Technique Magazine – May 2006

yIn N Learn

_i n S8 as d rs ry chool

Spotlight-Gymnast For A Cau Justin Spring receives 2006 Nissen Emery Award Business: Threshold and Targets

EVENTS NOVEMBER

MAY 4-7 5-7 5-9 13-14 26-27

JO National Championships (M) World Cup (TI) World Team Trials (AG) World Cup (M, W) Frivolten Cup (TR)

BaHle Creek, MI Krosnodar, RUS Crosby, TX Ghent, BEL Herrljungo, SWE

TOPs Stote Testing Begins (W) JO Nationol Championships (R) Elite Notional Quolifier (W) Aero World Chompionships (AG) l-Doy Business 8uilder Workshop with Jeff Metzger U.S. Elite Challenge (Tl) ArIo Intematioool Age Group Compelilioo (AG) GG Nationals Region 3 Congress GG World Gymnaestrada Training Camp Region 8 Congress World Cup (R)

Various Stles SeaHle, WA Houston, TX Coimbra, POR FoyeHeville, GA las Vegas, NV Coimbro, POR Indionopol~, IN Denver, CO Indianopolis, IN FI. lauderdale, Fl TBD

JUNE 1 2路4 2-4 12-18 15 16-17 19-25 21 -24 23-24 25 29-July 2 TBD

4-5 9-12 9-12 11-12 17-18 23-26

6路14 7-9 8-9 15 22-23 23-27 24-26 27-30 31

U.S. &JO T&T Nationol Championships (Tl) Bite National Qualifier (W) Western Championships (R) Men's Qualifier (M) Eastern Championships (R) Acrobatic Gymnastics Notional Championships (AG) World Cup/Nissen Cup (TTl U.S. Classic (W) TOPs State Testing Ends (W)

Schamburg, Il Houston, TX Deerfield, Il Calorado Springs, CO College Pork, MD Kansas Gty, MO SUI TBD Various Sites

Region 6 Congress Nationol Gymnastics Day Scholarship Camp (TI) Nationol Business Conference Visa Championships (M,W,R,AG) National Congress and Trade Show World Cup (Tl) Region 1 Congress Region 5 Congress World Cup (TI) Pan American Championships (TI)

Burlington, MA National Event Camp Wakeshma, MI SI. Paul, MN SI. Poul, MN SI. Paul, MN Savognin, SUI Santa Clara, CA Cincinnati, OH GER MEX

1-3 6 6-10 7 15-16

TOPs Notional Testing (W) Friendship Camp (TR) l-Doy Business Builder Workshop with Jeff Metzger Region 7 Congress

Houston, TX Kladno, m los Vegos, NV Atlantic City, NJ

Region 2 Congress World Championships (M,W) FIG Congress World Cup (Tl)

Portland, OR Aarhus, DEN Genevo, SUI CHN

SEPTEMBER TBD 8-9 20 29-0ct. l

OCTOBER 12-14 14-22 27-31 TBD

2

Nationol JumpStart Testing I-Day Business Builder Workshop with Jeff Metzger TOPs National BCamp (W) I-Day Business 8uilder Workshop with Jeff Metzger World Cup Final (M/W)

TBD Fremont, CA Houston, TX Portland, OR Monaco

2007 Winter Cup Chollenge (M) Americon Cup (M,WI

los Vegas, NV TBD

level 9/ 10 Regionols (W)

Various Sites

JO National Championships (M) JO National Championships (WI level 9 East &West Championships (W) JO National Chompionships (M)

Oklahoma City, OK TBD TBD TBD

World Gymnaestrada (GG) Pan Americon Games (M,WI

Dornbirn, AUI Rio de Jonerio, BRA

National Business Conference Visa Championships (MiW) National Congress and Trade show

San Jose, CA San Jose, CA San Jose, CA

World Championships (M,W)

StuHgart, GER

Future Stars National Championships (MI National Coaches Workshop (M) World Championships (TI) International Age-Group Competition (Tl)

TBD TBD Quebec City, CAN Quebec City, CAN

FEBRUARY 7-11 24

APRIL MAY 9-13 11 -13 18-20 TBD

JULY TBD 16-19

AUGUST

AUGUST 4-6 5 5-12 16 16-19 17-19 24-26 25-27 25-27 31-2 TBD

Gillingham, ENG Colorado Springs, CO Colorodo Springs, CO TBD Mie, JPN Birmingham, ENG

DECEMBER

21-22

JULY

David Ward Hunt Camp (TI) Future Stars Nationol Championships (M) National Coaches Workshop (M) USA Gymnastics Boord Meeting World Cup Final (R) World Cup Finol (Tl)

TECHNIQUE路 MAY 2006

15 16-18 16-18

SEPTEMBER 1-9

NOVEMBER TBD TBD 2-4 7-9

W=Women M=Men AG =Acrobatic Gymnastics

R= Rhythmic

GG = Group Gymnastics B= Business

NOTE: Dates ami events subject to change or cancellation.

TR = Trampoline TU =Tumbling TT = Trampoline/ Tumbling

MAY

2006

•

VOLUME

26

•

#5

PUBLISHER

Steve Penny EDITOR

Luan Peszek GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Zemetria Barnes-Perry USA GYMNASTICS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR: Ron Froehlich; PRESIDENT: Sieve Penny; VICE CHAIRWOMEN: Tom KolI; VICE CHAIR MEN: Yoichi Tomilo; VICE CHAIR RHYTHMIC: Andrea Schmid, ViCE CHAIR TRAMPOliNE: Paul Poriiia; ViCE CHAiR ACRO·GYMiiASTiCS: Tanya Case; SECRETARY: Gory And",on; TREASURER: Bob Wood; FIG REPS: Bob Colorassi (Execulive CammiHeel. Ron Froehlich (Audilorl, Tanya Case (Sports Aero Technical CommiHeel and John Roelhlisberger (Alhlele Rep.l.

AT LARGE MEMBERS: Sieve Bulcher, David Holcomb; ATHLETE DIRECTORS: Kim Zmeskol·BurdeHe, John Roelhlisberger, Von""" Vander Muym, Karl Heger, USOC ATHLETE DlREGOR: Larissa Fonloine.

USA GYMNASTICS BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR: Ron Froehlich; PRESIDENT: Sieve Penny; PRESIDENT EMERITUS: Sandy Knopp, Mike Donahue; TREASURER: Bob Wood; SECRETARY: Gory Anderson; VICE CHAIR WOMEN: Tom KolI; VICE CHAIR MEN: Yoichi Tomilo; VICE CHAIR RHYTHMIC: Andrea Schmid, VICE CHAIR TRAMPOLINE: Paul Parillo; VICE CHAIR ACRO·GYMNASTlCS: Tanya Case; PUBLIC SECTOR: Bill Hybl, Bob Wood; AMATEUR ATHLETIC UNION: Ran Ferris; AMERICAN SOKOL ORGANIZATION: Jerry Milan; AMERICAN TURNERS: BeNy Heppner; COLLEGE GYMNASTICS ASSOCIATlON·MEN: Frands Allen; NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGIATE COACHES·WOMEN: Mark Cook; NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORT: Marilyn Sirawbridge; NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS JUDGES: Carole Ide; NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION·MEN: Mark Williams; NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS: Becky Oakes; NATIONAL GYMNASTICS JUDGES ASSOCIATION·MEN: Bulch Zunich; NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS COACHES ASSOCIATION: Margie Canfield; u.s. ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT GYMNASTICS CLUBS: Paul Spadaro; U.S. ELITE COACHES ASSOCIATION·MEN: Thorn Glielmi; U.S. ElITE COACHES ASSOCIATION· WOMEN: Sieve Rybacki Tony Gehman; US. MEN'S GYMNASTICS COACHES ASSOCIATION: TIm Klempnouer; U.S. RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS COACHES ASSOCIATION: Suzie DiTullio; YOUNG MEN'SCHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OFTHE USA: Cosey Koenig; NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION·WOMEN: Meg Slephenson; NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORS MEN: Mike Burns, Abie Grossfeld; RHYTHMIC: Ivonko Kirov, Michelle Lorsan; WOMEN: Kelli Hill, Tom Forsler; TRAMPOLINE: Shoun Kemplon, Dr. George Drew; ACROGYMNASTICS: Undo Porter, Joy Binder; ATHLETES COUNCI~ Vanessa Vander Pluym, Coraline Hunl, Larissa Fonloine, Shannon Miller, Kim ZmeskolBurdeHe, Jamie Morshik, Karl Heger, Joy Thornlon, Sieve McCoin, Arthur Davis, USOC Alhlele Rep.; Larissa Fonloine, Exewlive Boord Member John Roelhlisberger. ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: JEWISH COMMUNITY ([NTERS, Lori Katz; SPECIAL OLYMPICS, Kale Faber-Hickie; US. COMPETITIVE AEROBICS FEDERATION, Howard I<hwortz

FEATURES 6 Understanding and Training the Maltese

10 Gym N learn-A Fitness Based Nursery School

CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: In order 10 ensure uninlerrupled delivery of TECHNIQUE magazine, nolite of change of address should be mode eighl weeks in advance. For foslesl service, please entlose your presenl moiling label. Direct all submiplion moil 10 TECHNIQUE Subscriplions, USA Gymnoslics, 201 S. Copilol Ave., Sle. 300, Indianapolis, IN 46225.

DEPARTMENTS 2 Event Schedule

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16 Member Service Update

Unless expressly identilied to the contrary, all articles, statements and views printed herein are attributed solely to the author and USA Gymnastics expresses no opinion and assumes no responsibility thereol.

4 USA Gymnastics Message 14 Athlete Focus

PROGRAM UPDATE 24 2006 Congress Facts 28 2006 Congress Add On

38 Women's Program Update 40 Rhythmic Program Update www.usa-gymnastics .org COVER : l ANA BIEGER PHOTOGRA PHER © Philip Morton

18 Business Tips 20 Get Fit 22 KAT/MElPD 30 Spotlight 34 What's New 46 Classifieds 48 Safety Certification Schedule MAY 2006 • TECHHIQUE

3

USA GYMNASTICS MESSAGE

ON BEHALF OF USA GYMNASTICS, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF THE ATHLETES

from the 13 countries who recently participated in the 2006 Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii . During the three-day event we were able to enjoy many outstanding performances in men's and women's artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampoline, which was welcomed to the event for the first time this year.

USA Gymnastics was pleased to return to the Neil Blaisdell Center for the artistic events and to host the trampoline and rhythmic competitions at the beautiful Hawaii Convention Center. I would like to extend a special thanks to our partners at Outrigger & OHANA Hotels and Resorts, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Chevron, and KHNL Channel 8. Through their generous support we were once again able to host this event in the tropical state of Hawaii. We are extremely grateful to Cora Fonseca and Blaine Kia for their work organizing the Opening Ceremonies and arena performances, which brought a special Hawaiian flavor to the event. USA Gymnastics also extends thanks to the local Hawaiian gymnastics clubs for their overall support as well as their help with volunteers, equipment, ticket sales, and promotions.

The 2006 Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships was one of the first international team competitions held using the new FIG rules that were recently introduced. While the athletes continue to adjust to the new Code, this event proved that competitors from the Pacific Rim are up to the challenge. Athletes will continue to perfect their routines through the 2006 and 2007 World Championships and in 2008 will put their talents on display once again at the Pacific Alliance Championships, which serves as a prelude to the Olympic Games in Beijing.

USA Gymnastics has teamed up with Tyson Foods to launch one of its most exciting initiatives ever. The Tyson Fitness Challenge begins mid-June and offers an eight session program focusing on the fundamentals of fitness: Cardio, Strength, Flexibility and Nutrition . The Tyson Fitness Challenge will culminate on National Gymnastics Day, and will once again provide a fundraising opportunity for your athletes to make a difference and raise money for the Children's Miracle Network.

Materials will be available on our web site in May. The curriculum will include exercises, games, and fun fitness-related activities. Participants will be encouraged to set and track their goals. Promotional materials will also be available for clubs to help bring awareness to their fitness initiatives.

As a former athlete, club owner, and now an administrator, I would like to encourage all of you to get involved. Not only does the Tyson Fitness Challenge offer some great alternative summer programming, but it also promotes a balanced and fit lifestyle that goes hand in hand with the sport of gymnastics. I encourage all of you to promote the healthy benefits that are inherent to gymnastics and use the Tyson Fitness Challenge to take your program to the next level.

Let's challenge our youth to get fit in building powerful bodies and powerful minds!

~8---=-"'" Sincerely, Ron Galimore Vice President of Events Olympic Relations/ Men's Program

4

TECHNIQUE路 MAY 1006

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Understanding and THE

M LTESE By

THE MALTESE CROSS IS AN EXTREMELY WM A. SANDS, PHD. J ENNIFER K. D UNLAVY, M.S. SARAH L. SMITH, PHD. MICHAEL J ENI

R.

H.

STONE, PH.D.

McNEAL, PH.D .

difficult strength-oriented skill performed by the best gymnasts on the still rings. The current Code of Points rates the Maltese with a high degree of difficulty resulting in a natural pursuit of the skill for those seeking a competitive advantage. The competitive value and the extreme difficulty of the skill places a considerable burden on the athlete's time and the coach's skill. Should an athlete attempt to learn this skill? Would training time be better placed pursuing a different skill? Can the coach determine whether the athlete is particularly close to performing the skill and thus confidently pursue the skill with assurance that the training time will be well spent? There are a number of drills that can be used to help the gymnast learn the Maltese; are some drills better than others? All of these questions plague the modern coach and athlete. Training time is limited and intelligent choices are not always obvious.

The purpose of this project was to outline two different approaches taken by the U.S. Men's National Team and Coaches to increase their understanding of the Maltese. The first approach incorporated the use of electromyography (EMG, Noraxon, Inc.) to ascertain which muscles are involved and most active in performing this skill and several learning drills. The second approach involved the use of small force platforms to determine if measuring the forces applied by both arms in a simulated Maltese position could determine whether an athlete was capable of performing a Maltese, how close an athlete might be to performing the skill, and symmetry of arm forces.

MUSCLE ACTNATION A kinesiological (study of motion) analysis and coaching input suggested the following muscles might be large contributors to the Maltese: sterna l portion of the pectoralis major, clavicular portion of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, long head of the biceps brachii, upper trapezius, latissimus dorsei, rectus abdominus, and the lumbar portion of the erector spinae.

6

TECHNIQUE路 MAY 2006

Jonathan Horton at The 2006 W inter Cup Championships.

ABOVEPHOTO BYSIEVE lANGE MAY 1006 • TECHNIQUE

7

4 1) Anatomical images showing the muscles assessed by EMG. 2) Athlete with EMG electtodes attached for evaluation of the Maltese. 3) Maltese on the low rings with a spot. 4) Computer scteen showing the EMG signals indicating the level of muscle activations of a gymnast performing a Ma ltese. The lowest horizontal line (Sync) is a synchronizarion signal that involved a coach ptessing a button to indicate when the gymnast was in the correct position for the Maltese.

Figure 1 shows the muscles that were

investigated.

Figure 2 shows the application and placement of surface electrodes used to determine the activation level of muscles duri ng the Maltese. Muscle activation is detected by the surface electrodes, and the signals are then transmitted by a small transmitter in a belt pack to a receiver and computer. The transmitter allows the athlete to move without being encumbered by cables.

Figure 3 shows a typical method used by coaches to help ath letes learn to perform the Maltese-spotting. This study found that although spotting in this manner was fairly close to an actual Maltese in terms of muscle activation , the upper trapezius muscle activity was much lower than expected. This may have been due to the reduced need for the athlete to balance himself and thus control his body position within the rings. More than 20 drills were assessed regarding their similarities to the actual Maltese. The best drills for the Maltese are shown in Figures 5-8.

Figure 4 shows the results of the muscle activation profile of an athlete performing a Maltese. Each horizontal "squiggly" line

8

TECHNIQUE' MAY 2006

shows the electrical activity that was being produced by the underlying muscle. The muscles are labeled on the left. Note that the higher the "squiggly" lines the more activity that is being shown by the muscle.

The EMG analysis showed that the primary muscles involved in the Maltese were, in order of importance: clavicular pectoralis major, biceps brachii long head, anterior deltoid, upper trapezius, sternal pectoralis major. Muscles providing little or no contribution included: latissimus dorsei, rectus abdominus, and erector spinae. A total of five athletes were assessed via EMG to determine muscle contributions when performing the Maltese. The outcomes of the EMG profiles were virtually identical for all five gymnasts. The conclusion reached from these analyses was that the primary muscle involvements were upper shoulder muscles.

Moreover, it was also shown that having the athlete in a correct horizontal position was crucial to eliciting the correct muscle involvement. When an athlete adopted a position in which the head and shoulders were too high , the muscle activation pattern changed dramatically and no longer showed the typical profile of a Maltese.

A cautionary note should be included at this point. Although the EMG analyses indicated which muscles were most active in the Maltese and associated drills (of the muscles selected), the EMG cannot provide a measurement of the actual magnitude of the forces.

From experience and knowledge of the difficulty of the Maltese it can probably be assumed that the most active muscles were quite close if not at their maximums; however, the magnitudes of the actual forces that these muscles generate during the Maltese are unknown. Therefore, it is important to understand the difference between muscle activation relative to force produced and muscle activation as part of an intact skill. In other words, there is more to performing a "skill" than just producing appropriate forces. The forces have to be timed, coordinated, and directed effectively. Here are some caveats to be aware of: 1. A gymnast might be able to produce a similar muscle activation pattern in a Maltese drill as in a real Maltese, but the gymnast's muscles cannot produce the amount of force necessary to actually perform the Maltese. Thus, the EMG pattern could be identical, but the gymnast still can't perform the skill.

2. Astrong individual muscle might be able to produce more than enough force for that individual muscle to perform its role in a Maltese. However, the Maltese requires a carefully orchestrated combination of forces provided or generated by a number of muscles.

3. There were some assumptions made regarding the muscles chosen for assessment. If these assumptions are incorrect, then the wrong muscles were measured and there may be some other muscles that are more crucial to the Maltese performance than those assessed here.

The use of boxes (like the box shown in Figure 8) supporting the entire arm of the gymnast as he raises and lowers through the Maltese position, low rings with a spotter, and the "dream machine" were next in their ability to simulate the Maltese muscle activation. However, these all showed deficiencies when compared to the drills shown in Figures 5-8.

CREATING THE FORCE TO PERFORM A MALTESE In a second experiment, a newly designed instrumentation system was used to measure the level of force produced by a gymnast during a simulated Maltese. The investigation was conducted during the joint USA-Japan training camp held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

The basic approach is shown in Figure 9. A gymnast lies in a prone position with the

palms of his hands in the center of two small force platforms (PASCO, Inc). The forces produced by each hand/ arm are sampled and recorded as the gymnast attempts to rise a few centimeters from the floor. Figure 10 shows an example of a force-time record produced by a gymnast who could perform the Maltese. The total force is simply the sum of the two hands/ arms forces. If the gymnast can produce more force than his body weight, also shown in Figure 10, then he should rise from the floor and thus be able to perform the Maltese. This investigation was able to distinguish between those gymnasts who could perform a Maltese from those who could not. Additionally, the approach showed any asymmetries (differences from left side to right side) with startling graphic simplicity.

The results of the Maltese testing protocol can be used to determine how close a novice gymnast is to performing the Maltese. Also, the gymnast's strength symmetry can be determined along with a potential window on fatigue. Strength symmetry assessments may help diagnose shoulder injury. It was also noted that fatigue might be detected when gymnasts a re not able to produce as much force on one occasion as they did on another.

CONCLUSION The men's gymnastics team graciously allowed these tests to help understand the Maltese. Muscle activation patterns and a variety of learning drills have been identified. A promising test is being explored and a means for monitoring progress in the Maltese have also been identified.

In the future, other still rings strength skills need to be tested and these methodologies applied to the study of shoulder injury. X

,

...........

Sum 01 F""CO!'S (2Arms)

--\~!

\

Wm A. Sands, Ph.D. Head - Sport Biomechanics and Engineering U.S. Olympic Committee Jennifer K. Dunlavy, M.S. , Intern Sport Biomechanics and Engineering U.S. Olympic Committee Sarah L. Smith, Ph.D. Sport Biomechanics and Engineering U.S. Olympic Committee Michael H. Stone, Ph. D. Exercise and Sport Science Laboratory Director East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Jeni R. McNeal, Ph.D. Associate Professor Eastern Washington University, Cheney WA

-\

!I<>:V~~

'- --------4

10 5) Attempting a Maltese pos ition on two physio-balls. Note that the coach is protecting the gymnast and sporting him while he lowers himselfJorwilld tOlVard the NIaltese position. 6) Cable Pulls. The athlete sets a resistance that is quite heavy and pulls the cables to a Maltese position. 7) Lowering through a Malcese position on the floor via floor level rings. 8) \Veighted Counterbalance. The gymnast uses a spott ing belt with attachment to a counterweight. The counterweight should be only sufficient to hold the gymnast's weight for a few seconds.

9) Maltese Force Test Position. The gymnast is lying in a ptone position with hands on the two small force platforms. The data logger that records the data is shown as the small instrument (looks like a large calculato r) on the floor near the head of the gymnast. To perform the test. the gymnast presses with his hands/arms attempting to raise the entire body off the floor a few centimeters. 10) Force-Time Curve of a Maltese Test.

Note that the sum of the gym nast's hand/arm forces rises to that of body weight. This shows what was in f.~ct observed-the gym nast's body was raised a few centim eters above the floor.

MAY 2006 â&#x20AC;˘ TECHNIQUE

9

A Fitness Based

BY PAm KOMARA

E

very gym owner wants to know how to make more money during the daytime hours.

Besides preschool gymnastics classes and preschool dance classes, what other opportunities are there to maximize profit during the daytime hours? At my gym, we recently introduced a fitness based preschool program called, "Tiny Stars Gym-N-Learn." This educational program teaches young children to be healthy and happy while preparing them for kindergarten.

Since its inception last year, our Gym-N-Learn program has been a smashing success with parents and kids. This article will demonstrate the benefits of a fitness based nursery school program and how to create a Gym-N-Learn program at your gym.

c; htM';' .JU,-

Integrating a nursery school into your gym can be completed quickly and relatively easy.

The first critical step is to develop a name for your program. The name should sufficiently convey what the program is. For example, at "Tiny Stars Gym-N-Learn," our young champions are participating in gymnastics and receiving an education. While a cute name may sound catchy, remember that this program is about education. The program is not "play time" for young children. The name you choose for your program should tell parents that you are selling a fitness-based preschool educational program.

