Become a Video Club member!

Register for the USECA Video Club for 2007-2008! Video Club membership is available to voting and associate members only. A collection of current video material provided by our members, including domestic and international apparatus fining methods, elements techniques, choreography, educational symposiums, etc. Members will receive a minimum of 8 – 10 selections per year containing one or two DVD's, sent directly to you. Previously issued selections may be ordered (by Video Club Members only) at a minimal cost. To order previously released selections, you can use your credit card and click here to register online or click here to print out a registration form and mail to:

Natalie Duke
10 Quail Point Place
Carmichael, CA 95608

or call 916-487-3559.

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2006 - 2007 DVD or VHS

Video #190: The Elite Process:

I have been waiting for a long time to get two sessions that I could use to put together a video describing the Elite Programs. Video 190 is that video. It contains lectures by two speakers who are very passionate about what they do. The first lecture is by Gary Anderson, chairman of the Pre-Elite committee. He goes through a history of the Elite programs and explains how it all came about. He discusses how Tops, Hopes, Pre-Elite and Elite tie together, along with their requirements. Thanks to Gary Anderson, Randy Sikora and Region 8 for this lecture. The second lecture is titled “Elite Fast Track” and is by Chris Burdette. Chris is the Region III Pre-Elite program chair and coaches and operates Texas Dreams Gymnastics in Dallas , Texas . Chris builds on what Gary starts and also gives you the information you need to answer that question, “Should I”. This Video is for those coaches who have always wanted to find out more about the Elite path and may be what they need to give it a try. Thanks to Chris Burdette, Cheryl Jarrett and The Gymnastics Association of Texas for this lecture.

Video #191: Uneven Bars #16:

The first lecture on this video is by Brad Harris and is titled “Advanced Bars”. Brad covers the requirements, drills, and progressions he uses to teach Straddle Back to Handstand, Pike Back to Handstand, Bail to Handstand, Hop Change, Tkatchev, Gienger and Advanced Dismounts. He also provides some ideas for combining these skills for bonus. Thanks to Brad Harris, Randy Sikora and Region 8 for this lecture. The second clinic on this video is by Anna Sexton and Karli Jones and was filmed at Woodward Camp in Pennsylvania this summer. This was one of those unplanned clinics that come about if you ever spend time at Woodward. Karli has a skill named after her, which is a piked Hindorff. Anna and Karli go thorough the progressions they used to develop this skill and demonstrate the skill. It also gave me a chance to try out slow motion. Thanks to Karli Jones, Anna Sexton, and Woodward Camp for this clinic.

Video #192 : Perfecting the Compulsories – Floor:

This video contains two lectures by two of the authors of the 2005-2013 compulsories. The first lecture was filmed at 2006 Region 8 Congress in Ft. Lauderdale and comes to us courtesy of Randy Sikora and Region 8. The lecture is titled “How Much Would You Take” and is by the master himself, Tom Koll. Tom is the current chair of the National Junior Olympic Committee, Women's Program Committee Chair, and the Vice Chair for Women on the Executive Committee for USA Gymnastics. He is a Brevet rated judge and is co-owner of Premier Gymnastics in Omaha , Nebraska . The lecture is geared to get coaches and judges on the same page with regards to the deductions applied to the current compulsories. Tom begins with a discussion of text, posture, and artistry deductions. Then, using demonstrators, he goes through many of the level 4, level 5, and level 6 skills. The second lecture on this video is courtesy of the Gymnastics Association of Texas (GAT) and was filmed at their 2006 convention in Austin , Texas . The title of this lecture is “Are You Doing Them Correctly – Floor” and is by Cheryl Jarrett, co-author of the current compulsory floor routines. In addition to being one of the creators of the current compulsory program Cheryl also is owner of Capital Gymnastics in Austin Texas and Co-founder of Sports Scholarship Consultants. She is a Board Member of the Gymnastics Association of Texas and plans all the educational programs and seminars. Using demonstrators, Cheryl goes through the fine points of the Compulsory Floor routines and shows what they should be along with the variations that are showing up in reality. She focuses on the Level 6-floor routine but does relate it to the other levels. She also provides a number of coaching cues to use in making corrections. A very important part of this lecture is Cheryl's discussion on how to handle those touchy situations in which there may be a disagreement between coach and judge. Both clinicians will stress time and time again when there is a question regarding the routines the final answer is the written text. Not what someone said, Not what you were taught, Not the video, Not the pictures in the text, it is the actual written words. The room was crowded so the camera angles are not the best.

Video #193 : Balance Beam #17:

This video contains two lectures on advanced tumbling on beam. The first lecture was filmed at 2003 Region 8 Congress in Coral Springs , Florida and comes to us courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and Region 8. The lecture is titled “Beam Tumbling” and is by two of the most recognized contributors in the USECA video club and to gymnastics education, Tammy Biggs and Tim Rand. The lecture is focused on teaching skills that the athlete can keep throughout their career. Tammy goes through a handstand complex, progressions for developing a full twisting back handspring and then goes into progressions for developing dismounts from a back handspring series. Tim then discusses the importance of progressions and circuit training. The second clinic on the tape comes to us courtesy of Woodward Camps Visiting Coaches program in June of 2006. The clinic is on developing the Roundoff for beam dismounts. The clinician is new to the Video Club. Vicky Chilszczyk is currently an assistant coach at the University of Maryland and has been working at Woodward since 1996 and has been a director for the last three years. Vicky discusses her philosophy for teaching skills on Beam and stresses the importance of proper progressions and starting the introduction of skills as young as possible. She discusses, with the use of demonstrators, hand placement, body position, key points, coaching queues, and safe progressions.

Video #194 : Developmental Gymnastics #1:

The first lecture on this video was sent to me by Dr. Jeni McNeal and contains an in-gym lecture by Dr. William A. Sands. The clinic was filmed at Region 2, 2005 congress and is presented courtesy of David Adlard. The title of the clinic is “ Developmental Bar Skills ”. With the help of Demonstrators, Bill shows a series of exercises for developing a Kip. He then goes through a number of developmental skills including a basket swing, reverse kip, sole circles, clear hip to underswings, and beginning casting. He goes through each of these explaining where it leads to while pointing out corrections and what to look for, The second lecture on this tape was presented at Region 8, 2006 Congress and is courtesy of Randy Sikora and Region 8. The lecture is titled “Ideas for Recreational Instructors Who Teach Vault and is by Tom Koll. Tom discusses how his recreational vault sessions are organized along with the three things each class should focus on; Have Fun, Learn Something, and Proper Technique. He shows how to balance this while discussing the breakdown of his class, warm-up, conditioning, and stations. The coach you assign to this event should be your most energetic since there is a lot of ground to cover while keeping every one busy. Lots of stations, learn and use everyone's name, use and make the children use proper terminology, challenge them, and always start with something positive are just some of the areas Tom discusses. He also goes through ideas for improving running, board contact, arm circling, and beginning inversion.

Video #195 : Vaulting #15:

This video contains two clinics in which a number of excellent drills are presented for developing Tsukahara and Yurchenko entry vaults. The first lecture on this video was presented at Region 8 2004 Congress in Nashville , Tennessee . Paul Padron presents the lecture. Paul is currently the Region 8 Junior Olympic Committee Chairman and has more than 25 years of experience as a coach and judge. The title of the lecture is “Drills and Shortcuts for Vaulting”. Paul begins the lecture with a discussion on Tsukahara vaults. He goes through a series of drills for developing and improving the run, hurdle, arm circle, and muscle isolation to be able to maintain the correct body position(s). He then goes into drills that can be set up to develop the “flipping” portion of the vault which are especially useful for those coaches not having access to a pit. Next come some drills for developing the Yurchenko entry, stressing the time development necessary to safely teach this vault. Paul then puts on his judges' hat and takes us through the analysis of some vaults, including a Pike Tsuk, Pike Yurchenko, and some more difficult vaults. Thanks to Paul, Marian Dykes and Sheila Ragle and Region 8. The second lecture was filmed during June of 2006 at Woodward Gymnastics Camp in Woodward Pennsylvania . The clinician is Aladine Naamou a Master Staff member at Woodward. Aladine has competed at the international level and was a 7-time all around champion for Syria . He owned his own school for 10 years and was an assistant coach for Penn State . He is presently coaching at Chris Waller's GymJam Academy in Santa Clarita , California . Aladine goes through the Yurchenko vault step by step presenting drills for improving the run, hurdle, Roundoff, blocking and turning over the vault. Thanks to Aladine and Woodward Gymnastics Camp.

Video #196 : Professional Coaching #9:

This video contains two lectures on developing your gymnast as a person and bringing out the best in them. The first lecture was presented at 2006 Region 8 Congress and is courtesy of Randy Sikora. The speaker is Brian Hite and the title of the lecture is “Enhancing Gymnast's Intrinsic Motivation”. Brian has a Master's Degree in Sport Psychology and has coached for 10 years. He is currently coaching at Waller's GymJam Academy in Southern California . During this lecture Brian discusses Intrinsic Motivation – You do it because you enjoy it. He provides information on what is behind motivation, the different types and theory involved with motivation. He explains how to get the most out of your athletes and the role the coach plays in this process. He provides suggestions for activities and training to improve motivation. Brian is also a consultant for Head Games Sports Psychology, which provides materials, and services for athlete development (www.headgames.ws). The second lecture on this video was presented at the 2006 Gymnastics Association of Texas 40 th Anniversary Convention. This lecture is presented courtesy of Cheryl Jarrett and the speaker is Scott Moore. Scott has been coaching for 26 years after competing at the University of Michigan and representing the USA in Sports Acrobatics. He is also producing a series of DVD's on bringing out the champion in all of us (stmoore357@yahoo.com). The title of this lecture is “The Champion Within”. In this lecture Scott goes through a series of principles, which if you live by, will bring out the champion in everyone. Some of these ideas include; The Tree of Champions vs. the Tree of Excuses, Bubble Time, Mind-Body-Emotion Connection and many, many more ideas to live and coach by.

Video #197 : Tumbling #16:

This video contains two lectures on developing proper tumbling basics early on so that you can develop the more difficult skills later. The first lecture was presented at 2006 Region 8 Congress and is courtesy of Randy Sikora. The speaker is Brad Harris and the title of the lecture is “Drills for Perfecting Compulsory Tumbling”. Brad is head coach and owner of the Tampa Bay Turners in St. Petersburg , Florida and a excellent clinician with a knack for breaking things down into what works. “Floor exercise progressions and drills are the root and the base of all gymnastics whether it be Balance Beam, Vault, and even Bars.” Brad starts with this statement and then goes through the progressions and drills he uses to imprint the proper mechanics of the skills for now and later. He does an excellent job of breaking down the skills and explaining how it relates to the higher level skills that you will need later on. The skills are the Hurdle, Roundoff, Back Handspring, Front Handspring, and the Back Extension Roll. The second lecture on this video was presented at the 2004 Region 8 Training Camp in Auburn , Alabama . This lecture is presented courtesy of Deb Kornegay and Region 8. This is an in-gym clinic by Dr. Evelyn Chandler and Ray Gnat. Evelyn is a Brevet judge who has served as the Florida and Region 8 Judging director, Ray is the owner of Ace Gymnastics in Longwood , Florida and has served as the Region 8 elite chairman. The Clinic is on Front and Back Tumbling. Evelyn and Ray go through Front and Back Tumbling sequences breaking down the technical aspects of the elements from both a judging and coaching perspective and how the two come together. Front tumbling begins with Front Handsprings and adds difficulty through front full – front layout. Back tumbling begins with a back handspring and carries through to triple twists and double back. This is an excellent clinic with the help of some very talented demonstrators. Please note that some of the skill values have changed since this clinic.

Video #198: General Business #3:

This video contains two lectures related to running your Business while maintaining a successful team program. The first lecture was presented at 2006 Region 8 Congress. The speaker is Randy Sikora and the title of the lecture is “The Sport of Gymnastics vs. the Business of Gymnastics”. Randy is the owner of Twister Gymnastics Parties and Cheer in Boca Raton , Florida and President of USA Competitions. Randy goes through his conversion from Coach to full time owner operator and presents some of his perspective on how to balance the sport and the business. He provides an overview of the growth of Gymnastics as a business and provides some ideas to achieve success. There is an interesting question and answer session after the lecture. The second lecture on this video was presented at the 2004 Region 8 Congress in Nashville , Tennessee . This lecture is presented courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle and Region 8. The lecture is titled “Getting a Handle on Managing Your Team” and is presented by Tom Forster. Tom is the owner of Colorado Aerials in Colorado Springs and is developer of ZipGym Software and ZipGym Team Manager. Tom begins by describing the process he went through in developing his Business and then discusses what is involved in setting up and managing a successful team program. His discussion includes what type of program, hiring the right staff, getting coaches that match your program, Athletes, Parents, Financials and Booster Clubs. “Your team is a race Car, can you afford to Race?

Video #199 : Planning for Success:

This is a single session video. The edited version of the lecture is approximately 1:15 minutes long. Stephen Rybacki presents this lecture. Stephen is the current VP of the Elite Coaches Association, a member of USA Gymnastics Board of Directors, Chairman of USA Gymnastics International Elite Program and a member of the National Team staff. The presentation was taped at 2003 National Congress and is presented courtesy of Kathy Feldmann and USA Gymnastics. Stephen lays out how to plan for success with your athletes which includes laying out your training plan, breaking it down into manageable pieces including what, when, and how much. How to involve all of your staff so everyone is working towards the same goal. He stresses writing everything down, discusses training theory, training cycles, intensity, peaking, and many other concepts that need to feed into your plan. He puts this together, not just for elites, but for all levels. He uses many examples right out of his training plan.

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2005 - 2006 DVD or VHS

Video #180: Teaching Tumbling Using the Tumble Track:

This video is devoted to Tumbling Basics. The video contains a couple of lectures by Tammy Biggs presented at Region 5 2003 Congress. The title of the lectures were “Teaching Tumbling using the Tumble Track” but as you would expect from Tammy, contains much, much, more. This tape comes to us courtesy of David Holcomb, Buckeye Gymnastics and Region 5.

Video #181: Vaulting #14:

This video contains a couple of excellent lectures by two of the best. The first clinic on this tape was filmed this past summer at Woodward Gymnastics. The clinic is on Yurchenko Vaulting and is by Mary Lee Tracy. With the help of some very talented demonstrators, Mary Lee starts with the run and finishes with some layouts. In between is everything you would expect. This lecture is presented courtesy of Woodward Gymnastics.

The second lecture on this tape comes to us from Todd Gardiner and the Illinois Gymnastics Institute. The title of the clinic is “The Table, Learn Not to Fear It”. This is a tape that Todd prepared when they were introducing the table. It contains drills and lead ups for safely introducing vaulting on the Table using a number of different training aids.

Video #182 : College Gymnastics, what's it all about and how to get there:

This video contains information on College Gymnastics and what you can do as a coach and/or owner to support your local colleges along with what you need to know to help your athletes continue gymnastics after high school.

The first session on the video is from this year's National Congress. Mike Lorenzen is currently the President of the National Association of Collegiate Coaches/Women's Gymnastics and the title of his presentation is; “Mutually Beneficial Relationships between Gymnastics Programs and the NCAA”. Mike goes through the current state of the collegiate program and the benefits that exist for both club and college for building a relationship with a local college. Mike also goes through the recruiting process and what coaches can do to help their athletes continue gymnastics after high school.

The second session on this video is from 2004 National Congress and is titled “Taking the Mystery out of College Scholarships”. The presenter is Cheryl Jarrett, Co-owner of Capital Gymnastics Inc. and Sports Scholarship Consultants. Cheryl takes the mystery out of what one must do to obtain that college scholarship. Cheryl presents a timeline and a step by step process for matching an athlete with a collegiate program in which they can succeed and thrive.

Thanks to Cheryl and Mike, along with Kathy Kelly, Kathy Feldmann and USA Gymnastics for allowing us to use this material.

Video #183 : Dance #4:

The title of the first lecture is “ Training Leaps and Turns”. This lecture begins on beam but moves to Floor about half way through. Tammy covers many possible turn variations before switching focus to Leaps. Tammy covers progressions, technique, and drills for improving these skills. This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and American Twisters along with Region 8.

The second lecture on this video is titled “Floor Dance” and was presented by Deana Parish at Woodward Camp as part of their visiting coaches program in 2004.

Deana starts with a Floor complex that can be used in your weekly workout that focuses on Dance skills while also improving your endurance, jumping ability and finishing. She then moves into discussing Rhythm, and how it can be used for improving the quality of your Routines on Floor and Beam. This Video is courtesy of Woodward Gymnastics camp.

Video #184 : Sport Science #5:

This video contains two lectures by Bill Sands presented at 2005 Region 2 Congress.

The first session on this video is on Periodization and discusses Training theory (with data) to plan your program to peak your athletes performance at just the right time. Concepts discussed include, Peaking, Tapering, Load Demand, Training Errors, Stress vs. Rest, Volume & Intensity, Training Response and Adaptation, Macro-Meso-Micro cycles and much, much, more.

The second session on this video is titled “Conditioning”. The focus of the lecture is on what you need to include in your training program to develop the fitness level necessary for your athletes to succeed at the skills they are working and to optimize their performance. “If they are not fit enough then the rest really does not matter”.

I want to thank Bill along with Jeni McNeal for obtaining this material for us. I would also like to thank Dave Adlard and Region 2 for allowing us to use this material.

Video #185 : Uneven Bars #15:

This video contains two excellent presentations on obtaining the beginning skills necessary to succeed at the optional levels on the Uneven Bars.

The first lecture is by Brad Harris and was presented at 2004 Region 8 congress. This lecture is courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle, and Region 8.

Using video, Brad goes through the skills he feels are critical to succeed at Bars. He goes through the teaching methodology he uses along with his prerequisites. The skills covered include casting, clear hips, back giants, pirouettes, pike backs, overshoots and double back flyaways.

The next lecture comes to us courtesy of Woodward Gymnastics and contains an in-gym clinic by Enrique Trabanino from the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy . Enrique starts with casting, then moves on to clear-hips, giants, pirouettes, blind change and then some bar strength and conditioning. At the end of the clinic he discusses toe on skills and giengers.

Video #186 : Professional Coaching #8:

The title of the first presentation on this Video is “Shape the Shape” and was presented by Tim Rand at Region 8 Congress in 2003.

Tim goes through the necessary shapes that must be learned in order to succeed at gymnastics. As he goes through the shapes, he also covers the strength and flexibility necessary to achieves these shapes, along with some ideas on achieving and improving these.

This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters and Region 8.

The second presentation is by Brad Harris and is titled “ Making a Smooth Transition from Compulsories to Optionals”. This was presented at 2004 Region 8 Congress and is courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle, and Region 8.

Brad starts with an overview and his philosophy regarding what and how a program can be set up to support the ultimate goal of producing competitive, high level athletes.

This all starts with producing a minimum list of requirements for each event and rolling that back down through your compulsory and pre-compulsory programs. He covers all 4 events including strength requirements and then discusses how he fits the development of these requirements into his pre-optional workouts.

Video #187 : Tumbling #16 :

The first clinic on this video is by Mike Lorenzen and was presented as part of Woodward Gymnastics Visiting Coaches Program in 2005.

The clinic is on Back Twisting. Mike begins the clinic discussing tumbling basics and methodically breaks down the hurdle and round off and presents ideas on how to improve them. He then moves on to the back-handspring, layout and single and multiple twisting.

The second lecture is titled “Teaching a Full on Floor” and was presented by Dennis Hayden at 2004 Region 8 Congress.

Dennis presents a step-by-step method he uses to develop a full twist on floor. He discusses the basics, and then with the help of some demonstrators and an air track presents his teaching method. He also discusses front twisting. This lecture is courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle and Region 8.

Video #188: Balance Beam #16:

This video contains two excellent presentations from 2006 Region 8 Congress. Thanks to Randy Sikora and USA Competition.

The first lecture is by Tom Koll and is titled “ Balance Beam Games – Keeping Workout Fun”. Tom presents a number of great ways to get in the numbers needed for success on beam. He presents a number of games all the while including coaching tips to achieve yours and the athletes goals.

The second lecture is titled “Coaching Beam: Not for Women Only” and is presented by Mark Robbins. Mark is the current Florida State Judging Director.

In this lecture Mark presents a targeted approach to coaching beam so that anyone can coach beam with confidence even if they have little or no background on that event. The lecture contains a solid foundation of basic principles that are needed for success on beam.

Video #189 : Injury Prevention and Care:

This video is on Injury Prevention and Care and contains two presentations by Tim McLane. Tim is an Athletic Trainer (ATC, MBA, LAT) and is a member of the USAG National Medical Staff.

The first lecture is titled “Injury Prevention and Care” and was presented at 2006 Region 8 Congress in Ft. Lauderdale . Thanks to Randy Sikora , USA Competitions and Region 8.

Tim presents training principles that should be used to prevent injuries. He also covers the proper care to use when injuries do occur. During Tim's discussion of functional conditioning for Injury Prevention you will get a preview of some of the Functional Rehabilitation material being prepared by Larry Nasser.

The second lecture it titled “Dealing with Injuries while Coaching and Teaching” and was presented at 2003 Region 8 Congress in Coral Spring Florida . Thanks to Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters and Region 8.

This lecture is targeted for coaches and recreational instructors who will be the first ones to encounter the injury. Tim covers prevention, basic injuries and treatment, clean up, and reporting.

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2004 - 2005 DVD or VHS

Video #170: Vaulting #12 - Teaching Beginning Vault:

It has been awhile since we have had a video devoted entirely to vaulting basics and developing a good, strong, safe Front Handspring Vault. Jim Gault, founder of the Elite Coaches Association and monthly newsletter contributor gave a pair of great lectures at 2004 Region 8 Congress devoted specifically to this. Jim goes through every aspect of taking that beginning vaulter and developing a strong Front Handspring Vault. Patience, attention to detail, discipline with regards to not letting the athletes practice bad habits, and using a safe series of progressions are the key. Jim covers the run, hurdle, blocking, angles, body position, and landing. He does this using live demonstrations and video. At the very end of the lecture he discusses higher level vaulting and additional safety considerations. Thanks to Jim, Sheila Ragle, Marian Dykes and Region 8.

Video #171: Conditioning:

Two great lectures from two of the best. The first Lecture on this video is from Region 5, 2003 Congress and comes to us courtesy of David Holcomb and Buckeye Gymnastics. It is a presentation by Mary Lee Tracy and is titled “ National Team Conditioning Plus for All Levels ” . Using her athletes Mary Lee goes through many, many conditioning exercises used in both the National Team conditioning program along with many of her own. She discusses the philosophy she uses for conditioning, when to condition, and how to choose. The second lecture on this video comes to us courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters, and Region 8, 2003 Congress. Neil Resnick presented a great lecture on “ Conditioning” in which he uses video along with a demonstrator.

Video #173: The Shoulder:

This video is on the shoulder and through the combined efforts of USA Gymnastics, Rachel Lethorn, Dr. Larry Nassar, and Kris Robinson lets you know every thing you ever needed to know regarding the shoulder. The first presentation on this tape is titled “ Understanding Common Shoulder Injuries & The Rehabilitation back to Gymnastics ” and was presented by Rachel Lethorn, MS, PA-C, ATC along with Dr. Larry Nassar the USAG Artistic Women's Program Team Physician. The presentation covers the anatomy of the shoulder, the chronic causes of shoulder pain, physical examination and testing techniques, treatment, and rehabilitation for a safe return to gymnastics. The second clinic is titled “ Prevention of Shoulder Pain ” by Kris Robinson, PT and regular monthly contributor to USECA. Kris goes through the basics of shoulder anatomy along with a series of quick tests and preventive and rehabilitative exercises to use. Both of these lectures were presented at 2002 National Congress and come to us courtesy of Kathy Feldmann and USA Gymnastics.

Video #172: Professional Coaching #7:

In August of 2005 Level 8's will be allowed to do Yurchenko entry vaults. This has to be handled very carefully due to the safety concerns with this vault and the improved, perceived ability to teach it with the table. As part of an advanced vaulting lecture, Brad Harris did an excellent job discussing advanced vaulting safety and his approach, and philosophy with regards to competition and advanced vaulting. Brad is the owner and head coach of the Tampa Bay Turners. The lecture was filmed at Region 8, 2004 Level 9&10 Training camp, courtesy of Region 8. The second lecture on this video is from Region 8, 2003 Congress and is titled “ Great Coaching Systems ”. Brendan Suhr, currently with the New York Knicks, gives an excellent lecture regarding coaching people. Brendan's extensive coaching career includes a couple of NBA world championship rings with the Detroit Pistons and being on the coaching staff of the 1992 Olympic Gold medal U.S. Dream Team at the Barcelona Olympics. This is one of those lectures that you pick up a little more every time you watch it. He basically goes through what it takes to take the journey from good to great. This lecture comes to us courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters, and Region 8.

Video #174: Uneven Bars #14:

This video is on advanced skills. It contains two lectures by Tom Forster, Colorado Aerials, that were presented at Region 8, 2004 Congress in Nashville . These were two of a series of lectures that Tom gave on uneven bars. The first of these is on Teaching Advanced Bar Release Moves and the second is on Advanced Bar Dismounts . The release skills that Tom covers include the Tkatchev, Jaeger, Schaposchnikova, Hindorff, Khorkina and Schuschunova. In the second lecture, he discusses teaching back and front dismounts along with his philosophy on creating a bar routine. Tom goes through his progressions and methodology for teaching these skills along with what to look for. These lectures come to us courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle and Region 8.

Video #175: Gymnastics Dance #3:

This is the third video in the Dance series and contains two lectures by Linda Johnson that were presented at the 2004 Region 8 Congress in Nashville . The first lecture is titled “ Dance: Back to Basics ”. In this lecture Linda covers alignment and posture, ballet barre basics, head and arm positions, footwork, take-offs and landings, and preparations for turns and jumps. There is a bit of “sensory overload” in this lecture when the session next door gets going. The second lecture is titled “ Dynamic Alignment ”. In this lecture Linda covers the key points that influence body alignment and how changes in that alignment effects both dance and gymnastics skills. These lectures are courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle, and Region 8.

Video #176: Tumbling #15:

This video contains two lectures on Advanced Tumbling. The first lecture is titled “ Arabians and Drills ” and is presented by Tammy Biggs. This lecture was presented at 2003 Region 8 Congress. Once again Tammy breaks a skill down into its basic parts and gives a series of drills for each part while discussing their importance. This lecture is full of information on many aspects of Tumbling. This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and Region 8. The second lecture on this video is on Advanced Back Tumbling and is presented by Mike Lorenzen. This is an in-gym lecture and was presented as part of Woodward Gymnastics camp visiting coaches program. In this lecture, Mike covers Double Layouts, Full Ins, and Full Outs. Mike methodically goes through what is important in teaching these skills, along with what to watch for, with the help of some very talented demonstrators. This lecture is courtesy of Woodward Gymnastics.

Video #177: Sport Science #4:

The first lecture on this video is titled “ The Laws of Motion ” and was presented by Tom Forster at 2004 Region 8 Congress in Nashville . This lecture was designed for both coaches and judges and explains how the Laws of Motion relate to what a Gymnast must do to complete a skill. He uses skills from Uneven Bars, Vault, and Beam to explain what must be done to complete a skill and how sometimes this conflicts with judging expectations and requirements. The second lecture is titled “ Developing Strength and Power ” and was presented by Bill Sands at Region 1 2001 Congress. In this lecture Bill tells us about Strength and Power and the differences between the two. He discusses the physiological requirements for both and what is needed to develop strength and power in your athletes. This lecture is courtesy of Region 1.

Video #178: Balance Beam #15 :

The first lecture is titled “ Front Saltos ” and is presented by Tim Rand. This lecture was presented at 2004 Region 8 Congress. In this lecture Tim discusses Front Salto's, Aerials and Side Sommies's. Using video Tim methodically goes through the progressions and philosophy he uses to teach these skills, along with how to differentiate between Good and Great execution. This lecture is courtesy of Marian Dykes, Sheila Ragle and Region 8. The second lecture on this video is on Back Series on Beam presented by Mary Lewis. Mary is the head coach at The College of William and Mary. This is an in-gym lecture and was presented as part of Woodward Gymnastics camp visiting coaches program in 2004. Mary discusses a number of possible back series but mainly focuses on Back Handsprings, Layouts and Gainer Layouts. She discusses what she is looking for in execution of these skills and the variations she experiences dealing with a variety of athletes from around the country. This lecture is courtesy of Woodward Gymnastics.

Video #179: General Business #2 :

This video contains two lectures for those who run businesses or are considering taking the plunge. The first lecture is titled “ Building Great Staff ” and is presented by Randy Sikora, owner of Boca Twisters. This lecture was presented at 2003 Region 8 Congress. In this lecture Randy focuses on what you, as an owner, need to do to acquire, and retain Great Staff. How do you get them, how do you pay them, how do you develop them, how do you evaluate them, and much more. He discusses Communication, Counseling, Coaching, and Mentoring. This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and Region 8. The second lecture on this tape is “ Being a Role Model ” and is presented by Tom Koll. This lecture was presented at 2002 Region 8 Congress. This lecture was initially intended for 1:15 and actually went for 1:45 and even then Tom still had more information that he wanted to convey. Some of the many concepts he discusses include; Be a source of energy, Create an environment that makes people (Staff, Parents, and athletes) want to be a part of your program, Ask the collar, Show off all of your kids, and much, much more. Tom also explains how he uses USECA videos as part of developing his coaches. This lecture is courtesy Nancy Hawkins and Region 8.

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2003 - 2004 DVD or VHS

Video #160: Basics:

The first lecture on this video is by Tammy Biggs. The title of the lecture is “ Basics on Floor ”. The lecture starts with a series of basics that you would include in your warm up. It then goes into basics for the blind change that can be done on floor and then finishes up with some basic work that will lead to a double front. Throughout the lecture Tammy is pointing out why it is important, what to watch for, and where it leads to. This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters and Region 8, 2003 Congress. I have been holding on to this lecture for a few years looking for just the right partner to match it with. This lecture was titled “ ABC's on Floor ” and was presented by Tim Rand at Region 8's Level 9,10, Elite Training Camp in October of 2001. Tim starts with a number of warm up drills and then moves on to tumbling. He goes through basic tumbling using a multitude of corrections and verbal cues.

Video #161: Vaulting #11:

This video begins with a lecture by Todd Gardiner presented at the 2003 Region 8 congress. Todd begins by sharing some of his coaching experiences and then goes into some basic vaulting drills . This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters and Region 8. The next two lectures are courtesy of Woodward Gymnastics and were presented at Woodward Camp, Pennsylvania in June of 2002. In the first of these, Bob Nelligan, head coach at the University of Maryland and Woodward Master Staff, goes through vaulting drills that lead up to the Front handspring front. The final lecture on this video is on the Yurchenko entry and is presented by Mike Lorenzen, head coach at the University of Iowa and Woodward Master Staff. Mike focuses on the entry of the vault and lays out a series of progressions for successfully teaching this vault. I would like to thank the owners of Woodward for allowing us to use these lectures. I would also like to warn you ahead of time that both of these lectures contain some background noise. There is some music in the background during Bob's lecture and a fairly impressive rainstorm during Mike's.

Video #162: Beginning Optionals:

This video is devoted to beginning optional level gymnastics. The first lecture on this video is by Tom Koll and he discusses Level 7 Floor and Beam . Starting with the philosophy(s) and uses of Level 7 he then goes in to what is expected in the Beam and Floor routines and how to maximize performance. Jeff Wood takes over in the second lecture and discusses Level 7&8 Uneven Bars . He covers the choice and development of the skills, which are demonstrated along with the proper spotting techniques. Both of these lectures were filmed at Region 8, 2003 Congress and are presented courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and Region 8.

Video #163: Professional Coaching #6:

This video comes courtesy of Cheryl Jarrett, Greg Schram, and the Gymnastic Association of Texas. The first lecture is titled” Keeping Athletes over 13 Years Old ” and is presented by Nick Chaimson. Nick shares what has worked for him in keeping those older athletes when Gymnastics competes with everything else in their lives. Nick is head coach of Spirals Gymnastics in Arlington , Texas and has graduated 27 gymnasts since 1994. The second lecture on the video is titled “ How to Teach Mental Training ” and is presented by Dennis Parker. Dennis takes what has worked for him on the football field and relates it to the training of athletes in general. Dennis has 27 years of coaching experience and is currently a motivational speaker with the Zig Ziglar Corporation.

Video #164: Balance Beam #14:

Both presentations on this video are by Tammy Biggs and come courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and Region 8. These lectures were presented at 2003 region 8 Congress. The first of these is titled “ Developmental Beam ” and contains some drills and skills that she feels are important and should be taught to your Level 1-3 athletes. The second lecture on this video contains a series of drills on Balance Beam for the development of tumbling skills

Video #165: Parents:

This video is one that I have been waiting a long time to put together. At 2001 National Congress I taped a workshop by Michael Taylor titled “Getting Parents off your Back and on your Side” which has since been re-named “ Partners not Parents ”. I have been holding onto this video since then, waiting for just the right one to team it up with. Greg Scram and the Gymnastics Association of Texas (GAT) provided the partner lecture and is a presentation by Dr. Alison Arnold titled “ Dealing with Difficult Parents ” presented at the 2003 GAT convention. Video #165 begins with Dr. Arnold's workshop, courtesy of the Gymnastics Association of Texas. Dr. Arnold is the Sports Psychology consultant for the USA Women's Gymnastics Team, USA Figure Skating, and USA Trampoline and Tumbling. If you would like information about her mental training tools and educational materials visit her at www.headgames.com . Michael's workshop follows and is courtesy of USA Gymnastics. Michael is a regular contributor to The Elite Gymnastics Journal and is currently a Senior Recreation Supervisor for the city of Menlo Park , California . He is the owner of Gym.Net. Gym.Net (www.gym.net) is a Professionals Network of Education, Business, Consulting and Internet Services specializing in Gymnastics oriented businesses. Both of these presentations are really interactive workshops. There is a great deal of editing and I have tried to play with the sound levels to make it possible to hear all of the audience participation. This tape should be required educational material for all innocent, beginning coaches and may provide some new insights to the more experienced.

Video #166: Uneven Bars #12:

This video contains a lecture on Pirouetting and a clinic on Level 4 & 5 bar skills . It begins with a lecture on Pirouetting by Neil Resnick. Neil is the owner of Flips USA in Sparks Nevada and is a member of the National Coaching staff. Neil is one of those Master Clinicians whom you never want to miss. Neil goes through the requirements, conditioning, lead ups, progressions, and general methodology for teaching a number of skills. He begins with conventional pirouetting, Higgins, Healy, and the Blind Change. Along the way he discusses Inverts and Front Giants. He also shows some interesting circuits for some of the skills. The lecture combines live demonstrations and video. This lecture was filmed at Region 8, 2003 Congress and is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand, American Twisters and Region 8. Speaking of Master Clinicians and Tim Rand that leads us right in to the second part of this tape. The second part of this video is a clinic on Level 4 & 5 bar skills conducted by Tim at Region 5, 2003 Congress. Tim goes through the level 4 and 5 bar skills by breaking them down into teachable chunks. He goes through the progressions he uses for teaching the skills. He discusses form and execution, body shaping, spotting, and the importance of the skill and how it relates to what comes later on. He also reminds us to be patient with drills and give them time to work. The skills covered, broken down into smaller parts, are the Glide Kip, Front Hip Circle , Casting, Single Leg Shoot Through, Back Hip Circle , Underswing Dismount, Squat-on, Long Hang Kip, and Tap Swings. This is an in gym clinic and is courtesy of David Holcomb, Buckeye Gymnastics and Region 5.

Video #167: Quest for Perfection (Vault):

I had the opportunity to sit in on one of Judy Dobransky's Judging clinics a few years ago and what I immediately noticed was the lack of coaches. After listening to and taping the discussions I came away from the clinic with a better understanding of where my athlete's deductions were coming from. This video is a consolidation of material from three lectures presented in 2002 and 2003. The first lecture on this video is Judy's lecture from Region 8 2002 Congress. The lecture was one in which Judy was in the process of developing the training material for Judging Vaulting with the switch to the table. This lecture is courtesy of Nancy Hawkins and Region 8. The second lecture is from 2003 Region 8 Congress and covers Front and Tusk vaulting by Evelyn Chandler. This lecture is courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand and Region 8. The final lecture covers flipping and twisting vaults by Judy Dobransky. This lecture comes from the Gymnastic Association of Texas 2003 Convention courtesy of Cheryl Jarrett and Greg Schram.

Video #168: Tumbling #14:

This video is the 14 th tape in the tumbling series. Both of these lectures were taped at 2003 Region 8 Congress and come to us courtesy of Tim and Toni Rand. The tape begins with Todd Gardiner on Front Tumbling . Todd is the owner of the Illinois Gymnastic Institute. Using demonstrators, Todd starts with the Handstand and proceeds through Walkovers, Handsprings, Tucks, Layouts, Full's, through Rudi's. He discusses alignment, basics, drills, progressions and conditioning. Neil Resnick then takes over with a lecture on Advanced Tumbling . Neil is owner of Flips USA and a current National Team Coach. Using a demonstrator and video Neil takes us through the methodology he uses to teach advanced tumbling. He begins with basics to include in your everyday warm-ups and then goes through progressions and drills for a number of advanced tumbling skills. Learn about the Magic Clock.

Video #169: Athlete Wellness:

The final video of the year is in the area of Athlete Wellness. Both of these lectures were filmed at 2004 Region 8 Congress in Nashville and come to us courtesy of Marian Dykes and Sheila Ragle. Both lectures are by David Marshall , MD who is the Medical Director for the Sports Medicine Program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. The first lecture is on Common Orthopedic Injuries in the Female Gymnast . This lecture covers the common injuries, both acute and chronic seen in young gymnasts. The common injuries covered include Shoulder and Elbow dislocations, chronic wrist pain, lower back pain, and knee and ankle injuries. Prevention, symptoms, evaluation and treatment are covered. The second lecture is on the Female Athlete Triad . The relationship between nutrition, menstrual function, and stress fractures are discussed. The focus is on early recognition and treatment. Dr. Marshall also presents some interesting information regarding obesity trends in the United States .

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2002 - 2003 DVD or VHS

These videos contain a series of lectures by Tom Koll, Chairman of the JO Committee, and focus on the current and upcoming (2005) Compulsories.

Video #150: Compulsory Exercises Part 1:

Part One : 2005 Compulsory Preview by Tom Koll: This is a present from USA Gymnastics and was presented at 2002 National Congress in Cleveland Ohio . The lecture is a preview of the changes that are being proposed/incorporated in the 2005-2013 compulsories. These changes will be finalized at the committees November 2003 meeting. This lecture provides you a chance to begin modifying your preparation now.
Part 2 : How Much Would You Take for level 4-6 on Floor by Tom Koll: This lecture is courtesy of Mississippi USAG and Nancy Hawkins SACC and was presented at the 2002 Region 8 Congress. This is the first of three clinics “designed to get everyone on the same page in regards to compulsory deductions”. Tom covers all of the major dance elements, some of the tumbling, connections, dynamics, and artistry. He provides an update on the current changes as well as glimpses of the upcoming compulsories. The clinic was well received by both coaches and judges alike and is a must for those involved at the compulsory level.

Video #151: Compulsory Exercises Part 2:

Part 1 : How Much Would You Take for level 4-6 on Uneven Bars by Tom Koll.
Part 2 : How Much Would You Take for level 4-6 on Balance Bea m by Tom Koll: These lectures are courtesy of Mississippi USAG and Nancy Hawkins SACC and were presented at the 2002 Region 8 Congress. These lectures follow through on Uneven Bars and Balance Beam with the same format as described for Floor in Tape 150.

Video #152: Balance Beam #12:

This video contains something for everyone. It contains a congress session clinic, an in-gym clinic and some competition video. This tape focuses on connections on Beam for upper level gymnastics. The first clinic is one conducted by Judy Dobransky and is titled “ To Give or Not To Give ”. Judy discusses combinations on Beam and after reviewing the requirements uses video from 2001 Worlds to go through combinations and some unique skills. Judy is a Brevet Judge, coach, choreographer, consultant and clinician from Region 5. She is currently NAWGJ Librarian, and USECA's 2002 Judge of the year. This lecture is courtesy of Mississippi USAG and Nancy Hawkins SACC and was presented at the 2002 Region 8 Congress. In the second part of this video Cari DuBois goes through some exercises that she uses in her beam complex and then goes through a number of Jump Combinations that work . Cari is a judge, club coach, and has been coaching college gymnastics for nine years. She is currently the head coach at the University of California at Berkley . This lecture is courtesy of Woodward Gymnastic Camp. The final part of the video is the actual video of 2001 World Championships donated by Judy Dobransky. The video contains some of the warm ups and many of the Beam routines.

Video #153 Team:

This tape is for Owners and Coaches and contains two lectures related to “Team”. The first of these is a clinic by Tom Koll and is titled “ Team Requirements...What Are Your Standards? “. Tom discusses the requirements that he uses at his facility, USAG requirements and additional in-house requirements. He also goes through many of the experiences that one may encounter with parents along the way. Tom is the National Junior Olympic Committee Chairman, Women's Program Committee Chairman, and the Vice Chair for Women on the Executive Committee for USA Gymnastics. He is co-owner and program director of Premier Gymnastics in Omaha , Nebraska . The second part of the Tape is by Randy Sikora, owner of Twister Gymnastics in Boca Raton , Florida . The title of the workshop is “Building a Profitable Competitive Team Program ”. Randy goes through the philosophy and methodology he used to remodel his team program to be both successful and profitable. Both of these lectures were from this years Region 8 Congress.

Video #154 Vaulting #10:

This tape provides an introduction to vaulting on the Table . Both of these lectures are by Brad Harris, head coach and owner of the Tampa Bay Turners Gymnastics Academy . The first of these lectures is from the 2002 Region 8 Level 9/10 training camp. Brad goes through some of the changes in vaulting that will occur with the new vaulting table. His gymnasts demonstrate a number of vaults as Brad discusses what both coaches and judges should be looking for. The second lecture on this Tape is titled “ Vaulting - Transition from the Old Horse to the New Table ”. In this clinic Brad covers gymnast psychology, lead up stations, drills, and training aids to help with the transition. He covers Handsprings, 1/4 & 1/2 ons, Tsukahara and Yurchenko style vaulting. This lecture is courtesy of Mississippi USAG and Nancy Hawkins SACC and was presented at the 2002 Region 8 Congress.

Video #155: Uneven Bars #11:

This video contains two lectures on Uneven Bars presented at the 2001 Region 8 Level 9/10/Elite Training camp in Rosewell Georgia by a couple of current National Team coaches. The first lecture is titled Shapes, Lines, and Pirouettes by Tim Rand and the second lecture it tilted Stalders, Endos, and more by Jeff Wood. In Shapes, Lines, & Pirouettes Tim discusses body position, where is vertical, and goes through the common errors one encounters in coaching and judging these skills. He then goes through event specific conditioning which includes; Lever Swings, Conditioning “Wrong”, Pull up and over, Leg lifts, Straddle Press to HS, Rope Climb, The Wheel, Cast Handstands with and without Pirouettes. He then goes through and covers Back and Front Giants, Kip-Cast-1/2, Stalders and Free Hips. In Stalders, Endos & More Jeff introduces Free Hips as Conditioning and what should be part of your everyday Basics. He then goes on to cover Stalders, along with some Progressions & Drills, and what to watch for. He then goes through the same information for Endos, Free Hips, Hindorf, Toe On Hecht to High Bar, and some Pirouette Drills.

Video #156: General Business #1 :

This tape was initially going to be part of the professional coaching series but as I was putting it together is quickly became apparent that these lectures are specific for club owners and managers (or future club owners). The first part is by Randy Sikora, owner of Twister Gymnastics in Boca Raton , Florida . The title of the workshop is Managing Growth and Engineering Change . “The workshop is designed to challenge club owners and managers to hurdle their perceived limitations and take a different approach towards their vision for tomorrow.” The second workshop is titled Integrating Your Gym Into the Community . Deb Tapscott-Walls is from Florence Alabama and has owned and operated Schoals School of Gymnastics for the past 28 years and is presently serving her fourth term as the Alabama USAG State Chair. In this workshop Deb examines a different approach to improving your business, Community Service. She shares her experiences in giving to the community and what it means to your business. Both of these lectures are courtesy of Mississippi USAG and Nancy Hawkins SACC and were presented at the 2002 Region 8 Congress.

Video #157 Sports Science #3 :

This video is presented courtesy of USA Gymnastics. The tape contains two lectures by our own Doc Sands that were presented at USAG National Congress in Cleveland in August of 2002. The first lecture on this video is titled “ Basic Biomechanics – Flipping and Twisting” . Maybe they are doing what they are doing just to complete the rotation. In this lecture Bill goes through the mechanics and physics governing flipping and twisting. He does this without any complicated mathematical formulas. The second lecture on this video is titled “ Technique Analysis and Feedback ”. In this lecture Bill discusses the criteria of “correct technique”, methods of analyzing the technique, using technology to analyze the technique and providing feedback. With examples he goes through identification of crucial areas, detecting errors, prioritizing the errors and prescribing solutions. Most of this lecture was filmed using a stand alone (no operator) camera so there will not be close-ups of the slides.

Video #158 Tumbling #12:

This video contains a collection of shorter tumbling lectures. The first two lectures on this tape are courtesy of Woodward Camp in Pennsylvania . They were filmed in June of 2002. The first of these lectures is on Front Tumbling and is by Woodward master staff clinician Mike Comeau, assistant coach at the University of Rhode Island . Mike covers front layouts and front twisting and shares some of his drills and experiences. The second lecture on this video is on Advanced Back Tumbling and is by Woodward master staff Ricky Harris. Ricky also coaches at Aim High Gymnastics in Rhode Island . Ricky discusses multiple back flipping and twisting. The third lecture on this video is the second half of a lecture on Advanced Back Tumbling by Brad Harris, owner and head coach of the Tampa Bay Turners. This lecture was filmed at 2000 Region 8 Congress at Lightning City Gymnastics in Tampa Florida . The last lecture on this video is the first few minutes from a Spotting clinic conducted at Woodward. Mike Lorenzen, Woodward master staff and head coach at the University of Iowa discusses what is necessary in properly spotting tumbling skills.

Video #159 Hey That's a Pretty Good Drill, Three:

This Video is presented courtesy of USA Gymnastics and was filmed at 2002 National Congress in Cleveland . The lecture on this video is the third in a series of lectures by John Wojtczuk. This lecture discusses some creative ideas to help coach beginners. The drills contained in this lecture cover tumbling, vaulting, uneven bars and balance beam. John has also allowed us to use his demonstration video. Please note that very little editing was done on John's demonstration video. There is distortion of the video when pauses and slow motion are used. There is also no sound during this portion of the tape since it was meant to accompany the lecture. For those of you who have been requesting that John's monthly series in the Journal be available on videotape here is your chance to get a very small part of it. John's other two lectures in this series can be found on tapes 109, 110, and 143.

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2001 - 2002 DVD or VHS

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2000 - 2001 VHS TAPES

TAPE #130: Mental Toughness:

Developing Mentally Tough Gymnasts , by Dr. Alan Goldberg: Do you remember the vault during the first night of preliminary competition? Kristen Maloney had come up limping after a less than perfect first vault. The commentators were worried. Could she do it? Should she even try? Then, as Kristen focused on the horse as she prepared for her second attempt, her facial expression changed. Tim Daggett said something to the effect, “Oh, yes, she's all ready now.” Then Kristen ran full blast down the runway and nailed her vault. This did not surprise Kristen, her coaches, or Tim Daggett. This was normal. This is why Kristen was in the Olympics in the first place. Kristen is tough physically and mentally. How did she develop this toughness? Dr. Goldberg teaches us that great athletes get comfortable being uncomfortable. They get past fear, physical difficulties, and burn out. This is no accident. This skill can be taught and you can learn about it in this tape.

TAPE #131: Tumbling #9:

Part One: Compulsory Tumbling , by Brad Harris: Brad did a couple of lectures for us last year and they were very well received. He's back again giving practical, useful drills and progressions for use in the compulsory floor routine. This lecture is perfect for your level 4, 5, and 6 coaches and it is also a terrific training aid for class teachers.

Part Two: Russian Tumbling Techniques , by Vladimir Novikov: The first part of this lecture is hard to understand. But after the camera is moved to a different angle and as Vladimir warms to his subject and we get used to the accent, things sound a bit clearer and the last 3/4 to 2/3 of the lecture is very good. This is not a methodical step-by-step presentation of the old Soviet system. Instead, Vladimir takes a group from basics to intermediate tumbling skills. This lecture is at its best as Vladimir actually makes corrections and drills these girls on their specific skills. He concentrates on head, shoulder, arm, and back positions. This is a good lecture for all optional level coaches and even veteran coaches should pick up a pointer or two.

TAPE #133: Gymnastics Dance #1, Tom Koll:

Part One: How to Create a Great Floor Routine from Scratch : In this lecture, which was presented at the 2000 Region 8 Congress, Tom goes through some fun and interesting activities for creating poses and transitions.

Part Two: Interesting Dance Drills : Tom begins the discussion with some drills for leaps, jumps, and turns and then moves into consideration of pulling the best performance from the gymnast.

TAPE #134: Uneven Bars #9 (Advanced Bars):

Part One: Major Bar Skills , by Brad Harris: from Region 8 Congress. This in gym clinic Includes discussion on the hop-change, Tachachev, Geiger, full-in, full-out, Fontain, inverts. The lecture includes drills, lead-ups, progressions, and spotting. This is a good lecture.

Part Two: Bar Dismounts , by Ray Grant: Includes flyaway, double back, twisting doubles, layout double, Arabian, and double front.

This tape also includes the conclusion of Larry Nassar's lecture from Tape #135

TAPE #135: Coaches Medical Primer HPS 2000 :

Larry Nassar presented this lecture at the High Performance Training Camp. This USA Gymnastics event was very well received and this tape should give those who did not attend some idea as to the depth of the information presented. This is a medical primer on common problems, treatment, taping, and injury prevention in such areas as ankles, shins, hips, glutes, and the back. This is information that every coach should know.

TAPE #136: Gymnastics Dance #2, Tom Koll:

Part One: The Illusion of Perfect Alignment : In this lecture, Tom stresses proper posture in leaps and turns, what to watch, and how to improve.

Part Two: Incorporating Dance Into Everyday Workouts : This is often the problem: so much to do and not enough time to get it all done. Tom's approach is down to earth and includes strategies you can put to use right away.

TAPE #137: High Performance Seminar 2000:

Bill Sands, our sports science guy gets down to business as he sets his sights on the physiological aspects of women's gymnastics, specifically physical preparation and fitness for training and performance. This is a very good tape.

TAPE #138: Basic Tumbling:

I have had this tape for a couple of years just waiting for an opportune time to send it out. Think of this as a “Greatest Hits” tape on basic tumbling skills. Greg McCalester put this tape together from a number of lectures and they all have to do with basics on floor with a little vault thrown in as well. This is an ideal tape to give to class teachers and beginning coaches as well as a great reminder for all the seasoned veterans. This tape is full of drills, lead-ups, and progressions, as well as basic technique.

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1999 - 2000 VHS TAPES

TAPE #120: 1999 World University Games:

Many Video Club members have expressed an interest in receiving more competition videos. The Video Club has received few to offer the membership that we were able to distribute due to network television rights, but we can share this one. There are some terrific gymnasts competing in this international championship and some skills that are breathtaking include a handspring double front vault (2.501) performed by Elena Produnova. The Video Club thanks Judy Dobransky for sending and sharing this tape. Her notes on the competition appeared in the October 1999 issue of the USECA Newsletter.

TAPE #121: Professional Coaching #4:

Part One: Improving Flexibility , by Dr. Bill Sands: Bill calls this some of the most practical and effective information he has come across in his 30 years in the sport. Simple to understand and implement he all but guarantees that the use of this system will improve your gymnasts' leaps and jumps within just a few weeks. That is why this tape is coming out as one of our first offerings of the year. Bill's notes appear elsewhere in this Newsletter.

Part Two: Teaching Gymnastics to Children , also by Dr. Sands: This centers on the big picture of teaching athletics, particularly gymnastics, to children. What can children learn and when can they learn it? This is important basic information critical to the ongoing success of your club and our sport.

TAPE #122: Coaching Great Gymnasts :

Part One: What Should I Put into My Workout for My Up-and-Coming Gymnasts? , by Tami Biggs: Long time Video Club members know that I think Tami Biggs is about the best thing going. She is a coach's coach and she is sharing her knowledge with all of us. In this video she shows us what we might want to incorporate in our daily workouts to get our little ones ready for the rigors of optional and level 10/elite competition. The focus is on beam but most of these drills are applicable to floor as well. Some time is also spent on bars.

Part Two: How to Develop Great Gymnasts While Training 20 or Fewer Hours a Week , by Brad Harris: Brad takes us through his yearly training schedule (periodization). He also talks about workouts and training. This lecture was poorly filmed but the content is good.

TAPE #123: Gymnastics Basics:

Part One: Basics on All Four Events , by Tim Rand: “There is nothing basic about basics.” Tim goes through what's important and gives some ideas on how to work these skills and drills into the workout. There are some noise problems with an adjoining area but these calm down some during the course of the lecture.

Part Two: Uneven Bar Basics , by Leonard Isaacs: The level 4 and 5 bar routines are nice but they are only partially developmental. There is much work to be done above and beyond the skills in the compulsory routines. Leonard gives his take on what those skills and drills are and how best to do them.

TAPE #124: Advanced Tumbling:

Part One: Bonus Tumbling , by Brad Harris: Great insight on an important subject.

Part Two: Progressive Training for D and E Skills , by Jack Carter: Jack Carter has done a tremendous job with the Parkettes and he shares his philosophy and progressions in this video. Originally presented at the 1998 National Congress, it is offered here courtesy of USA Gymnastics. This is a great tape!

TAPE #125: Training the Compulsories:

Part One: Drills and Skills for the Compulsory Routines , by Tami Biggs:

Part Two: Compulsory Beam Skills , by Tim Rand: If you are familiar with these coaches then you know why this is an impressive videotape. These coaches are among the best in the United States , lecturing on a subject in which they have proven to be the masters. Enjoy!

TAPE #126: Balance Beam #9:

Part One: Turns and Twisting , Tami Biggs and Tim Rand: USECA is proud to present another tape featuring two of the best teachers and coaches in the United States . In this video, Tami and Tim focus on the specifics of turning and twisting, laying groundwork in the basics and proceeding through intermediate and into advanced skills.

Part Two: Routine Composition and Dismounts : Tim Rand turns his attention to other important aspects of beam training and some that might be somewhat neglected. This is an excellent tape.

TAPE #127: Vaulting #8:

Part One: Yurchenko Vault Drills , by Al Fong: It has been a while since USECA sent out a strong Yurchenko vaulting tape. This is such a tape. Al starts by giving an overview of what the expectations of the elite program are and how that impacts the selection of this family of vaults. Then he moves through a series of drill for the Yurchenko. He explains the timeline for learning the vault and shares his philosophy for developing a strong vaulter.

Part Two: ½ on ½ off Front , by Isaacs and Jansson: This lecture was presented at the Region V Congress during the fall of 1999. It presents an in depth look at this vault and the technical aspects that differentiate it from a tsuk with a half twist. There is a fairly detailed biomechanical analysis of the vault with an emphasis on the practical aspects of teaching and judging the vault. Recent USECA vault tapes have had a strong bias toward the basics and development of good vaulting. This tape has a focus on the higher ends of the skill level on this event. This is a very good tape.

TAPE #128: Tumbling #8:

Part One: Tumbling Basics , by Tami Biggs: Tami Biggs is one the most sought after and accomplished coaches working in the United States today. She has forgotten more effective drills than any of us will ever learn or develop. In the first lecture on this tape Tami turns her attention to the drill, skills, and conditioning that the girls must do in order to lay a solid foundation for advanced tumbling.

Part Two: Directly Connected Saltos , by Tim Rand: In the second lecture Tim explains that although the gymnasts can get credit for “C”, “D”, and “E” dance skills, such dance difficulty is subject to interpretation and judgment by the official. Tumbling difficulty is much more reliable in terms of getting credit and fulfilling requirements. In this lecture Tim looks at lead-ups, technique, and drills for directly connecting saltos on floor. This is a great tape for content. However, this tape was filmed by setting the camera up and letting it record while the owner filmed another lecture. There are no close ups and you will have to turn the volume up. Also, there was not enough room to include Tim's entire lecture on this tape. It is continued on Tape #129.

TAPE #129: Beam Dance:

Part One: Effective Leap and Jump Combinations , by Tami Biggs: Tami is at her very best on this tape presenting effective combinations on beam. Not only does she present specific combinations for the girls to use, she also provides a framework for all coaches to use in deciding what is best to use with their individual athletes. This is a great tape for content. However, this tape was filmed by setting the camera up and letting it record while the owner filmed another lecture. There are no close ups and you will have to turn the volume up.

This tape also contains the conclusion of Tape #128, Directly Connected Saltos.

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1998 - 1999 VHS TAPES

TAPE #110: Uneven Bars #7:

Part One: Hey, That's A Pretty Good Bar Drill: Creative Thinking to Help Coach Beginners : John Wojtczuk, a coach at North Stars Gymnastics and a past chairman of the J.O. Program Committee, has come up with some pretty good bar drills for kips, pirouettes, blind changes, clear hips, late toe-on, stalders, and giants. These drills are not new. In fact, many of them have been around for a long time, but may not be familiar to many new coaches and gymnasts. Changes in equipment, progressions, the rules, and thinking about gymnastics have all led to the loss of many great drills of the past. These drills are particularly valuable as they can often be set up as an additional station which does not require your presence every rotation.

Part Two: Identifying Grip and Hop Changes , by Tim Rand and Linda Chemcinski. Tim is the owner and head coach at American Twisters. Linda is one of our top judges, having judged at the Olympics and World Championships. In this lecture they present 40-45 different combinations-all with grip changes or hops and your job will be to list the skill, the value, and the bonus. After all the combinations have been presented, Linda and Tim will go back over the combinations with an explanation of the skill, the value, and an examination of proper technique. This video is offered courtesy of USA Gymnastics.

TAPE #111: Coaching Clinic #6:

Part One: 51 Quick and Easy Sport Psychology Exercises , by Allison Arnold. Dr. Arnold is a sport psychology consultant for USA Gymnastics and a former Class I gymnast. Mental conditioning is not different than physical conditioning. Minds need constant training to become disciplined enough to handle the rigors of high-level performance. Sport psychology is much more than a bit of mental rehearsal the night before a meet. This lecture will give coaches quick and easy exercises that can be implemented in the gym immediately. The topics discussed include team building, goal setting, motivation, concentration, decreasing anxiety, consistency, and confidence.

Part Two: Conditioning, Peaking, and Dennis Rodman? : David McCreary, REPC for Region I, has been coaching top level gymnasts for over a decade. In this lecture, David tries to make sense of the vast amount of material that has been published over the past few years concerning conditioning and peaking. The lecture includes types of conditioning and strength training; the yearly plan, prioritize, per iodize; and individualize; how to tailor different training phases to the differing conditioning priorities that you will encounter during the year; how to implement a training program that is practical and efficient; an example of a yearly strength and conditioning program, and the considerations that must go into such a program. This video is offered courtesy of USA Gymnastics.

TAPE #112: Vaulting #7 :

Part One: Handspring Vaults : Glen Vaughan. Glen has been coaching gymnastics for many, many, years, working first with the boys and now with the girls in the San Diego area. This lecture is devoted to the drills, skills, technique, and approach to teaching and perfecting the basic handspring vault.

Part Two: Advanced Vaulting : David McCreary. David is one of the coaches at West Valley Gymnastics and he has produced many top gymnasts. This lecture is titled “Advanced Vaulting” but in reality David's focus is on the basics. If you get the basics right, even the most advanced vault takes care of itself. He devotes time to six areas of training that he does with all of his gymnasts no matter what level: (1) Sprint and running drills (2) body position drills (3) repulsion drills and conditioning (4) board drills (5) air sense and landing drills (6) mental preparation. This is a terrific lecture for coaches of all levels.

TAPE #113: Flexibility:

Part One: Flexibility and Jumps Using the Tumble Track , Cheryl Jarrett: Cheryl is one of the coaches at Capitol Gymnastics and she has helped produce many top gymnasts. The title of this lecture is literal. Cheryl has her gymnasts use the Tumble Track frame and bed to do flexibility exercises. She also has them practice leaps, jumps, body positions, landings, and flexibility drills using the apparatus.

Part Two: Increase Flexibility : Ligosar. This is a good cross over lecture as a rhythmic coach shares the secrets of flexibility with the artistic gymnastics community.

TAPE #114 Uneven Bars #8:

Advanced Bars : Mark Young. This is a very good lecture. Mark coached Amy Chow and shares many of the thoughts, progressions, and techniques that led to her success on this event.

Unique Bar Skills : Todd Gardiner. Todd has shared his insights with us many times. This would be a great lecture if the person filming it had been able to zoom in on the information Todd presents concerning the future direction of bars and what we must do to keep up with this changing event. I have spliced in some great film of the China gymnasts on bars.

TAPE #115: Balance Beam #8:

Planning the Workout : Naomi Meyekawa. Naomi has lectured extensively on this event drawing on her vast dance background. She breaks the year into three training periods and details what needs to be done during each period.

Tumbling Clues and Cues : Tom Koll. Tom has taken some time off from his duties as the National J.O. Program Chairperson to lecture on basic tumbling including handstands and cartwheels. Those who know Tom will expect this lecture to be funny, entertaining, and informative. They will not be disappointed.

TAPE #116: Twisting and Tumbling:

Part One: The Mystics of Twisting , by Tim Rand: Actually, Tim believes that there isn't much mystery to twisting at all. It's so simple, so very simple, that only a child can do it. This lecture starts with the basics and builds.

Part Two: Basic Tumbling , by Dan Witenstein: Basic tumbling has been done before but rarely has it been done so well! This is a good tape!

TAPE #117: Gymnastics Training:

Part One: The Difference Between a Good Practice Coach and a Good Meet Coach , by Dr. Stan Beecham, Sport Psychologist to the University of Georgia . There is a difference and your athlete's performance will improve if you know the difference.

Part Two: Jump Rope Conditioning and Skill , by Dr. Larry Nassar and Anthony Lee. This lecture teaches and demonstrates how using a jump rope can develop a gymnast's speed, strength, skill, and overall performance level. Both of these lectures were presented at the 1996 USA Gymnastics National Congress in Boston . They were both filmed and offered courtesy of USA Gymnastics.

TAPE #118: Elite National Training Camp:

This tape features the National Coaching Staff in action at the Elite National Training Camp in November 1998. There is nothing fancy here. If you like to watch great coaches work with super gymnasts during a regular workout, this tape is for you. There are good sections on bars, beam, flexibility, along with extensive warm-up. This tape is offered unedited to preserve tape quality. (This means that the cameraman jumped from event to event as he saw stuff he liked. He did settle down later in the video and stayed at a single event through a rotation.)

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1997 - 1998 VHS TAPES

TAPE #100: Drills for the New Compulsories:

Part One : Annual USECA Awards for Coach, Choreographer, and Contributors of the Year. The membership of the USECA votes for these awards and now you get to see them presented.

Part Two : Tami Biggs presents some of her drills for the new compulsories. Tami is one of the best coaches in the USA . In this video she gets us all on the right track by pointing out the drills that will help your gymnasts succeed with the new compulsories. Plus, Kinetic Imagery Productions presents digital analysis of skills from both internal and external view, different angles, slow motion, and more. This is the future of coaching.

TAPE #101: Team Organization #2:

Part One: Organizing a Team Booster Club : David Holcomb, an attorney, gym owner, and meet director for the Buckeye Classic (2,200+ gymnasts), presents his ideas on how a Booster Club can make life easier for the coach by funding competition expenses for the gymnast, performing time-consuming work, coaching staff, and supporting the efforts of the gym school.

Part Two: Developing a Team Handbook : David speaks on the development of the USECA Team Handbook and the ways in which such a document can establish a team philosophy, make more money for the club, and eliminate problems.

TAPE #103: Vaulting #6:

Mark Young, owner and coach at West Valley Gymnastics, delivers a two-part lecture on vaulting. He starts with the run, approach, and other basics, and then progresses into tsukaharas, handspring fronts, and yurchenkos. This is common sense approach to vaulting that has yielded great results for Mark and the gymnasts at West Valley .

TAPE #104: Uneven Bars:

Part One : Steve Rybacki, a National Team Coach and the owner and head coach at Charter Oak Gymnastics, starts this two-part lecture with basics such as kips, casts, and clear hips.

In Part Two , he devotes most of the lecture to the development and correct use of swing.

TAPE #105: Balance Beam #7:

Part One : Beth Kline-Rybacki, a member of the 1980 Olympic team, and elite judge, a National Team Coach, and a coach at Charter Gymnastics, shares her philosophy on coaching beam. She covers every thing from structuring the workout, to dealing with fear, games and contests, developing lesson plans, staying consistent, and giving the gymnasts responsibility for their own training and success.

