Diaries of a New Gymnastics Coach: July 2014

Over the past six years, I had practically reached all of my potential as a gymnast.  Yea my club has a USAIGC team that I had thought about trying out for, but I realized I had no time for more gymnastics than what I was doing, an advanced recreation class that met once a week for two hours.  Sometimes, I didn't even have time for that.  It was time to face the facts, as much as I love gymnastics, I had reached the highest level of gymnastics I was going to reach.  I had been working on getting my back tuck for two years, and I was not any closer now than I was a year ago.  So when my coach approached me in May about a job opportunity as a coach, starting this summer, I was more than happy to accept it.  I had no clue what it would take to be a coach, but I saw it as a great way to stay involved in my gym, and a nice summer job!  Since then, I have been coaching for about three weeks, and am starting to get the hang of it.  I still have a long way to go, but I am very excited to learn more and become a great coach!

My first job as a coach was to help during our annual "Olympics", which is our version of a recital.  The gymnasts rotate to all of the four events and show their relatives what they have been working on all year.  I stayed at bars the whole week, spotting the girls on their sole circles.  Basically, I lifted the girls hips while they straddled their legs and had to swing under the bar.  So basically, I became a weight lifter.  At the end of the week (which I was not paid for, my coach treated it like "training"), my fore arms ached, but I really liked spotting.  I became so much more excited for summer classes to start because that was where my knowledge of the technical side of gymnastics would come into play.  After the week, my coach sat me down and told me he was happy with how I was learning, and that this summer I would become a fill-in.  Since there were a lot of college kids that where working, he was not sure how often he would need me, but he assured me that I would get some work in.  

After the two week break (one week in between semesters and another so that four of our gymnasts could compete at the USAIGC/IAIGC World Championships), I called to see if I was needed.  Sure enough, that Thursday I was texted to see if I could pick up Thursday nights, and be at the gym in three hours.  With no transportation and canceled beach plans, I made it to the gym.  My first group of children were preschoolers.  What a weird experience that was.  Trying to teach a child how to do a forward roll was so weird for me, just because I was never taught how to do one, it just came naturally to me.  Trying to find the right way to phrase the corrections was the hardest thing I did that day.  After the preschool class was over, I coached the advanced girls.  It was pretty bizarre for me, as these girls were my classmates less than a month ago.  While I was giving a very frustrated girl corrections for her aerials, my coach called me over to help give corrections to the team girls on their vaults.  This was where I felt most natural, because it is what I have been doing online for years.  I mean, these girls were not doing hard vaults, just front handsprings, but giving technical corrections just felt so natural for me.  After class, my coach told me that I did great for my first time, but I have to increase my confidence and look less "lost".  Those were two things that would come with time, but were really difficult for me fix, because I felt out of place, as my coworkers had been doing it for so long.  I felt weird saying something because they knew what they were doing, and I did not.  

The next time I was called in, I got a text 15 minutes before my coach needed me.  My gym is 10 minutes away from my house, and I had woken up about ten minutes before my coach texted me and was still in bed.  I was such a mess that day.  I taught another preschool class and then helped with our day camp.  It was interesting, but I really enjoy helping the older kids more.  Nothing really important happened, but it was just great to get a chance to work.  

After that, my weekly schedule remained the same.  Preschool on Monday mornings (such a LOVELY Monday morning...), and preschool and advanced class on Thursday night.  Thursdays are definitely my favorite, even though I am there for what seems like FOREVER.  Today was my first day doing heavy spotting.  It is way more fun helping a girl get her back handspring than trying to get a four year old to walk across the beam with pointed toes.  

