Whack-a-Mole-Gymnast

Staying tight and focused:




This was my favorite ball, until I pumped too much air into it and it exploded.  I guess it's still my favorite, but it leaks air and no longer has its cloth covering.  I think the product is no longer available.  It's a shame because it was a great beach ball that I could attach Velcro to, for other drills.

When deflated at the right amount, the ball really does make a great booming sound when it impacts.

Photo of the Weekend

Laurie Hernandez

Gotta get focused- It's Monday!

Well I guess that's one way to learn focus..
Posted by Stick-It TV on Saturday, January 16, 2016

Hat tip:  Greg Roe Trampoline

Not uncommon practice amongst college teams (although this one is a bit off the charts- lol).


I always liked this video of Mike Chaplin holding the imaginary boom camera:

Hollow Push-Up Beam Crawls while Piggybacking Foam Block

Since we did not have all the beams, I thought I'd kill some time on the two high beams we did have with a little conditioning and concentration game. The Hot Shots loved it so much, we spent 2/3rds of our beam time on it. I figured they were getting stronger working their core and support strength. Since they were enthused about it, why not?

At first, they had trouble; then they started figuring out a certain "cheat"- foam block on the upperback and behind the head. I might have to create a rule on no resting the foam behind the neck; but if it helped them keep their round turtle back, I couldn't really complain.

The Fall Season is Here!

Hat tip:  Gymnasticscoaching.com

Inching Inchworms on Beam

Girls were five minutes early on beam, and we only had one available until the previous rotation ended; so I kept the new fives busy with this:

SIRI the Time Keeper

Idea for Split Jump Arm Placement Check

On leaps and jumps, arms can sometimes go every which way but the pathway most desired.  Here's a drill for split jumps to check arm placement by Cleveland Gymnastics:

Of course you'll also have to take into account the peak height of the gymnast's shoulders when she jumps.  (^_^)

Beam Full Turn Drills

Sunday Funnies

Source

Compulsory beam handstand circuit

10-29-2014

I've used similar handstand circuits like the one below:

Put it on the Beam

I mean, just the pirouette:

Or maybe...

I knew one gymnast from LASG who did one of these pirouettes on the balance beam:

Post by Yekaterina Vladimirovna Ofitserova.

Why!

Original photo by

ROLF VENNENBERND/EPA

Inspired by:  Victory Gymnastics Academy

Beamopoly

I, the #1 beam coach [/sarcasm], somehow got stuck on beam by myself toward the last hour of gym last night; but I was told not to worry by Coach Jenny before she left, saying the girls were playing "Beamopoly" (Fun Friday and all).  "What in the blue blazes is that?!"  I queried:





I think I'm going to have to come up with "Shoots and Bars"; or "Bars and Ladders"; or how about "Bars and Rope"?

Read more »

It Won't Rain All the Time

Erica asked me to make this video for her yesterday, effectively cutting in line, in front of a number of fellow gymnasts who have asked me for a video of their own (this will be Erica's second). She wanted to send it as a present to her best friend Natasha back home in Vermont to express how much she is missed. She directed what to film, and staged herself crying. She should win an Oscar (no, not really). Check out the piece of melted ice hanging from her cheek, like a glob of gelatin.

She requested the much overplayed Evanesence song, "My Immortal"; but I've done it already in a previous video, and am bored by it. It's a great song, but has seen overuse in just about everything. So I went with another sad song (Erica's a sad kid; sweet and beautiful; laughs a lot; but rather sad). I've always liked the melancholy hope in this song. Hope Erica and Tosha approve of it as well.

I thought the lighting over by the beam worked out very well to create a "shadow and light" contrast look. And Erica's self-filming of herself actually didn't turn out that bad. This really is her film.



Erica sometimes speaks of moving back to Vermont, as she goes through her teen angst here in Los Angeles. But she's not allowed to move back....we here, would miss her too much.

Here is the dedication Erica wrote out for Tosha, that was just too long to include on the video:

"Natasha is a dear friend of mine she has supported me in almost everything and scince i am a crosse the united states i have know clue what she is doing if she was ever in danger i cant help her she is better than a friends she is my sister almost and well i found something out the other day and it got me so worried about her but i am trusting he wont have any blode moment and if you do Tosha red thin you know what im talking about and please dont keep things from me i tell you everything and this video was hard to keep from you but i knew you would like it so sweatdreams and hugs and kisses best friends forever i love ya see you soon i hope you enjoy the show and show this to who ever you can tosha"

Um...personally, I think that should be saved as a personal letter; but whatever makes Erica happy. (I'm not going to nit-pick spelling...but don't they teach our kids the value of using periods and other punctuation marks in sentences these days?) *sigh*

Erin's Theme (Level 6 beam routine)

Level 5 Beam (obsolete compulsory)

This was one of my very earliest experiments; maybe my first video: