Healthy Halloween Treats

Prunes get a bad rap.

October 8, 2013

I've been passing these individually wrapped prunes out for my Halloween treats.  Typically, they've been my reward treat; but at this time of the year, they no longer have to be earned.

It's funny which kids reject them and which ones love them.  I think most of the girls who refuse prunes do so because of the stigma attached.  They're quite delicious- like a raisin on steroids....and moist!  I'm doing my part to fight the prejudice against prunes; after all, they make everything come out okay!

I've sometimes joked with kids about asparagus milk shakes.....broccoli ice cream....Well, check out this video by Crest:

Once a pun a time....on a dark, stormy night....

What did the Vampire Gymnast say to the Vault coach? " I want to TSUK your blood."

What did the Mummy coach say at the end of practice? " Let's wrap this up!"

What do gymnasts who are good at bars dress up as for Halloween?
" GIANTS"

Sunday Funnies

Let Your Handstands Grow

This is one of my favored ways to spot a handstand:

When it's time to hang up the leo and grips...

Every gymnast's journey comes with an expiration date; and although we might mourn the end of the journey, like a kind of death, what is important is that we remember how worthwhile the journey was:  All the valuable experience and lessons acquired and the memories; and the realization that there is also rebirth.

Hat tip to Rick for this valuable article, written by a gym mom whose daughter reached the moment when she knew it was time to close this chapter of her life...and start the next journey.

Why the Codi?

Learning a codi is useful to gymnasts as a drill that will lead into multiple flipping orientation (especially useful for vault flipping).

Sunday Funnies

Can you tell what is wrong with the above cartoon?


 Answer is found in the below:

The Soul & Style of a Gymnast

If gymnastics is coming from your soul, then you will be an unforgettable gymnast, a gymnast with your very own style.

- Natalia Yurchenko

A profile of British gymnast and World & European Bars Finalist sensation, Ruby Harrold:




I love that she and her coach are mining old school bar skills for possible ideas and inspiration.  I get bored seeing carbon-copied routines constructed around the CoPs over artistry and originality.

Also blogging:
GymnasticsCoaching.com

StrongBoard Balance

Rodger modeling the final product

As I mentioned in a previous post, Rodger had me over to do workouts in his garage; and I got to test out his prototype of the STRONGBOARD BALANCE. 

Jumping onto it and off of it, I think, would help condition the landing stabilizing muscles that gymnasts need for those "death-defying" dismounts and stuck landings.




It's pricey for an individual; but would be a great addition to any training facility, gymnastics club, or fitness gym.

Rodger's testimonial:

Motivated by the Power of the Prune

October 8, 2013

Last week, I introduced the power of the prune to the gym I am currently at. 

 Maybe this year when Halloween rolls around, I'll hand out prunes instead of candy.

BGS uses sticker rewards for additional incentive and recognition.  As my former students may well remember, in addition to my much-sought after "high five", nothing speaks to motivation quite like the urge to win one of my highly-valued, individually-wrapped prunes. [/tongue-in-cheek]

Individually-wrapped prunes are the best things since sliced bread was invented.

I'm a bit surprised at how many kids don't seem to even know what a prune is.  I sometimes describe it to them as a raisin on steroids.  Of course, I then have to go to the trouble of explaining what steroids are to the really young. 

Other kids don't seem to respect the prune and deny its worth (kind of like how they try to devalue my high-fives, even though I don't hand those out to just anyone!).  But I simply inform them that prunes are the best.  They help make everything come out, okay.

Bruin Brothers

October 6, 2013

Sunday Funnies

Dec 1991 IG

Mar 1994 IG

March 1992

Reflections for the Week

I learned Tuesday that when a 5 yr old tells you she has to tinkle, now means now; and it's better to play it safe than to work it sorry.  I have never seen so much....  :-(  .....and am thankful I was needed to continue with the class than to be the one with the mop.


Wednesday I introduced power skips as part of the Hot Shots' vault warm-up.  I think I must have looked absolutely horrified by their lack of poetic athleticism and coordination in trying these, because 6 year old Mischa looks over at me, puts one finger up into the air, and with one nod of her head and lack of concern in her voice, comforts me with the following words: "We're still learning."

Wednesday I also walked right into a low bar- so hard, that it knocked me off my feet.  No discoloration, but am bruised right over my left eyebrow.

 Thursday, one of my level 3's made me a tsuru:

My Hot Shot, Mischa, made it a point on Wed and Fri to claim that I owed the class TWO origami this week, since I missed last Friday (and handing them origami on Fun Friday seems to have turned into a weekly, ritual expectation).

Bear on the Parallel Bars

Filmed by Caslin in China:

Gymnastics Hair Bun

 I don't do hair.  I just don't.  I could learn, I suppose....but I refuse.  Sorry.