Each day that I am in the gym is a learning experience.  I have learned that kids are going to fall, it is simply a part of the sport.  In the beginning, I was terrified of letting a kid fall.  I know it sounds crazy, but I found there to be a lot of pressure when I am coaching.  I was (and still slightly am) scared of a kid falling, getting hurt, and it being all my fault.  Falls are going to happen, whether it is my fault or not.  I have learned that accidents happen, and I have learned not to let them faze me as much.  I have learned it is better to be safe then sorry, but sometimes you got to take that risk.  If a kid is ready for a back handspring and you show doubts, then that kid is going to have doubts, which is could be even more dangerous than the back handspring.  I have gained an exuberant amount of patience after starting this job.  Lastly, I have learned  that there is a time to have fun, but there has to be time to get serious.  I have learned to separate these times, and to enjoy the fun times, but be ready to get work done when we have to be serious. 

I have seriously enjoyed my first month of coaching, and am eagerly waiting for the next time I step foot in the gym to coach and spread my love for gymnastics!

Mid Quad Schenanigans?

With two years to go until the torch is lit in Rio de Janeiro, many people are quick to disregard the "mid quad" year.  Some of the top contenders are still fighting for Junior Titles, others are nursing injuries, and some are have yet to even qualify elite.  Will the results that come from this year stay relevant in 2016, or will we look back at this year and laugh at the "Mid Quad Shenanigans?"

2006

The start of 2006 saw Chellsie Memmel was the reigning World All Around Champion, Nastia Liukin had won her first American Cup Title, followed closely by Shayla Worley.  The United States sent seniors Jana Bieger, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, and Shayla Worley to Honolulu, Hawaii for the 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships.  Nastia Liukin won her second National Title, edging out Natasha Kelley and Jana Bieger.  At the World Championships, a team consisting of Jana Bieger, Natasha Kelley, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Ashley Priess, and Alicia Sacramone lost out on Team Gold by less than a point.

The key players this year where Nastia Liukin; who played less of a role in 2006 than other years because of an severe ankle injury, Shayla Worley; who was too injured to compete at Nationals and Worlds, but was influential in the early season success of the United States, and Jana Bieger; who ended the best season of her elite career with an All Around Silver Medal at the World Championships.  Chellsie Memmel, who was the reigning World All Around Champion, injured herself on bars during the Team Finals at Worlds, finished the Team Competition, and proceeded to miss the entire 2007 season with a torn shoulder.

Of these key players, three went on to make the 2008 Olympic Team.  Nastia Liukin went on to help the team win a Silver Medal, as well as the All Around Gold, Bars Silver, Beam Bronze and Floor Bronze.  Chellsie Memmel fractured her foot a week before competition started, and was able to compete solely on bars, helping Team USA secure the Silver Medal.  Alicia Sacramone went on to make the Olympic Team, where she competed on vault, beam, and floor.  After a breif retirement, Alicia came back, where she was a prominent force in 2010.

Shayla Worley successfully made the 2007 World Championships Team, where she became a World Champion with Team USA.  After injuring her back in early 20087, Worley came up short of making the Olympic Team, after petitioning to Trials and being invited to the Selection Camp.  After 2006, Jana Bieger injured herself at the 2007 American Cup, wasn't ready for Nationals, and did not make her third World Championship Team.  In 2008, she fell numerous times on bars, notably during Olympic Trials and Selection Camps, the event where she would be most valuable.  Bieger was subsequently named the alternate to the Olympic Team.

2010
The first meet in 2010 saw Rebecca Bross claim her only American Cup victory and the Senior International debut of Aly Raisman.  Shortly after, the United States sent a team consisting of Rebecca Bross, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross, Bridget Sloan, Sabrina Vega, and Jordyn Wieber.  Of these six gymnasts, half would end up Olympians in 2012.  Rebecca Bross captured the National Championship Title in dominating fashion ahead of Mattie Larson and Aly Raisman.  At Worlds, a team consisting of Rebecca Bross, Mackenzie Caquatto, Mattie Larson, Aly Raisman, Alicia Sacramone and Bridget Sloan narrowly missed the Gold, falling short .2 to take the silver behind Russia.  Alicia Sacramone went on to win the Vault Gold, Rebecca Bross went on to win the All Around Bronze, Bar Bronze, and Beam Silver.

Aly Raisman, who had an impressive rookie season, Jordyn Wieber, who was collecting Junior Titles left and right, and Kyla Ross, who won medals on every event but beam (including Gold on Vault), all ended up making the 2012 Olympic Team, who won the Team Gold.  Aly Raisman went on to become the most successful US Gymnast, winning the Beam Bronze and Floor Gold, and losing a tie-breaker for the All Around Bronze Medal.  Jordyn Wieber became the World All Around Champion in 2011, but narrowly missed qualifying to the London All Around Final, despite qualifying fourth into the final.

Rebecca Bross famously dislocated her knee cap day 2 of the 2011 Visa National Championships.  After struggling all competition, Bross continued to twist while making contact wioth the floor, eliminating her chances at making the 2011 World Championship Team.  Bross' training time was cut drastically when she tried to return, and after a heartbreaking final bar routine, she did not make the 2012 Olympic Team.  While trying to make the 2011 World Championship Team, Mackenzie Caquatto broke both ankles at a verification camp.  Accepting defeat, she retired from elite gymnastics and started a successful gymnastics career at the University of Florida, where she became a two time NCAA Champion with her team.  After failing to compete well on floor under pressure at the 2010 World Championships, Mattie retired from elite gymnastics and joined the UCLA Bruins for the 2011 Season.  In the winter of 2014, Larson retired altogether from gymnastics, quitting the team in her junior season.  After a successful 2010 World Championships, Alicia seemed back where she was before her retirement; and better.  After making the 2011 World Championship Team, Alicia tore her Achilles Tendon in training.  Alicia still came back in time to fight for a spot on the Olympic Team, but ultimately came up unsuccessfully.  After coming back strongly in the All Around for the first time since winning a World Title in 2009, Bridget Sloan fell during her touch warm up on the first day of Olympic Trials.  Sloan dislocated her elbow and was unable to fight for a spot. Sloan joined the University of Florida for the 2013 season, where she led the Gators to their first NCAA Team Title in school history.

In this Mid-Quad year, about half of the key players experience success two years later.  In this completely unpredictable sport, no one knows for sure what will happen in 2016.  Looking at past trends, many of the important faces were still prominent in their respective Olympic Years.  Of the 12 World Team Members, 8 of them competed at the Olympic Trials, and 4 of them made the Olympic Team.  No one knows for sure what will happen in 2016, but already 1 key player from 2014 is out of the running, as Elizabeth Price, who had a tremendous amount of success in the early season, is headed off to Stanford in the fall.  The key players this year so far have yet to be determined, and 2016 is still a huge puzzle.  Will the puzzle become a little clearer come Janurary 2015? The odds say, many of them will be in contention come June 2016.

My Second Year at International Gymnastics Camp

After having an amazing time at IGC last summer (My Experience at International Gymnastics Camp), I begged my parents all year to let me go back.  They relented almost immediately, probably so I would shut up.  When I told one of my best friends about how amazing it was, she got her parents on board, and we went together.  One day when she was at the gym, IGC came up, and it just so happened that many of the girls on the team and in the gym were joining us!  Add on a last minute straggler, there were 14 of us in total!  I had such an amazing week, an amazing cabin, amazing counselors, and amazing company!  IGC 2014 was amazing and I will miss going there next summer!
*Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been sponsored or altered*

