Gym Momentum

Minnesota and Wisconsin High School Workshop

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In order to provide you with the MOST amount of information I will add links to other lectures and articles. Even if I am unable to have the time to answer all your questions there will still be answers below.

VAULT

Success in Vaulting requires the “skills” of an advanced tumbler as well as the “running speed” of a champion sprinter.

Like Beam, Vaulting also has an unforgiving nature. Vault involves one element and the gymnast has precious little, if any, time to make a correction.

So many times it comes down to the run.

run fast, hit the board, shut your eyes.

Goals pre-season.

  • develop a steady accelerating run.
  • consistent board contact
  • maintain straight body through out.
  • Air awareness every day

Goals During season

  • Don’t get hurt

YURCHENCKO VAULTING

A few of my favorite Yurchenko Vaulting Drills

Where to go from the handspring vault? (Notes from a lecture)

Handspring full drill

UNEVEN BARS

Bars is about repetition and combinations. (and repetition OF combinations)

It tends to be the most difficult event because of the strength necessary and that you can’t fake it.

Pre-season goals

  • develop the grip strength necessary to make it through the routine
  • develop core strength
  • develop swing

Teach the dismount first! If they are comfortable with the END of their routine they will be able to concentrate on the skills leading up to it.

Like an airplane pilot performing complex aerial maneuvers, the gymnast should focus intermittently on fixed frames of reference

Developing a Plan for Bars

Pirouettes

Keeping arms straight

Drills for Giants (as I put this in I noticed that some of the YouTube links are bad and need updated. I will work on that.

Front Giants and Blind Changes

overshoot

5 Things every Gymnast needs on Bars

Double flyaway Drill

TUMBLING

Tumbling is where it all begins (or ends). If they cannot do it on floor it is highly unlikely and probably dangerous for them to try it at other events. Most coaches would agree that a gymnasts competency in tumbling serves as the great separator between champions and would be champions.

Body Shaping Drills for Tumbling

Combination Tumbling

Drills for the Leg Kick

Twisting

Developmental Twisting Part 8 (this is the last of an 8 part series. The first 7 have links at the bottom)

BEAM

Beam skills MUST be mastered on the ground, then a line, low beam, medium beam, etc. The more steps you have in your progression the more sound the skill will be. The actor balancing ANYWHERE, let alone on a beam going into or out of a skill is about core strength. A gymnast must maintain the effective weight of the body directly over the base of support.

  • stack the vertebrae
  • strong ankles/feet
  • strong wrists/ hands
  • Focus on the target

Core Strength on Beam

Drills for arms on Jumps and Leaps

Planning workouts during the season

STRENGTH

Strength and Conditioning

Bounding Strength

Strength and Stability

USAG REGION 8 CONGRESS LECTURES

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Thank you all for having me down to your Region. You have a great Region and a great Congress. I felt very welcomed! I hope my lectures were informative and made you think! Hope too see you soon. Please share any photos you took during my lectures so I can prove that I actually worked while I was there!

Special Shout Outs to:

  • Danni B from Thomas for picking me up, taking me out for Sushi and out on her boat!
  • April and Daniel from New Vision for taking me out to a Bosnian Restaurant.
  • Anne Josephson, Always great seeing you! We will go dancing soon!
  • All The USAG National Staff. You all work so Hard!

– Recreational Bars 

– Bridging the gap between Compulsory and Optional Vault (also known as – Optional Drills for your Compulsory Gymnasts) 

– Coaches As Educators (BTW- sorry for making you cry)

– Failure a Prerequisite for Success (part of coaches as educators lecture)

– Bar Plan (lecture slides coming soon. Here is link to article I wrote on it It covers 99% of lecture)

Share your thoughts and comments on the Gym Momentum FB page.

