The "Rough" Days

Every gymnast is going to have bad days. Whether it's in the gym, or at a meet. I've never heard of a gymnast that has never had a bad day in the world of gymnastics. It's impossible. There's different type of "rough days" it can be something that's going on outside of the gym, mental blocks, a big meet coming up, or you somehow just can't hit those skills.
As a previous gymnast I had some days where there would be something going on out of gym, such as grades, or a party I couldn't go to. Those things could lead to a bad day at the gym. But honestly, those are the things that shouldn't affect your gymnastics. The gym to me was like a different world, a place where I didn't worry about my hair, or what was going on with my friends. It seemed like a magical place. So the fact that I wasn't performing to my standards because of something that happened out of the gym? No excuses, none. I don't remember having those days that much, maybe I had a couple. But definitely not that many. So if you're ever in that situation, just take a deep breath and try to forget about everything (well, of course not your gymnastics) I'm sure it will still be there after practice.
Mental blocks were the most frequent thing for me. There were days where I would start crying because I was too scared to do a skill I knew how to do. I didn't cry because I was scared (okay, maybe a little) but I cried more so because I was frustrated. I didn't understand why I couldn't do the skill. Mental blocks are hard to deal with, they could last a practice, or even a year. My coach always just told me to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and picture myself doing the skill perfectly. That worked most of the time. And don't be afraid to ask for a spot, I'm sure your coach will understand. Remember, you're a gymnast. This sport is supposed to be fun, so don't be afraid to talk to your coach.
When I was younger, I never got that nervous for a meet. At practice I was usually very energized, ready to compete. But then once I got home to go to bed, I didn't fall asleep until usually about 11:30. The next morning I wasn't tired at all, the adrenaline must have kicked in. It wouldn't be until I was standing next to the apparatus, waiting for the judge to salute me that I could feel my heart beating a mile a minute. If you are having a bad practice the week before a meet, it might be the meet nerves and you might not even know it!
Of course, everyone is going to have the just plain old "bad days" where they feel weak, or they're not hitting all of their skills. That's normal. Gymnastics is a hard sport on the body and there are going to be days where our bodies just need a rest. That doesn't mean you shouldn't work just as hard if not harder to maintain your skills. But just acknowledge that this is a hard sport, and try not to get frustrated with yourself!
Remember, there are always going to be bad days. And don't be afraid to realize that you are having a bad day. Hey, it happens. Just keep your chin up and believe that you can do it.

My View on Young Gymnasts at High Levels

You're at a level 8 competition, most of the girls are about thirteen years old. But then you see a little girl on floor. You hear people talking and you find out that she is only eight years old. Naturally, your eyes go to her because you are so amazed at the fact that she is a level eight, eight year old gymnast. And you think "Oh, she's totally going to go to the Olympics," but then you think to yourself, "Now how many times have I said that?"
Just like you I am amazed at young talent, but I always wonder what ever happens to the young talent. Where do they go? I love watching young gymnasts. But at the same time, I'm worried about them. I'm not going to name gyms, but there is one gym in particular that has a tendency to burn kids out. If you are a huge gymnastics fan, you might know which gym I'm talking about.
A gymnast's dream is often to go to the Olympics. I feel like some gyms feel like they need to push their gymnasts to the limit so they can reach their goal. They think that a yurchenko full twist vault is necessary for a nine year old. I find the average vault for a nine year old is just a handspring vault. I feel like these kids are going to get to elite level by the time they're ten, and then burn out by the time they are age eligible for the Olympics. I have to admit, I thought Jordyn Wieber was going to burn out. But her coaches were very well trained and did not push her to the limit. I feel like Rebecca Bross was burned out, in 2010 she seemed like a lock for the 2012 Olympic team, but then things crumbled.
I really hope these young girls don't burn out before they go elite, or the Olympics.

Interview with coach of Jordyn Wieber: John Geddert

Me: Do you have girls that skip levels at Twistars? If so what is the most common level for one of your gymnasts to skip?

John: Our program is based on honing the skills at the compulsory levels (levels 4-5-6). We feel the return on investment reaps big rewards later down the developmental line so we make compulsory levels a priority. Since our compulsory program is very strong and the standards for advancing are relatively high we often times find that level 7 is an easy level to bi-pass as soon as the mobility score is obtained. Every once in a while we do field a level 7 team but most years a majority of our level 6s skip directly to level 8.

Me: About what percent of your optional-elite gymnasts are home schooled?

John: I encourage our athletes to maintain contact with public schooling unless there is simply no other option (longer commutes etc). Public schooling delivers so many things (educational support, mentoring, and social ties) so we feel it is a very important part of developing well rounded children. Don't misunderstand, I do not have anything personal against homeschooling and have had some of our athletes use it very successfully over the years, it is just that if I had to choose, I would lean towards involvement with public schooling. With that being said most of our athletes that are on the elite track use a combination of home schooling/on line courses and public schooling.

Me: What level or age did you notice Jordyn had talent?

