Gym Momentum

Gymnastics Clubs in the USA- Where Do We Go From Here?

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Where Do We Go From Here?

Today, for the first day in over a week,   I was able to run on the treadmill at my local Planet Fitness and not see Larry Nassar’s face on any of the 16 TV’s. I am hoping that after his sentencing last week the media will be able to move on from this tragedy. What he did was terrible. The question many of us in the gymnastics industry ask is- WILL USA GYMNASTICS be able to recover? If they cannot or if as a club you decide to end your affiliation with USAG, WHAT DO YOU DO?

On social media there have been many people and groups calling for the decertification by the USOC of USA Gymnastics. If The USOC decides to decertify USAG all that means is that USAG will NOT be determining the Olympic Team. USAG can still run the JO and Excel Program. They can still run educational workshops, congresses and conferences. BUT- if USAG does get decertified by the USOC, they may have lost the confidence of the American public and they will probably cease to exist.

What would our gyms do  then? We would continue doing what we do. Teaching gymnastics. We would associate ourselves with a different association.  I met this with with the President of the USAIGC to learn about their program and for my gym The USAIGC seems to be our best alternative.

Day to Day in our gyms- nothing changes. For our teams- they will continue to go to competitions and continue to be AMAZING. Instead of being the USAG State, Regional or National Champion- they may be going to  USAIGC or AAU or some other leagues  State, Regional or National Champion. (BTW- USAIGC Also has an International division!).

There have been other groups and individuals which have been exploring the possibilities of starting a new organization. I sure have had some interesting phone calls and e-mails! I certainly would like to find out more about these. Competition is a good thing. Viable alternatives will force each organization to try to be better than the next. To let coaches and club owners feel a part of something great. To be a transparent organization that encourages participation and makes  athlete safety a priority.

USA Gymnastics is facing some difficult times ahead. The reality is that they may not survive in their current form. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ARE GOING ANYWHERE. There will just be some major changes.  I believe that USA Gymnastics had a strong foundation but grew too quickly and did not adapt to the times and was not able to implement the necessary changes and protections.
They are working hard at fixing this. They have hired a new president and will be replacing most if not all of the Board of Directors.

The National Team Training Center at The Ranch has been closed. Now, one Central Florida neighborhood is looking to be USA Gymnastics’ new home. Lake Nona is already home to several sports-centric complexes, including the United States Tennis Association. Tavistock Development Corp. wants USA Gymnastics to consider its sports and performance district as a place to get a fresh start.

There have been offers by private clubs to host the National Team in the interim until a permanent facility is built (WOGA in Texas and Aerial Gymnastics Club in Illinois). I have even heard a rumor about a private group of investors looking to build a training center and NOT associate it immediately with USAG until they see where things are headed. Possibly associating itself with a coaches group who would act as landlords leasing the facility to USAG or whatever organization comes next.

Some horrible individuals caused such pain in our sport – that should never be forgiven or forgotten. Lets not forget that there are so many wonderful coaches out there. Coaches who are role models, mentors and teach WAY MORE than just gymnastics.

 

 

Can USA Gymnastics Survive? 

USECA Letter on Closing of The Ranch

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MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN, Tony Retrosi

As a gym owner and industry leader, I have had numerous contacts from many of you expressing your frustration with USA Gymnastics. We are all more than a little shocked by recent revelations. It seems like each day another piece of bad news drops.

By no means am I a USA Gymnastics apologist or defender. I am just as frustrated and angry. I want to find solutions—to be the voice of fellow coaches within the industry. Attending the USA Gymnastics advisory board meetings gives me no additional information. I am just urging you to not get caught up in the social media storm. Don’t stir the pot without suggesting any real viable solutions. This is irresponsible and adds fuel to the already intense fire.