The second step in creating a Gym-N-Learn program is to establish a qualified staff. A successfu l program needs at least one main teacher who has a degree in elementary education with a kindergarten endorsement or a degree in early childhood education.

Additionally, at least one aide is necessary, depending upon the amount of students enrolled. Look to hire people who not only have experience working with children, but also have experience in gymnastics or dance.

If every teacher can teach the education part AND the gymnastics part, then each teacher can stay with her group the entire time. If you can't find nursery schoo l teachers who can do gymnastics, then the teachers who can teach gymnastics might need to stay in the gym for another rotation.

10

TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

Nursery School You Can start at Your Gym.

Hiring a qualified staff is not as daunting as it seems. Retired or disgruntled teachers are great potential staff members. Many teachers are dissatisfied with the public school system and are looking for new opportunities. The Gym-N-Learn program allows these teachers to express their creativity, letting them incorporate their passion for fitness into the classroom.

Look for teacher's aides who have experience working in a daycare environment. At the very minimum, a teacher's aide should have some experience working with young children. The ideal candidate for this position is a person who is energetic and enthusiastic. Most importantly, teacher's aides must be able to work as a team under the direction of the main teacher and you, the gym owner.

The next step in developing your fitness based preschool program is to create a curriculum . Since almost 10% of children less than 5 years old are overweight, the fitness portion of the Gym-N-Learn program is critical. Gymnastics lessons include bars, beam, and tumbling on specialized preschool gymnastics equipment, the trampoline, the Tumbl-trak, and they exercise to music. The children use props to develop skills such as hand-eye coordination, foot-eye coordination, gross and fine motor ski lls, and rhythmic patterns that help with reading readiness. In Glenn Doman's book, Teaching Your Baby to Read, he says that laterality, directionality, and many gross motor skills learned in preschool gymnastics help children to read. Bits of information like this should be included in your marketing material.

During the education portion of the program, use stories and group activities to involve the children in the lessons. Use your state's education department as a resource when developing your curriculum. Kindergarten students may be tested in your state. What lesso ns should you include based on these tests? At the very least, children should learn their address and phone number, practice counting, identify body parts, and learn to follow simple direction.

Sell this class as a "kindergarten prep" class to the parents.

Education lessons should also incorporate activities that teach children about "sometimes foods" and "a lways foods ." Children are familiar with these terms which are regularly used on Sesame Street and other PBS programs. When the students learn a new letter, have the teachers use that letter in the context of nutrition. For example, "A is for Apple. Apples taste good and are full of vitamins!" Or, "H is for

12

TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

Healthy Eating! " Also when teaching the alphabet, talk to the students about exercises and gymnastics moves that start with that letter like "bridge" for "B." While creating your curriculum, remember to include a discipline policy. The GNL director and the gym owner should work together to create a discipline policy that comports with the policies of other classes offered at the gym. The discipline policy should be in the Parent Handbook. Review the policy with parents at the beginning of the year, and with new parents who enter the program during the year. Informing parents about the policy before any incidents will save you time and headaches in the future.

Additionally, telling parents about the policy, gives them a sense that you are working together. Let the parent offer suggestions about what types of discipline work best with her child. These suggestions may be helpful to the teachers.

Gym-N-Learn is two and one half-hours long two or three days a week. We offer a three day a week morning or afternoon program on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 8:45am-l1:15 and 122:30pm. Additionally, we have two and one half-hour classes that meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and afternoons for two and half hours. The two-day-a-week program is for three-year-olds and the three-day-a-week program is for four and five year olds.

All of our classes sold out last year. Last year our gym grossed approximately $6,600.00 additional income every month from the Gym-N-Learn program .

You can easily have this successfu l program at your gym. If you are a little nervous of the comm itment of a regular nursery school, begin by creati ng a fitness based nursery schoo l class that lasts 90 minutes and meets once a week. For the first 25 minutes of class, students work on letters and numbers. The next 45 minutes are spent doing gymnastics lessons. The final 20 minutes of class, the students do an art project and listen to a story. Before saying good bye, the teacher reviews the lesson for the week. Eventually, this 90-minute program can develop into a longer program that meets severa l times each week.

~

Develop a mission statement for your program before beginning to advertise. For example, we describe our Gym-N-Learn program in brochures with the following paragraph: "This class is a fitness-based learning program that can help prevent childhood obesity with nutritional information and a 45minute gymnastics class each session. Your child will receive a well-rounded educational experience to help prepare them for school - socially, mentally, and physically."

The mission statement of your program will sell the program.

All parents would like their child to receive a well-rounded education. Physical development is as important as social and mental development.

When advertising the program , use direct mailings to families with children ages 3-5 years old. Distribute fliers to students in your current classes. Advertise in the local newspapers and include tuition coupons in these advertisements. With every marketing tool, remember that timing is everything! Most preschool programs in our community begin t:::aL-inn on YI.... II monte in l:::anll:lnl ic the hoct time fnr lie tn It, ,J:ohrll:lnl ................ J' . ThllC ... ....... , ............... '.:1 ......................................... ' ........... ...... ....... ""'~

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do much of our advertising. We have an open house in January, April, and August. Prior to the open houses, we saturate the market with advertising. Don't forget, your best potential customers are the kids already enrolled in your preschool gymnastics classes.

Continue the Gym-N-Learn program throughout the summer. Not only do these classes keep your staff busy, but they provide some extra income for your gym during the slow summer months. Summer classes also allow parents to try the program without making a year long commitment.

Your nursery school program can be created in a small area. We're using only about 500 square feet for the program at our gym. We have three groups of six students. That is a huge plus for you, too .

Keep the ratios small like that and it overshadows all the local nursery schools. Many schools have a 10:1 ratio. If you have more space available, you may be able to accommodate more students.

The best reason to have a fitness-based nursery school is because you will earn more money during the day when you need it the most. The program will build a base of preschoolers whose families will love your gym and pass on the good word about your business.

Become known in your community for excellence at the preschool level. Bringing in more money to your gym allows you to have your teams, buy top-notch equipment, and pay your teachers top salaries that build employee loyalty. We know keeping staff means keeping students. Having a fitness-based nursery school program is a win-win for your gym. X

, (or Marketinf A fitneâ&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ ProfRlD Planning to add a new fitness class to your gymnastics program? We'd like to help make your gym's program successful by offering some tips for marketing your program.

Because this is a new type of program for a gymnastics school, you will probably need to market a bit more heavily than normal to generate full classes. Here are some tips to consider:

n

Make contact with pediatricians in your area. U you or one of your instructors has children start with their physician.

'This can help get you in the door since you may already have a relationship established. Physicians are aware of the obesity problem with our children today, but aren't always sure how to approach the issue with parents. U a physician knows of good options for safe, fun, physical activity in their area it can be a great opportunity to suggest solutions to a family.

loc~wspaper.

Talk to reporters at the Don't be embarrassed to pick up the phone and call. Blow your own hom! No one will know about your new class unless you tell people about it. U you are lucky enough to have a student whose parent works in public relations, you may be able to trade some classes for press releases.

~

Contact your local Mom's clubs. Mothers of preschoolers are a good place to start! Many of these morns may have older kids who would be candidates for the program. You can also try organizations that offer Mothers day out programs.

Anyone willing to pass out flyers to your target audience is worth contacting.

G

Work with your school district to get information out to students before summer break. Some schools are willing to distribute flyers to families for summer activities. Find key administrators who are concerned with rising rates of obesity and ask for his or her support. Approach physical education teachers for support as well. P.E. teachers see, on a daily basis, how unfit many children are and could be champions for your program.

~

Talk to other sports groups such as soccer, swimming, baseball, volleyball, track, basketball, football, cheerleading, etc., to see if they could use a fitness class to benefit their team. A fitness class could have positive benefits for all athletes and keep them active in their off season or during season on a night off.

You are part of an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the health and wellness of children in your community. Thank you for facing this challenge head on and being an advocate for kids.

MAY 2006 â&#x20AC;˘ TECHNIQUE

13

FOCUS

JANA BIEGER Sixteen-year-otd Jana Bieger won three gold medals at the 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships in Honolulu, Hawaii, including team, vault and floor. On vault she performs a Yurchenko one-anda-half twist as well as a front handspring layout front half. On floor her routi ne is loaded with tumbling difficulty including a double layout for her first pass, a punch front full into a triple twist for her second pass, a double Arabian third pass, and she dismounts with a high pike double back.

She said, "It feels great to win two individual event golds. I was

Christina packs a lot of

power.

14 nCII.,OUE . IIAY 2006

really confident coming into this meet and I just told myself to hit and have fun with it, and I definitely did on floor."

Regarding the Pacific Alliance Championships, Bieger commented after event finals saying, "We did awesome.

We swept all of the golds and went 1-2 on the three events that we could. We just cheered for each other and supported each other."

Bieger, who is the 2004 Junior National Vault Champion, also experienced success at the 2006 30th Turnier der Meister in Cottbus, Germany, winning the gold medal on vault, the silver medal on beam and the bronze medal on bars. This competition took place March 25-26 .

This 2005 World Championships team member trains at Boca Twisters in Boca Raton, Fla. She's coached by her mom Andrea who is a three-time Olympic gymnast from West Germany. Bieger is completing her 10th grade year via a home school program . She has one brother, Nikolai, and her father is Wolfgang Heiden . 1\.

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MEMBER 5 ERVI CE5

2006-2007 Membership Notices • Membership forms are being revised for the 2006-2007 season. They will be mailed to clubs with a current address on file. Please make certain that your club address is current in our database. The new forms will also be available on our website .

• Once you receive the new, 2006-2007 forms, please throw the 2005-2006 forms away. Member Services can only accept the current season's forms as they are tied into insurance.

• The athlete membership season for 20052006 ends on July 31, 2006. Please make certain that all parents are aware that any athlete membership purchased now will expire on July 31, 2006. The athlete membership is not pro-rated.

• Keep copies of completed Athlete and Introductory membership forms - Make certain that your club retains a signed copy of the membership form for each athlete and introductory member that you register. This is a requirement of our insurance company and is a risk management practice that your club must follow. USA Gymnastics does not have copies of any form when the member application is completed online.

Risk Management Reminders • Safety Certification must be renewed every four years. Li ve courses will be conducted at USA Gymnastics national and regional congresses. Courses are listed on the website.

• You may renew your certificatio n up to one year prior to your safety certification expiration .

16

TECHNIQUE· MAY 1006

• You should pre-register for all courses. On site registration is $25.00 for everyone, even for professional members who have the member benefit of attending a live course for free.

• Club owners: You must keep all forms for an extended period of time. Consult with your insurance agent and attorney on the appropriate time period.

• Please read and review your Risk Management/Safety Handbook annually.

As a professional or instructor member of USA Gymnastics, you are held responsible to the standards that are set forth in our industry.

2006 NationaL Congress and Trade Show • Register today for three days of Gymnastics Excellence through Education August 1619, 2006, St Paul RiverCentre, St. Paul, Minnesota. Early bird registration ends in July 15, 2006.

• Online registration for Congress and All-Session Ticket packages for Visa Championships are available now at www. usa-gymnastics.org, click on the Events link, then Congress 2006.

• Member Club discount group registrations are due by June 1. Form must be completed and mailed or faxed with payment of a check or credit card.

• Congress registration covers attendance at educational sessions for three days, tickets for the huge exhibit hall raffle, entrance into the exhibit hall, exhibit hall social, entrance to the Acrobatic Gymnastics and Rhythmic competitions, special Congress Fitness bag, and Congress dance party.