Day 1- Sunday
When my family dropped me off, I was completely fine; like I'm not homesick at all.  I'm really happy my friend and the minions (my friend and the team member's names have been withheld for privacy) are here because it feels like part of home is with me.  Once you left, I walked my friend's family around and we had our cabin meeting.  The cabin meeting literally didn't change at all from last year, but so far I really like my cabin.  There are two girls from Iceland, one from Mexico, and one from our sister gym on Long Island!  It's crazy how big the world is, but how it can also seem insanely small at the same time.  We were late to screening, we walked in as they announced Cabin 22.  Awkward.  I did my double back handspring (yay!) and a pullover and back hip circle for screening (Please do not judge my lack of skill, before this week I didn't do gymnastics for about 6 weeks and am hardly in the gym).  I didn't screw up bars (double yay)!  then we had pit fluff, which is easily the worst part of camp.  I legit had half of the pit in my hair.  An obnoxious coach separated my friend and I (Purple, move away from multi-colored!), and kicked a girl out for talking.  He became my vault coach the next day and is actually really funny.  A girl in our cabin told us our cabin cheer, so I didn't have to come up with anything (yay for no creativity!) and we went to dinner.  Being a picky eater, I found something yummy to eat, which was a small victory in itself.  Performing our cheer was awkward, but it wasn't too bad.  They announced that in addition to Alex Naddour and Marissa King, Hollie Vise and Kat Grable would be here this week.  Kat and Hollie were pleasant surprises!  Then we went to get to know you games, where they gave us the "you're a role model" speech, which I know is important, but kinda redundant when you're one of the two kids in your travel group over 11.  I made a new friend that night, someone from upstate New York.  During social hour, we hung out with our new friend and some of the little ones from the team.  The little one's faces when they found out they could get cotton candy from the canteen was adorable.  I'm having way more fun this year and can't wait for tomorrow!

Day 2- Matching Monday
I slept better last night than I did last year, but still woke up a bunch of times.  Morning came way too quickly.  After breakfast, I waited with the older members of our group.  Let me tell you, they're insane.  Warm up went well and then we got our groups.  They basically sit us down and read off our names.  I moved up from a B to a C, but I was the oldest one in my group, which was slightly awkward, but I'm used to it, as I'm the oldest in my gym now.  I'm in the same rotation as 5 girls from the gym, which made conditioning and dance so much better.  Conditioning wasn't bad, and dance was weird.  I don't really like dance, but I got a bunch of pictures of me laughing, so that's a positive.  We finally went to our first real gymnastics class-vault.  Garrett is really funny.  He runs like a deer while muttering "I'm fierce, I'm fierce" under his breath.  I'm really working hard on fixing my form on my front handspring, and Garrett thinks I have a lot of power.  During vault, my best friend was on the pit bar, and we kept making eye contact across the gym and making weird faces at each other.  She later told me that her coach (I would later find out he would be my floor coach) caught her looking at me and wanted us to make eye contact again so that he could say hi.  After lunch, I landed my cartwheels consistently and moved onto back walkovers.  A guy came over to me and told me "You know what I liked about that back walkover?  It was very aerodynamic, your mouth was open the whole time!  In all honesty, it was a good back walkover!"  It was hysterical.  I legit couldn't do a kip today, I wasn't used to the way my coaches were spotting me, but whatever.  I'm trying to be optimistic about bars this year, but I hate them.  I didn't rip!  Floor was good, it's my favorite class.  I worked on my roundoff back handspring, and my rebounds have so much power.  For rec, we walked around with the minions (they're so cute!).  After dinner, I went to open gym and HATED the coach.  I took one bad turn and she automatically thought that I was incapable of the skills I was doing.  I've been doing a roundoff backhandspring for years, at least let me show you that I can do it after I've warmed up before you tell yourself that I'm incapable.  A roundoff back handspring is one of the few skills I am capable of, so let me show you want I can do first.  Even when I started doing better (I swear my rebound was higher than the girls working layouts and fulls), but it wasn't good enough for her.  She sent me to the bar gym because I couldn't do it.  I had a pounding headache, and chalked it up to having a bad day, so I didn't go to the bar gym.  Question and Answer was funny as always, and Kat Grable said her second choice was Florida!  Social hour was cut short because of thunder, but before it did, we played mini golf.  IGC has a fun mini golf course!  We didn't get to shower because of lightning, and then were called into the Olympic Gym because of the high winds.  We played UNO with my cabin mates and my floor coach.  We left the Olympic Gym at 11:15.

Day 3- Tie-Dye Tuesday
I didn't wake up with a headache, so I didn't tell my counselors.  I was so tired.  After breakfast, we went back to the cabin and I slept for another 10 minutes.  It wasn't enough.  We worked on shaping and then went to dance, where we started learning the end of week dance, which is rather depressing since the week JUST started.  Vault was amazing.  Marissa King came and helped us and it was awesome.  Say what you want and listen to whatever rumors you want, but she is such a sweetheart.  She was always smiling and was super sweet.  One time I hurdled with the wrong foot and did a forward roll over the vault.  I was hysterically laughing in the pit, while Garrett was telling em it was a legit drill, and Marissa King was laughing.  It was actually really funny.  When I got out of the pit, Marissa asked if I was ok, and I told her I've done way worse.  She agreed with me.  Other than that, my vaults have improved a lot in just one day.  I was lectured by an 11 year old for eating salad on Taco Tuesday.  On beam, I landed my back walkover and my coach asked if I had it.  Seeing as I've only done a few in my life, I was surprised.  She had me work back handsprings on beam.  When I came here, I did not expect that I would come close to working them.  It was the first time in two years that my goal was too low.  I got on top of the bar when I did my kips, so progress!  Marissa King helped us on floor again and she apparently LOVED my roundoff back handsprings.  After literally every turn she gave me a high five and complimented me on my power and form.  At the end of class she complimented me again of how they looked and on being consistent.  That was so cool.  My cabin had Scary Aerie and I told my best friend that she couldn't let me chicken out this year, and we made a deal that we would force each other to go to the top.  We climbed side by side and I made it to the top!  I had a lot of fun, especially on the zip line.  The rocks at the top of the wall were awful, they were so small!  Afterwards we watched staff workout for a bit, but didn't see anything cool.  Then we found the little ones and one of them is JUST like me.  We didn't go to open gym so we played ping pong and spaceball.  They moved handstand, strength and flexibility into the Olympic Gym due to an impending storm (yes, another one).  The girl that did flexibility did not want to do it at all, but made it to the semifinals and the girl that did strength won!  they canceled social hour because of the storm, but I didn't mind because I don't really like social hour.  We were locked in the Olympic gym AGAIN until 9:30, because my cabin decided not to go up to the canteen.  We were aloud to shower thankfully because there was no lightning.  I was supposed to have the first shower, but someone took it.  I'm excited to sleep in tomorrow!

Day 4- On Wednesdays We Wear Pink
I slept through the night and didn't wake up with a headache!  Sleeping in was such a treat.  Our Cabin Picture was fine, but I don't look too great.  We did games in conditioning, and did ballet in dance, and I learned how to do turns like a dancer.  I totally belong on Dance Moms (just kidding).  During vault, a girl in my group was waiting my the vault near our coaches, and heard them talking about how if anyone in the group were to move up, it would be me (they pointed at me).  I was so surprised, because I didn't think I was the best person in our group.  I'm still not sure that they were talking about me, but that made me feel awesome.  I did back handsprings on beam the whole time and I think they've improved.  I can't really get my hands together though.  On tunnel bars, I fell twice, which is an improvement over last year!  On floor, my coaches thought I was ready to do tucks, but Katie reminded me not to just fling it, but to set.  I was so focused on the set that I didn't remember to tuck until it was too late.  It was actually kinda funny.  Katie got so mad, but I was learning a new skills, accidents and falls are going to happen.  We had to wait in the gym for 20 minutes because of rain.  Danny told me that next year I should come back as gym staff and I'm honestly considering it.  I know it wouldn't be as awesome, but I'd be getting paid to come to camp and meet some awesome celebrities and people.  I would love to come coach, I feel like I would learn so much.  I understand that they just want us to stay safe and dry, but it got boring fast.  I went jet skiing during rec, and I'm glad I went, even though I told dad I didn't want to go.  I got to drive though, and it was so much fun.  I went to beam open gym, and my back handsprings and they got so much better.  Then was safari hunt, it was so funny!  We had to find gym staff, who were acting like animals.  Danny (my floor coach), was a water buffalo, and he kept finding frogs and handing them to us.  He is my favorite coach by far.  I waited all of social hour for a gatorade, but I got it!  It started thundering and we couldn't shower AGAIN.  I felt disgusting.  There are some things I wished I had my phone for, just because I want to take pictures of the things going on in my cabin, it's hysterical.