Part Two : Tami Biggs, one of the top beam coaches in the world, urges you and your gymnasts to “Do it to the max!” Those familiar with Tami's coaching might be wondering when it was that Tami did not urge everyone to go for the max. In this lecture she expands on one of her core themes.

TAPE #106: Tumbling #5:

Ben Corr devotes the first part of this tape to front tumbling while the second half focuses on back tumbling. Ben makes extensive use of a Tumbl-Trak in these lectures, as he does in his gym. The lecture stresses correct basics, timing, alignment, and progressions.

TAPE #107: Coaching Clinic #5:

Part One : John Geddert, the owner and head coach of Twisters USA, develops his thinking on the use of line drills for use as a warm-up, for drills, for mastery of basics, and to use to get large numbers of gymnasts working productively.

Part Two : Tami Biggs is at it again. This time the entire tape is devoted to foot and ankle drills for strength, alignment, and proper positions. Improve dramatically on floor and beam after using the information on this tape.

TAPE #108: The Secrets of Russian Classical Ballet, Volume 3:

In 1996 Sergi Mali produced a series of five videotapes called the Secrets of Russian Classical Ballet. These tapes were intended for use by gymnasts and he sent them to us (of course). The first two tapes were published and sent last year as USECA Tapes #96 & 97. This tape will continue the series.

TAPE #109: Professional Coaching #2:

These lectures were presented at the 1997 USAG National Congress in Denver , CO . They are offered now through generous assistance of USA Gymnastics.

Part One: Why Do They Keep Doing It That Way? by John Wojtczuk: Why does Jessica keep putting her head back on her back layout? Why can't Sally get her steps when it comes time to turn her vault? Answer these questions and the hundreds like them and you may well have solved the secret to coaching. In this lecture John will give you the secrets to unlock both your potential as a coach and your gymnasts' potential as athletes. The steps John outlines include: physical preparation, skill specific preparation, introduction of the skill, repetition of the skill, and mastery of the skill. There you have it! Watch this lecture and go out and save the world!

Part Two: Getting to Do It: Privilege Coaching: by Derick Moellerbeck: I first heard this lecture in 1996 and felt at the time that it was one of the most important and profound approaches to coaching that I had ever heard. I still feel that way. All gymnasts struggle from time to time with fear and learning plateaus. This lecture develops a philosophy of coaching which will provide a framework in which to avoid and work through these difficult problems. In essence, this philosophy incorporates two simple but powerful principles. First, the coach should assume that the gymnast is giving 100% effort and if she is having difficulty the cause is not based on her effort. Second, the gymnast should never be forced to do anything. She should strive to earn the right to take positive steps in her own training. There's more, of course, but this is the essence and this is a powerful and positive approach to coaching young athletes.

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1996-1997 VHS TAPES

TAPE #90: Podium Training 95-96 (1):

The Video Club does not often send competition or competition related videos anymore. This time we will make an exception. This video is very interesting and special and presents behind the scene clips of the very best gymnasts in the world, training prior to the most important gymnastics event in the world of gymnastics. The gymnasts found here are often performing skills that never see the light of day before a judge in top-level competition. Here you will see work in progress and skills that are dropped from competition routines because they are not 100%. This video is mostly concerned with the women’s side but some men’s training is included, mostly on horizontal bar and tumbling.

TAPE #91: Balance Beam #5:

Part One: Beam Tumbling: by Diane Amos. Diane is one of Amy Chow’s coaches and she shared in Amy’s Olympic experience this past summer. Diane has been coaching 23 years and has been recognized by the NCWGA as “Choreographer of the Year.” In this lecture Diane emphasizes drills for alignment and aggressiveness on the important beam tumbling skills: round offs, handsprings, front saltos, and more.

Part Two: Advanced Beam: by Patty Resnick. Patty has been coaching for 20 years and trained 7 different gymnasts who have represented the USA on the National Team. In this lecture Patty is concerned with the skills and drills that will take a gymnast to the highest levels. She emphasizes rolling skills as an essential component of the beam repertoire. Both Diane and Patty appear here in a USECA video for the first time. This video is excellent and we give a heartfelt “thank you” to both Diane and Patty for sharing their knowledge, insights, and experience with us. This video was filmed by Leesa Friedell at the 1996 Region 1 Congress. Thank you Leesa.

TAPE #92: Tumbl-Trak #2:

Part One: Todd Gardiner, the owner and head coach of the Illinois Gymnastics Institute, demonstrates Vaulting Drills using the Tumbl-Trak. He starts with a very beginning level gymnast on the floor and builds up to more advanced vaulting: front handsprings, twisting, handspring fronts, and more. There are also demonstrations of the “Porta-Vault” System, and preschool stations and setups, plus guest speakers and setups from several gyms.

Part Two: Todd is back with Uneven Bars utilizing this special piece of equipment. Todd again starts with basic bar skills for the beginning gymnast. Then he demonstrates how the Tumbl-Trak, fitted with an adjustable bar, can be used to make teaching this difficult event more fun and effective for gymnasts of all abilities. Demonstrated are skills on a low bar, medium-height bar, and a raised bar, slip grip skills, pirouettes, class drills, bounce handstands, bungee drills, preschool setups, straps, and a bungee harness.

This tape will primarily benefit the class teacher and the coaches of competitive gymnasts through level 9. There are dozens of drills and setups, which will make gymnastics more fun for your students and will give your staff plenty of ideas. As noted when USECA distributed the first Tumbl-Trak video, this tape does not promote the Tumbl-Trak product. But, this product has probably been the greatest innovation in gymnastics equipment in the last decade and has contributed greatly to the fun and appeal of our sport while making training safer and more effective.

TAPE #93: Vaulting #5:

Part One: Steve Rybacki wants us to Be Aggressive in teaching vaulting. His basic theme is “The gymnast must be safe to be aggressive.” The most important consideration for successful vault is the mental preparation. Any lack of power and speed in the run and in the pre-flight can be attributed to a lack of mental preparation. Of course, there are drills to perform and proper technique is a plus. So, Steve lays out a plan for incorporating the training into the workout schedule. Steve has been coaching USA National Team gymnasts for the past 8 years and as of the summer of 1996 has junior international gymnasts ranked #1and #4 in the USA.

Part Two: Ben Carr reinforces Steve’s philosophy on vaulting in this lecture, which focuses on Running Faster. Ben says “slow it down to make it faster.” Use drills and special stations to build control and confidence in the run. The gymnast cannot run fast if she is dealing with fear. There are drills on the mini-tramp for the hurdle and block, and for explosive power. Ben is the head coach at Rhonert Park Gymnastics and has produced several National level gymnasts.

TAPE #94: Team Organization #2:

Part One: Team Gymnastics for Fun and Profit: Not only is it possible to make a profit on your competitive gymnastics program, it is something that you owe to yourself and your gymnasts. We all work very hard to provide a great opportunity for these athletes. Unless you think your efforts are without value, you are selling yourself short if you do not at least break even. In this lecture David Holcomb, the owner of Buckeye Gymnastics, explores all the costs, hidden and obvious, that are associated with a competitive team. He then discusses strategies for covering those costs in full.

Part Two: How to Avoid and Win Any Lawsuit: David Holcomb is an attorney who also owns Buckeye Gymnastics. In this lecture he explains the realities of the gymnastics business: that no matter how many mats and pits you provide, no matter how many times a gymnast may have successfully performed a skill…your gymnast will still suffer injuries and each and every injury provides an opportunity for a parent to file a law suit against you. He then covers the ten things that you need to do right now to protect yourself. Included within the lecture is a way for club owners to save up to $10,000 on professional liability insurance. These two lectures were presented at the National Congress in Boston in 1996 and at various Regional Congresses. Two handouts, which give a broad overview of the two lectures, are included.

TAPE #95: Uneven Bars #5:

Part One: Fun Activities on Uneven Bars: Todd Gardiner is back again. He is the owner and head coach of Illinois Gymnastics Institute, one of the top clubs in the USA. In this lecture Todd presents ideas for making beginning level bars fun and worthwhile. The first goal is to lay a proper foundation of skills so that the serious gymnast can build on correct basics. The second goal is to make learning fun so that all students achieve success and will want to continue in the sport. The lecture starts with a front support and builds. This lecture is perfect for training recreational class teachers and for providing ideas for your class program.

Part Two: Release Moves: Todd now takes us through many of the common and not so common release moves. He covers lead-up skills, spotting, equipment, philosophy, and mechanics. Many of these lead-ups and completed skills are demonstrated by the Illinois Institute gymnasts live and on-tape.

The Secrets of Russian Classical Ballet, Volumes 1-5 , by Sergi Mali

Sergi Mali trained for 8 years at the Bolshoi School of Ballet in Moscow before joining the Bolshoi Ballet as a performer. Sergi came to the United States in 1989 and has been dancing and teaching ever since.

In 1996 Sergi produced a series of five videotapes called the Secrets of Russian Classical Ballet. These tapes were intended for use by gymnasts and he sent them to us (of course!). I am proud to offer the first two in the series as Tapes 96 and 97. Two more will be published next year (1997-98), with the final tape due in 1998-99.

These tapes speak directly to the gymnasts. Not only does Sergi offer technical information for the gymnasts and their dance/gymnastics teacher, he also serves up a bit of himself as well. He makes jokes, observations, and comparisons; he gives quizzes and homework assignments; and he offers history lessons and dance theory. While all of this could come off as corny, with Sergi is comes off as warm and charming. After watching the tapes I wanted to meet this crazy Russian who has such a gentle way about him. I am confident that you will want to meet him as well. More importantly, for our purposes, you will want to study these tapes. There is so much information here that it will take many viewings to get it all down. Share it with your gymnasts and enjoy!

TAPE #96: Secrets of Russian Dance #1:

Introduction: Poses of the Body: En Face: front, side, back, Profile, Epaulement: Croisee/Effacee/Ecarte, Egyptian Position, Petite and Grand Pose,

Position of the Arms (pr 1,2,3), Alenge (palm up and down), Port de Bras with two hands on bar, Arabesques, Head Movements, Port de Bras (1,2,3,4,5,6)

TAPE # 97: Secrets of Russian Dance #2:

Position of the Feet: Plie Demi & Grand Batement, Tendus, Batement Jetes/Degage, Pique, Ronds de Jambe Par Terre En Dehors/ En Dedans,

Ronds de Jambe en L’Air, Grand Ronds de Jambe en L’Air, Cou-de-Pied (front, side, back), Batement Frappes, Batement Fondus, Releve, Sous-sous, Soutenu (4,5), Petit Batement + (Double Frappes and Fondus), Reverelent, Passe/Retire, Developpes,

TAPE #98: Balance Beam #6:

Part One: Balance Beam Basics, with Tami Biggs: Loyal members of the Video Club know that I think Tami is just about the best beam coach around. Not only is she good with the gymnasts, she is terrific as a trainer of coaches and she is extremely generous with her knowledge as she lets us share her wisdom with you. In this lecture Tami’s focus is on the basics that every gymnast needs in order to be successful on this difficult piece of apparatus. The focus is on strength, flexibility, and alignment. This is a very good lecture.

In Part Two, Balance Beam Games and Charts, another good beam coach, Diane Amos, provides a strategy for making beam more fun. There are plenty of ideas here for gymnasts of every age and ability level.

