competition costumes should be regulated. But ultimately this kind of a decision should be left to coach, choreographer and the athletes.

Having coached in Australia, I’ve seen many girls train acrobatic sports in two piece suits. It’s a hot country.

Many find it more comfortable.

It is the norm in many gymnastics gyms.

Jeremy Mosier, head coach of Altadore Gymnastics in Canada, just posted a new website for his consulting business FlexSport.

FlexSport offers training for dancers, swimmers, divers, skiers, cheerleaders, and anyone seeking personal training in flexibility, strength, trampoline, tumbling and gymnastics.

Jeremy works one-on-one or with small groups.

Gymnastics and trampoline coaches have a lot to offer non-gymnasts. More of us should set up personal consulting companies like FlexSport.

Rhythmic Gymnastics coaches do not have a lot to learn from Artistic and Trampoline.

But Artistic coaches should look to Rhythmic for inspiration. Their active flexibility training is excellent.

Avril Enslow (Christchurch School of Gymnastics) brought in a Rhythmics coach to work with optional competitive girls. The Artistic gymnasts tried dozens of different leaps, jumps, turns and transition movements from Rhythmic. (Unusual “Illusions”, for example.) Avril was looking to add some variety to the floor and beam routines.

Kids enjoyed it. Each was asked to try to add one or two new elements to their already established Floor and Beam routines.

If you asked me to find you a choreographer for Floor, I would look first for a Rhythmic choreographer who knows gymnastics. Rhythmic music is far more interesting than what we get in Artistic.

It’s true that historically I have not been a huge fan of Rhythmic due to (an assumed) high rate of eating disorders.

But the competitors in USA Championships looked healthy to me. They have some striking body types, some of whom I find very artistic.

source

Of all gymnastics comedians, Paul Hunt was the best.

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

Want to see more?

video – Paul Hunt comedy floor 1988

video – Paul Hunt comedy beam 1988

I have promoted the DVDs from GymSmarts.com since I first heard about them from Tom Beach.

But I was a little fuzzy on their MembersPlus Program until Tom gave me a sample at USA Championships.

Here is a screenshot sample of what is available to those who pay an annual membership fee. Coaching articles called “E-reports”:

You get all the new articles for $60 per year. Or buy them one at a time for $5 each.

Details on the GymSmarts.com E-reports page.

Gym Smarts contributors include Steve Butcher, Dan Connelly, Barbara Davis, George Hery, Cheryl Jarrett, Dave Juszczyk, Jeff Lulla, Jeff Robinson, Debbie Rodriguez, Sam Sandmire, Jason Selk, Michael Taylor, Yoishi Tomita, Glen Vaughan, and Mas Watanabe. A great line-up!