"May Everything Change and Stay..."

May, like Erica, is another one of those gymnasts that we "inherited" from another gym. And like Erica (both of them level 6's), she suffered from a loss of confidence/mental block in a basic skill. Back tumbling was something she struggled with for the past year that we had her.

I would say most of the girls we currently have, to some degree or another, have fear issues that are magnified out of proportion; and they have not developed the mental and emotional tools needed in exorcising unreasonable fear, as soon as it begins to metasticize. Proper preparation and confidence is everything.

Because I don't work with team very often, I never really got to know May all that well. But I always liked her. She's definitely made me laugh- even when I've wanted to strangle the team girls for being goofballs.
This past Friday was May's last day (for now, anway). For whatever reason, she kept quiet about it. For good or bad, her parents made the decision for her. I wish her all the best of luck in her future endeavors. I hope she takes with her, the good memories of her time spent in the gym. I hadn't captured much video footage of her; but since Erica let slip and clued me into the possibility of May quiting, I crammed in some filming of her on the last day. I had just enough footage to put together this video, which I hope she'll like. It's not her at her best- both gymnastically, and personality-wise. But I think the video turned out alright.

Despite her ongoing struggles with her personal demons, she loved gymnastics; and I think gymnastics was good for her. From my own experience, I think it keeps most kids out of trouble, and is a positive atmosphere to be in, whether you are training to be a world class gymnast or not. Instead of being out and about in the evenings, these young kids are in the gym for 3 hours, developing themselves into better athletes; and hopefully into better human beings.


SMGC loves you May!

Summer Vacation 2005 Revisited

Seeing as how summer break is right around the next corner, I thought I'd go back and edit another video together. This one was a quick one (short song). I took quite a lot of footage last summer. I was into my camera and video-making (still am, really) and in a way, it's too much footage to sift through. It's a lot of work. So anyway, I squeezed out a new video from some of the footage I've not yet used (and a few good ones that have been seen in previous videos, but were too good not to recycle for this song). Hopefull it will get some of you excited about enrolling your kids in summercamp this year.

Last year was the first year I really signed up to work camp, and had only substituted the previous year. I had a lot of fun, so I am back again this year for some more!



This is another video that I currently have set to "private"; so read the instructions down below for the Overnight video, if you wish to view. I may update it later, to make it public. But for now....

Overnight 2006

The kids had their overnight this past Saturday, June 10th.

I actually didn't do all that much filming, compared to last year. And much of the images I did capture were of those who kind of hung around me. Once the kids get me to start on origami in the party room, I have no idea what's going on anywhere else in the gym, until it's time to leave (in this case, 4am). So I apologize if the video is narrow in presenting a broader balance of all who participated. There was a lot going on, and I did try and take pictures of everyone who was there; unfortunately, 3/4's of my photos came out too blurry to publish. But the best of the batch, you will find in a flickr album.

Currently, I have this video set on private, so if you wish to view it, you will need to register a free account at YouTube, then have me add you as a friend. I've done this to some of my other videos, so that they are enjoyed only by friends and family members- people I know. Just e-mail me, or leave a comment-request here.

Catalina Ponor

I really haven't followed gymnastics at all, beyond what goes on in my gym. After I retired, I just lost interest in following and keeping tabs on the latest sensations, more or less. If you asked me what Americans were on the team in the last Olympics, you'd have me stumped. Let alone, asking me who the top gymnasts in the States and in the world are, currently.

While browsing around, I did discover Catalina Ponor, through this video.

Only Time (Will Give Us Our Round-Off Backhandsprings)

Between the months of March thru April, we had about 8 or 9 girls in intermediates get their round-off backhandsprings on the platform/resi pit; and a few have since been doing it on the floor.

This video is of the intermediate level gymnasts, sifting through footage dating back to April of 2005. Most of the clips, though, are of the more recent group of intermediates, charting a small part of their march to success.

Ludmila Tourischeva's at 1975 World Championships

Check out her zen-like composure at the end of her bar routine: