Coach Sideshow Energy and Enthusiasm

There's been at least one occasion where I honestly did the snoopy dance around the gym out of unbridled enthusiasm for a gymnast's performance; and there's been another time where I  spent months of time and care in fixing a level 7's layout flyaway, that when the fruits of labor finally revealed itself, I broke down on one knee and Tebowed.

Justin Leary's video is brilliant:



 I should do that one of these days for kicks.  The girls love it when you do some of their floor dance. 

Now if that were only done at a real meet...especially that kind of energy and excitement at a level 3 or 4 meet.

I promised our optional team that if they raised a certain amount of money each for our pit fund,  that our head coach would do each of their floor routines (he hadn't agreed to this and fortunately for both of us, the lofty goal was not met).

Reminds me of this:

Our level 6's hit beam team at a meet (all of them stuck and pulled 9.3's to 9.6's) and we promised to get up and do the beam routine ourselves. Heather and I replaced the BWO with a cartwheel and Zac replaced it with a handstand. The girls coached us, timed us, and judged us :)

McKayla Maroney is Impressed

At this point?  My advice to Ms. Maroney:  Laugh with them (which she appears to be doing).  And if you won't join in with them....then beat them at their own game:

What could be more exciting than...

Forget your XBOX 360 and Nintendos...all you need is this classic game for video entertainment:

Every Sunday, you can become a couch potato and watch endless hours and hours of this (and maybe even catch the grass green growing at the same time):

The only thing perhaps more exciting would be if you are lucky enough to flip through channels and catch fly-fishing on the tube.


It's not the big skills...it's the simple joys in life of doing your best and having fun at it that matter:

Before "Stick It"....before "Make it or Break it"...before McKenna an American Girl...before "American Anthem"....there was the world's greatest movie ever made:

McKayla impressed with not being impressed:

What do you suppose McKayla thinks of origami?

#1 rule in life:  Always keep your sense of humor!

Political Gymnastics

"Wasn't it thrilling when the U.S. Women's team took home the gold in gymnastics? A group of American teenagers getting a higher score than Chinese kids? That never happens." 

–Jay Leno 

America's New Golden Girl!

"She's...energetic; she's caring, she's compassionate...you know, if I didn't know her, I'd want to meet her."

-Natalie Hawkins (Gabby's mom)

Gabby Douglas of the United States competes on the uneven bars Thursday during the women's gymnastics individual all-around final. Douglas won gold, joining Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin as the only Americans to win the sport's most prestigious event.

Ronald Martinez / GETTY IMAGES

America take note: Your new golden girl! Hoping young kids all across America are watching and wanting to become the next generation of "flying squirrels".

"How do you not bust your head?"

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