To learn More about US Elite Coaches Association

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Clear Hip and Giant Lecture Notes

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CLEAR HIP CIRCLES AND GIANTS
TONY RETROSI
tony@gymmomentum.com

5 SKILLS EVERY GYMNAST NEEDS TO BE SUCCESSFUL
THE BIG 5
KIP
CAST HANDSTAND
CLEAR HIP HANDSTAND/ Other in bar skill
GIANT
FLYAWAY

Where it all starts
Straight
Hollow
Tight Arch
Arm extension
THE HANDSTAND
Clear Hip Circle

Body Shape Rules
Strong CORE Strength. (What is your Core?)
Ability to Hold Static Shape BEFORE you try to move through it
Work parts independently as well as together
Body weight, the light resistance, increase resistance with out losing shape.
Important Shapes
STRAIGHT
HOLLOW
ARCH

Clear hip/ Toe Hand/ Stalder Drills
Back Hip Circles in a row. Straight Body
Baby clear hip circles in a row. Getting bigger. Maintain Shape
Quick turns on strap bar (too much time bad for wrists)
LOTS and LOTS of Back Extension Rolls
Press Shaping
for Toe Handstand and Stalder
Jump Clearhip/ Toe on
Drills
Jump to toe circle
Double leg jam
seat circles
Basket swings
Down Swing

Clear Hips in a row
Wyler
GIANTS
The “up swing”
Many of the same drills as CLEAR HIPS
REVIEW
Maintain body shape
Opening of Arms
Toes lead the way
Neutral Head Position

DOWN SWING

Tumbling and Twisting Notes

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Front and back tumbling
Tony Retrosi
tony@Gymmomentum.com

Tony’s 10 Commandments for tumbling

1. PLAN. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance
2. Teach the big picture. – Don’t be so technical when they are learning.
3. Patience – not everyone learns at the same pace
4. Teach it right the first time
5. Safety rolls. Learn how to fall. It is going to happen, be prepared

6. Small muscles help big muscles Use all of them! Conditioning for success
7. provide training stations, twisting rules etc. and encourage simple basics. — Then let them explore
8. Same direction twisting front and back
9. Arms lead the way
10. Spotting is a step not a solution

Give the gymnasts an opportunity to fail… and to succeed…
failure is a prerequisite for success. let them know that it is ok.
they can not make a correction without risking failure
the base
all gymnastics starts with tumbling
teach it right the first time
go back a step if the gymnasts gets confused.
– THERE IS NO SHORTCUT.

Try to be very methodical.
Give corrections not observations
be patient

Preparing the Body
Tumbling is equal amounts legs and arms. Your conditioning should reflect that.

What do your legs have to do?
The stomach holds the body together, it is often the “weak link”
Arms need to be straight, need to PUSH, Pulling exercises for balance.

Strength issues
Make the muscle strong. Then train it to be fast.
The use of plyometric conditioning
body shapes

condition FOR SUCCESS
roll back stand (both leg, single leg- progress to roll back jump.)
jump lunges (FRONt AND SIDEWAYS)
step up kicks
leg curls
leg extensions
toe raises

lots of jumping!
jump up and off of mat
bounding jumps
lead into lots of rebounds

Prepare the mind
Common fears
Visualization
Relaxation
teach – muscle memory
break the skill down
teach what each part needs to do
find as many places as possible to do those positions
important body shapes
hollow
arch
side arch (for twisting)
straight
candle stick

handstand
open shoulders
neutral head position
tight body

basic line tumbling
done every day
base for every event
have a plan, what do you want them to get from this?

Split walk 3 sec. square, then flat
Handstand forward roll straddle through
Back and Front limber
back extension roll
3 steps kick front, side, back
kick front, side, back, bwo

alternate front walkover
forward roll tuck, pike, straddle up to hs.
front and side cartwheels
side and front aerials

Progressions
Safety rolls- there is ONLY 1 guarantee, you are going to fall, so be ready.
Forward and backward rolls
Handstands before cartwheels
Front and back limbers
Front and back walkovers before handsprings
the round off- a sideways handspring
Far arm cartwheel
Over stuff
Onto stuff
Uphill
Down hill
aerials!!!

