Jenga Fun Warm-Up

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Making a correction

When taking turns, I try to have young gymnasts focus on just one or two aspects of the skill. Sometimes I give feedback, right after they have a go; then when their turn is coming up again, I ask them, "What are you going to fix?"; because if I don't, sometimes they just mindlessly take their turn without focusing on making a specific correction.

So tonight with the level 3s on tumble trak, I ask Summer, "What are you focusing on fixing?"

Summer: "I'm focusing on not farting."

Apparently during the previous round, she had "stepped on a frog" while waiting in line, causing a smelly ruckus amongst her teammates.

Drill for setting in front tumbling

Wade Petersen had introduced me to this drill for front tumbling, at my old gym:

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Improvising Wrist Supports

I wonder if he tried it again

Why do I keep watching this over and over and not feel guilty?

Circling and Kipping Trainers

Of course, hand-spotting for shape-corrections and manipulating positioning is often desirable.  But trainer/spotting devices also have their uses.


Primitive method of a front and back circle trainer:

Another variation by Peter Soul of Integrity Gymnastics in Ohio.

I filmed this one at Aerials Gymnastics during the Bar Boot Camp clinic.  This was welded together by Tom Forster:

The divider placement between the legs is a great idea.


Some clips of the last year taken at my current gym of various aids:

Now here's what I'm excited about that inspired me to piece together this blogpost:

Credit is given to Alison Fowler of Wildcard Gymnastics for the idea of replacing the old school rope method with the ever-versatile theraband.

A couple of things I am liking about this:

1)  The theraband is probably less abrasive on the skin than unpadded rope

2)  Being elastic, the beginning gymnast cannot totally slack off, but must still work her muscles to hold her body to the bar, or she will fall away from it.

3) Even if the beginning gymnast completely lacks in physical strength- or especially if she does- she must exercise her arm strength to get back into front support; those more advanced can work on shape and technique.

I haven't tested it out yet, but I'll do so tomorrow:  Seeing whether or not having the level 3s cast into hollow shape with the theraband wrapped on helps to condition them  with proper resistance (the restriction the theraband places  on cast height isn't that critical since there isn't a cast height requirement at level 3- just shape).

I have one pre-team kid who is just so physically weak but who so wants to become a gymnast- I think the theraband circle trainer was a great aid to her.  She was kept on the bar for a longer spell than she's used to, got to experience some circling, and had a great upper-body workout just to stay on or get back on.  Meanwhile, my arms were not killing me.  For those like her, I'm not worried about bad shaping and muscle-memory habits by allowing them to play with this.  She needs the general fitness, first and foremost; and the sense of fun and accomplishment.


Some example of kip trainers on the market:
Hip Kip Trainer
The New Kip Trainer Video

It gets easier when you go after the hard

Earned Bliss

".......like a girl."

This ad played during Super Bowl Sunday:

Video description:

For young girls, confidence plummets during puberty and many never fully recover. Always is on an epic battle to end that by changing the meaning of the phrase #LikeAGirl from an insult to mean downright amazing things. It’s inspiring to us, knowing that our original film started to change perceptions. But that’s not enough. We need to reach more girls, women, boys and men—to spread the word big time.

Super Bowl XLIX is the perfect platform, allowing us to reach more than 100 million people, and to ask them to join our cause. Together, we can all empower our young girls, and change the meaning of #LikeAGirl to be the ultimate compliment.

At first I thought they could have used a girl who could actually throw good punches; or have great running form, if they wanted to make their point.  But then it occurred to me that, untrained, the girl throwing punches, throwing a ball, etc. doesn't move any less athletically than any untrained boy, of equal experience.

I never use terms like "girl push-ups".  What is that, when many of my girls can do more push-ups and more chin-ups than most boys their age?  We always say, "Run like a gymnast'; or "Run like a sprinter."

But I do occasionally rib and joke "That's pretty good....for a girl." Just to get a rise and reaction out of my kids.  Because I know they aren't going to take that kind of flak.  They're athletes.

I do think some people go overboard with this social science stuff, though, blurring natural distinctions between genders; where something like using a phrase like "gymnastics princess" is taken as negative and harmful; and phrases like "Mr." and "Ms." are disbanded.


Anyone care to vault "like a girl"?  Watch the comparison.

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