Gym Momentum International Entry
GYM MOMENTUM CAMP- ITALY!!
This year we are taking GYM MOMENTUM CAMP on the road! We will be hosting a camp in Civitavecchia ITALY!
All Level 8- Elite and NCAA are welcome.
Coaches will be bilingual or have a translator. Current Staff Includes:
- Camilla Ugolini, Italian Olympic Coach.
- Marco Massara, Italian Olympic Coach.
- Ryan Dougherty, Italian National Team Coach
- Ambra Buglioni, Italian National Team Coach
- Tony Retrosi (ME!) Italian National Team Coach, Former Swiss National Team Head Coach.
- Jeremy Mosier, Canadian National Team Coach
- Jacobo Giron, USA National Team Coach
- Terin Humphrey, USA National Staff Member, USA Olympian.
- MORE TO COME!
COST per GYMNAST $270 USD. Includes all training. Pizza on Friday, T-shirt and Leotard.
COST per COACH 110 USD. Includes Pizza on Friday, T-shirt. Question and Answer Session with Staff.
AND FOR PARENTS AND SIBLINGS TRAVELING!
- Friday Night Pizza and Prosecco at the gym.
- Saturday BEACH DAY at Tritone Beach Club in Ladispoli. (A private beach club 20 minutes from gym.) Beach chair and umbrella included. They have a restaurant and bar at the club. Picture yourself sipping an Aperol Spritz at the Beach! Transportation included.
- Sunday OLD TOWN CIVITAVECCHIA TOUR.
COST FOR PARENT PROGRAM $150 USD.
HOUSING information will be out soon. There is an Air BnB 2 blocks from the gym.
E-mail me for more information. tretrosi@gymmomentum.com
Other Important Information for our North American Guests.
Civitavecchia is a 45 minute train ride from Rome’s Termini Station. I would plan on arriving a few days early to see the sites in Rome. I am happy to make my recommendations. Then arrive to Civitavecchia on Friday. I am trying to organize housing in a way where you will not need a car.
Lunch for the gymnasts is NOT provided. There is a restaurant and a grocery store across the street from the gym where everyone ate last year. If you would like your daughter to eat at the gymnastics house with the gymnasts who live and train there I can make those arrangements but at this time I am not sure the fee.
USECA-CON June 21-22, 2025
In conjunction with the United States Elite Coaches Association, Magma Gymnastics in Galloway NJ will be the national host gym of USECA-CON, a two day training clinic for COACHES and GYMNASTS!
Competitive gymnasts of all levels will have 8 hours of training in the gym with world renowned coaches. Coaches have all the hands on training PLUS a convention with activities and special events.
This will be a truly unique experience for coaches and gymnasts alike! Train with some of finest coaches in the world who have had trained World and Olympic Champions.
Gymnasts receive a special apparel gift and chances to win more prizes!
Each 8 hour day includes one full meal and special activities in addition to vault, bars, beam, floor, dance, trampoline, conditioning, and awareness drills.
Join the costume gymnastics contest! Name the skill game! Attend informative panels! Dance challenge and so much more!
The newest Magma facility 20,000 square feet currently undergoing even more renovations. Photos of the gym are COMING SOON! The gym is located at Risley Square Unit 500, 319 E Jimmie Leeds Rd, Galloway, NJ, 18 minutes from Atlantic City and near NJ best beaches.
USECA-CON $399
SATURDAY 12pm Registration & Introduction (schedule is tentative and order/events may change)
12:30-1:00 Warmup Stretch
1:00-1:45, 1:45-2:30, 2:30-3:15pm First 3 events, groups by level/age: Floor/Bars/Beam (Coaches lectures upstairs on various topics)
3:30-4:15, 4:15-5, 5:00-5:45pm Second 3 events, Vault/Dance/Trampoline (Coaches Spotting Clinics)
6:00-7:00 DINNER & Panel Q&A Coaches
7:00-7:45 Open Training
7:45-8:00pm Cooldown Closing Comments
SUNDAY 10am Registration & Introduction
10:30-11:00 Warmup Stretch
11-11:45, 11:45-12:30, 12:30-1:15 First 3 events, groups by level/age: Vault/Trampoline/Bars (Coaches spotting clinics)
1:15-2:15 LUNCH & Panel Q&A Gymnasts
2:15-2:30 Light Warm Up.
2:30-3:15, 3:15-4, 4-4:45pm Second 3 events, Floor/Bars Shaping/Beam (Coaches lectures)
4:45-5:15 Costume Games & Challenges (wear costumes that allow you do to gymnastics)
5:15-5:45 Brain or Brawn Conditioning Contests (Prizes)
5:45-6pm Closing Comments Thank You
Staff Includes
Tony Retrosi
John Wojtczuk
John Min
Ashlie Grimes
Craig Tetreault
Brian Sateriale
Dr. Ali Arnold
Nicole Langevin
AND MORE!
