CAMP TSUKARA Cable, Wisconsin By Mike Jacki and Jerry Fontana
After five growing and successful camping summers, Tsukara is on its way to becoming the mo st uniqu e gymnastics camp ing program in the United States. An excellent facility , out standin g staff, sma ll camper number, and perfect ly planned program have lead the way for Tsukara s' great growth and popularity. In the seco nd year at the newly purchased north ern Wisconsin sk i resort, Lake Owen Lodge, Tsukara boasts such features as a carpeted dinn ing room and large rustic lodge, many ca rpeted campe r rooms, new maple beds throughout , new washroom facilities, a large new gymnasium to accomodate everyone for ind oor work-outs, and a picturesque setting in the hea rt of the Chequamegon National Forest on over a quarter mile of beautiful Lake Owen shore line. Equipment is plentiful and adds to th e smooth ope ration of the well planned program. A ll gymnasts are carefully placed into abilit y grou ps by the staff. With only 65 boys and 65 girls and a staff of over 40 coac hes and counse lors, thi s allows for only six students per c lass. When you place these groups on 6 pomm el hors es, 12 balance beams,S cab led un eve n bars, and as much of all the other apparatu s, this means maximum work-out time and no wait in g. The equipment is all AMF America n including more than 10 crash pads, 12 landing mats and over 50 other mats to cove r all areas perfect ly. The gymnasium is comp letely equipped with duplicates of all men s and wome ns apparatus and a new Ame ri ca n ca rpeted floor exercise mat. Th e thing that makes Tsukara what it is to our campers has been our carefully selected staff. La st yea rs staff included: Nancy Thies and Patti Carmichae l - University of Illinoi s, Roxanne Pi erce - Mannettes of Philadelphia, Lauri e Br emer, Debbie Hall e, Jill Johnson, and Jenny Fo shee of Gymnastics Incorporated of Seattle, W ashington - Char Christensen - coach at Iowa State Un iversity, Ginger Temple Southern Illin ois and now coach of the Wichita Gym Club, Heidi Miller - Sacramento State, Ted M arcy - NCAA Champ from Stanford , Rich Larse n - NCAA Champ from Iowa State - Jon Aitk en - NCAA Champ from the University of New M ex ico, Don Young and Ed Hembd - allameri ca ns on pommel horse - Rich Onysko South erri Connecticut, Kurt Thomas -1975 Pan Am Games Tea m from Indiana State, Lenny Kravit z - Coach at Houston Baptist UniversityM ark Graham - Big 8 All-Around Champion from Iowa State, Peie Hemmerling - Southern Illin ois, Blaine Dahl - Louisiana State, Mark Cummin gs - Big 8Conference Champion - Iowa Stat e - PLUS many, many more. Thi s p ast summer, a special o lymp ic compulsory training program was offered to some of our nations top high school athletes. Su ch future standouts as Bart Conner, USGF Nationa l Champion, and Ron Gallimore, National AAU Champ received coaching from Tsukara 's special comp ulsory training staff headed by: Wayne Young - NCAA All Around champion, Abie Grossfeld - Coach at Southern Connecti cut, Ed Gagnier - Coach at Iowa State,
GYMNAST Nov. '75
Abie Grossfeld covering compulsory exercises with special high school group.
and Frances Allen - the coach at the University of Nebraska. The program turned out to be exce ll ent and should be of great interest to all boys who see k a high level of training on elite level compulsory exerc ises. Former Iowa State All Americans, Jerry Fonatana and Mike Jacki have founded and directed thi s program since its beginning in 1971 . Now with the experience behind the program, and the momentum to keep it growing, campers come from as far away as Hawai i, Florida, Washington, Maine, and California. Tsukara boasts campers from almost every state in the U.S. Tsukara is an eight week program composed of a three week, two week, and three week session . You can sign up for one, or any combination up to eight weeks. Applications come in early and sessions are often filled as early as February . If you are interested in a true gymnastics summer - with pl enty of top coachi ng and training, lots of recreational activities, a place to meet lo ng-l asting gymnastic friends, - we might have just th e place. Write for information to Tsukara 400 Glenview Road Glenview, Illinois 60025.
Uneven bars class
AMF AMERICAN TSUKARA COACHING SYMPOSIUM At the end of the summer, Tsukara provides a unique exe rience for coaches hosting the annual AMF Ame rican-Tsukara Coaching Symposium . Thi s is a five day event wh e re coaches from all over the country come to hear som e of th e nations leading coaches, j udges, and clinicians go through a very complete and comprehensive program covering all aspects of gymna sti cs. The first tow years have seen two excell ent programs headed by such people as: Vanni e Edwards, Ernie Weaver, Jacki e Fie , George Lewis, Dr. Gerald George, Dr. Joe Ma ss imo, Jon Aitken, Ed Gagnier, Char Christ ense n, Roxa nne Pierce, Dian e Grayson, and others. The program includes sessio n s on biom ec h ani cs, practical lecture and demon strat ion , spotting techniques, dance, op en discussion and problem so lving, coaching philosophy and psychology, organi za ti on and adm inistration and much more. The wee k is highlighted by many exce ll ent social events culminated by a meorabl e coac ktail hour and banquet at beautiful Mount Telemark Ski Lodg e and resort. 51