A cool place for friends and family members of Santa Monica Gymnastics Center to come hang out. So nuke the popcorn in the microwave; Snoopy dance...dance..dance around the room...then pull up a chair, and be prepared to laugh and cry; to feel embarrassed and inspired; and to just sit back, relax and enjoy these music videos.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Quote of the Day
"That's too girlie!" -Nava Lewine, age 7, resistant to learning the level 4 floor routine, because of the dance elements. August 26, 2008
I've focused heavily on tumbling, neglecting some of the other events. In part, it's because primetime at LASG means it's crowded and equipment-swapping and floor navigating is a challenge. I also feel that a lot of these girls just need to get stronger, and tumbling is one of those skills that requires a lot of major muscle groups.
A backhandspring/front handspring/RO-Bhandspring is one of those skills that can be a sort of turning point in a young gymnast's life; same with getting a kip on bars.
Since so many of my advanced girls are once-a-weekers, I'd hate to take two steps forward and one step back, by skipping a week on working it, right when some are on the verge of getting it.
Georgia's one of those, who I think has suffered for it. Certain skills that we don't get around to maintaining, and it all but deteriorates. Tuesday was the first day in ages where her tumbling was consistent. Corynn did her RO BH for the first time Tuesday, without a spot.
I didn't film everyone today, but captured a few; none of them were firsts, though.
Heather and I were both missing Lauren (she mentioned Tuesday that she would be absent; she's the kind of kid who's been raised to thank instructors at the end of class, and call the gym, if she's not coming).
I took advantage of having Emma Totsubo and Alexandra Shamash teach the level 4 floor routine to the Heravi sisters, to bring them "up to speed". Perry also learned some of it, and Akasha actually made it through the whole routine to music.
Emma Shapland's been suffering from anxiety and has missed quite a few workouts. No one knows what's causing it. She tried class Tuesday, but ended up leaving; she made it through, today, sitting out only a couple of times. I spotted her on a few flyaways, then she did one in the pit.
Round-offs are still very weak on all of these girls. Handstand snap-ups are one of those drills that I think we should be doing every week.
Sierra got bumped up this session to pre-team (without consulting me!), after Alejandra asked to move up into Ita's pre-team class. She went from not having any understanding of the mechanics for a backhandspring, to doing one on trampoline, by punching back into it:
Perry just moved up a couple of weeks ago from the previous level class. I used to train her older sister in the same class, at SMGC, before she briefly moved up to team (I believe she had to quit because of scoliosis). Their mom was one of Al's gymnasts in days of yore, and according to Al, was really good.
Today, after a bit of heavy spotting, Perry built up enough confidence to do what she was capable of doing: A round-off backhandspring by herself. A little aggressive approach can go a long way toward succeeding.
She was already bugging me about doing it on the regular floor, but I wouldn't let her because she hasn't done sufficient numbers. The one good thing about her and Nava are they aren't afraid to try. Nava did her RO BH on the floor last week, but she was more off her game today and I would not let her, until she fixed her round-off. Sometimes I forget she's only 7, as she bugs the devil out of me with her one-track requests (think Bart Simpson, asking every few seconds: "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?", and that's Nava) and non-understanding of following assignments and doing progression drills as a means to her ends.
Kaitlin surprised me with her round-off backhandspring. It got better all of a sudden, after being somewhat in a rut since she returned (it's not the first time she's done it by herself, I don't think). Her sister Corynn is very close to it as well. I almost felt like if I just let her experience a few by herself, she'd do what needed to be done to fix it. But there just wasn't enough consistency there that I felt comfortable enough to allow it; although she probably would have been alright (one of the ones in the video, I only touched her after she was making touchdown with her hands).
Spotting is kind of a fine art, making judgment and sometimes split-second calls on just how much support to give them.
Georgia is so inconsistent, she's capable of RO BH's by herself (even on harder surfaces), has been doing them by herself on and off for a year, and I still can't trust her. She's just all over the board on her round-off. She did one today that flew by me, and I had to lean out, with no leverage, my arm far away from my body. I fell to my back hoping she wouldn't still try to do it; but my hand being there probably made her feel it was ok for her to go for it. So lying on my back, I caught her with one arm, suspending her in midair, like a cirque du soleil act. I just held her there for a moment relieved, but also berating her.