USA Gymnastics has a long way to go to fix some of these issues. They have started but it will be a long process. The biggest comment I am hearing is—Is it time for the National Team Training Center at Karolyi’s Ranch to close? Yes! It is tough to think what has happened there and that some of our athletes have to return for training camps. The information I can share is USAG is working on a plan for the new training center. In August they had 5 parties interested in working with USAG to build a new training center. It is unfortunate this process takes time to close up shop and move to a world class facility capable of housing the all disciplines, both athletes and coaches and still provide all the necessary safety measures. No location place that meets those needs immediately has been mentioned, Some have mentioned the USOTC in Colorado Springs as an alternative—good idea but it can barely handle the training schedule required for the men. I am an East Coast guy. I do not know any camps out West. I know that the bigger camps in the East COULD handle the necessary arrangements almost immediately. This would be a TEMPORARY fix until USAG settles on a permanent facility.

Some coaches who attend numerous camps at The Ranch do not like the idea of being anywhere else—and some hate every minute that they must be there. As frustrating as this is, I want to believe USA Gymnastics will find a suitable location with no past history.

The USA needs a world class training facility where coaches and gymnasts can learn and train with minimal distractions—a National Team Training Center where our National Teams in all disciplines can train on a regular basis and where we can develop the talent of our up and coming coaches as well.

We need USA Gymnastics University to be both a brick-and-mortar University (at the National Team Training Center) and an online source as well. We need the best and brightest to be teaching at national, regional and state congresses and conferences. I personally would like a university where gymnastics professionals can go and learn from the best and one to where the best can go and share their ideas and drills with each other.

This university and training center must be a safe place for all participants.
The funding involved in doing this would be astronomical, however, we MUST move forward at all costs and anything worthwhile starts with a dream.

It has been a while since I was able to say I was proud to be a member of USA Gymnastics.They have lost the confidence of some and many will need to search for a reason to be proud of the organization once again.

Please remember many staff in the office at USAG work long and hard hours keeping gymnastics running in the USA. They are not the faces in the news, they are not the “hard decisions” makers. They are people entering sanction information and USAG numbers—the people scheduling educational courses and workshops. The program decisions are made by the hundreds of volunteers, the State and Regional Chairmen who give their time to our industry. It has been a while since we have been REALLY proud of our governing body but we show up to our gyms each day and do our jobs. For many of the people in the USAG office, it is the same.

There are no easy answers or decisions—real change will take time. Otherwise we become the pendulum that just swings back and forth.

The USECA started by making a difference in the late 1970’s with our elite gymnastics women’s program. We served as a guiding force for what was best for our international and national athletes and coaches—we were an organization set up by coaches. While some have now gone on to the ownership ranks or even retired, we must remain diligent and strong in our belief in our athletes.

As an organization, we are calling on USA Gymnastics to permanently close the Ranch to athletes and coaches representing our sport in all disciplines. We also implore USA Gymnastics to secure immediately, facilities that will allow our athletes, of all disciplines, to continue to train in a safe environment. We owe this to our USA athletes and our children.

In closing, I would like to start a dialog here on social media for all to read, give your input, your concerns and your solutions. Thank you!

Tony Retrosi, Chairman
US Elite Coaches Association

Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely is the best known quotation of the 19th century British politician Lord Acton. He borrowed the idea from several other writers who had previously expressed the same thought in different words.

I remember a conversation I had with Doc Massimo decades ago where he spoke about the importance of getting the gymnasts involved in the decisions in the gym. A good coach should be a facilitator and a leader. Not a dictator.

As a coach I am sure you are proud of your team of gymnasts and coaches (or at least you should be!). You have put in countless hours at clinics and training camps to get to where you are. Those fortunate enough to be in the “Head Coach” position should ask themselves a
simple question that will make them look at their team differently:

“Are the gymnasts and coaches in my program proud of their roles, and the club?” 

If you cannot answer immediately, YES, then there is work to be done.

Steven Goldstein points out in INC magazine that it all comes down to CULTURE.

I have worked with many leaders whose teams were fundamentally dispassionate and it affected both their behavior and their performance. This culture affects everyone, regardless of the role. Creating the right culture is a great way to keep your people and guaranteeing you deliver consistent, strong results.