• Congress attendees may purchase Visa Championships All-Session Ticket Packages at a special price of $99 .00 and will receive a VIP pass to the Champions Club held in the XCel Energy Center. Mix and mingle prior to the exciting competitions.

• Contact National Tra ve l Systems no w for your Congress hotel needs. Crowne Plaza River Front Hotel or the Embassy Suites.

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.. ' BUSINESS

Threshold and Targets What is the Average Rent Paid by gym clubs?

Wrong Question: Think 'Threshold' and 'Targets' MANY TIMES I AM ASKED, "WHAT IS THE average amount that gym clubs pay for rent?" My answer, as a general statement, is to quit thinking in terms of "averages" because an average can be skewed by just one exceptionally high or low piece of data (think of the average household income in the community where Bill Gates lives). Instead, I suggest you think in terms of "thresholds" and "targets." A threshold is a minimum or maximum, a "red flag," a defensive mindset meant to keep you out of bankruptcy. A target is a goal, an offensive mindset meant to maximize profit. A threshold is somewhat generic and applies to any business; a target is specific to a particular business and is derived from experience, budgeting and forecasting .

Below I suggest a particular threshold for a GymClub's fixed obligations. I leave it to you to determine your own targets, as your business model and profit goals will necessarily differ from mine.

First, get a cup of coffee or tea and grab a calculator and your 2005 fiscal yearend (FYE) statement. Establish your current FIXED OBLIGATIONS by adding your yearly facility obligations (rent, real estate taxes, CAM or common area maintenance, etc.) and all debt payments (installment payments and lease payments on equipment, furniture,

copiers, computers, etc.). Then simply divide that sum by your total gross revenue and reduce that to a percentage.

I consider the THRESHOLD or maximum for FIXED OBLIGATIONS for all gym clubs to be 25% of your gross revenue. In other words, at 25%, a club might be able to stay in business but will likely have a difficult time generating any profit (the reward for the risk of ownership). Staying in business might sound OK, but the absence of profit generally leads to lack of employee vitality and early burnout for all involved.

Kids First's FIXED OBLIGATION is currently at 18%. You may be curious about what percentage ranges our company has experienced over the years. In our previous building, after years of steadily growing revenue, our FIXED OBLIGATIONS were ultimately reduced to 11%. However, when we first moved into the Kids First facility in 1998, we hit 30%, which is very high! Of course, taking on that much FIXED OBLIGATIONS was a conscious, strategic decision . I was fully aware that 30% was UNSUSTAINABLE and this percentage would have to come down (by revenue going up).

Fortunately, we were able to do just that.

So, now that Kids First is at 18%, well under the 25% threshold and doing fine,

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you might wonder how healthy would Kids First be if the initial 30% had drifted down to, say, 25% and stayed there? Well, we could have stayed in business but it would not have been very much fun (or rewarding) for me or anyone. I am pleased with 18% at this stage of our business, but it is not our target. In future years, as our short-term debt is retired (shortly) and our revenue continues to increase, I would like to see it drop to 15%. In other words, our target is 15%. Please never forget, shaving a point or two from your Fixed Obligations is a huge deal, because savings here flow directly to the bottom line. X' Make it a great month!

{eff Metzger USA Gymnastics Business Development Partner President, GymClub Owners Boot Camp President, Kids First Sports Center

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Hosted in Cincinnati, BOOT CAMP is a life-changing, 4 1/2 day total immersion leadership, marketing and organizational workshop for GymClub Owners.

Dates: May 18-22, Nov. 16-20, 2006 For FREE portfolio of information: 513.489.7575 or gymclub@aol.com

Visit us at www.metzgerbootcamp.com 18

TECHNIQUE路 MAY 2006

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The ITAC1-1 01 International Vault Table is unlike any other table on the market today.

This FIG approved table offers improved grip, enhanced performance and features a durable, composite cover that can be easily cleaned.

For a FREE product catalog featuring over 20 NEW products, please call 1-800-247-3978.

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BRIAN BAKALAR is one of Region IV's emerging coaches. He is the owner and head coach of Gymnastics Revolution of Bethel, Connecticut. Brian and his staff credit the success of their competitive teams to drills such as these, which are a part of the training program used every day.

Hollow Body Board Drill All forward entry vaults should approach the vaulting table with the hands in a low-forward position, and a hollow body. One way to facilitate the position is through the use of an arm circle.

Shoulder Pulls with Therabands This drill is a must for all beginning backward tumblers, and is also heavily used for Yurchenko vau lts.

How To:

How To:

A simple drill, the gymnast steps forward with one leg, lifting the opposite knee. As the gymnast jumps into the air, joining the knees, the arms circle backward around, ending in a diagonal-low position. The feet are in front, the body leans backward, the torso is hollow.

keeping the arms straight, pull the theraband backward-upward overhead, to the limit of the shoulder's flexibility.

Slowly, allow the arms to return . Exercise is "fast-up, slow-down." Head position can be altered to simulate individual skills.

Key Concepts: With beginners, use cues such as "scoot the rug forward with your feet," to emulate the approach to the spring board. The arm circle can also be described as a "backward jump rope circle."

Key Concepts: The head should be neutral when practicing for tumbling skills, and "in" when working on vault positions.

How To: There are several variations to help the athlete learn a Press Handstand. The opposite, a "Press Down" works many of the same muscle groups. Slowly lower from a handstand to a straddle stand, or a straddle L. To drastically reduce the stresses on the shoulders, try the Press Handstand with the shoulders against a wall. The greater the shoulder angle, the more the hips and stomach will be isolated.

Press Handstand

Key Concepts:

Few skills have the relevance across events as the Press Handstand. There is no substitute for spotting when training this skill and drill. This is a combination of balance, strength, and flexibility, and is not to be overlooked when developing young gymnasts. This is also a relatively safe skill for athletes to practice at home.

Do not underestimate the importance of flexibility in this skill. Many coaches feel that this skill is more about flexibility and balance than strength!

20

TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

COURTESY PHILIPMORTON

•

EDUCATION

USA Gymnastics 2006 KAT and MELPD Workshop An Educational Opportunity For Your Club A KAT workshop consists of seve n productive hours of preschool teacher education. The works hop covers philosophy, understanding the preschool-age child, safety considerations, class management and much more!

A Movement Education and Lesson Plan Development Workshop (MELPD) consists of five enlightening hours of preschool teacher education.

This workshop is co ntinuing education of the KAT Program. The overall emphasis of this workshop is to provide instructors with the necessary knowledge to develop preschool gym nastics lesson plans, emphasize developmentally appropriate practices, fundamental skill development and much more. This works hop is designed to help

instructors meet the needs of the individual students and encourage adoption of lifelong physical activity. Attendance at a KAT certification course is highly recommended, but not required to attend a MELPD course.

If there has never been a KAT or MELPD workshop in your area, 2006 is a great time to host a wo rkshop. Any club can host a workshop and it's free. The only things you'll need are an empty room and a TV & VCR. If your workshop has 12 paid participants, your club will receive one free registration. Member Clubs receive two free registrations, with 12 paid participants. Complimentary registrations are nontransferable and will only be valid at the workshop

you are hosting. The workshop must maintain the minimum attendance of 12 for complimentary registrations. Courses that do not meet minimum participation levels are subject to rescheduling or cancellation.

For more information on the KAT & MELPD courses call 1-800345-4719 or visit www.usa-gymnastics.org/membership/

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TECHHIQUE. MAY 2006

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USA GYMNASTICS

NATIONAL CONGRI;:SS ''Gymnastics Excellence Through Education"

St. Paul, Minnesota • August 16-19, 2006

42nd ANNUAL USA GYMNASTICS NATIONAL CONGRESS and TRADE SHOW Held in conjunction with 2006 Visa Championships August 16·19, 2006 St. Paul, Minnesota

Who should aHend?

All USA Gymnastics Professional and Instructor members. Coaches, judges and instructors of all levels. Recreational and preschool teachers, business managers, administrators, club owners, high school and college coaches.

What is oHered?

Three days of education with over 135 sessions offered. Lectures given by recognized top people in the field. Sessions on coaching, judging, business, preschool, recreational, sports science, fitness, Group Gymnastics and cheerleading. The leading experts in the areas of Women's, Men's, Rhythmic, Acrobatics and Trampoline and Tumbling programs will present. The Trade Show exhibit hall will feature 200 booths of products and information from over 85 different Industry Member vendors.

Special events taking place in the exhibit hall daily.

Where?

Saint Paul RiverCentre - Congress & Trade Show Xcel Energy Center - Visa Championships-Artistic Roy Wilkins Auditorium- Visa Championships-Rhythmic and Acrobatics Gymnastics

All under one Roof Hotels

Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel Embassy Suites St. Paul Hotel - SOLD OUT

Travel Reservations:

National Travel Service 888-603-8747 Email atusagama@takeavacation.com

When?

August 16-19 - Visa Championships

Schedule August 16, 2006

• Congress Registration opens at 12:30-6:00 p.m.

• Annual Business Conference, Safety/Risk Management course, KAT and MELPD courses

August 17-19,2006

• Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. - Saint Paul RiverCentre • Sessions 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.

• Trade Show Exhibit Hall Open

August 19, 2006

• Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Luncheon - TBD • Congress Dance Party at 9:00 p.m. at Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel

Event Tickets

Special rate for All-Session ticket package at $99.00 for Congress attendees.

Rhythmic and Acrobatic Gymnastics events included in Congress registration fee.

Special "Champions Club" for Congress attendees. Details coming soon.

Registration form:

Technique magazine on the USA Gymnastics website www.usa-gymnastics.org

Cost Early Bird Member $ 235.00 Early bird non·member $335.00.

Special discount rates for groups from Member Clubs.

24

TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

For information on becoming an exhibitor at the USA Gymnastics Trade Show, please visit our events link at www.usa-gymnastics.org.

REGISTER NOW FOR

1\

USA GYMNASTICS

NATIONAL CONGR~SS 'G mnastics Excellence Through Education"

St Paul, Minnesola· Augusl16-19, 2006

USGSA Presents

USA Gymnastics congress St. paul, Minnesota August '6-'9, 2006

www.usa-gymnastics.org

Over $35,000 In Prizes Generously Donated by USGSA Members $2000 in Gift Certificates from Alpha Factor. Four each TAC / 10 LZT Vault Boards from American Athletic Theme Balance Beams from Artistic Coverings. Preschool Starter Kit & Work Station from DGS • Carpet Bonded Foam Roll w / Logo & 5x10 Gym Mats from Dollamur • $3000 in Gift Certificates from Elite Sportswear. $150 Visa Gift Card & $100 in Foxy Leotards from Foxy's Fitness Fashions • Deitch's Rolling Rings from G.A. Deitch. Pre-School G ymnastics Package from Gibson Inc. • 6-Pack of 4x8 Mats from GMR· $200 in Apparel & Accessories from Gym Treasures. Ultra Dome from Gym-Trix • $2000 in Magazine Subscriptions from Inside Gymnastics. Leotard Variety Pack from JKLM • Progressive Skill Builder Set from Mancino Manufacturing . Custom Silk-screening Package from Marsha's Sportswear. Mobile Gym Starter Pack from Norberts .Cheerleading Lesson Plan from Patti Komara .Portable Horizontal Bar from Professional Athletics $150 in Apparel from Rebecca's Mom. $500 in Gift Certificates from Resilite. $2000 in Gift Certificates from Satara Leos. ScoreMaster Single User Version from Score Master. The Vault Master from Tramp Master Air-O-Board, Bungee Blaster, Rocket Board and Gift Certificate from Trampolines Unlimited • Air Floor w / Pump & $800 in Gift Certificates from Tumbl Trak. I-Beam Competition Balance Beam from United Athletic Copy of Class Control from Vaughn Software.