Day 5- Thanksgiving Thursday
I can't believe it's already Thursday!  My counselor described it best, the days drag on, but the week flies by.  Two more sleeps until I fall asleep in my own bed!  Conditioning was annoying and dance wasn't really special, except the 12 year old I came here with asked for my "elderly assistance" in getting up.  It was insanely rude.  Nothing really happened during vault either, but my vault is improving tremendously.  We had pit beam today and my coach really liked my punch tucks and pikes.  I've always been strong with those.  I hate bars with every fiber of my being and I've accepted the fact that I will never do a kip, it is so bad.  I did a lot of drills.  Before bars, Kat Grable was working out and she did a full twisting tucked shaposh.  Seriously, she is such a beast.  I was having such a good floor day.  I was stretching out my back handspring and Katie was going to let me do another tuck.  On my last turn (the one I was going to tuck), I did my roundoff back handspring onto a locked arm.  I swear I heard a crack.  The trainers think that I strained it (I'm going to get it checked out).  It hurts like crazy but the iced numbed it up quite nicely.  I feel so bad for all of the gymnasts that have to sit in the ice bath after practice.  My friend knew there was something seriously wrong as soon as she saw me because she is mom and I never ice and am normally really good at hiding pain.  For rec, we were the first ones at the canteen and I got yoga pants and a matching sweatshirt (my favorites), and we watched Madagascar 2 while it (you guessed it) rained.  Afterwards we watched staff workout for a bit before dinner.  Dinner was okay, but I really wanted cake that they ran out of (this was legit the biggest disappointment of camp - besides my elbow that is).  I went to beam open gym (busted elbow and all) and did leaps and jumps.  The dance was way more fun this year, I was one of the first people on the autograph line, so early that Alex Naddour wasn't there yet and I was slightly depressed.  Later a girl in my cabin went up and asked him if he would sign my paper and he did so without a problem.  He is so sweet!  We Wobbled, did the Cotton Eyed Joe, and the Cupid Shuffle.  My counselor wanted us to Wobble in the cabin.  She agreed that we are her favorite cabin so far.  This cabin is so amazing and I'm going to miss them so much!

Day 6- Freaky Friday
I legit couldn't sleep last night.  I couldn't get comfortable because my elbow hurt so badly.  I can't bend it more than a 45 degree angle and I can't straighten it.  I did normal conditioning because we didn't use our arms.  I did the dance today, which is WAY better than last years.  On vault, Garrett and Katie (I have her on vault and floor) remembered that I hurt my self.  I was just going to do running drills, because Garrett said he wanted to fix my run, but he said I could do front and back tucks off of the vault, so I did.  Getting out of the pit was the worst, especially with one arm, it hurt so badly.  Garrett told me "Who needs arms to vault? Well to vault you do, but your special!"  It was so funny!  After vault, Katie was super nice, and she told me she was a twin too (2 other girls in my group had twin sisters, not including me).  It was the first time Katie was pleasant to be around.  She's a great coach, but doesn't have a nice attitude.  I saw Danny before lunch, and he felt so bad that I was hurt.  I improved my leaps so much on beam while I couldn't do anything else.  I really liked one of my beam coaches, she was so nice.  On bars, I joined conditioning since I couldn't straighten my arm or put weight on it.  On floor, I did front tucks, pikes, and layouts off of tumble track.  Katie was impressed with them.  We played laser tag during rec, and I won the game for my cabin during the second round.  I didn't go to open gym, because of my arm.  I signed my gym staff's book and it was so sad.  Then I started packing, which was literally depressing.  During open gym, I made a bracelet for my sister.Staff ex was awesome, our gym staff counselor was amazing!  I think she was elite in Canada.  Social hour was so depressing, I'm going to miss IGC and Cabin 22 so much it's not even funny.

I loved IGC so much and I would love to go back!  Seriously, if you ever get the chance to go, do it!  I had so much fun and couldn't have asked for a better week!  If you have any questions, let me know!  If any of you were there last week (week 4), let me know!