The hurdle
Stretched out skip
Arm position.
I tend to do hurdle front handsprings before round offs
Front HS
Heal drive

Front Tumbling progression
Headspring before Handspring
Handsrping step out before together.
Work Tight Arch
FHS step out- FHS step out- FHS 2 feet rebound
FHS – rebound- bounder (eventually front tuck)

FHS – front tuck/ pike- rebound- bounder
run punch front- rebound- bounder
run punch front- bounder- rebound
run punch front- punch front
FHS- front pike- front

Back tumbling progression
rows of BHS (time these!)
Round off BHS “set”
be willing to spot “set” and layout for good body position
i teach lay out first. then pike/ tuck
make sure they know how to land
Twisting drills

flipping drills
Double back, full in, Arabian double

Vaulting Bridge Notes

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Building a BRIDGE between compulsory and Optional Vaulting

Developing Vault
a bridge from handsprings to optional vaults

Tony Retrosi
Atlantic Gymnastics Training Centers
www.atlanticgym.com

GYM MOMENTUM
www.gymmomentum.com

The Problem
Handspring vault –
The better you get at the compulsory handspring vault the better you get at NOT flipping.

USA Level 3-7
Compulsory Program
FORM AND EXECUTION
REINFORCEMENT OF BASIC SKILLS
GOOD PROGRESSION
LEARN HOW TO COMPETE!!
MONTHLY TUITION!
Good and Bad
GOOD
Run
board position
block (pop)
Landing

BAD
Non flipping
so competitive at compulsory levels it could set you back

Have A Plan
What drills and when?
What drills to continue?
When to introduce new entry?
How much time to spend?
How will the effect their score?

Atlantic Philosophy
Competition is good. You need to know how to WIN and how to lose.
Have the skill level BEFORE you reach that level of competition.
You are either getting better or getting worse. There is no staying the same.

BE VERY CLEAR WITH YOUR REQUIREMENTS
LEVEL 4: HANDSPRING VAULT
LEVEL 5: HANDSPRING OVER TABLE TO STAND ON 2, 8 inch MATS.
LEVEL 6: HANDSPRING OVER TABLE TO STAND ON FAT MAT. TSUK/ YURCHENKO TIMER
LEVEL 7:LEARN A FLIPPING VAULT

LEVEL 9: H.S. FRONT, LAYOUT TSUK OR YURCHENKO-
LEVEL 10: HS front pike, Yurchenko LO full twist
PRE-ELITE MUST HAVE LAYOUT YURCHENKO ready to twist
Elite. Yurchenko 1.5+++

My Dream Compulsory Program
Level 3- Handspring to flat back on fat mat
Level 4- Handspring over table to mat 8 inches higher than table
Level 5- Handspring
Level 6- Vault “timer” to stacked mats.

Tony’s 10 Commandments
Have a Plan
RUN!!!!!!!
Teach Body positions (and relate it to their vault)
Learn to Bounce on the board
Teach them how to land

Teach them how to fall (because it’s going to happen)
Lay the base early for future vaults
Teach them how to flip other places that are easier before they vault
Be clear and be quick with corrections.
LET THEM PLAY

YOUR PLAN
WRITE IT DOWN!
BE FLEXIBLE, every kid, every group will be different.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
GET OTHER COACHES INVOLVED.
DRILLS AT EACH LEVEL. not just skills

6-8 year old
Develop steady accelerating run.
Develop an excellent handspring to stacked mats (with or without table)
Run must accelerate in run up for handspring
Correct board position and under swing
Maintain straight body throughout

8-10 year olds
Keep working Increased power and speed.
Introduce Round off entry vaults.
Learn a flipping vault.
Lots of tramp vault to increase awareness

10-12 year old
Complete Flipping vault.
Further development of second family.
Should be able to flip Yurchenko.

12-14 Year old
As vaults become ready to compete. Continue to work and refine everything prior to table. Run, hurdle, etc.
Tramp on light or off days.
Should have 2 vaults.

