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.
USA Gymnastics Congress 2006
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.
video – spotting “giant” swing
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
Canadians train in Beijing
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.
USA Diving Championships 2006
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.
video – wrist strengthening device
I’ve known a lot of gymnasts who left the sport due to wrist injury. The vast majority of high level male gymnasts endure some degree of chronic wrist pain.
As a coach I am hyper-cautious about wrist pain. (I do not like static handstands on floor of long duration, for example. Parallettes are much safer.)
Many coaches include wrist strengthening exercises as part of an injury prevention conditioning program.
Click PLAY on the video below or watch the clip on YouTube.com
Funtastics Gymnastics in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Taunusstein’s Gym-Wheel Team
40 athletes aged 12 to 30 from Germany travelling the world. Very cool.
They bill themselves The World’s most succesful Gym-Wheel Team.
We can’t argue.
Details on the official home page.
More great photos by Rexton on Flickr.
Canadian Gymnastics Club Survey
Daniel Macdonald PhD, one of the builders of Canadian Gymnastics, published a statistical report comparing 83 clubs with annual operating budgets from $10,000 to $1 million dollars.
The majority are not-for-profit organizations, run by volunteer Boards of Directors.
Dan’s report includes an overview chart of membership fee rates. As well, a chart detailing potential club subsidies.
Surprisingly, clubs use a wide variety of voting structures; many allowing Head Coaches and / or Chief Administrators to vote at general meetings.
The most interesting statistics for me were the comparative cost of payroll as a percentage of total expenditures. Though only 12 or 13 clubs were compared, the rate varied from 21% – 88%. (In the old, old days I budgeted 33% of total budget for salaries and wages. In 2006 that number, I suspect, is minimum 50% for larger clubs.)
How clubs communicate with members
Some clubs offer programmes other than the ususal gymnastic disciplines including adult fitness, cross training, conditioning and dry land training, circus Arts, Gymnaestrada, Gym & Jive, cheerleading and Tae Kwon Do.
I found it interesting to compare our club against these norms. But if you are looking for brilliant, innovative new ideas — look to the USA. I feel that change is slow coming in Canada as progress is naturally stifled by the not-for-profit system.
Daniel Macdonald’s NATIONAL GYMNASTICS CLUB SURVEY, SECTION II, ANALYSIS OF CLUB OPERATIONS report PDF is posted on the Gymnastics Alberta website. Thanks for putting it together, Dan!
video – coaches get “pied”
If you do not have a dunk tank at your gym, a whip cream pie will do. Every once in a while the gymnasts should have a chance to get even.
Click PLAY on the video clips below:
FUNtastics Gymnastics, Idaho
Funtastics Gymnastics Camp photos
Just uploaded over 80 pictures of camp to Flickr. Hope to add more later.
Many are low resolution as they are taken from digital videotape. (But that’s a good way to capture the best instant during an action sequence.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 