Photos of the Day: Gym Momentum Camp Day 1
Gym Momentum Leotard 2019 Order Form
Real Growth Begins At The END Of Your Comfort Zone
At GYM MOMENTUM TRAINING CAMP we believe that only in a state of discomfort can you grow and achieve your greatest potential.
As a gymnast or a coach in order to get better you need to get out of your comfort zone. If you find yourself in a place where everything is “OK” or everything is “good” , you are probably stuck NOT BEING AWESOME. I have seen many coaches and gymnasts flounder and be miserable because they are simply in a comfortable spot. Things are easy and they are not improving.
Breaking a habit, trying a new skill or technique, making new connections, are not going to be easy, but it’s worth it. It’s exhausting but rewarding.
Calvin Coolidge said “All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually without effort, and effort means work.”
Go where the demands are high. Go where the pressure is to perform.
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, Psychologist and author of “Better Than Perfect”, says people who regularly seek out fresh experiences tend to be more creative and emotionally resilient than those who remain stuck in a routine.
“Breaking your own mold can only make you stronger and more confident to reach higher levels in your professional and personal life,” she says.
To grow as a gymnast or coach you need to embrace the discomfort. The transition will be uncomfortable and scary, but daring greatly can push you further than you can imagine. Stretch yourself. You might just like what’s possible.
Discomfort is a catalyst for growth. It makes you yearn for something more. It forces you to change, stretch, and adapt.
The secret to success lies in the very thing you’re avoiding. Those things that seem to break you down and humble your spirit.
Seek out discomfort. Be deliberate about doing things that push your limits magnificently. Difficulty helps you to grow.
If you want long-term success, stop avoiding what’s hard.
If you’re truly pushing yourself to improve — in any capacity whatsoever — you are uncomfortable.
When you are challenged, you are asked to become more than you were. That means creating new perspectives, acquiring new skills and pushing boundaries.
Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional, says Roger Crawford.
Don’t fight the discomfort. It’s what you feel when you are growing.
A little push beyond your safe bubble is exactly what you need to grow.
Finding fulfillment in your gymnastics career might just entail stepping outside of your comfort zone once a day, once a week, or even once a month.
Choose what works for you and enjoy the stretch.
If you are serious about improving your future self, get used to being uncomfortable. Comfort can ruin your life. Only in a state of discomfort can you continually grow and achieve your greatest potential.
Gymnasts and Coaches must each build a healthy balance of comfort and adventure.
Thank You Tumbl Trak!
A HUGE THANK YOU to TUMBL TRAK for supplying Gym Momentum Camp with Sliders and Their New Paralletts to all our staff, visiting coaches and participating gyms.
(Now could you send me fun things to play on at my lake house?)
Beware of YOUTUBE Experts.
Beware of YOUTUBE Experts.
One of my college professors once said, “there is a big difference between having studied the biology and behavior of tigers in the library and coming face to face with a tiger in the wild.” Right now there are many “Experts” on Youtube. Anyone with an iPhone and a YouTube account can pass themselves off as an expert.
When I started coaching and I wanted to increase my knowledge I sought out other coaches with experience and a proven track record. What I noticed was that few of these coaches ever wanted to be the smartest person in the room. They were constantly looking to increase their knowledge base. I value education and every day I try to learn something. Something that is going to make my gym better. Something that is going to make me a better coach, something that is going to make me a better person.
I know I am getting old and I accept that. Maybe that is why I am distrustful of a “YouTube” education. I believe that to be an expert you need to have taught something more than once. You need to have failed and recovered. You need to get your hands dirty. When I am out on the road doing clinics and consulting I do not want to be a wide eyed idealist convinced I have all the answers or a perfect plan. I cannot talk about what it takes to coach an athlete through the Olympics because I have never done that. I want to learn from those around me. I want people to learn from my failures as well as my successes.
It seems that today’s experts tend to be judgmental bystanders. Many of your YouTube experts sit comfortably behind their computers lending advice, putting out videos of the way they may have done something ONE TIME with ONE gymnast.
– They are happy to tell you how you need to coach your level 10.
– What the best drill is for a Jaeger or Yurchenko.
– What you need to do give you a winning program.
Why would you want advice from someone who hasn’t done it before or doesn’t have a great deal of experience?
A couple weeks ago I needed to a fix a broken valve spring on my plow truck. Having never done anything this complicated I had my iPad propped up on the engine and I followed the YouTube video step by step. Everything seemed ok. But the truck ran really rough. I called a friend who works in a garage and he sent me to another video. This one showed another step and now my truck ran much better.
LESSON- I should have called my friend who works in the garage first. Gotten his advice before I tried.
As I was researching VALVE ADJUSTMENT videos for my truck- VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERY camp up. Oh dear god!
DO YOU REALLY WANT A DOCTOR WHO LEARNED TO DO THIS SURGERY ON YOUTUBE?!
Of course not!
DO YOU WANT A SURGEON WHO HAS ONLY DONE THIS SURGERY ONCE OR TWICE?
No, you want someone with experience.