14+
Have one VERY strong vault with a second back up from different family.
Level 1-3 Pre Competitive Team
LET THEM RUN!
BOUNCE vs. JUMP
BODY SHAPES
tuck, pike, layout
HANDSTANDS!!!!!!

LEVEL 3
HANDSPRING TO BACK (COMPULSORY VAULT)
SPOTTED FRONT LAYOUT
HANDSPRING OVER FAT MAT
HANDSPRING OVER TABLE TO FAT MAT

FRONT TUCK OFF BOARD TO 8 IN MAT
CARTWHEEL/ ROUNDOFF TO CARPET SQUARE
ROUNDOFF ONTO BOARD REBOUND
ROUNDOFF OVER MAT
FRONT HANDSPRING OFF BOARD
HANDSPRING DRILLS
BOUNCE ON BOARD (front and back)
RUN AND REBOUND ON BOARD (up to 8 in mat)
DIVE ROLL
KICK TO HANDSTAND TO FLAT BACK ON MAT
FRONT AND BACK LIMBERS

CARTWHEELS ON LINE
ROUNDOFF ON LINE
PUSH UP BOUNCES
HANDSTAND SHRUG
LEVEL 4 VAULT, LOW MATS THEN INCREASE HEIGHT

LEVEL 4
HANDSPRING OVER TABLE (compulsory vault)
HANDSPRING POP TO HANDSTAND OVER TABLE
HANDSPRING OVER TABLE TO STACKED MAT

1/4 ON TO STACKED MATS
ROUND OFF OVER PANEL MAT OR TABLE TRAINER
ROUND OFF (TSUK TIMER) OFF BOARD
LEVEL 5
Handspring over table (compulsory vault) to 2, 8 in mats. Continue stacking mats for increased “pop”
Continue with development of different entries.
LEVEL 6/7
HANDSPRING VAULT
HANDSPRING 1/1 TWIST
ALL VAULTS- TIMER TO FAT MAT.

W200 Course Metro South Gymnastics. Canton MA

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I will be teaching a USAG W200 Course at Metro South Gymnastics Academy in Canton, MA

Register through USA-Gymnastics 

This is a live, six-hour, hands-on training course designed for school age, pre-team and Level 1-4 coaches. This is a NEW course developed for pre team, level 1-4 coaches and even school age recreational coaches. Course topics include warm ups, conditioning, lesson planning, hands on spotting and lecture for all Olympic events. This is a great hands on experience of drills and skill progression with instructors demonstrating practical examples of coaching level 1-4 gymnastics.
The W200 Development Coaches Course: HOTD has been developed to:

Enhance the status of beginning level competitive gymnastics programs throughout the United States.
Establish certificate program requirements which will help identify competent pre-team and competitive (Level 1-4) gymnastics coaches.
Provide appropriate skills, drills and techniques for entry level competitive coaches.
Help standardize pre-team and entry level competitive gymnastics teaching throughout the United States.
Provide resources, instructional materials, and assistance at levels 1-4 coaching
Provides Hands on Spotting on all four Olympic Events.
U200 Development Coaches Course: Sports Science (online) is a companion to W200: Development Coaches Course: Hands on Training (HOTD). It is highly recommended that you complete U200 prior to W200. However, it is not a requirement to take U200 first. U200 covers the sports science aspects of coaching this level athlete including nutrition, biomechanics, injury prevention and psychology.
Attendance to the W200 course is eligible for 6 hours of CPE credit.

11/15/2014 3:00 PM Metro South Gymnastics Academy 255 Revere St. Suite A&B , Canton, MA, 02021

Strength and Stability to Help with Tumbling

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Thanks to Thomas Hamblin, Head Coach from  Silver Stars TnT  in Silver Springs, Maryland  for sharing. You can view his blog- TUMBLE TECH. Tom is a former National Champion in power tumbling, trampoline, and acrobatic gymnastics.  As a coach he has national and international level experience. [Read more…]

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