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Suppliers Who Support Your Congress and your Industry.

DON'T MISS THIS EVENT! • • • •

Must be present in Exhibit Hall to win.

One Raffle Ticket per USA Gymnastics Registrant.

Complete Prize Listing and Raffle Rules available at Congress .

Raffle Schedule Posted at Congress '06.

2006 NATIONAL CONGRESS/VISA CHAMPIONSHIPS REGISTRATION FORM G)

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AMT. PAID

After July 15, 2006, you must register on-site.

Complete one form per person-Photocopy for additional registrations .

Become an Instructor Member to receive the member discount. Simply check "Please sign me up " and include an extra $50 ($7 0 Foreign Instructor Member) in your total amount enclosed. Your confirmation will be sent by email. Please provide a valid email address. Registration opens August 76, Congress sessions and Exhibit Hall August 77-79

CONGRESS COSTS

DATE RECV' D

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(postmarked by July 15)

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$235 Congress-Early Bird registration only ($300 on-site)

$335 Early Bird registration only

o $400 Congress registration on-site

0$334 Congress & Visa Championships all sessions ticket package Ticket plus VIP Champions Club Pass. _ _ Number of additional ticket strips _ _ x$99 .00 each .

Special role for All-Sess ion lickel packages for Congress anenddes-only $99 (reg. price:$ 175, lower·level reserved seals)

The Champions Club is loco led in Ihe Xcel En ergy Cenler jusl sleps from Ihe compelilions and wi ll be THE place w here you, your friends and co lleagues wi ll enioy pre and posf.competition food and beverages, check results, and watch closed-circuil TV of the action. The Xcel En ergy Center is aHached to the Saint Paul RiverCenler. All-session ticket packages are non-refundable .

Early Bird Regi stration and Ticket Pa ckages ends Jul y 15 {While Supp{;es lasl}

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Minimum age for Congress is 16. To become a Professional Member call: 1.800.345.4719 or go online to www.usa-gymnastics.org

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please return this registration form to: USA Gymnastics Congress, Pan American Plaza , 201 S. Capitol Ave . Ste 300, Indianapolis, IN 46225 • FAX: 317.692.5212 Attention: Member Services THE INDIVIDUAL CONGRESS FEE INCLUDES: • Creden tial for entrance to Cong ress sessions Aug. 17-19.

• Admissio n to Rhythmic Championships

& Acrobatic Gymnastics Team Trials .

• Entrance to the Exhibit Hall featuring the industry's finest products and services.

• One tickel to the Congress Dance Party on Saturday, August 19 (addilional Cong ress Dance Party lickels for spouse/guesls are $35 each-<lvailable at on·site reg istration) (Must be at leasl 16 years of age for admission)

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unless the session presenters announce that his/ her/their session may not be videotaped.

Language: Th e officia l language of Congress is Engli sh. USA Gymnastics will make no special provisions for translation of sessions inlo other languages.

Congress attendees with special needs must notify USA Gymnastics in writing in this regard prior to the July 15 Early Bird deadline. We suggesllha l lhis informalion be included w ilh Ihe Congress regislrat ion form.

CANCELlATION pOUCY All registration cancellations must be in wri ting.

Submit request in writing to USA Gymnostics, Attention Cathy Allen Before July 15 - Registration fee less $30 service fee per person canceling.

After July 15 - 50% of registration fee per person canceling

SUBSTITUTION POUCY To transfer registration to another person , the new Congress attendee must olso hove 0 Professional or Instrudor membership.

Before July 15 - $30 per substitution ON-SITE - $35 per substitution Submit request in writing to USA Gymnastics, Attention Cathy Allen REQUESTS FOR REFUNDS AFTER AUGUST 31 , 2006 WIU

NOT BE ACCEPTED

2006 PRE-CONGRESS CONFERENCE AND CERTIFICATIONS REGISTRATION FORM

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ALL COURSES WILL BE HELD AT THE CROWNE PLAZA ST. PAUL RIVERFRONT HOTEL

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D For recerts. MUST be currently safety certified AND a pro·member.

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WOMEN ' S JUDGES CERTIFICATION TESTS Wed. August 16, TIme TBD D Written D 5/ 6 D 7/ 8 D 9 D 10 (ost: $20 per test part D Practical D 7/ 8 D 9 D 10 TImes:TBD

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Language: The Olficiallanguage of Congress is English. USA Gymnastics will make no special provisions for translation of sessions into other languages.

Congress Attendees with special needs must notify USA Gymnastics in writing in this regard prior to the July 15 early bird registration deadline. We suggest that this information be included with the Congress Registration Form.

Videotaping: Videotaping of Congress sessions is permitted FO R PERSONAL USE ONLY unless the Session Presenters announce that his/her session may not be videotaped.

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USA Gymnastics Congress Pan American Plaza 201 South Capitol, Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46225 FAX: 317-692-5212 ATTENTION: Member Services

SPOTLIGHT

Gymnasts Rally For A Great Cause BY NATALIE OTIS GYMNASTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND

Maine are rallying around 14-year-old Level 7 gymnast Katie Prouty as she goes out into the community to raise awareness about a disease that has shaken her family to the ground for the past four years.

Katie's dad, Robert, found out four years ago he had contracted Hepatitis ( as a result of a blood Katie's teammates at transfusion during his military service Atlantic Gymnastics in 1976. Hepatitis ( is an insidious disease Training Center in that, once in the blood stream, results in Ports mouth, N.H. disease of the liver and often takes 25 to 30 yea rs to manifest itself.

It was just four years ago that the Robert Prouty realized he had been infected and he now takes handfuls of medications and suffers from chronic liver problems.

What Katie wants is to help raise money for research and possibly a $150,000 liver transplant for her father. But, more than that, she says she wants people to know that there is a reason Hepatitis ( is called a "silent epidemic" or a "silent dragon." It is because many people don't know they even have it. Surprisingly, 4 million Americans have been infected with the disease, but only 1 million know it.

"A lot of people don't know they have it or what Hepatitis ( is," said Katie. "A lot of my teammates didn't even know what it was."

In an effort to raise money and awareness Katie decided more than six months ago that she was going to organize a road race to help both her father and others that have Hepatitis C. The race is May 21 and is called the Dragon Slayer 6k. Katie said she expects anywhere from 250 to 500 people and in the masses will be nearly all of Katie's teammates at Atlantic Gymnastics Training (enter in Portsmouth, N.H. "As things progressed with Bob's (Robert) illness and Katie started organizing the road race, the team all jumped in and there was an immediate rallying of the troops. I think their opinion was, 'Hey, don't mess with my teammate"', said Katie's coach and gym club owner Tony Retrosi. "A lot of the older girls immediately challenged me to run in the race. I am not only going to run, I am going to firish. Katie has been so inspirational to everyone in the gym; I will not let her down."

And while her coach feels she has been an inspiration to the girls in the gym, it is Katie that credits her years in gymnastics with giving her the will and skills she needed to put such a race together.

"Gymnastics has taught me how to face challenges and work through things," Katie said. "The people here are like my family and that gives me the strength to do this. I have had bad days with my dad and I can always say that when I get to the gym my teammates have a way of pulling me up and making things fun." XTo support Katie and her family go to www.dragonslayer6k.org. Contributions can '\ be made to support research or Robert Prouty's liver transplant by writing to The Prouty Family, 18 Old Mast Road, York, Maine 03909.

30

TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

..

UPDATE

III always want the best for

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Gymnastics provides a great foundation, both for building strength, flexibility, and fitness and fo r life skills like enhandng self- esteem and goal settin g abilities,

Whereas

National Gymnanics Day seeks to promote the value of physical fitness and good nutrition for everyone, regardless of age, gender and ability level,

Whereas

On National Gymnastics Day, gymnastics clubs across the United States partner with USA Gymnastics to heighten visibilicy of the sport and encou rage participation at the grass roots level, as well as to increase physica l activity for wday's youth.

Whereas

National Gymnastics Day aims to serve the greater community good to provide comfort and assistance to children who are unable [ 0 provide for themselves by raising funds and awareness fo r the Children's Miracle Network,

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Collectively, ou r nation, our state and USA Gymnastics strive to encoura ge

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USA Gymnastics and Its member cl ubs across the nadon annually celebrate National Gymnastics Day to showcase the sport of gymnastics and to encourage and promote physical fitness among our nadon's youth,

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TECHNIQUE· MAY 2006

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greamess and achievement in our young people, On behalF of the Slate of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

I, Governor _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , joi n USA Gymnastics and its clubs in proclaiming August 5, 2006, as National Gymnastics Day.

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June 21-25, 2006 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. Highlights include: Opening Ceremonies and Welcome Party, Group Gymnastics clinic by Dani sh National Team coaches, Perfo rmance reviews by National experts, and Gala Showcase performances on Saturday, June 24 highlighting outstanding show teams.

WorLd Gymnaestrada Training Day - Sunday, June 25 includes: Presentation by the Gymnaestrada Organizing Committee president, Travel Package presentation by National Travel Systems, Closing Ceremony choreography presentation and General Information about the Gym naestrada.

Club owne rs, coaches and program directors are invited to attend the World Gymnaestrada Training Day FREE OF CHARGE. Come join us to find out more about how you and your club members can participate in this exciting worldwide gymnastics event. For more information, visit www.usa-gymnastics.org/gg.

TIle 15th Annual Sports I.egeIIds Awards, presented by The Paralysis Prajed of America, honored Olympic gymnastics greols Barf Conner (USA) and Nadia Comaned (Romania), as well as pro footbaU's Willie Davis (Green Bay Packers), Olympic swimming's Donna de Varona (USA), Olympic and professional volleyball's Karch Kiraly (USA) and horse racing's Alex Solis (Panama), in ceremonies that were held Feb. 25, at The Omni Hotel in Las Angeles.

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34

TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

Skill and strength tracking forms are also included for at a glance tracking throughout the season.

Liukin Nominated For The World Top 10 Athletes Award The 2005 world uneven bars and balance beam champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, is one of the nominees for the World Top 10 Athletes Award, supported by the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games for 2008 (BOCOG), authorized by the China General Administration of Sports and organized by the China Sports Publications Corp. The award ceremony is April 9, 2006, at the People's Great hall in Beijing, China.

Liukin recently shared the all-around title with Chellsie Memmel at the Pacific Alliance. She also won the all-around title at the 2006 Tyson American Cup. In 2005, she won the uneven bars and balance beam titles at the World Championships, where she also claimed silver medals in the all-around and floor exercise. She is the reigning U.S. all-around, uneyen bars and balance beam champion, which she won at the 2005 Visa Championships. Liukin is coached by her father, Valeri, at WOGA in Plano, Texas.

The award is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has been billed as the Sports Oscar of China. The nominees for the World top 10 Athletes were nominated by a panel of sports experts and voted on by Chinese people around the world. The award ceremony / gala will be broadcast live by Chinese national broadcaster CCTV.

