ParKour
Bubble wrapping our kids is not the safest thing to do
When does it stop? Asa child I remember jumping off garage roof to the lawn. I remember building a ramp to jump over match-box cars on my bike. I remember throwing and deflecting mini fire-crackers in a battle with my brothers. We used to build snow forts and have huge snow-ball fights. We used to climb…
Read MoreFast Food Eye Openers: (sit down)
What is our greatest reward?
I’ve been around awhile. I started coaching team gymnastics in 1985 and went to my first meet to cover our other coach who had to go to a wedding. I remember it like yesterday. I have coached college gymnasts to national championships. I have had Junior Olympic kids get college scholarships. I have watched kids…
Read MoreFlipGirl is AWESOME
I just got sent this link from SuperBlogger Rick McCharles linking to this band’s video. It is a song called FlipGirl and it actually is really good. Clean lyrics and fun for kids in gymnastics. Also available on iTunes. (I foresee this as a ringtone on several team girls phones). Check it out. (Note at the end…
Read MoreFitness is fun with Motion Evolution at Gymfinity
Watch this: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuNWkKBokts] With that understood, let’s talk fitness. Gymfinity has a kids fitness program that is designed to appeal to ALL children. It’s called Motion Evolution. Our program offers exercises for children in a group (or individually) that provide an increase in strength, flexibility, coordination and cardio-vascular fitness. It enhances their social skills as well as…
Read MoreHow you know
“One day, you’ll no longer be a person who does gymnastics, and you will become a gymnast.” That is what I tell my team kids when I am challenging them. When I need to see more drive or more concentration. “What are you being right now?” I’ll ask them. They know the answer I’m looking…
Read MoreAnother great loss
I was saddened on Saturday when I found that a man I admired had passed away. After 99 years of affecting the direction of sports in America and the world, Coach John Wooden is gone. A basketball coach at UCLA, Wooden never focused on winning, rather he focused on developing his athletes as people and defining…
Read MoreWhat is a child’s Pay Check?
Every day we see adults going to work in jobs where often the only motivation is that they get paid. Kids too have the equivalent of jobs, either school, gym, music or another activity; that is their version of a “job”. And it’s not a paycheck that motivates them to do it. What is it that motivates…
Read MoreNo Excuses
I work with kids. Lots of kids. I have taught in the schools (health education and physical education), taught gymnastics to kids from 10 months old through 22-year-old college women. I have coached team kids that placed in national competitions and kids that dream of attaining that level. They all have one thing in common. Excuses.…
Read MoreNew study says gymnastics may fight osteoporosis in girls
As reported by Madison’s Channel 27 (and thanks to Jackie Cooper and daughter Paige (Level 4 team for bringing it to my attention). WASHINGTON (WKOW) — A new study says young girls involved in long-term gymnastics training may be at less risk for osteoporosis when they get older. Across the United States, millions of young girls…
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