I have used and seen the following three techniques really produce great results:
1. Recognize achievements regularly.
2. Enable them to make decisions.
3. Offer skill development opportunities and resources. (Through Training Camps, Congresses, Clinics and Conferences)

Recognize Achievements
In the gym you expect your gymnasts to work hard because they want to get better. You expect your coaching staff to work hard because the want the gymnasts to improve and for the gym to succeed. With our gymnasts we try to encourage them along the way. Reward their accomplishments and help them learn from their failures. DO WE DO THE SAME WITH OUR COACHES? A bit of encouragement goes a long way. With my staff I have a police of PRAISE publicly, PUNISH privately. I know that sounds harsh but everyone makes mistakes and needs to be reminded what their job in on occasion. When you recognize their accomplishments, both privately and publicly, they feel good about what they do and it motivates them to continue striving to be even better.

At GYM MOMENTUM camp every night we ask each other, “What was the BEST part of your day?” It allows me to give a shout out to each coaches accomplishments that day. The other day at my Portsmouth Gym One of my coaches, Ryleigh, was super animated and engaged with the preschool class that was coming in. When she was done I made sure I told her how much I appreciate her energy and that her attitude is what ATLANTIC is about.

Enable them to make decisions.
In my Coaches as Educators lecture I say, As the head coach you cannot just create the masterpiece, you must also prepare the canvas. One of your core responsibilities is to find and develop talent. Both with gymnasts but also with your coaching staff. Too many coaches refuse to let go of any power and I have seen this be a downfall to many programs. Why did you hire and train these coaches if you are not going to let them make any decisions? This is a sure way to have talented staff leave and go to another gym or undermine you behind your back.
With your gymnasts you also need to give them some power in the decision making process of their workouts. Obviously you need to lead them into making the right choices but they will be more motivated if they have some responsibility in the process.

Offer skill development opportunities and resources. (Through Training Camps, Congresses, Clinics and Conferences)
Education is an ongoing process. It should NEVER end. For your coaching staff they need to have the opportunity to grow. Send them to congresses, send them to training camps. Have a coach in to the gym to work with them. ** Become members of USECA or other organizations that focus in education.

Engaged coaches and gymnasts want to grow. They constantly look for opportunities to learn new skills, improve their performance and move to a higher level or position. It’s your responsibility to present opportunities for personal growth and skill development. The reasons gyms often give for not doing this is that it takes too much time away from their jobs and it costs too much. Education is expensive. Ignorance is too.

 

**I know that my staff doesn’t listen to me all the time. But I can have a different coach in who says the same thing and they listen and take action. Yes- this is a pain in the butt. It is also the reality of the Proximity Paradox- I was looking for a definition to describe the case where because you are too close to the information source you do not believe it. I am sure there is a better phrase that describes it.

Basic Habits to Establish: Some Thoughts to Share With Athletes in Your Gym

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Share with athletes in your gym.

As a coach, I’ve given this a lot of thought, because no matter what someone coming into the gym says they want to work on, eventually the subject of habits comes up. I’ve always said gymnastics is a dynamic sport. You are either getting better or getting worse. There is no such thing as staying where you are at.
In the gym I try to build new habits. Usually, we will work to get a particular healthy habit established or eliminate an unhealthy one.
But since I am rarely flat-out asked “What are the best habits to have?” I’m happy to take some time to answer the question here.

Basic Daily Habits to establish:
1 Maintain your body and mind through good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management.
2 Challenge yourself to learn something new EVERYDAY. It may only be a new approach at a skill you’ve struggled with.
3 Improve your surroundings in some way. Clean out your locker or grip bag. Decreasing the clutter in your life will make you more efficient in your practice.
4 Tend to your important relationships in some form. For most of you- someone drives you to practice everyday. Have you thanked them? You may have a sibling who waits in the lobby with your parents for countless hours. Be nice to them.
5 Handle something from the earth (flowers, gardening, yard work, chopping vegetables).
6 Look for the good in others. Compliment a teammate or coach. Be thankful (practice gratitude).
7 Connect to Beauty (read, write, listen to music, create or enjoy works of art).
8 DISCONNECT. Just sit, be still for a moment.(completely unfocused, non productive time).

Putting these habits into daily practice involves having or acquiring some skills that are essential to success. To do these things on a daily basis, you have to be able to:

1 Set clear, achievable goals related to these habits.
2 Pick 3 things you want to accomplish each day that move you closer toward your goals. (Preferably one thing related to your school, one to your personal life, and one related to gymnastics)
3 Educate yourself on any of the areas you need to know more about to be successful (for example, nutrition, sleep hygiene, meditation, nurturing relationships, automating habits).
4 Become disciplined and accountable to yourself.
5 Understand how to work with time, energy, and motivation.

