Shape the Jump

Sunday Funnies

[Not] Stretching the Truth

In light of an apparent recent study supporting older studies (Hat tip:  JAG), here's a reprint of something I posted on my "hidden" blog (set up for my old gym, moreso than for the general public) over 2 years ago:


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Fun Friday: 3-Person Team Cheesy Mat Race

Sound Buttons for Gymnastics Conditioning, Contests, Games

I wanted to find recordable sound buttons, but from what I had read, the volume on the speakers weren't that great.  Similarly, the Staples Easy Button also was low volume and would be all but inaudible in a noisy gym.

I acquired these buttons at Lakeshore Learning Center and they are pretty fun. Here are just a few uses I played around with.

You can definitely make it into a conditioning game. For example: Timed push-ups (say, 30 seconds).

- 1 point for touching the button at the bottom
- 1 point for touching the button at the top of the push-up
- Minus 2 points for any wriggling of the body

For the planching push-up challenge, award progressively higher points for each button, with the one furthest out (forcing a stronger lean) being valued with the most points.

Bungee bar candle levers

Finding body alignment on the foam rollers

All sorts of creative uses for foam rollers beyond the original intent.


Here's one:

Stinky Roundoffs

Our level 5s who just got done with compulsory season are going to try and jump right into the optional season as new 7s.  They aren't entirely ready and are still acquiring skills (*cough*giants*cough*); but they've definitely come a long way in a short time.

Last Saturday one of their return stations was round-off slams.  We once worked with putting a whoopie cushion up as a target a long time ago.  Decided to pull it back out and use it (I bought three of these, with two still functional).

I think the rec parents in the bleachers were greatly entertained.

Sunday Funnies

Respect

Kate's beam routine at the 2016 Bravo Classic.
Posted by Lynn E. Foster on Saturday, January 16, 2016

Gymnastics Center of Hershey: Where Character Counts

There are two stories at play in this post:  One is in regards to level 7 hopeful Renata- a gymnast who moved out here, briefly trained at another gym; and who eventually settled with us a few months ago.  The other story I'd like to relay is a shoutout to the Gymnastics Center of Hershey in Pennsylvania.

Our gym was at Lady Luck over the weekend.  Given we only had one level 7 entrant, I was not needed to work the session; so conveniently showed up at leisure to lend morale support.  I missed first rotation- vault (apparently it went well, as she scored a 9.325 and earned herself a 2nd place finish).

Renata had been struggling with bar giants.  For months.  She could do them well enough on strap bar.  But on the regular rail?  Fergetaboutit.

 Months wore down to weeks away from her first level 7 competition in Vegas.  Weeks wittled into days, and still no giants- perhaps 4-6 makes up until the last week before showtime.

She hit a couple of giants 7 days before the Lady Luck meet.  A couple more over the weekend.  Then the week of the meet, beginning last Monday and her final practice on Wednesday, she finally began making around 30% of her giants.

When I walked into the competition site Friday morning, she was on her 2nd rotation- bars, and did not miss a single giant attempt during warm-ups, as far as I noticed.

As she prepared for her competition routine, I was handed her cameraphone to film.  Since I also wanted to film her routine with my phone, I held both phones in both hands.  Renata being our only level 7, we shared the rotation with another team from the Gymnastics Center of Hershey.  One of their gymnasts noticed me holding both cameras and kindly offered to hold one of them and film.  I felt much obliged to her.

As Renata went through her bar routine, the girls from Hershey Pennsylvania were all cheering for her.  Such sportsmanship certainly isn't a rarity- but I was still impressed as they cheered pretty vigorously- as vigorously as many teams cheer for their own teammates.

Renata hit the best level 7 routine she's done thus far (even her low bar clear hip had some life) and nailed her one giant in the routine.  4th place with a 9.250 which isn't too shabby for someone who didn't have giants 8 days ago, let alone any consistency before the big day.

Success on vault and bars was followed by disaster on beam.  I'm glad I filmed it, because as emotionally embarrassing and painful as it may have seemed to Renata at the time with 3 falls, it really deserves a place of honor in her video scrapbook as a blooper hallmark when she fell on her mount.  Life should always be taken with humor; and Renata was able to laugh about it, later on in the day.

During the beam routine, the Hershey gymnasts invested themselves in Renata's performance, cheering very loudly their support.  It wasn't just a token gesture- they watched with interest from beginning to end.  They cheered for her by name.  They displayed the exact kind of sportsmanship and conduct that I wish to cultivate within my own gym.  It is not easy for many gymnasts to compete as a lone member of their team; and these gymnasts gave Renata the support she needed in the absence of her own teammates.  For that my coworkers, Renata, and myself are entirely grateful to the coaches and gymnasts of the Gymnastics Center of Hershey.  They are not only building strong athletes but building strong people of moral fiber and character.  My deepest admiration for their program.