On Coaching and My Career
Coaching has been my life for 35+ years. Even before I formally began coaching and was still an athlete, I tried to think like a coach and learn the why I was doing what I was doing. I had a lot of fears and my coaches were pretty busy so I forced myself to understand WHY I was doing something and what needed to be done to change it.
Coaching is a profession that puts an emphasis on relationships and teaching. As I reflect on my career and what I have seen of others I believe that coaching is more than a profession, IT IS A CALLING. A calling with great responsibility and equally great rewards. For me it has been a privilege to coach for as long I have and be associated with the athletes, I have been fortunate to work with.
Today I am concerned about the state of coaching. For many younger coaches coaching has shifted from being transformational to being transactional. The outcome has taken precedence over the process. There too much emphasis on the sizzle, not enough on the substance of sport performance. There are some great young coaches out there who certainly understand this. A few come to mind who are understand the process and continue learning.( Ryan, Andrew, Josh, to name a few). They understand that just because they see it on YouTube it doesn’t necessarily make it correct. They look deeper into the issue to get to the root of the problem.
Look for differences not similarities. Strip away all things that don’t matter and get down to the core issues. What you don’t see may be as important as what you do see!
For me coaching is process. It is a process with strong foundation in pedagogy, after all coaching is teaching. It is supported by science not driven by science. It is forged in experience that is proven and tested in the competitive arena. It is managing complexity and harnessing chaos. The BEST coaches are great teachers. The sport is just the subject.
The coach’s classroom is the field, the track, or in our case the gym. Great coaches are not “know it all” complexifiers, rather they are “learn it all” simplifiers. They understand it is not about marginal gains, it is staying grounded and never straying far from fundamentals. Great coaching is repeating the basics brilliantly each day. It may not be exciting and make a highlight reel, but it will produce results.
Finally, here are some thoughts that will make you a better coach:
- Stay Basic
- Stay Hungry
- Stay Focused
- Focus on the “Can Do”
- Stay Uncomfortable
- Stay You
- Stay Passionate
- Maintain a Child’s Curiosity
Finally take some time to smell the roses (or have a gelato) and appreciate the great calling you have chosen!
Thanking Those Who Took The Time To Teach Me.
Education and knowledge are not things to hold on to. They are meant to be shared like a good book. I have never kept any secrets about technique or drills. I am confident enough to believe that coaching gymnastics is like cooking. Everyone starts with certain ingredients (the gymnasts). Everyone has the same basic appliances (the equipment and mats). Everyone has access to technique. It all comes down to your spices (communication skills) and dedication.
When I first got serious about coaching I am sure I was a pain in the ass to so many people. asking countless questions, asking to watch their training sessions. This was back before the age of YouTube and Instagram or e-mail. You had to actually CALL people on the phone. You had to physically go to their gym. The benefit of going to their gym was you got to see ALL their gymnasts. You got to see them in action. Not just a 30 second drill with their talented athlete. (BEWARE THE YOUTUBE COACH). When I received my membership to the US Elite Coaches Association I went through each article, each drill, each hand drawn technique.
There are many famous (and some infamous) people who I learned from. This is THE OTHER list. The people I learned from along the way who deserve recognition.
Charolette Snyder. My 8th grade math teacher. She believed in me, pushed me, and encouraged me. This is what every teacher should do. After all, aren’t we just teachers?
Manny Acosta. He taught me how to spot. The basics of spotting. What to look for and what to “see” with your hands to give a correction.
Jose Molina. He taught me to be passionate.
Don Tonry. He taught me the science behind the art of gymnastics.
Ray Johnson. He taught me how to talk to a gymnast at their level. To believe in a progression.
Stephanie William (now Retrosi). She taught me balance. I could be enthusiastic and calm.
My first group of gymnasts I bought up to level 10 and Elite. Beth, Molly, Shannon, Kelly, Lexa. You made me push myself. To stay one day ahead of you.
Frank DeFrancesco. You were always available to me and never made me feel bad when I had painted myself into a corner.
Cori Cunningham. I learned patience from you. I cannot want it more than the gymnast does.
Rich Lines. Coaching with you, Everyday was a lesson in Physics and Mechanics.
Denise Edmonds- Thanks for the first job and teaching me to work hard.
and lately Ryan Doherty. I learned that gymnastics can still be fun.
Gym Momentum Camp Awards 2023
The last time we had Gym Momentum Camp on Long Island there was a hurricane and we had to stop camp a day early! This year- torrential rains and some minor flooding on Long Island kept things interesting! The gymnasts coming in from Vermont, which had just survived some terrible storms and floods, thought the weather was “OK”.