TAPE #99: Coaching Clinic #3:

Part One: Slow Motion: Good skills, great gymnasts, and a slow motion camera all add up to a valuable examination of some key skills on bars.

Part Two: A Good Warm-Up: This is the Australian National Team going through their warm-up, a choreographed affair that hits everything that needs to be warmed up, stretched out, and strengthened before intense activity.

Part Three: Training in China: what the Chinese gymnasts do in their daily workouts.

Part Four: Training in USSR: I believe this is pre-Russia material and it has been edited to include effective drills, conditioning, and lead-ups.

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1995-1996 VHS TAPES

TAPE #80: Creating Physical Ability:

Part One: Physical Ability: David Adlard, the Technical Director of the USAIGC and president of Sport-Tech International, a California bases sport consulting company, gives an overview of physical ability in gymnastics in the first lecture on this tape. There are seven physical abilities: strength, flexibility, endurance, speed, power, body composition, and local muscle endurance. Since gymnastics is not an endurance sport, that physical ability is not discussed except to mention that endurance training in gymnastics actually takes away the gymnasts’ ability to perform the short bursts required by the sport. Nor is body composition a major topic in this lecture since that aspect of physical ability is more directly associated with nutrition or sports medicine.

For the physical abilities that remain, David discusses the specifics of what is physical ability, why or how it is important to gymnastics training, and how to develop that ability to improve gymnastics performance. This could be a dry lecture was it not for David’s personality and teaching style. His lectures are sprinkled with “fun facts to know and tell,” personal anecdotes, irreverent references to common myths about training gymnasts, and more. David Adlard knows his stuff and with his educational training in Sport Science and Biomechanics and his wealth of personal teaching and coaching experience, this lecture will provide valuable information for gymnastics professionals at all levels.

Part Two: Conditioning for Physical Ability: OK, now that we know what physical ability is and why it’s important, how do we go about developing it? David comes to the rescue again. In this portion of the tape he demonstrates many of the conditioning exercises that will help develop the various physical abilities.

He works with a strong young gymnast to demonstrate various exercises. He starts with an explanation of why the conditioning is important, what it accomplishes, and how to perform the exercise with beginning level gymnasts working up to advanced level athletes. Two parts of the lecture are not included on this tape. First, an example of a warm-up activity designed to raise the core-body temperature (the entire purpose of any warm-up). Second, the flexibility portion of the lecture was cut because of a lack of time. It will be included on a future tape.

TAPE #81: Tumbling #4:

Part One: Twisting: George Grainger, from the North Shore Academy of Gymnastics, presents this lecture on twisting. The lecture is not tumbling specific but it all certainly applies to tumbling and many of the drills are performed on the floor. That is why this lecture is included on this tape.

George notes that there are several techniques that can be used to learn a twist. Twisting can be initiated from a solid surface, by distorting body shapes while in the air (a “cat twist”), uneven tilt twisting, and alternately dropping the arms. George then goes over orientation of twisting by having the gymnasts learn to twist in a number of different positions and orientations. He also drills twisting shapes such as the set and the wrap. He then concludes with technique work using various drills and skills. Please note that the first few minutes of this lecture are missing.

Part Two: Front Tumbling: In this lecture Tim explores the absurdity of the Code which gives very high difficulty values to relatively easy front tumbling skills. His motto: “take what they give you.” Amen. He starts at the beginning with handsprings and works up to high level twisting and somersaulting skills. As always his progressions are solid, safe, and sane.

TAPE #82: Junior Elite Routines:

The junior elite routines continue to be refined and this video presents the latest interpretations and clarifications. Geza Pozsar is featured in this video as he works with the Region V junior elites on dance, elements, presentation, style, and technique. The video was filmed at the Region V Elite Clinic and Workshop, which was held at Cincinnati Gymnastics in September of 1995.

The gymnasts range from experienced competitors who are working on perfecting the routines to those new to the junior elite program who are struggling to learn the difficult elements and connections found in the routines.

This video is intended for immediate use by those member clubs who are looking to improve their junior elite routines. It will also be of value to those clubs who are considering entering this program. Not only will you be able to use the information found on the video to teach the routines, you will also get a good feel for the performance requirements of the level in order to help you to decide whether your athletes are ready for this level at all. Finally, there is value for all coaches whether they have elites or not. Geza is a master at working presentation, technique, and form. Simply watching him at work provides a wealth of information that can be used to train both compulsory routines and optional routines at any level.

TAPE #83: Improving Performance:

By Dr. Bill Sands this is a major video published by the USECA. The tape seeks to answer the questions most often asked by coaches of all sports:

What factors determine the performance of my athletes in competition?

How can I systematize my training to improve performance?

Dr. Sands approaches these questions using three basic premises:

• There are theories of training that can take into consideration all the training variables and make sense of it all. He then presents those theories.
• Athlete’s adaptation to training can be understood and predicted to a certain extent.
• The theories of training can be reduced to models, which can be used by coaches to improve the performance of their athletes.

This tape continues the foundation established in Tapes 1, 18, and 31. Viewing these tapes is highly recommended.

TAPE #84: Rehabilitating the Injured Gymnast:

Part One: Mary Lee Tracy brings us this lecture and demonstration based on her recent experience in the 1995 World Championships in which one of her gymnasts underwent knee surgery just two weeks prior to the competition.

Mary Lee approached both the mental and physical rehabilitation of her gymnasts with the same care and thoroughness that she approaches everything else. Mary Lee incorporates many if not all of the goal setting strategies noted above in her plan to get her gymnasts back to full recovery. Her specific plans, including workouts on each event, are included with this newsletter.

Part Two: A university sports trainer covers the nuts and bolts of getting an injured athlete back to activity. He covers the nature, extent, and severity of the injury, as well as rehabilitation strategies, easing back into workouts, conditioning, and so on. Not much new here, but a good overview of the entire rehabilitation process.

TAPE #85: Balance Beam #4:

Part One: Structuring the Beam Workouts: Kittia Carpenter, the head coach at Buckeye Gymnastics, gets into every aspect of structuring a beam workout. Starting with the number of beams, gymnasts in a group, and training days in a week. Kittia explains the process for determining how many repetitions and how much time can and should be spent on the different parts of the beam routine. These parts include dance work, different series, made routines, mounts and dismounts, and individual skills. The organization is further broken down by the time of year and the goals of the training.

Kittia is particularly strong on motivating her gymnasts and she shares many of her games, award systems, and prizes with you. She also covers the lesson plan for beam which takes into account not only the appropriate structure of the workout, but it also includes conditioning, goal setting, and how much time for each aspect depending on the time of the year.

This is a very good lecture with a particularly strong question and answer session at the end.

Part Two: Acro and Tumbling: by Tami Biggs, a member of the USAG National Coaching Staff. Tami is very results oriented and uses many drills and conditioning elements in her workouts to get the gymnasts strong, focused, and properly aligned on beam. She is always intense and her drills work!

Taken together, these two lectures cover the spectrum of beam event and provide and excellent resource for improving coaching effectiveness on this most difficult apparatus.

TAPE #86: TOPS National Training Camp’95:

The National TOPs Training Camp is a gem. Many of the most talented 9-11 year olds in the country, the top few percent who are tested, made the trip to Tulsa where they worked with the National Coaching staff assisted by many regional TOPs directors. Of course, most of the coaches working with the gymnasts and in attendance with their athletes were USECA members.

The sessions included on this tape include: front and back tumbling with Steve Elliot, vault basics with Vladimir Artemov, beam basics with Murial Grossfeld, beam drill with Tami Biggs, conditioning with Tony Gehman, and more. The tape was not made with the video club in mind and thus tends to focus on only one group and only on the events of particular interest to the cameraman (me). Thanks to Steve Whitlock and USA Gymnastics for allowing the distribution of this tape.

TAPE #87: Uneven Bars #4:

Part One: Release Moves with David Patterson: David presents many of the most common bar release skills with an explanation of the various lead up skills and drill and tips for making corrections, spotting, and adaptations to fit individual gymnasts.

Part Two: Front and Back Giants with Gary Goodson: Gary is technically oriented and he goes into great depth and detail as to technique, physical preparation, athlete readiness, lead-ups and so on. He includes some terrific footage of post-Soviet training in what is now Russia and uses this film to highlight his drills and preparation advice. The entire tape was filmed at Region 8 Congress by Joel Inman and is presented unedited to preserve tape quality.

 TAPE #88: Vaulting #4:

Part One: Tony Gehman, president of USECA, lectures on the round-off entry vault. He discusses his philosophy on how to approach the vault beginning when the gymnasts are level 5’s. He then goes into detail on the technique, drills, and technical aspects of the vault. Several years ago Tony helped produce a video for USAG on this vault. He now shares this information with us.

Part Two: Gym layout and Design: This is a round table discussion on the newest trends in gym design. Those involved in the discussion included David Adlard, the technical director of the USAIGC, who spends most of his time traveling from gym to gym in this country and around the world; Tom Burgdorf, the publisher of Gymnet, the business newsletter for the gymnastics industry; David Holcomb, vice president of USECA; and several others. This is a presentation of ideas on how to design a gym for coaching, making a profit, and fitting it into what works for you.

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1994-1995 VHS TAPES

TAPE #70: Professional Coaching:

The title of our 70 th video, Professional Coaching, reflects a growing awareness within the gymnastics community that there is more to coaching this sport than walking into the gym and working out.

Part One: Motivating Athletes (45 min): USAG Coach of the Year, Mary Lee Tracy, has cultivated the notion of positive motivation and approaches the topic in terms of training the largest muscle in the body…the brain. We all give lip service to the idea that gymnastics is 50%, 75%, 90% mental, but in what ways do we actually train the brain? According to Mary Lee, “all athletes perform better when they are encouraged to accomplish in a positive atmosphere.” The focus of this tape is on the creation of that positive atmosphere through visual aids, weekly time devoted, positive games and contests, staff team word, and coaching tips. “Mental attitude is crucial because it is the hurdle over which more athletes stumble than any other factor. A winning attitude can spell success for a mediocre athlete; the lack of it can doom the most talented athlete in the world to failure. You can create your own positive environment.” (Mary Lee Tracy)

Part Two: Peaking Your Athletes (45 min): John Geddert, Great Lakes Gymnastics. The entire basis for this presentation is the analogy between training gymnasts and racing cars. “The ‘high performance racing machine’ is the gymnast, the frame and chassis is the gymnast’s body, and the engine or the driver is the gymnast’s mind. The tricky catch in this whole process is that although refueling is available, the total fuel supply is limited. With this in mind there must be a careful monitoring system established in order to make sure that the racecar has enough fuel remaining when it comes to the final championship race.

John’s gymnasts have earned five national all around championships over the past five seasons. He frankly admits that he and his gymnasts were stuck in the middle of the pack until he changed a few key aspects of his training. This tape presents those changes and he offers all of us the chance to catch him.

Don’t be left in the dust.

Part Three: Philosophy of Coaching (30 min): Steve Nunno, Dynamo Gymnastics. Steve is one o