John: It was obvious fairly early that she had "talent". Jordyn was very strong and very motivated to train hard. The process that leads to the kind of success that she has attained is a gradual one, building success upon success which in turn creates a snowball effect. I have talent, I use my talent, I get better, I experience success, I like the sport, I feel good about my investment, SO I continue to train hard, progress and reap bigger and better rewards. Noticing actual elite talent probably came around when she was 9 or 10 years old.

Me: What do you think is the most common reason for gymnasts quitting the sport?

John: That is a very good question. My personal experience in dealing with attrition in the sport of gymnastics has led me to believe that the largest contributing factor is when they stop progressing. This happens at various points for different athletes as dictated by their individual physical talent, motivational skills, dedication etc. When athletes start feeling that the time they are investing is no longer producing the progress that they expect, this is when many will retire from the sport. AND this is understandable. Gymnastics is not a sport where you will continue to get better, advance your skills, improve your scores FOREVER. This is one of the reason why we feel so strongly about honing the skills at the lower levels a) it allows athletes to experience great success (stopping to smell the roses along the way) and b) it establishes a foundation of basics so that they can build a longer and more successful career... thus delaying how fast they smash into the wall of learning frustration.

  Me: Do you encourage parents to watch practice? Why or why not?

John: I am not so sure we actually encourage them to watch practice but we certainly do not discourage it. Our parents are allowed to view any practice at any time. Some parents feel it is important to show support for their childs chosen activity. Being an athlete that came from a "non support" atmosphere growing up, I certainly understand and appreciate this commitment. Now if viewing to show support crosses the line to micro-managing the staff or to provide them with an opportunity to do a little arm chair coaching of their own, we would certainly have issue with this. I do advise parents that watching for gymnastics progress on a daily basis is like watching grass grow. You are not going to see it as well as you would if you watched once a week or once per month.

Me: If one of your gymnasts falls at a meet, what do you tell them after the routine?

John: Well honestly there was a time 15 or so years ago where I might have reamed them for showing a lack of focus, commitment, mental fortitude and desire. I discovered that this really serves zero purpose. We try to handle event falls as a fluke occurrence, something that doesn't nor shouldn't happen very often. Mistakes happen. Learn from them, make the needed adjustment in training and move forward. Adding extra pressure like parents or coaches being upset about mistakes, will never serve as a long term solution. We may address the technical reason for a fall but try to avoid putting emotion into the equation.

Me:  Has having Jordyn being apart of Twistars, gotten more athletes at Twistars?

John: That is very tough to determine. We have always had a very large and competitive team program. She is obviously the gem of that treasure chest. But as far as a major influx of athletes knocking on our doors I would have to say that having a World Champion and Olympian has to have some impact, I am just not sure how much. New kids come in waves and most clubs have seen the benefit of the Olympic surges that come post Olympics. We experienced significant growth in our recreational programs this year and I am sure this is partially due to Jordyn's success and the success of the USA Olympic Team.

Me: Once Jordyn became a big name, did you have to put certain securities on things? (ex. not allowing non parents to watch practices)

John: We did have to implement a "No photos or video" rule due to some footage showing up on certain web sites and then being critiqued (positively and negatively). Beyond that we would supply Jordyn with security at special events where she was exposed to the public for prolonged periods of time.

Me: Why did you decide to be a gymnastics coach?

John: I believe I was born to coach. Even as a teenager I would coach my siblings in different sports in the front yard (including gymnastics). I progressed to teaching after school recreational programs while I was in High School and it simply progressed from there. I always found myself searching for a bigger challenge, a better way to train, a more productive way to produce results. I simply love helping athletes achieve their goals and in the process I respect the impact that sports can have on shaping a child. Believe me ... initially it was never about MONEY as I was one poor coach back in the lean years.

 Me: Do you have any other gymnasts that are training elite right now?

John: We actually have several that are on the elite path. We will progress them towards the elite program if a) their goals remain fixed on becoming an elite b) their talent and dedication indicates that this is feasible.

What to Keep In Your Gym Bag

Hey guys It's finals week for me so I haven't really been able to think of a good blog topic. But today I was organizing my gymnastics stuff and thought a good topic would be what to keep in your gym bag. These are the things I kept in my gym bag. Some of the things you might not need. I will provide a link to where you can get the stuff :) This list is for competitive gymnasts :)


1. An extra leotard and shorts, I would always keep an extra leotard and short in my bag. In case your leo rips. Most of my friends on my team would come from school to gymnastics and sometimes forget their leo. Some gyms do not allow shorts, so if that is your gym then forget about that.

 
My favorite leotard brands
GK Elite
K-Bee Leotards
Melody Leotards
Alpha Factor







2. Pants and a jacket, especially when it gets cold outside I would like to keep a jacket and pants in my bag. Or when its summer time, I would put a tshirt (and shorts if I didn't already have shorts on over my leotard. Sometimes if people don't understand that you are a gymnast, it might be a little weird to them if you are just walking around in a leotard! I suggest to NOT put your team warm ups in your bag in case something happens to it!