If you need help with establishing any of these habits or acquiring any of the skills you need to keep these habits going consistently, talk to your coach. I recommend you seek help from someone who not only knows how to do what you don’t, but can teach you how to do it in a way you can understand.
That about covers it.
Oh. One last thing: Never, ever hit the SNOOZE button.

 

Coaches for the Ethical Treatment of Athletes C.E.T.A.

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In 1874 there were no laws or regulations protecting children from physical abuse from their parents or guardians. The first “child abuse” case was brought by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Since then we have People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

In our sport there are rules protecting the athletes against out right physical and sexual abuse and there are guidelines to protect the athletes from emotional abuse. Last night I received a request to a Facebook Group from Aimee Boorman COACHES for the ETHICAL TREATMENT of ATHLETES (CETA). This group is to start discussions about how we can make ALL sports safer and more “athlete friendly”. It’s not just for Gymnastics coaches. This is for all coaches. This is a new group started by Aimee. Last night there were 3 of us (Aimee, Wendy Bruce-martin and myself). Today- up to 19! Wahoo! We are NOT quite sure where this is going to go.

I cannot speak about other sports but USA Gymnastics is a membership driven organization. We have a voice. There are current organizations with votes on the Advisory Council, like the USECA, NCAA Men or Women, etc.   No matter what your discipline you have representatives on the Board of Directors.

CETA will be another avenue to make your voice heard. To make a POSITIVE difference in sports.  I think it is important to keep it POSITIVE and not just a knocking USA Gymnastics. We have all been to competitions where we have seen a gymnast TOTALLY BLOW IT. Just a complete self destruction. You watch the coach to see their reaction. They go over to the athlete, give them a weak smile that says, “oh well- we will fix things and show them next time”. There is no drama, there is no yelling or tears. Just a plan.

In my COACHES AS EDUCATORS Lecture I say:

If you feel you can: Harass, Demean, Isolate, Compare in a negative way, Put down, Intimidate, Make fearful in any way (being scared of YOU or another coach), Call Name (wimp, slug) or other disrespectful language, Erode Self esteem

YOU ARE IN THE WRONG PROFESSION

 

A National Association for GYMNASTICS COACHES.

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Recently I have seen a number gymnastics professionals express concern that there is no voice for GYMNASTICS COACHES within USA Gymnastics.

Although The US Elite Coaches Association has the scary name “elite” in it, The USECA represents all the coaches in Women’s gymnastics no matter what level. It is an organization for coaches devoted to the progress of elite and age group level gymnastics in America. The USECA represents THE COACHES on the USA Gymnastics Advisory Council (with two votes) and on other USAG Committees. In the past we have had major voice and influence on the rules, policies and decisions that govern and affect our age group gymnasts and coaches.

I understand that coaches are upset and frustrated by the recent events at USA Gymnastics. Many feel they have no voice. Individually our voices may not carry much weight but as part of the USECA our voices will be amplified.

As USAG begins the process of hiring a new president, it is important to think who will best lead us through this? Who will continue on our path of international victories while growing membership and providing educational resources.

 

Mastering the Mundane

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Without a doubt, there are a lot of tasks and things in this world that we do that are boring and mundane… but that are also good for us.

Whether it’s conditioning, flexibility or repetitive drills, these things all have incredible value that can lead to long-term success and payoffs with the gymnasts. While doing them just seem dull, repetitive and boring. It is being great at the boring and mundane that makes a gymnast successful.

Now a lot of things can be rewired to become inherently interesting to us and gymnasts – especially if the stakes and consequences change. But the fact remains, sometimes you just have to “do the work” when it comes to repetitive things.

There’s the common saying of “work hard, play hard”, my interpretation of the message behind that is to be consistent in your WORK. The strength, flexibility and basics that we use as a base for all the other skills.

The advanced level is just mastery of the basics.
Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini

Being exceptional with receptive drills and exercise will build an exceptional gymnast.

