Tumbling Federation

If you are an artistic competitive gymnast in the U.S., you are likely already a member of the USA Gymnastics federation. There are a number of other tumbling related federations, all of which you should know about so you understand … Continue reading

Trampoline Rules

SAFETY FIRST! No one is allowed to do anything that will get themselves or anyone else hurt. No student is permitted on the trampoline or in the pit without a gymnastics instructor present. Never go under the trampoline when someone … Continue reading

The World’s Toughest Gymnast?

There were many stories that came out of the 1976 Olympics. The gymnastics events at the 1976 Olympics were dominated by the surpassing grace and precision of Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, who caused a sensation when, for her performance on … Continue reading

Do You Make Any of the 10 Most Common Twisting Mistakes?

Insufficient Lift It is a common error to twist right off the ground, which means the salto has insufficient lift and airtime to complete either the layout somersault and/or the twist. Twisting Wrong Direction If a gymnast can’t learn a … Continue reading

Getting Into The Zone… The Gymnastics Zone

The zone is a well-known temporary performance state that athletes may enter into in which they perform instinctively and without conscious thought processes. It is well known because it allows athletes to perform at their optimum level. In this scenario, … Continue reading

The Girls Who Saved Gymnastics in Their Town

The parent’s meeting had been raging on for almost two hours and it had been getting really heated. The Russian coaches, who had been the team directors for the last four years, had left the gym for an offer that … Continue reading

Team Values

As with any evaluation of what goes on in one’s life, it is commonly understood that for success it is necessary to create and write down goals. Less commonly known is that for goal setting to be really reflect true … Continue reading

Gymnastics Instruction Coaching Tasks and Duties

Gymnasts Work Best Together, Not in Isolation Keep gymnasts in groups working together for motivation and support. One of the best gymnastics instruction training tools is partners competing in practice everyday. Hold Daily Practice Competition Exercises The gymnastics instruction system … Continue reading

Gymnastics Facility Supervision Systems

Everyone agrees that children need to be supervised when they are in potentially dangerous or unfamiliar situations. For most young children, a gymnastics facility can be both unfamiliar territory and potentially dangerous to those unfamiliar with the equipment and traffic … Continue reading

Evaluating Your Strength-To-Weight Ratio Needs

When a gymnast initially either starts their gymnastics career or starts a new period of serious gymnastics training, the first thing they need to do is optimize their strength-to-weight ratio. Essentially we are talking about developing the amount of strength … Continue reading