3. Water and a snack, I would get about a five minute break every workout. Don't put your water and your snack in your gym bag, it might spill and mess up things in your bag!

4. Money, There was a grocery store next to my gym so if I forgot a snack I could go next door and get something before workout.

5.** My grips, wristbands, and my grip bag. This only applies to you if you have grips [obviously] I had a grip bag that I put my wristbands and grips in. I liked a separate grip bag so I wouldn't get a bunch of chalk on my other stuff in my bag :)
*The pictures of the grips, wristbands, and the grip bag is the exact type I had. They were awesome and worked well!

Grips (the ones in the photo)
Grip bag (the one in the photo)
Wristbands (the ones in the photo)
Grips
**I suggest for you to ask your coach first if you are allowed to get grips, also make sure your hand gets measured properly

 6. Tape and pre-wrap, This is for if you twist an ankle or strain something and you need a little bit of support. Also, tape can also be used as "tape grips" that you can use if you have a rip. Tape and pre-wrap comes in many colors, I had a colored tape, a tan tape, and a white tape in my bag, I also had a colored pre-wrap and a white pre-wrap in my bag. I used the tan tape or white tape with the white pre-wrap for meets so it wouldn't show :)


 You can buy pre-wrap and tape either at your local drugstore or sporting goods store








7. Ballet slippers OR socks, at my gym we would take ballet twice a week to improve our artistry. I usually wore socks or ballet slippers. Unless instructed by your coach when you go out and buy slippers DO NOT buy pointe shoes, I highly doubt a gymnastics coach would want their gymnast on pointe.

I am now a dancer, and my favorite brand of ballet shoes is Bloch you can also get a HUGE variety of ballet slippers at Discount Dancewear








8. Tiger Paw Wrist Supports, I have broken both of my wrists and sprained them so many times, so I have wrist problems. I would wear the tiger paws at workout but then go bare handed at meets because I liked to feel the equipment with my bare hands. If you chose to compete with the wrist supports, I would suggest getting the tan/sand color. Because I didn't compete with them I had zebra tiger paws:)

Tiger Paw Wrist Supports

So this is what I would generally keep in my gym bag, hope this helped! :)

Hairstyles for Gymnastics Meets and Practices!

Hairstyles for Practice

For practice, I would always wear a pony tail. Soon my hair got too long and I had to start putting it in a ballet bun, a messy bun (McKayla Maroney bun) would fall out too easily during practice! When I had short hair, I would have two pig tails. Of course this is when I was younger and it didn't look ridiculous.
So for practice I reccomend a ponytail, a bun (doesn't have to be perfect) or if you have short hair, pig tails. I really do not recomend braids. Especially if you are a high level gymnast, the braids will whip around and hit you in the face, trust me. I know.

Hairstyles for Competition
Many gyms require a hairstyle, for example: a bun for complulsory levels and a ponytail for optional levels. Some gyms do not have a rule about it, like my old gym.

The Bun
As a gym mom or a gymnast you are going to need how to do a bun. You will need: elastics, a brush, a comb, hair gel, hair spray, Bobby Pins, the team scrunchie or ribbon, and glitter (optional.)

Step One: Cover the hair in hair gel, remember it is very hard to work with hair gel, so work fast!
Step Two: Brush the hair back into a pony tail, it is hard to brush through the gel, so as mentioned before, work fast!
Step Three: Split the pony tail in as many sections you would like depending on how much hair the gymnast has.
Step Four: Braid each section and secure it with a small elastic
Step Five: Once each section is braided take each braid one at a time and wrap it around the base of the ponytail. (where the ponytail is tied off)
Step Six: Once all the braids are wrapped around, there is a choice. Some people like to tie an elastic around it and then the scrunchie. Others just like to put the scrunchie around. If you are using a ribbon, I reccomend tying two elastics around the bun. If you are doing a scrunchie, I think it's easiest just to tie the scrunchie around it. But you can tie it with an elastic too! Before the scrunchie some people like to use a hairnet that matches the gymnast's hair color.
Step Seven: Once the scrunchie or ribbon is tied around, take the bobby pins and pin the bun like there is no tomorrow! Just kidding! Use up to maybe eight pins depending on the size of the bun.
Step Eight: Spray all of the hair! Especially the bun. At this point you can put glitter on the bun if you want to and if your gym allows it!

I never had a bun for competition considering that I had long hair and a lot of hair. We tried to do a bun before, ended up doing seven braids. The bun was huge! And it gave me a head ache! A pony tail is very simple for competition and can work! My hair got too long for a ponytail so my mom curled the ponytail so it became shorter, and it was very pretty! To curl my hair, I slept in foam rollers and then in the morning my mom touched it up with a curling iron.

Here are some photos of hairstyles that could be used for competitions:
I do not own any of the photos, photos are cited below.

http://0.tqn.com/d/dance/1/0/T/C/-/-/bunfun1400.jpg
http://sportsgirlsplay.com/hairstyles-for-gymnastics-and-cheerleading/