Search results

Sorry to revive an old thread, but no charges. :mad::(

Snap faster, harder, and set, set, set.

My opinion on this matter. I have tumbled barefoot on sand (feels like concrete), grass (padding may vary), (hard wood) might as well have no padding. I've tumbled with Nfinitys on concrete, hard wood, and tracks. Never have I worried about having no padding. I learned early that all surfaces...

When I started at 20, I was learning cartwheels with 5 year olds. Keep an open mind! :P You'll likely progress rapidly if you don't let fear control you.

That's what I said on the news, "Winning is obviously a benefit, but we want to win the right way, not the wrong way." That's how the interview ended. These are kids, not professional athletes. The win at all costs strategy has no place in youth sports.

A reporter interviewed me for a story that'll air on the local NBC affiliate this evening. The reporter asked "Does this happen often?" Aye, aye, aye. Talk about damage control. :(

The best way is to understand that a tuck needs no arch. You don't have to "go backwards", to do a back tuck. Set position, pull knees up and over. Have someone you trust (i.e. tumbling instructor) do this with you. Round off, rebound into set position (your instructor will catch you), when your...

I wrote this out a long time ago. Since, my tumbling technique has gotten better. The eagle: this is the position you want to set from, with a dip and a fast extension from the eagle to the set. The set: (this is what I call the "set" position the most important part of the tuck, hands...

Communication is important. This reminds me of the first year I head coached a team. One of my girls was in a stunt in the back left corner. (BLC represent!) She was a great jumper, but even when I got on the mat and hustled I couldn't make it to the front row in time. I got an absolutely...

A full is a complicated skill that requires combining a skill that needs to be mastered (a layout) and a skill most people don't know how to do (twisting). If your layout isn't mastered, it makes twisting hard, and even with a strong hollow layout, learning to twist at the correct time is harder...

Every time I even think about teaching a full, I look for a high, hollow layout (no arch). Your layout should finish before you land (I.e. not as you land). Fulls take energy from your rotation, it's physics, so a high strong layout is necessary.

I'm sure there is a counterexample somewhere as well though. If there was a very successful gym with no credentialing, and a gym that never placed in the top 50%, but was credentialed, would you choose the credentialed gym using that criteria alone?

Valid, but a good legal team would point out that anyone with $250 could get credentialed.

I can most definitely see from a legal standpoint why certification would be valuable to a gym. It's also valuable to a fledgling coach still learning the ropes, and even to a veteran coach to help convince new parents that they know what they're doing. I think the last point I listed is the one...

I can certainly see the other side too, but a certification is definitely not a catch-all, and shouldn't be trusted inherently. I think that in looking at a new gym/instructor, word of mouth, observation, and track record are far more important than whether or not someone is certified.

I'm not going to try to convince anyone, but a certification is not indicative of any higher level of safety. All information that can be gleaned from a certification is widely available online, or even in person assuming one is taught correctly.

I feel like I'd only credential if it was make or break in aquiring a position at a new gym. I've been spotting and coaching for years and try to learn as much as I can whenever possible. Imagine telling a successful business owner (automotive, contractor, etc.) that you won't go to them anymore...

Definitely hard to tell without knowing you physical fitness and flexibility. The better both of those are, the better chance you'll have. Flexibility is more important for the handspring (shoulders and back). Focus on sprints, jumps (plio style), and Olympic style lifts if you want/need to get...

I'm with the above poster, while I have never gone the route of certification, I had almost a dozen hours of training shadowing and spotting with a more experienced spotter on back walkovers and handsprings before I even spotted them alone/in tandem. Then, I started with young (read small :P)...

All valid concerns. Thanks for the clarification.