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35

WHAT'S

NEW

Spring receives 2006 NissenEmery Award The 2006 U.S. Senior National Team member Justin Spring of Burke, Va./University of Illinois was awarded the 2006 Ni ssen-Emery Award at the Collegiate Gymnastics Association banquet in Norman, Okla . The Nissen-Emery Award, which is also known as the Heisman Trophy of collegiate gymnastics, recognizes the senior gymnast who has established an outstanding record of ach ievement in gymnastics, good sportsmanship, fair play and scholarship throughout his collegiate career.

Spring , who was just named to his second senior national team, is the 2006 Big Ten Gymnast of the Year. At the 2006 Big Ten C hampionships, he won the all-around and parallel bar titles, as well as finish ing second on high bar, third on vault and fourth on floor exercise. In 2005 , he competed in the World Championsh ips; was the horizontal bar titlist at the Visa Championships; tied for second on the horizonta l bar at the American Cup; and was the NCAA parallel bars champion . In 2004, he won the high bar title at the NCAA Championships and the floor exercise at the Big Ten Championships . A two-time team captain, Spring was the University of Illinois Ath lete of the Year in 2004. Spring, who majors in speech communication, was an All-American in parallel bars (2003-05), high bar (2004-05), all-around (2005) and floor exercise (2003).

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TECHNIQUE. MAY 2006

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MEMMEL WAS A FINALISTS FOR 2005 SULLIVAN AWARD 2005 world all-around champion Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis., was among the 10 finalists for the 76th Sullivan Award.

In addition to Memmel, the other nine nominees were: basketball- Seimone Augustus and J.J. Redick; diving - Laura Wilkinson; football - Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young; skiing - Bode Miller; taekwondo - Steven Lopez; and track and field -- Kerron Clement.

J.J. Redick won the James E. Sullican Memorial Award.

Jacquelyn II Jackie" Klein Fie, Honorary Inductee into the Northwestern University Hall of Fame A 1979 inductee in the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Fie has dedicated more than 50 years of her life to the sport of gymnastics. While a student at Northwestern, she earned a berth on the 1956 U.S. Olympic team and participated in the Melbourne, Australia Games .

A 1959 graduate, Fie is the only American to rise to the Presidency of the International Gymnastics Federation Technical Committee. She also served as the Technical Delegate for Women's Artistic Gymnastics at three Olympic Games, was a Brevet judge at 41 FIG competitions and was tabbed as an American Gymnastics Centurion - an individual who has made one of the greatest impacts on gymnastics in the USA. Fie retired in 2004 and is enjoying a much lesstraveled and hectic life now as a wife, mother and grandmother. She resides in jefferson , Iowa with her husband, Larry.

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37

Women's Program

UPDATE INTERNATIONAL ELITE PROGRAM COMMITTEE APRIL 6, 2006 The meeting was called to order 7:30 pm by Steve Rybacki, International Elite Program Chairman.

1. ROLL CALL Chairman .......... . ............... ................................. . . . . Steve Rybacki Valeri Liukin Al Fong Donna Strauss Mary Lee Tracy Athlete Rep .......................................... ............ Kim Zmeskal-Burdette

NTC . m . . Martha Karolyi Vice President .................................................... Kathy Kelly WPD ....................................................................... . ........... Gary Warren 2. Revision to the Senior International qualification scores to Classics and Championships. Now that the committee has more information on the scores for the new Code of Poi nts, the IEC recommends the following revised qualification scores to Classics and Championships for the Senior Internationals.

• 55.00 AA - Senior International to Classics • 56.00 AA - Senior International to Championships o Championship qualification scores MUST be attained at either the • National Training Camps (when routines are preformed on

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TECHNIQUE· MAY 2006

competition surfaces) • US Classic • International Assignments • Retro active from January, 2006. o Classic qualification scores MUST be attained at either the • National Training Camps (when routines are preformed on competition surfaces) • One of the National Qualifiers • An "Official" Regional Elite Qualifier • International Assignments • Retro active from January, 2006 .

Motion: Mary Lee Tracy Second: Donna Strauss PASSED

from International assignments be distributed to all National Team Coaches and Classic/Championships Judges. The reports will be revised by the IEC to contain information that is more current and is needed by the Elite Community.

Motion: Mary Lee Tracy Second: Donna Strauss PASSED

3. Junior and Senior International qualification to Championships from the US Classic.

Recommendation that qualification to Championships from the 2006 US Classic be by score.

• 53.00 AA - Junior International • 56.00 AA - Senior International Motion: Valeri Liukin Second: Al Fong PASSED

Meeting adjourned 8:00 pm.

Motion: Valeri Liukin Second: Al Fong

5. General Comment The IEC recommends to the National Elite Program that verification scores from National Training Camps held at the National Team Training Center be permitted to be used to qualify to the Challenge. All routines must be performed on competition equipment and must be FIG rules.

X

4. Competition Reports.

Recommendation that all judge and coach competition reports

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39

Rhythmic Program

UPDATE III. ASSIGNMENT OF SUB·COMMITTEES

USA GYMNASTICS RHYTHMIC TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING

Elite Sub-Committee - Nadine Davies JOPC Rep & JO Sub Committee - Tyana Marlowe (Rep), Elena Savenkova Judge's Education/ Evaluation - Perryne Thompson , Pauline Bolte, Ellen Nyemcsik

FEBRUARY 16, 2006

Time: 9:08 a.m.

ATTENDEES IV. REGIONAL REPORTS

Nadi ne Davies ... Chai r Andrea Schmid .............................................. . . Rhythmic Vice Chair (phone) Pauline Bolte ...................................................... Region 1 Wuling Stephenson ................................. Region 2 Perryne Thompson ...................... ............. Region 3 Elena Savenkova .......................................... Region 4 Ellen Nyemcsik ................................... . Region 5 Tyana Marlowe . . .... Region 6 Suzi DiTullio ........... . ....................................... . . . JOPC Chair

Region 1 - # of Judges Certified LLe.'lel

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7-8 11 3 11 Nationa 2 Brevet 7 n/a Total 29 11 • 2 Judges courses were conducted ln Cal1forma • 18 Competitives Clubs & 4 Recreational Clubs Region 2 - # of Judges

I. WELCOME & ROLL CALL Welcome to the new RTC from Region 1, Pauline Bolte

II. ELECTION - RHYTHMIC TECHNICAL COMMITTEE CHAIR Jan Exner, Rhythmic Program Director called for nominations for the Chair position. Perryne Thompson nominated Nadine Davies, Seconded by Ellen Nyemcsik, Nadine Davies was elected chair of the Rhythmic Technical Committee by acclamation. The election process has been clarified and updated in the Operating Code by the RPC.

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> (onnnue from p. 40 • 2 judges courses were conducted, one in WA and one in OR • 14 Competitive Clubs (WA-7, OR-4, ND-l , NE-l, AS-I) Region 3 - # of Judges • 1 judge courses were conducted.

• 20 Competitive Clubs -7 of which are strictly USAIGC

V. JUNIOR OLYMPIC PROGRAM CLARIFICATIONS • Pre-A Difficulties are va lid for Level 3 only.

• Additional Difficulties in the JO Handbook are valid for Level 4-6.

• Level 7/8 may only use FIG Code of Point Difficulties, the Additional JO Handbook skills are not valid for Level 7/ 8.

• 2 judges courses were conducted • 8 Competitive Clubs (IL-3, MI-2, MN-3) Region 4 - # of Judges

Region 3 presented a list of Questions to the Technical Committee regarding clarifications. It was decided to attach a document to the minutes with the answers to all questions. This will be put on the USAG website.

VI. RULES AND POLICY CHANGES • 1 judges courses were conducted in MA • Competitive Clubs (NY-15, MA-4, RI-O, CT-l, NH-O, VT-O)

Motion: The judges uniform is Navy or BLACK blazer, skirt, pants and a white shirt.

Moved by Tyana Marlowe Seconded by Pauline Bolte Motion Carried

Region 5 - # of Judges

VII. "HOW TO RUN A JUDGE'S COURSE" This section on the USA Gymnastics website still needs to be updated .

Action: Tonya to send the material to Perryne & Ellen for revision.

VIII. INVITATIONAL MEETS • 3 judges courses were conducted - 2 NJ, I-MD Region 6 - # of Judges

It is recommended that Meet Directors contract enough judges for Invitational meets so that the scores on a single panel may be averaged.

It is the responsibility of the Meet Director to work with the Meet Referee regarding judging panels and assist in conducting judging practical exams. (onnnueon p. 44 >

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New CDmpetitiDn DVDs NOWAVAILABLE ! n2T 40 2005 Visa Championships Junior Women's Preliminary Competition DVD

video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educational purposes. It is not the television broadcast of the co mpetition. $25.00

This OVO contains the Jr. Women's Preliminary Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug. 11, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format. It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amate ur video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educational purposes.

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#2241 2005 Visa Championships Junior Men's Event & All-Around Finals Competition DVD This OVO contains the Jr. Men's Event and All-Around Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug. 10, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format. It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amateur video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educational purposes.

It is not the television broadcast of the competition. $40.00

#2141 2005 Visa Championships Senior Women's Preliminary Competition DVD This OVO contains the Sr. Women's Preliminary Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug . 11, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format. It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amateur video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educational purposes.

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#2242 2005 Visa Championships Senior Men's Event & All-Around Fina ls Competition DVD This OVO contains the Sr. Men's Event and All-Around Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug . 12, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format. It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amateur video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educational purposes.

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#2142 2005 Visa Championships Junior Women's Event & All-Around Finals Competition DVD This OVO contains the Jr. Women's Event and All-Around Finals Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug. 13, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format. It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amateur video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educational purposes. It is not the television broadcast of the competition. $40.00

#4005 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions DVD Indianapolis, IN Bold. Dynamic. Completely Unrestrained. The 2004 T.J. Maxx Tour of Gymnastics Champions features the stars of Athens in a creative and entertaining atmosphere with lights, music & drama! This OVO is from the Indianapolis, IN stop on Oct. 15, 2004.

It was filmed by video volunteers and is not the television broadcast. $30.00

#21432005 Visa Championships Senior Women's Event & All-Around Finals Competition DVD This OVO contains the Sr. Women's Event and All-Around Finals Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug. 13, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format. It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amateur video volunteers. It is a technical video to be used for educationa l $40.00 purposes. It is not the television broadcast of the competition .

#4 100 New USA Gymnastics OHicial's Patch Description: This embroidered patch was designed for all gymnastics officials to add a professional look to their official attire. The patch can be attached to any garment by two pins that are included. The size of the patch is 2 1/4' by 3 1/2'.

#2240 2005 Visa Championships Senior Men's Preliminary Competition DVD

$6.00 GYMNASTICS

This OVO contains the Sr. Men's Preliminary Competition from the 2005 Visa Championships held in Indianapolis, IN on Aug. 10, 2005. Please note that this disc is oVo-R format.

It can only be viewed on a oVo-R compatible player. The footage was shot by amateur

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USA GYMNASTICS discount on books & videos.

EDUCATIONAL/TECHNICAL MATERIALS PO BOX 361147, INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46236-5323, USA GYMNASTICS FAX TO (317) 899-7496 OR CALL

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' DOMESTIC SHIPPING & HANDLING 510 AND UNDER ADD S 5 SIO.01-S40 ADD S 6 S40.01-S60 ADD S 7 S60.01-SBO ADD S 8 S80.01-S100 ADD S 9 SI00.01-S150 ADD S14 OVER 5150.0/ ADD S20 - - INTERNATIONAL - PLEASE (ALl FOR EXAU SHIPPING RATE

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> Connnue from p. 42

IX. NEW BUSINESS

Gymnastics Executive Committee and the USOC for final approval.