As a coach, you need to be hungry to learn. You need to work for that knowledge. You cannot just sit behind your computer and look at videos and think that you are getting an education. There are so many camps, congresses, clinics and conferences out there.
Get off your ass and go find one.
If one isn’t available- HOST ONE. I can think of a dozen REAL experts who would be happy to run a clinic in your gym for you and the clubs near you. If this is not practical, find a coach with experience and ask them if you can visit.
Become a critical thinker and skeptical of YouTube experts. – When you see a video, look at that persons credentials. There are certain some great thinkers out there and you can find some good drills but if your entire educational plan is largely based on watching YouTube videos, you are probably not going to be as successful as you want. When I post videos I try to post quality material. I have experience, I’ve made mistakes, I try really hard to have a good foundation and then find drills that work for that particular gymnast. But even that is lacking.
Become an A LIST Coach (Gym Momentum Monday on a Tuesday)
We all know some A LIST coaches. Mary Lee Tracy, Kelly Hill, Tom Forester, Valeri Liukin, Al Fong and Aimee Boorman to name a few. These are great coaches who put in their time and have had a great deal of success.
No one I know started coaching or teaching to be average. I think we all got into the professional end of the sport to become an A LIST COACH. It does not have to be an A LIST Team coach. Maybe it is the A LIST of Pre-school coaches like Beth Gardner.
I was listening to The Hidden Brain on NPR this weekend. The show was about A LIST celebrities in Hollywood. What they have in common and what do you need to do to become one. The A LISTERS are most photographed together than any other group. They are the MOST cliquey and it seems to be all about where you go and who you hang out with.
They go to the same parties and restaurants. It is as important where they DO NOT go as where they do go.
As a coach or teacher there are many lessons you can take from their research. You have to be seen. You have to go to the right meets and the right training camps. You certainly can go to any competition you want but if you spend your time going to small competitions with not a great deal of competition, what’s the point? What are you learning? Are you pushing yourself to compete with the best? I would rather be middle of the pack at a very competitive competition where some of the A LIST coaches are than be the best at a small competition.
In Hollywood and in Gymnastics you have to SEE and be SEEN. Your social standing depends on it in Hollywood. Your “street cred” in the gym depends on it as well. According to research, in Hollywood it is very difficult to break into that A LIST. You have to have a HUGE blockbuster movie/ TV show or you have to date/marry into the group. There are huge barriers to even meeting and being seen with the A LIST.
In gymnastics you can go to competitions and camps to see our A LIST coaches and even work with them.
At one point, social status was also influenced on flashy wealth. Now it is based more on inconspicuous consumption. It is no longer about the silver spoon but more about cultural capital. A spoon is a spoon. They all serve the same purpose whether it is SILVER or a more basic metal. A LISTERS are now spending time and money on less showy things like daily Yoga classes, Education, alternative energy cars and houses. These things are certainly expensive and the price tags add up.
Most team coaches want the social status of having a HIGH LEVEL TEAM or being a premier educator at a national congress. But NO ONE is going to hand you a group of high level athletes and you really can’t marry your way into the A LIST of coaches. You are going to need to spend a great deal of time and planning.
You need to spend your TIME and MONEY on less flashy things. A new set of bars or a brand new tramp looks great but maybe time and money is better spent on things like EDUCATION, COMMUNICATION and PLANNING.
A LIST actor Will Smith has said, “IF YOU STAY READY YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET READY”.
With your gymnasts and coaches, you can’t wait until you have a Level 10 to have a plan for your Level 10 Team.
What are you waiting for? Go and find a training camp this summer where you and your gymnasts can work with A LIST Coaches (like Chris Gallardo, Steve David, Don McPherson, Vasko Vetzev, Tony Retrosi, Jeremy Mosier).
As you plan next seasons competitions plan on a competition or two where there are some GREAT clubs to watch. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Go and see what they do. Have your gymnasts watch those sessions as well.
Gym Momentum Monday May 28
I hope everyone had a great weekend. It was Nationals weekend in Canada, Memorial Day weekend in the USA and May Holiday through out most of Europe.
I want to thank everyone who called me, texted me or e-mailed me to wish me a happy birthday. It was a great birthday! I received messages from all over the world! I am so honored.
This weekend we went to a wedding in Charleston SC for the wedding of one of our former gymnasts. A gymnast who lived with us for 2 years. It was like my oldest daughter. I was so honored to be invited. As one of you commented, “ That’s so awesome that you keep those connections with old athletes! It speaks a lot to your character as a coach.”
If you are coming to Gym Momentum Camp, please remember that leotard orders and T-shirt sizes are due at the end of the week.
gym-momentum-t-shirt-size-form (Every gymnast and coach gets a T-shirt)
Gym Momentum Coach Waiver
Gym Momentum Gymnast Waiver
Gym Momentum Leotard Order
Gym Momentum Leotard 2018
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL LEOTARD CREATED FOR US BY OZONE
Pre-Order Leotard by JUNE 4. $45
A limited amount will be available at Gym Momentum Camp. $50
Gym Momentum Camp Order Form