It Gets Better for gymnasts

Dan Savage was bullied as a younger guy. He has always been pretty sensitive to the aggressive act provided by people you may know, or even consider friends. Dan grew up and became a syndicated author for several papers and magazines, I became familiar with him reading his column in the Onion. Dan is gay…

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Muscles

Our Motion Eveolution fitness program is amazing. I knew theis from the start but I was reminded when my 6 year old son, who is in the Thursday night class, explained over dinner that is caloric need per day is about 1600-2500 calories. I nearly choked on my tea. “Really” I said. Then he went…

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Follow up to the “Billy Wall” post

I had a parent or two talk to me about my last post. I wish you guys would make comments on the post, but either way, I do appreciate the kind words. When thinking about that post, I realized that I still had something to add. On the topic of respecting our job as coach/teachers…

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What’s on the other side of that glass wall?

I’ve had a few parents ask why our lobby is separated from the gym by a big glass wall. I usually answer “so that you can nap while we’re in class.”  I’ve had parents suggest that our coaches wear microphones so that speakers in the lobby could let parents hear what we are saying. I’ve…

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What’s the matter with kids nowadays?

I’ve worked with children since 1980, when, to off-set the cost of my own tuition, I started assisting with classes at our gym. I can tell you horror stories from my years in the profession.  I can tell you about behavior from kids that would make the Menendez brothers look like great kids. I have…

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Hard to say Good-Bye

The following is a message I got from a former team gymnast who has come to the age of retiring from the sport. I removed any identifying text as I didn’t ask her if it was OK to use this for the journal here. I did feel that the topic and correspondence was relevant for…

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Where did Gymnastics come from?

  No one really knows when gymnastics started. There are cave drawings that date back thousands of years that depict tumblers and athletes performing what appears to be floor exercises. As recorded history tells, in the beginning (ancient Greece) the gymnasts of the time were actually wrestling. The combatants would perform dynamic exercises before engaging…

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Being a Good Sports Parent (The Final Chapter)

Last part, I promise. Then I’ll go back to my soapbox on other topics. Though I would love to hear your thoughts.    In summary; here is a quick quiz to see if your child has a chance to be a champion. It’s written regardless of age but it focuses on children before high school.…

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