Motion: Andrea Schmid Second: Vanessa Vanderpluym Passed

Level 3-8 Judge's Exam Revisions Perryne, Ellen & Pauline will review and revise the JO Program Judge's Exams for the upcoming judge's courses in Fall 2006.

Recommendations to the JOPC: 1. Awards for the Level 3-6 Junior Olympic Program be revised from

the achievement awards to Ranking in all events and All Around Competition. Awards should be given in all age categories up to 12 places in the Events and All Around . Additionally in the All Around, after 12th Place the gymnasts should be awarded a participation ribbon. Therefore all gymnasts will be awarded at the competition.

This is a recommendation to the JOPC for the 2007 Season 2. Compulsory Level 4 Routine: For the 2007 season, the aero (front walkover) be changed to allow the gymnast to perform a front walkover or cartwheel.

II. ATHLETE/COACH FUNDING Recommendation: To approve the national team athlete and coach funding for 2006. The athletes and coaches will be informed by the USA Gymnastics office of the decision.

Motion: Nadine Davies Second: Suzie DiTullio Passed

III. INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS National Team Athletes have been assigned to the following international competitions: Pacific Alliance Team - April 10-16th Olga Karmansky Rachel Marmer Julie Zetlin Marlee Shape Brenann Stacker Reba Daniels Aline Bakchajian Delaney Lonergan Senior Team Coach: Lucy Kerznerman Junior Team Coach: Yelena Chshukareva Judge: Nadine Davies, Brooke Toohey, Andrea Buzas

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RHYTHMIC PROGRAM COMMITTEE MEETING FEBRUARY 19, 2006 COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO ROLL CALL Lucy Kerznerman - Coach Representative Vanessa Vanderpluym- Athlete Representative Suzi DiTullio - JO Chair Nadine Davies-Judge Representative Andrea Schmid- Vice Chair Jan Exner - Program Director (non-voting) Michelle Larson -Membership Director (non-voting) Absent: Ivanka Kirov - Membership Director (non-voting)

I. PAN AM SELECTION PROCEDURES: Recommendation: To approve the 2007 Pan American Selection Procedures. These procedures will be sent to the USA

Bourgas Grand Prix - May 5-7 and Corbeil-Essones World Cup May 12-14 Olga Karmansky Julie Zetlin Brenann Stacker Coach: Lucy Kerznerman Judge: Nadine Davies - Corbeil Efrossina Anguelova - Bourgas

GET MORE STUDENTS - KEEP THEM LONGER! Fit Gymnastics Program Our New Licensees Include: Le Club Gymnastics - Sheila Lauchton Tumble Bus - Hazel Ferguson Zenith Gymnastics - Joel Rytzell

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44

TECHNIQUE· MAY 2006

August 16-19,2006

CLASSIFIEDS fo r sale ' po s i ti on av ail a b le' seeki ng e mplo yme nt 路 e d uca ti o n ' c on s ign me nt

POSITION AVAILABLE Well established GYMNASTICS SCHOOL SEEKS HIGHLY MOTIVATED "TEAM PlAYER" to cooch women's teams of various levek and teach classes. Walker's has become a tradition of quality and winning. If you have similar standards, you belong with us. Candidates must have current USAG Professional membership / Safety Certification. Previous coaching experience with Optional Levels desired. GREAT PAY/ BENEfiTS AVAILABLE! An excellent opportunity for a self-starter to continue the development of our young chompions! Mail, fax ar email Resume: Walker's Gymnastics, 312 Plain St. / Lowell, MA 01B52. fox: (978)970-1305 / email: walkersgymnostics @Verizon.netorcall: (97B)459-4954 PRE-SCHOOL DIRECTOR: "Why is it that parents spend all their time teaching us how to talk and walk and when we finally do, they spend the rest of their time telling us to be quiet and sit down?" Palaestra Gymnastics Academy, north of Boston, needs a Pre-School Director who can train, educate, and inspire our li"lest gymnasts (ages 2-6) in a safe, fun, learning environment. Excellent pay, great hours (9:00 - 2:30)_ Possibility of full time if you enjoy teaching older gymnasts too! Established Pre-School curriculum, will train. KAT/MELPD certification a plus. Send resume to Kathy Needhom, fax: 978-685-0958.

CAREER OPPORTUNITY FOR COACHES. Arena Gymnostics is hiring quality people with skills for gymnastics and children. Our stoff is knowledgeable and friendly, but not enough as our program cantinues to grow.

We are minutes from Princeton University and opprox. an hour from both New York and Philadelphia. full and parttime work available. Girls competitive caoch - pre-team through elite (Developmental and/or Beam specialization a plus). Recreational and preschool instructors. We offer top pay, benefits and a fun work environment with immense oppartunities for growth. Contact Valdi Kolasa: ph 609/ 9519868., fax 609/ 243-9417, e-mail: gymarena@aol.com, address: 745 Alexander Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540.

IMMEDIATE OPENING FOR TEAM & ClASS COACHES. Jonas Gymnastics is looking for experienced, motivated coaches for classes ond our GROWING USAG Girls programs. Ideal candidates are team ployers, mature, career-minded and energetic. Applicants should have USAG experience, knowledge of skill progressions and be willing to contribute to team and recreational programs. High level spa"ing (fulls, giants) is a major plus. full-time/ Porttime positions available. Paid Vocations, Sick/Personal TIme, Paid Certifications, Bonuses, Get-Away Trips and Medical Benefits available. Jonas Gym is in cenlral NJ, has 15,000 square feet and is fully air-conditioned. Interested applicants may app~ - email: Jenn@JonasGymnastics. com fax: 732-360-0911 or @732-536-0030x 201 ; for more information, visit WllWJonasGymnastics.cam LIVE IN HAWAII - Coach at Volley Isle Gymnastics.

Coaches for preschool and all levels of boys and girk needed. Our gym is a li"le different fram most gyms in that the value of competitiveness, although present, is no more important than any other value. Ahappy, healthy, service-bosed atmosphere in which young people can learn from responsible, drama-free adults is paramount. We seek on~ those individuals who understand that on inherent love for young people and a contagious, positive, high energy is essential. We seek on~ those individuak who recognize that strength of character and work ethic come above all else. We are definite~ not interested in the coach who stands there with arms crassed, barking orders. We are interested in the cooch with the type of personality that makes kids and families caunt down the minutes until the next gymnastics closs. Benefi~ include full health insurance, dental insurance, month~ massage, gasoline discounts, six weeks per year to elect to work or vocation. Our pay structure allows you to determine your own workload and

46

rECHNIQUE路 MAY 2006

salary, which can reach well above S50,000. Please check out our website for mare infarmation about the application proccss Volley Isle Gymnastics WIIW.volleyislegymnostics_ com Email: rusty@valleyislegymnostics.cam

resume and le"er of interest to Lesli@Bloomington United Gymnastics, 2111 5 Yost. Ave., Bloomington, IN 47403 and call 812.336.7469 to let UI know to expect your resume.

FULL TIME COACHING POSITION AVAIlABLE. We are seeking a pasitive, qualified, highly motivated individual to work with our Hanover YMCA gymnastics program. Applicant should be experienced working with multiple team levels 4-10, both boys and girls. Must be a USA Gymnastics member with current sofety certification.

Position also includes working with the instructional closs program. Salary based on years of experience.

Position includes health benefits and paid vacations_ Submit resume to: Hanover Area YMCA Gymnastics, c/o Gymnastics Director, 500 N. George St., Hanover, PA 17331. Can be faxed to: 717-632-3081 or emoiled to: Istorm@hanoverymca.org

TEAM COACHES/ClASS INSTRUCTORS NEEDED. Mandeville Sports Complex/MGA Gymnastics Academy located in Mandeville, Louisiana is looking for fIT-PIT Coaches. Positions available for pre-school and schoolage closs instruction through Level 10 (boys and girls)_ Requirements: Knowledgeoble, positive a"itude, reliable team player, responsible, and a love of children. Salary commensurote with experience. Benefits ore included. MSC has a "state of the art gymnastics facility: approx_ 40,000 sq/ft_, air-conditioned. family-centered community, excellent school system. fax resume to 985-727-7277 or send emaiitopom@mondeviliesports<omplex.com 23052 Hwy 108B, Mandeville, LA 70448_

JOIN THE FASTEST GROWING TEAM IN MASSACHUSmS. Massachuse"s Gymnastics Center has exciting career opportunities available. MGC operates five "state of the art" gymnastics facilities in the Greater Boston/ Metro West/ South Shore area with programs ranging from, Tumble-tot to National Level J.O_girls and boys teams. We are looking for "The Best" instructors and coaches in the industry. We offer a competitive compensation package and fantastic growth potential.

We have immediate full and port-time openings for the following positions: USAG Girls coach, USAG boys coach, Rec. Team Coaches, Cheerleading coaches, Recreational Progrom Director, Pre-school and Closs Instructors.

Interested candidates should forward their resumes to: Mike Colorossi, MGC, P.O. Box 856, Stow, MA 02043 WIIW. mikecolorolli@mollgymnostics.com

APEX GYMNASTICS, INC in Leesburg, Virginia is hiring both port time and full time staff to help with our growing program. We are in a great location 35 miles from Washington, DC and 1 hour from the Shenandoah Mountains. Positions avoilable for recreational instructors, rec team cooches, pre-school instructors and both girl'sand boy's team coaches. Speciol need for bors and vault coach for Levels 9 & 10_ Great opportunity to run a program without the hassle of ownership! We are located in fast growing Loudoun County and have proven to be one of the best competitive programs in Virginia with state, regional and national competitors. We have on enrollment of 1000 students and a 12,000 sq. foot air conditioned facility with multiple sets of competition equipment, trampolines and deep foam pit. Salary il very competitive and benefits include health inluronce, dental, paid sick days and 5 weeks of paid vocation. We are seeking highly motivated people who love to work with kids! Check out our web site at WIIW_apexgymn.cam_Email us at apexmelanie@aol. cam or contact Melanie at (703)777-5344_

THE GYMNASTICS TRAINING CENTER OF ROCHESTER il looking to fill a Head Team Coach pOlition with our rapid~ expanding team program, Levell 5-10.

The center il located in upstate New York and is a Itate-ofthe-art facility. We are looking for a long-term commi"ed coach who can work with children of all ages and hal a calm demeanor. Our Level 101 compete Yurchenko fulll, Double Bockl, Shoot to Handl, Blindl, Jaegerl, Gingers, and Tkatchevs; therefore, the applicant mUlt be familior and comfortable Ipo"ing these Ikill sets. Salary is commensurate with ability and will include relocation fees as well as health benefits and vocation pay for the right person. This is on immediate job opening. We are a great company to for with all your needs at your fingertips. We have a full secretarial stoff and professionally run gym with approximately 1800 students. The city of Rochester hos a papulation of approximately 1million with numerous surrounding suburbs with a variety of entertainment options from the theater district to sports arenas. Any questions, please contact Saroh Jane Clifford, President ot 5B5-38B-8686; e-mail: gtc@frontiernet.net; web site: WIIW.gtc-rochester.com.

CLASS/TEAM COACHES. All-Star Gymnastics is seeking experienced, motivated class and team coaches for PIT-fIT, weekdays/ weekends/ evenings. Positions are available for preschool through advanced girls' and boys' recreational classes and campetitive teams in a well established, state of the art training facility.

