Archive for July, 2009

This week started out with a BANG and ended even better! We are all getting super close on our kips and some of the girls have them now. Our routines are looking good and we are trying to start making skills in a row. We are also working on vaulting over the table more and as we progress their vaults will improve even more. We do have a couple of goals that I would like to share with all of you…1. By the end of August everyone wants to MAKE their kips. 2. End of September to have 5 standing backhandsprings in a row. 3. Mid-September to make full routines on every event. 4. End of September to make full routines in a row (no falls!) on every event. If the girls continue to work as hard as they are now we will be able to acheive these goals with no problem. Also, look for new strength sheets to go out next week as well as a goal sheet for the girls. They will also have a skill chart posted in the gym so they can check off skills, strength, and flexibility as they get them. I would like to see the girls complete the chart by the end of October. GREAT JOB THIS WEEK LADIES!!

The girls are starting to take shape. Coach Dawn and Coach Alex and I have been working real hard with the girls learning the routines this week and the skills. Some girls are starting to get their backhandsprings on floor and their shoot thru on bars. Also, passed out this week was the Level 4 floor music. Make sure the girls practice at home, (with staright legs and pointed toes) they are so proud of what they are accomplishing. If any parents have any questions regarding their daughter or any other issuses, please don’t hesitate to talk to the coaches. Way to go 4’s!!!

Can you believe it?  There are only 3 weeks left of summer schedule.  I’m so amazed at how fast the summer has gone!  And with school looming in the distance, competitive season will be upon us in no time!  The girls are doing a great job, and are embrasing the changes in practices.  We are beginning to do endurance training on floor to get ready for routines.  We’ve been talking about no more panelmats, and getting dance thru’s together on beam.  The added strength through the summer is paying off and we can see that every day in the skill improvements.  I hope you all will enjoy that last fleeting days of summer because in a blink on an eye, we will be traveling and competing!!

We had a really good week this week. The girls are getting much stronger and its begining to show as we are working skills. We focused on roundoff backhandsprings this week on floor. We improved the roundoff making it longer and pushing off their hands to turn it over and make the backhandspring better. Their dance is comming along well an we are doing routines without the words and it looking really good too! vault looks good, but, we are still working on getting straight legs and not bending at the hips. It will come though as we continue to work on it. Beam is looking good, we are becoming more confident with our routines. Faye worked alot this week on body positions so hopefully we remember this for next week. Bars is also looking good. We are using 1lb or 2lb ankle weights to strengthen our stomachs which will improve our glides. The addition of the extra weight will help the girls get stronger and when we take them off the kip will be easier. The extra weights are also improving our casts and making our shoulders stronger and this will improve our bars alot! Good job this week girls…see you bright and early monday! Remember if you have questions please ask me.

Last monday morning came a bit too early for the girls last week….all the running and conditioning in the morning was difficult but we are getting stronger. We took a much needed break from kips on bars and focused on tap swings, frount hip circles, cast squat on jump to high bar, and back- hip circles. This break has really helped us out and they looked good today on bars with all those kips! We have moved from just throwing skills on beam and floor to being consistant and doing skills with good form. We are trying different methods of working good form and tight, fast tumbling, too. Cartwheels are still a struggle for a few girls but most are now able to make them consistantly. Vault is looking really good too! We are still focusing on running fast and hitting the table with good form but it’s still comming along well.
We have also increased our amount of conditioning we are doing during practice. If you watch during events we are not only doing skills but strength as well. This strength will help to improve skills and make those skills and routines easier. Although it may be hard now, it will pay off later. Remember girls, you may not like conditioning now and it will be hard, but, it will pay off in the end.
To TRY-UMPH, first you need to TRY then you need a lot of UMPH! See you wednesday!!

Well, I think our first “Fun Friday” went well!  We met up at Franklin Park and did conditioning, and a little playing on the playground.   Ran 1/2 mile and did sprints on the track, and endurance swimming and play time in the pool!  We had a great turnout, and I think the girls really enjoyed doing something different that will also benefit their lifetime fitness!!  Have a great weekend!

The girls had another great week this week. We are doing much better with our handstand flat back on vault. A few of the girls are almost ready to do it by themselves. On bars we are working on doing BIG casts with a tight body. Beam is looking good with their cartwheels and handstands by themselves!! We are doing much better jumping and looking at the beam. The more we are on it the better they look. On floor we are starting to do round-off flat backs so eventually we can but a back handspring with it. The girls did really well with our first week of really focusing on round-off and correct hand placement. Next week we will continue to work round-off and back handsprings. We are also doing strength at the end now so our skills we are learning will get easier. Good Job ladies, keep up the fantastic work!

What another great week we had. This week learned how to do handstand foward rolls down a wedge so in level 2 we can do them on the floor. We started doing backhandspring over a barrel on the floor too! On bars we are still trying to master the chin-up pullover….which will come as we get stronger. The glide swings are also getting better. On vault we are finally starting to hit the spring board with two feet which is an essential part of vault. Beam is also looking good. We are becoming more confident with walking on a big beam as well as doing jumps on it. Keep up the good work!!

Happy 4th!! We’ve had a tought week this week with many of teh girls getting rips….but that was the only tough part about it! We’re getting really close with our kips on both the high and low bars. Having a kip on both high and low is essential to gymnastics and we are doing well working on tight form and doing a full extension on the glide. On floor we learned the routine pattern and EVERYONE is able to do that by themselves!! Our focus next week will be to perfect that so we can do it without the words. Beam is looking good, we still need our cartwheels though. Ms. Peggy is doing an amaxing job with them on beam fixing those little details!! Vault with Ms. Faye and Ms. Peggy is looking good. We still need to work on some form but it will come. Remember girls, when you get a rip it means your working hard!! If you child gets a rip and you need some advice of how to care for it and help prevent them please ask. See you Monday.

We are off to a great start in July!  We have been talking to the optional girls about what the requirements are for each level and what its gonna take to get there.  They have responded well!  I think all of this information will help to motivate and get the girls focussed on their goals.  We still have  alot of work to do, but, I know we are going to have a great year…… only 6 weeks left of summer schedule!!!  Have a great 4th of July weekend, and we will see you all next week!