Gymnasts from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont as well as Italy and Switzerland were in attendance.
Our camp coaches were:
VAULTING: Jacobo Giron and Vasko Vetzev
UNEVEN BARS: Amanda DePaolo, Rob Wing
BEAM: Elene Pankratova, Cori Cunningham, Camila Ugolini
TUMBLING: John Lavallee, Tony Retrosi
DANCE: Heather McGeehan
80 optional level Gymnasts, level 5-elite, attended from Throughout the North East as well as a team from Italy.
At the end of the camp Excellence Awards were given out at Each Event.
VAULTING:
UNEVEN BARS:
OUR BEAM QUEENS!
DANCE:
TUMBLING:
From Practice to the Podium
From Practice to The Podium. Long term gymnastics success.
When I first started coaching gymnastics I wanted to be a GREAT coach (what ever that meant). Now looking back at what I feel was a reasonably successful career I feel I accomplished many of my goals. More importantly I helped many gymnasts reach their goal. I have seen coaches is small gyms with barely enough equipment have great results and I have seen coaches in gyms so big they almost need their own zip code really do nothing. Where I have seen most coaches fall short is with lack of a plan and failure to follow though.
Even the best plan is going to have mistakes. Whether that plan is for an individual athlete, a group or a team. There also needs to be a set of checks and balances. You are not going to have all the answers or even know what some of the questions are or will be. Here are just a few.
- Who is going to check you?
- Is it the right skill for the right athlete?
- Is it too many or too few competitions?
- When do you need the athletes to peak? When to recover?
- Can the athlete or team handle the training load?
Luckily- not much of what we have done is truly innovative. It’s all been done, Others have paved the path. Written down the basic recipe- all you need to do is add your own spice.
- Where to start your plan?
- What are YOUR goals?
- Do your co-coaches have similar goals?
- What are the goals of the athletes (individually and as a team)?
- Do your athletes buy into your program? Do the parents?
A question NOT often asked is: What is your story? What makes you special? In todays society gymnasts and their families will have many choices they could make. A different gym? A different sport? USAG, NGA, USAIGC, AAU, X-cel, D.O. WHY SHOULD A GYMNAST AND THEIR FAMILY PICK YOU AND YOUR SYSTEM?
There are countless questions you need to ask and answer on your path to success. Here is where to start:
WHY CAN’T YOU DO IT?
When I opened up my gym I had a great coaching staff and I decided that we were going to have a top level program. We were going to have continued success at Level 10 and have some elite gymnasts as well.
We laid out the plan. Hours per week, how long each event, what conditioning needed to get done. We all contributed.
We thought about the competition schedule. When would our first meet be, when would we want the girls to hit their physical peak.
We thought about when we wanted each gymnast to have their highest skill level. When would we start taking skills out of routines and training programs.
For a few decades we stuck with that plan, of course making small adjustments along the way.
How did we end up with a good program. It’s simple. We decided to.
You can too.
If you want to be with a group of people who can answer your questions and probably ask some more- check out GYM MOMENTUM CAMP this summer.
Gym Momentum Camp July 14-16 Long Island, NY
You may call it tempting fate because the last time we hosted a camp there we had a hurricane that forced us to cut camp short by one day. Why are we going back? The organization, energy and enthusiasm of the host club, APEX ATHLETICS, as well as their amazing facility made it an easy decision.
It was impossible for me to do a camp last summer. I had too many international commitments. I am looking forward to going back to Long Island for this camp. I am still working on some of the details but I already have commitments from some great staff. Jacobo Giron, Camila Ugolini, Rob Wing, Amanda DePaola, Vasko Vetzev and of course myself. This is a world class staff in a world class facility. You do NOT want to miss out!
Gym Momentum Training Camp, Bright Raven Gymnastics.
Last year I had to cancel all Gym Momentum Camps. This year I decided to start small and slow and see how it went.
The first camp was held at Bright Raven Gymnastics in Rochester, NY. There were somethings we had hoped to do that was impossible. I had wanted to bring in Steve David but the border with Canada was not open yet. Jamie Donkin and I left early on Friday morning to start the drive. We planned the camp for the next 6 + hours! Helping me on Uneven Bars at camp was AJ Banker from The Victors Gymnastics.
Bright Raven Gymnastics East side location is simply one of the nicest gyms I have ever been in. The gym was big and well appointed. We did a few of our group meetings in their dance room which was a perfect more intimate setting. Everyone at Bright Raven made us feel so welcome. I look forward to going back next year where we will have a more “normal” camp.
There is still space in Gym Momentum Camp August 20-22 on Long Island in NY.
HAPPY COACHES, HAPPY KIDS!
AWARDS