A lot of this could be solved by using a simple tool:

Some of the girls drive me crazy with how often they have to redo their ponytails during the course of regular practice.  I often tell them to just get a haircut like mine.

Funniest is when little girls come up to me, thinking I know how to do ponytails.  Yeah, just plug in the vacuum cleaner, and I've got you covered!

Apparently Tony Retrosi knows how to do hair:






Some tips from Coach Casie on competition hair.

January 1992, International Gymnast

"A blonde walks into a bar..."

Well, "flips off of it", more accurately....





Don Eckert:

I know it's a stereotype but in our gym our blondes act like The stereotypical blonde.

Team Birthday!

August 30, 2010

La bascule aux barres asymétriques

Happy Birthday to the Wonderful Iz

Maroney Height

Flexibility Extreme

TOP Flex Testing

The Words You Choose Can be Just as Abusive as Spanking or Yelling

Interesting article from a week ago (hat tip:  Eric Amundson), WaPo:

It’s hard to discipline children. You can’t hit them. Timeouts are not effective. Now, a study out of the University of Pittsburgh says yelling at teens and tweens — particularly when it involves cursing or insults — can be just as harmful as hitting. So what can you do?

Remember that the word “discipline” originally meant to teach, so look for opportunities to coach your child, not just punish him for a misstep.

~~~

There is a difference, of course, between being verbally abusive and using a sharply raised voice. Yelling alone is not always damaging, although the surprise of a sudden change in volume can cause a child to be fearful or anxious. It’s often what is said that is harmful, according to Deborah Sendek, program director for the Center for Effective Discipline (CED).

Read the rest.

The Hard Way To Success - Episode 8 - The Story of Brinn Bevan (GBR)

Drill Setup for the Lead Up into the 2nd Most Hated Skill in the Galaxy

Before the mill circle, there is the single leg shoot through.

The above screen captures from this video shows what inspired me to create the following station setup: 




What was impressed upon me is the gymnast's body shape in the tutorial- full extension through the shoulder girdle to create space for the leg.

I could probably set the blocks lower (for the back leg to go less horizontal and remain more at vertical) and even condition the push-up hold position with one leg on the block and one leg held suspended into the chest, tucked.  The challenge with holding it there is in the planching of the shoulders over the bar.

Having gymnasts simply hold a hollow push-up with a full turtle back extension is a good exercise in itself.

Here's a couple more takes I took while playing with this setup:

Buildup to the Hardest Skill in the Solar System

Previous related post.

Concepts in a Handspring Full

Sunday Funnies

©morland/the times

What did one bean say to the other bean?

The Paper Weight

What goes around, comes around

One of my Hot Shots folded me a paper glider.  (Whether it flies or not, remains untested).

Monday I folded paper gliders for every kid that got to the gym early and asked for one.

I currently have 5 Hot Shots; and every Friday I give them origami at the end of class.

Conventional vs. Unconventional

Hands turned in:

Tatiana Nabieva

Suzanna Harmes still going strong. Photo from AP Photo.

Hands turned out:

Note also how Maroney's arms are straight upon contact with no space between her ears.

She acquired her technique from Gym Max, prior to AOGC.

Gymnastics Coaching posted a slo-mo video of Maroney at World's:



When Wade's Australian friends were in town a couple of years ago, they visited AOGC and chat with Akopyan.  Wade experimented a little bit with the hands turned out (I forgot with which gymnast), with the idea of it opening up the shoulders and chest; but I think was undecided upon the merits of the technique for your generic gymnast. 

 It works for Maroney, of course.

Hollow Rocks, Paper Folding, Scissor Legs

Folded with exquisite neatness by "E" and given to me on 3-23-2013- from some book she got it out of.
 

Happy Girls

The Courage to Take the Journey

THWTS cards at the 2013 World Championships in Antwerp!

"One and Done!"

Swing Big with another guest post by Mike Durante.

Front Handspring Vault Drill

In this week's gymnastics technique video, Marcus Harlin of ECG shows us a front handspring drill he uses with his compulsory group on vault. The gymanst in the beginning of the video is level 5 State Champion Sierra Black who is coached by Marcus at Elite Champion.

"... nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping..."

This is a nice introduction to "wiggles":


I think having the panel mats there is a helpful visual for the gymnast to try and touch with her toes.

Up until recently, I was trying to reserve Saturdays for a fun, uptraining day to give the kids a break from the monotony of their level routine skills (but now we are climbing into season).  Last month, I introduced the level 3s to tap swings:



It's funny and interesting to watch the first girl struggle with the timing of the tap (this might be her first time; and she got better as she went along, even within the course of this one turn that was filmed).  Sometimes I'm sure that making the novice gymnast try and hit those shapes "gets in the way" of "using the Force" and "acting on instinct"- in other words, doing what feels natural.  The following video with Dan Connelly demonstrates the classic, natural approach to having a gymnast feel the tap action through the bottom: