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Motivation Monday 4/30 Fix the Problem NOT the Blame
The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs to make it into the next round. That means that Gym Momentum Coach STEVE DAVID owes me BEER!
Reading the news the next day from sources in and around Toronto they were all searching for someone to blame. Just this morning someone wrote that the blame fell on their Goalie. This is absolutely CRAZY. Federik Anderson may have been the ONLY reason they took the Bruins to 7 games. The Boston Bruins were a better team and were ranked higher than the Maple Leafs for more than 1/2 the season.
In Gymnastics you are NOT going to win them all. There will always be someone with more talent or someone that has a good day. That should be what fuels your motivation instead of discouraging you. If you work HARDER and SMARTER than your competition- you will have your day! It is a marathon and takes both short and long term plans and goals.
When that day comes and you find your team further down the podium that you want to be- FIX THE PROBLEM. NOT THE BLAME.
The Gymnasts may have gotten crushed on Floor Ex. but before you BLAME the Floor Coach or The Gymnasts, look into the mirror. Look at your plan. Look at the path you have taken to get there. Find the problem and fix it.
It is too easy to blame someone.
At the end of the event, at the end of the competition, give them a high 5, tell them to go get something to eat and get some rest. Then it is time for you to get to work. Come up with your plan to fix the problems that occurred during the competition. Avoid the long lecture to the gymnasts when they screw up. They know they messed up. You pointing it out isn’t going to fix it. They are not going to do anything to fix it until they are back in the gym anyway.
There is more to learn from your mistakes and failures than your success and victories. If you only go to competitions or training camps in your immediate vicinity- you only base your success and failure on the few clubs you see. You need to see the big picture. You need to get out of your comfort zone. You will need to see judges and clubs from your area but also from different areas and different countries. JO Nationals, Easterns and USAIGC World Championships are right around the corner. You may not be able to get there every year, but you should try to see other sessions than the ones you are competing in. It will help give you perspective.
The number one thing that causes gymnasts (and coaches) to be anxious is the FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. A gymnast may HEAR about how great another gymnast or team is. Then they to a training camp or competition and see them there and realize, They Aren’t So Special.
Your gymnast who is the “prima donna” who wins nearly every competition but doesn’t work that hard in the gym has an opportunity to learn a lot at training camps or big competitions because SO MANY PEOPLE WORK HARD.
You need a plan for the gymnast that works hard in practice but blows it in competition. She may need to attend MORE competitions than other gymnasts. She should attend a training camp because she will get comfortable doing new skills out of your gym. She will have another opportunity to show off.
Have a great week. HAPPY MAY!
Gym Momentum Monday Motivation (on a Wednesday). 4/25
Normally I send these out on Monday. But I was traveling and not able to post until today.
We are almost at the end of the JO season in the USA. The Elite Season and USAIGC season are just beginning.
MORE IMPORTANTLY- Game 7 tonight Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs. Gym Momentum Coach STEVE DAVID (who is from Toronto) and I have a bet going on. A six pack of Sam Adams for him if the Leafs win, A six pack of good local Canadian beer, maybe BELLWOODS WIZARD WOLF, if the Bruins win for me!
There are three constants in college gymnastics: elaborate hair, university-logo face crystals, and a scoring system that is abjectly bonkers. While the elite Code of Points prizes difficulty over “perfection”—and thus incentivizes the development of floor routines with 45 tumbling passes—college gymnastics has retained the legendary 10.
In college gymnastics, grade inflation is rampant. While elites seem to be deducted for invisible transgressions—the U.S. squad at the 2016 Olympic trials regularly scored in the 9.2s in execution!—top NCAA athletes all score impossibly high. UCLA’s gymnasts performed 24 routines during the team competition; a mere two of them scored below 9.8. I watch a lot of gymnastics and I am no closer to understanding how we can possibly live in a world in which a 9.8 can be a team’s 22nd-best score.
I understand the purpose and even possible the “need” for the 10.0 in collegiate gymnastics. In general, it would seem like the NCAA’s more straightforward rules—three tumbling passes on floor! Two releases on bars! The 10!—would be a relief. It is great when you see the crowd go crazy and the jubilation of a team when a 10.0 is flashed.
That said, this perfect 10 routine, was never completely perfect. There are slightly flexed feet in a tumbling pass (.05 deduction), and a switch leap legs do not quite hit 180 degrees (another .05 deduction). But in NCAA gymnastics, just as in the classrooms of NCAA institutions, an A- is the equivalent of a C-. Getting a 9.9 for that routine would’ve been considered a grievous insult.
Because routines with major breaks in them pull 9.7s and an exercise with a straight-up face plant can still earn a 9.3, there’s nothing to do with a hit routine but give it the 10, even if it has small errors.
As the popularity of the sport grows so will the knowledge base of the average fan. A fan who will call out the errors.
In the mean time, enjoy the 10s on TV. But don’t let your gymnasts and parents get sucked into that in your gym.
Tony
Gym Momentum Motivation April 16
You could NOT tell that it is spring here in New Hampshire. It’s snowed and iced off and on for the last 2 days. This is CRAZY.
Level 9/10 Regionals in USA and Provincials in Canada were this last weekend. I hope you had a successful weekend. It is a long, stressful weekend and anything can happen. So much is out of your control.
I read a quote this weekend- “Hope is a vampire. Really Hard to kill.” They were specifically talking about the outcome of the Cubs / Braves baseball game. The Cubs couldn’t do ANYTHING right going into the 8th inning. The Cubs trailed by eight runs early but chipped away to a 10-5 deficit entering the eighth. As the wind-chill factor dipped to 25 degrees the Braves imploded and the Cubs Exploded for 9 Runs to win the game.
There is ALWAYS HOPE.
The last time the Boston Bruins Played Toronto in the playoff’s the Bruins were behind 3-1 in their final game. It was not looking good. Until it did. The Bruins scored 4 goals is 11 minutes to win and go onto the next round.
There is ALWAYS HOPE.
At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Paul Hamm fell on Vault (nearly landing on the judges). At that point most people would have just mailed in their last 2 events. He fought through P. Bars and in one of the best olympic moments NAILED his High Bar routine to win Olympic Gold. The first AA Gold medal for a US man in a century (Julius Lenhart 1904 Olympics in St Louis.).
There us ALWAYS HOPE
As coaches we are faced with seemingly impossible odds on a daily basis. You have to be a rock with steady emotions. You have to hold on to hope. How can you expect a gymnast to hold out hope when you don’t?
You put in the time in the gym. You go to all the right competitions. You go to your championship and feel confident and prepared- BUT- Sometimes things are not going to go as you want them to. Don’t give up the fight. There is ALWAYS HOPE. You just never know.
As always I am excited to see my GYM MOMENTUM family. I always pick up so many great ideas from the coaches at camp. My goal is still to learn something every day. Many of the Gym Momentum Training Camp Coaches will be presenting at National Congress and Regional Congresses. Camp may be a great opportunity for you to ask them questions and have then expand on their presentations.
ASK Gym Momentum- Yurchenko Blocking
The question I received last week was on drills for BLOCKING on Yurchenko Vaulting.
Not to over simplify it but it really comes down to SPEED and Angle of impact. Essentially if you have a fast enough entry and hit the table at a good angle- all you have to do is stay tight and the block will happen.
When I am coaching vault I ask:
- Were they fast enough?
- Did they turn over their Round Off quickly?
- Did they get arms open in the Back Handspring?
- Did their feet stay behind?*(see note)
- Were they tight when they contacted the table?
* Very often an inexperienced gymnast will be nervous and snap their feet in their back handspring too soon (trying to flip before they have actually contacted the table). That is why we do many Back handsprings to hand stand.
Some drills I didn’t have time to film but are pretty self explanatory-
- On tumbl trak- Back Handspring to Handstand Rebound in HS (make this a contest- how many times can they bounce in handstand? )
- From small/ medium slow run- Round off to board. Back handspring to mat stack or table TRY TO REBOUND IN HANDSTAND 2 or 3 TIMES.
Have a question for Gym Momentum? ASK Gym Momentum and I may pick your question to video a response to!
tony@gymmomentum.com
IAIGC Clinic in Germany. May 11
Gym Momentum Monday April 2nd
April started here in the North East of the USA with a bit on a windy Easter followed by some snow today.
I am really ready for spring!
We are less than 2 weeks out for Level 9 and 10 Regional Championships in the USA. This time of year I get the most nervous. It is PMS (pre-meet-stress!). We hide it from the athletes as best we can but it leaks into your life. You family and friends may notice it. Your gymnasts most certainly notice it. Make sure you are taking care of your self. You cannot afford to get sick this time of year!
One of the biggest stressors in the gym is trying to keep the gymnasts healthy. It is NOT the time to try to add something to their routines. Every year I see a gymnast in someone’s gym try to upgrade their difficulty this time of year and then they get hurt. Missing being able to compete at Regionals and their chance at Easterns/ Westerns or Nationals. They may not even get hurt on the NEW skill. Training is cumulative. It is the stress, impact and repetitions of the entire season. Every gymnast is going to reach their breaking point physically and emotionally. You want to see them get to the end of the season with a little bit of gas in the tank.
I had an opportunity to speak to one of my former gymnasts on Saturday. A women who I had had when I first opened up my gym 20 + years ago. We joked and laughed but all I could think about was HOW MUCH SHE TAUGHT ME and HOW MUCH I HAVE LEARNED IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. If I had coached every subsequent generation of athletes the way I coached them I would probably be out of business and had a bunch of injured athletes around. Of course I thought I had all the answers. I trained hard and with a purpose but with out the experience. I made mistakes and learned from them. I went to training camps and spent time in other peoples gyms learning from their success and mistakes.
When I put together the staff for Gym Momentum Camp I find coaches with the knowledge, passion and experience. We want visiting coaches and gymnasts to learn from our successes and failures. It really is the only way to improve yourself. This day and age, anyone with an iPhone and a youtube account can record something and call themselves an expert. There is a lot of junk out their right now. Like the lessons that I have learned – just because I taught it once – that doesn’t make me an expert and that doesn’t mean everyone will learn it the same way.
Other News:
Last week on “ASK GYM MOMENTUM” I was asked a question on Conditioning for uneven bars. Here is the link to the answer.
I was able to meet up with Nick Ruddock for breakfast. We had a great time talking technique and philosophy. We will be collaborating on some projects in the future. We are trying to do a Podcast in May when we will both be in Germany.
USAG had it’s first Board of Directors meeting last Wednesday. Some of you e-mail me your concerns and thoughts. I sent these on to members of the BoD. At this point I have not heard the outcome of the meeting. I will send out an e-mail as soon as I hear.
Train safe, Train Smart
Tony
Gym Momentum Training Camp Brochure to distribute to parents and athletes
GYM MOMENTUM TRAINING CAMP IMPORTANT FORMS
GYM MOMENTUM TRAINING CAMP ENTRY 2018
gym-momentum-t-shirt-size-form (Every gymnast and coach gets a T-shirt)
Ask Gym Momentum- Conditioning Exercises For Bars
Uneven Bars is possibly the most challenging event. It is different that the other events for girls. A Cartwheel learned on Floor Ex transitions to a Round off and aerial. The can be used at Floor, Vault and Beam. Bars is just different and takes, obviously, a great deal of upper body strength.
My general rules for conditioning:
- Tell the girls what they are conditioning for so that they understand the connection.
- Strength the Shape
- Move through the Shape
- Add Speed as they move through
- Teach them the skill that the shape is for.
- ALWAYS monitor conditioning.
- Have strength related goals
- Have Strength related prerequisites (for example- 8 pull ups before they can giant.)
The Core Strength you are doing for other events is probably sufficient for bars.
Bars takes grips strength and endurance. Rope climb is pretty great at this. Think, 12- 15 skills in an optional bar routine. They should be able to do 12-15 pulls with each arm on the rope. Strengthen the handstand, the handstand shape as well as moving IN and OUT of a handstands. The strength from 1/2 leg lifts will give them the strength needed to hold feet up after skills on low bar.
I feel Press Handstands are very necessary to be a good bar worker. A gymnast needs to be able to lift their body upside down to a handstand on every circling skill.
Spot MILLIONS of cast handstands. There is no way around this. Sorry.
This is only a small list. I hope it helps!
Have a Question?
ASK GYM MOMENTUM. tony@gymmomentum.com
Meeting of the Minds. Nick Ruddock
Yesterday I had the honor and opportunity to have breakfast with Nick Ruddock while he was in Boston for about 36 hours. He and I travel and coach in the same circles internationally but this was the FIRST TIME we have actually been in the same place!
We shared philosophy, information and stories. We will be getting together next month when we will both be in Germany. We are trying to set up time to record a podcast. STAY TUNED