Salary cammensurate with experience. Call Tom at (978)256-7766, fax resume to (978)256-7779, email to starkids87@00l.com or mail to All-Star Gymnastics, 5 Kidder Rood, Chelmsford, MA 01B24_ FULL TIME GYMNASTICS COACHING POSITION available in Bloomington, IN_ Coaching women's competitive teams L4-6, some assisting L7-8, some office administration & pre-school or recreational coaching.

Salary dependent on experience. Great college town and positive work environment. Energy and enthusiasm are a must. Interested candidates should send a complete

FOR SALE BOYS GYMNASTICS VIDEOS & CD!! 2005-2008 Quadrennium!! Boys Recreational Oasses and Teams!

On the Videas_.. Watch, learn, and/ or review: skills, terms, drills, stations, progressions (on every boys eventl, equipment, ma"ing, safety, spa"ing, warm ups, transitions, closs management, gomes, strength conditioning, and cool down!! The CD contains: stoff checklist, rules, calendar, a"endance sheet, warm ups, rotations, lesson plans, developmental routines, dacumentational progressions, strength exercises, testing cards, move up standards, ribbons challenges, team porent pocket, canference/ gaak sheet, and a training schedule! Web - WIIW_schram. org/greg (more detailed info + secure online ordering).

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GYMNASTICS DRILLS AND CONDITIONING BOOKS. Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning for the Handstand-ISBN # 1-4116-5000-X \ Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning Exercises - ISBN # 1-4116-0579-9 \ Gymnastics Conditioning for the Legs and Ankles - ISBN # 1-4116-2033-X\ Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning for the Walkover, Umber, and Bock Handspring - ISBN # 14116-1160-8 \ Order 0114 drills books together - S66.96 + sill. Also available, Gymnastics Competition Journal: My 5cores, My Goals, My Dreams - ISBN # 1-4116-4145-0 \ Visit GymnasticsStuff.com today for these and other gymnastics products including Gymnastics Equipment, Apporel, Books, Supplies, and Gifts. WIIW.GymnasticsStuff. com \ 888-496-8749 SCORE MASTER - NO MORE Inpu"ing Gymnost Roster data!! Scare Moster, the most widely used sofiware, just got even be"er! Meet Directors can now download roster information fram the USAG website. features include:

create rotations, assign f s, the most camprehensive reporting and results can go directly to your website.

Supports: womens/mens, individual/team, artistic/ rhythmic/trampoline, campukory/ optional. WIIW.S<oreMoster_com - fREE demo & user listing. Contact: Mark Mahoney, POB 31421, Charlo"e, NC, 28231.

GK RISK FREE PROGRAM: Get with the progrom! It's be"er than ever, with a terrific assortment of NEW styles and fabrics and incomparable sales potential. Plus, it's easier than ever to order, sell and return your RISK fREE garments. We offer customized pockages for your pro shop, meets and summer camp. You only pay for what you've sold and may return the rest, there is absolute~ NO RISK! If you haven't tried us late~, it's time you started earning extra profits with our RISK FREE merchandise. Call 1-800345-4087 for more information on how you can get started today! Email: customerservice@gkelite.cam ClASS CONTROL for Windows. Serving Gymnastics since 1990 with doss Management and Accounts Receivable safiware, including free training and technical support.

Pocked with features, easy to use, and networkoble. Flexible setup, easy ossignments, rosters, o"endance, marketing analysis, automated tuition calculation, multiple discounts, addifianal/retail charges, inventory management, sales tax support, late charges, ear~ payment discounts, invoices/ statements, receivables reports, financial and enrollment summaries, instructor schedules, waiting and makeup lists, moiling labels, send messoges and invoices bye-moil, support for bonk draft and credit card payments, and much more. Only S600 (S300/additional workstation)_ Contact Vaughn Safiware Services at 800-821-8516, v_s_s@bellsouth.net, or WIIW.voughnsofiwore.cam MC/ VISA/AMEX/Discover.

CONSIGNMENT LEOTARDS ON CONSIGNMENT: Would you like to expond your leotard sales? This is a good Hme of the year to introduce a new assortment of leotards. Rebecca's Mom popular leotard cansignment program is the solution.

Our consignment selection features our newest styles and fabrics, including the Framed Halogrom style. Rebecca's Mom specializes in workout leotards and team worm-up leotards featuring Holograms, Foils, GliHer, Rhinestones and Nail Heads and our rainbow of soft Velvet fabrics. We also include a sensational selection of nylon ~cra designs featuring Hawaiian prints. Our leotards are designed with your Team Gymnosts in mind and are available in all lizes, 5/ 6 through adult lorge. We are currently accepting new applications from Club Pro Shops, Parent Booster Groups, Retail Stores and Summer Camps. Please call our toll free telephone number, 1-888-2B9-2536 or fox Rebecca's Mom at 1-818-980-0119 for credit application, terms, and prices.

We also supply State and Regional Meet Packages as well as leotords for speciol events, so please coli TODAY.

EDUCATION Available now! The NEW GYMCERT Gymnastics training manuak (Levels 1, 2, 3, & the NEW Skills & Drills for the Compulsory Coach Level's 4, 5 &6) 0 must for training your stoff; cut your lesson planning time significont~; use to coordinate closs progressions and skill training methods; and, best of all have a quick reference that is easy to use which includes Lesson Planning Forms and Class Evoluution Forllll by level. The GYMCERT monuals provide concise instruction, clear illustrations, and several coaching, spa"ing, and safety tips. Will your stoff be ready for your fall students? Order direct by colling toll free: 1866-591-8500 or online: WIIW.GYMCERT.com_

For iItIonmrtiH 011 bow to pMs' 0 classifltd l1li ill reclmlqlll, go to 1rttp://www.-gr-stla.org/pII6Iartioes/i Or coli 1I11III P,n'" fit 317-829-5646. .J

Who wants to see another first?

The people of Chevron know about being first. Chevron was the first to be designated TOP TIER gasoline by BMW, GM, Honda and Toyota. So it makes sense that Chevron has been, and will continue to be, a proud sponsor of U.s.A. Gymnastics, a team that tirelessly strives for top tier performance. Their success is inspirational and we wish them all the best.

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an ' San R(llllon CA. All ri hls reserved.

NON路 PROFIT ORGAN IZATION U.S. Postage

USA Gymnastics 201 S. Capitol Avenue, Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46225

PAID Indianapolis, IN Permit No. 7867

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

2006 SAFETY CERTIFICATION SCHEDULE I The

Safety SchecWe is updated weeldy on OW website www.usa-gymnastics.org. Please see the website for the most a.rent schedule. 'Tille rnI date sd!;ect to darge. See usa-gyrmasIia.< for cpiItes.

May

:

21 Bloomingdale, IL 60108; 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

172 South Circle Avenue Directions: Jo Witucki 630-529-3650 Course code: EP052120061L Instructor: Edgar Pulido 630-784-1460

: : : :

23 Winooski, VT 05404; 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Hruska's Gymnastics, 16 TIgan St. Directions: Erika Reeves 802-655-3300 Course code: GM05232006VT Instructor: Gail McGann 802-273-3627

June 3 8eoufort, SC 29906; 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sports Academy Beaufort, 20 Maxine Lane Directians: Dave Kirkwoad 843-846-1804 Course code: KB06032006SC Instructor: Kimberly Boyd 803-348-2693

July

: : :

2 Ft Lauderdale, FL; 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Hyatt Regency Pier 66, Region 8 Congress Directions: Marci Kaplan 954-922-6520 Course code: MK07022006FL Instructor: Marci Kaplan 954-922-6520

: : : : : : : : : :

22 Denver, CO; TIme: TBD Region 3 Congress, Sheraton Denver Tech Center, 7007 South Clinton St., Englewood, CO 80112

: : :

24 Woodward, PA 16882; 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Woodward Camp, 134 Sports Camp Dr Directions: Stephen Hass 814-880-3410 ' lunch available on site Course code: SH06242006PA Instructor: Stephen Hass 814-349-5633

:

: :

17 Stroudsburg, PA 18360; 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

International Gymnastics Camp, 9020 Bartonsville Woods Rd Directions: Bruno Klaus 507-628-0244 Course (ode: PF06172006PA Instructor: Phil Frank 856-786-3974

Directions: 303-799-6200 -local information only Course code: XX06222006CO Instructor: Jan Eyman 254-694-2065

15 Woodward, PA 16882; 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Woadward Camp, 134 Sports Camp Dr Directions: Stephen Hass 814-880-3410 ' lunch available on site Course code: SH07152006PA Instructor: Stephen Hass 81 4-349-5633

August 12 PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE! Woodward, PA 16882; 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Woodward Camp, 134 Sports Camp Dr Directions: Stephen Hass 81 4-880-3410 ' lunch available on site Course code: SH08052006PA Instructor: Stephen Hass 814-349-5633 16 St. Paul, MN; 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

National Congress, Crown Plaza St. Paul Riverfront Hotel Course code: XX08162006MN : :

: :

21 Howell, MI 48843; 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Hartland Education Service Center, 9525 Highland Rd Directions: Debbie Campbell 734-812-6967 ' On site registration-arrive 11 :30 a.m.

Course code: HF07212006MI Instructor: Helen Fry 989-754-7401

23 itasca, IL 60143; 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

350 EIrving Park RD, In Conjunction with Illinois State Congress Directions: Kris Eisenmann 630-773-2257 Course code: EP072320061L Instructor: Edgar Pulida 630-784-14601

24 Cincinnati, OH 45202; TIme TBD Region 5 Congress, Hotel Cincinnati Netherland Plozo, 35 W.5th St. Directians: 513-421 -4291 -local information only Course code: XX082420060H Instructor: Bobbi Montanari 61 4-777-9430

: : :

SAFETY CERTIFICATION IS REQUIRED FOR PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP*

{~J --r"--"

.

www.usa-gymnastlcs.org

PRE路REGISTRATION FORM (Minimum age for Safety Certification is Male or Female:

Nome: Professional or Instructor #:

Current Safety Exp. Dote:

Soc. Sec. #

Birth Dote:

Address: State:

City:

Zip: (WI

Telephone: (HI [-moil Address: Course Code:

Date:

Course City/ State: Form of Payment: Nome on Cord:

o Other

DVISA

Payment Amaunl:

J6 years)

COST: Pro-Member with Current Safety Certification wishin~ to r~certi~ at live course .............:.: ....:................ no charge Pro-Mem er With Expired or New Safety CertificatIOn ............ $ 65.00 Instructor Member ................................................................ $ 65.00 Non-Member or Associate Member ........................................ $ 115.00 * You must have your USA Gymnastics number or date applied for on the registration form in order to qualify for the discount.

All registrations must be received at USA Gymnastics two (2) weeks prior to the course date'. late registrations incomplete registrations, or registrations without proper ~ayment wi rI not lie processed. late registrations are not guaranteed a ook or admission to the course. On-site an~ late registrations will be charged a $25 on-site/late fee. All materials, includinfi the course book, are !'ovided at the course and are part of the course ee. Certification is vali for four (4) years. Safety Certification is non-refundable and cannot be transferred to another individual. Safety Certification registration, however, may be transferred to another course within six (6) months with prior written notification. late fee will apply if notification is received after course deadline. ' USA GymnastiCSreserves the right to alter course deadline

Mail registration form and payment to: VISA USA Gymnastics Member Services Pan American Plaza, Suite 300 201 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46225 or Fax to 317-692-5212

Proud Spo nsor

Number: Exp. Date: _ _ _

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L_

Signature:

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GVM~!~TlCS

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