At every training camp there is always one gymnast who is super flashy and has a great skill or event. Every coach can’t wait to work with her. Then training starts and the gymnast has no basics. She is a one trick pony and one change in FIG code of points from having no usable skills.

The best gymnasts have a variety of skills derived from a variety of basics. The better their base the better they tend to be in competition because they can handle the pressure, they can make adjustments.

A gymnast and coach must become a master of the mundane.
Sure, doing a double back is important but without huge repetitions of good hurdle, roundoff and back handspring will they be consistent enough in their double back to be able to advance to more difficult skills?

A coach must realize that the boring and mundane is often the most important. As a coach there is not a lot of FUN or CREATIVITY in conditioning or flexibility. Spotting thousands or cast handstands, press handstands or clear hip circles is difficult and physically challenging for some. If you are not going to pay attention to these things and be willing to work hard you have severely limited their future.

Boring success is better than exciting failure
Bob Hurley

If you need further convincing, look at strength, flexibility and basics like building a house. You wouldn’t shingle the roof before you lay the foundation. In the gym, you can’t get ahead of yourself. You must have a clear plan of what you are doing, what comes next, AND WHY. Before you can start adding a a bunch of skills to a routine you must lay the foundation.

Embrace the boring
Embrace the tedious
Embrace the repetition

Mastering the mundane separates the good from the great

USAG REGION 4 CONGRESS LECTURES

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Thanks to all the great people in REGION 4 for having me speak at your congress. I had a great time in the wonderful city of St. Louis. You are great hosts for such a great event. MEN’S US Olympic Trials was the best I’ve ever seen. Women’s P and G Championships was everything it needed to be! Now on to San Jose and the Rio!

  • Here is the link to an article I wrote on Developing a Plan for Uneven Bars. Lecture notes Coming Soon. SORRY I had to take off and not answer questions at the end. I had to get my cab to the airport. Feel free to email me any questions. Tony AT Gymmomentum dot Com

 

Share Your thoughts and any PHOTOS and VIDEOS of my lectures on the Gym Momentum FB Page. (I have to prove to my wife that I actually work while I am away!)

As you know I am the Chairman of the US Elite Coaches Association. Learn More about this great organization.

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Dear USECA Members

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Dear Members
I have just finished teaching a gymnastics course in Milan Italy and I am on my way to Frosinone to teach another. In the Q and A portion of the course I found myself referring again and again to this journal and the video club when asked about the best places to learn.

In this day and age anyone with an IPhone and a YouTube channel and put up videos and claim to be an expert. All coaches search for information, drills and ideas. We are looking for better ways, technical considerations or even just ways to liven up practices. Listening to some of the drills and ideas that have been shared by “experts” I am concerned that we could be ruining the next generation of coaches and potentially harming the gymnasts. A LONG time ago when I had my first coaching job I was fortunate enough to have some very talented bar workers to work with. I taught a blind full in a week. A Tkatchev in 2, another learned a Gienger and double layout in a month. Of course it was because I was a great coach. Everyone should listen to me. This coaching thing was easy. This same group was NOT the best tumblers or vaulters. It must be them. They were just slow. I had to be creative with drills. I spend a great deal of time paging through the USECA journal and looking at videos. I consulted with judges trying to be a little creative with routine construction. I learned more on tumbling and vaulting in those years than I probably have the rest of my life. After all, there is a lot to learn when you start at zero. The next group of gymnasts I worked with were pretty gifted tumblers and vault was pretty easy for them BUT I was about to pull my hair out at bars. What was wrong with these girls? Why couldn’t they just do what the other group had done. It must be that someone else didn’t give them the basics or that these kids just didn’t care. It certainly couldn’t be me.

Now generations have passed and I have come to realize that I was the smallest part of the equation. It was about their talent and drive. I learned more about coaching, about technique on the events they struggled with. I became more creative and possibly inspirational with the groups of average talent.
If you want to find an expert, look for the coach who has taken gymnasts of average talent and achieved above average results. This journal, this website and the accompanying videos are all the work of experts. We edit so you don’t have to.
The USECA Journal has some big changes ahead and many challenges to face. We will continue to be the journal you can trust.
It was great seeing so many of you at JO Nationals. I am looking forward to seeing you at Classics, Championships and Trials.

Tony

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