Sunday Funnies

Shocker and Revelation of the Day

The following was relayed to me by my coworker during our level 3 session at Lady Luck in Vegas:

Annabella, Taryn, and Danielle G.- first gymnastics meet ever- upon watching some of the other teams: "THESE GIRLS HAVE THE SAME ROUTINES AS US!"

New level 3s, folks. Still a little wet behind the ears; but a wee bit less so, after today.

Pac-man hollow arches

There are some other ideas for this I hadn't filmed, yet.

I wish my current gym had rainbows (half doughnuts).  I had filmed a couple of creative drills at my old gym using these; but I no longer have those vids.

Time is not an infinite well

Anne Josephson:

What if this was your last day in the gym?

If you are a gymnast: your last tumbling pass? Your final routine?

If you are a coach: your final day calling your athletes in to practice? Giving your last correction or compliment?

If you are a parent: watching your child’s final routine? Saying goodbye to the other parents, your child’s coaches or the front desk staff?

What would you do differently?

Am I being morbid? Maybe. But that’s not my intent.

After reading an excellent op-ed piece in the New York Times, “To be Happier, Start Thinking More About Your Death” I started to think about the author’s idea: “Without consciousness, we mindlessly blow the present moment on low-value activities.”

We complain. About the conditioning assignment, the lack of effort of an athlete or the amount of time the coach spent with one child in favor of ours.

We gossip. About our teammates, our coworkers, the gym management or other parents.

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Live and breath every moment.  The last one will inevitably come, often without warning.

Sunday Funnies

International Gymnast magazine Dec 1990

Safety Slams

What Parents are Really Paying for

I've seen this linked by multiple sources- Why I don't pay for dance and gymnastics:

The other night someone asked me "Why do you pay so much money for your girls to dance?" Well I have a confession to make, I don't pay for dance. Personally, I couldn't care less about dance. I grew up in a family of 4 boys and no girls. The "Nutcracker" was something you did on a dare off of the high dive at the pool or something you unpleasantly surprised your brother with. Up until the day I met my wife if I were asked to go to Swan Lake I would have asked if we were water skiing or fishing. So if I am not paying for dance what am I paying for? I pay for those moments when my daughters become so tired they want to quit but don't. I pay for those days when my daughters come home from school and are "too tired" to go dance but go anyway. I pay for my daughters to learn to be graceful. I pay for my daughters to learn to take care of their body. I pay for my daughters to learn to work with others and to be good team mates. I pay for my daughters to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that part they hoped for, but still have to work hard at the part that they received. I pay for my daughters learn to make and accomplish goals. I pay for my daughters to learn that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create something beautiful, and that success does not happen over night.

Read the rest at the link.

Also blogging:
GymnasticsCoaching.com

Well.....Duh?

More recess and play helps to improve productivity:

But ask the adults and they'll tell you it's because Eagle Mountain is part of a project in which the school day is modeled after the Finnish school system, which consistently scores at or near the top in international education rankings. The project's designer is Texas Christian University kinesiologist Debbie Rhea.
"I went over there to find out where they've come in the last 20 to 25 years. Yes, their test scores are good, but they are also healthy in many regards," she says.
The biggest difference Rhea noticed was that students in Finland get much more recess than American kids do. "So, I came back with the idea to bring recess back to the schools. Not just one recess, but multiple recesses."

Read (or listen) at NPR.

Sunday Funnies

International Gymnast, June 1988

"Coach is Coming!"

We had a makeup practice New Year's Eve (for those still in town over this holiday weekend).  When the 3s and 3/4s arrived, we ended preteam practice with a couple of games.

Most of the girls were new to this game (or at least this version of it):

 This is my version of "Ships & Sailors"/"Captain's Coming". I substituted and added in a number of commands that are specific to our sport. I wish I could have gotten through all the commands as example, but I was really rusty, as we don't get to play this that often and it's been a while.  I can't remember when I thought this up.


I must have hit the stop button by mistake on my camera at 6 minutes in; fortunately Lindsey's mom was filming from the peanut gallery. Poor level 3/4 Mischa was cracking me up at the end. I suppose this was like a 9 minute workout.

Another means of elimination-- Get super picky. So if "Coach is coming = standing at attention like a proper gymnast", eliminate 'em if their heels are apart, not standing with good posture, not looking straight ahead, etc.- if they so much as have an eyebrow out of place.





If it's "grandma in a rocking chair", announce that you're going to knock off the gymnast with the least correct form and shape.

Here's a list of commands I wrote out 2 years ago (needs updating):


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