Former Gymnast turns Ironwoman!

Some of the most amazing people have this great sport of gymnastics to thank. Recently, former Olympic gold medal gymnast Amy Chow was in the news showcasing her likely run for a return to the Olympics this time in the sport of diving. Not only was she an awesome pole vaulter in college but she is also a doctor of pediatrics and a licensed surgeon!

Yesterday, Sept. 11, 2011 one of my dearest and oldest friends Tracey finished her first Ironman Race in Madison, WI in 13 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds! 


Tracey and I met in, yep, you guessed it, pre-school 
gymnastics. Her love and dedication to the sport 
stayed with her all the way to her Sr. year in high school. Tracey then went on to study at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and is now an Air Traffic Controller. She is one superwoman, in her blog she documents balancing long hours of work and even longer training hours for such an event. I believe her involvement in gymnastics plays a major role in the successes of my dear friend and I know there is many more successes to be achieved. For a gymnast, there's always more to learn, more to conquer and more to do!


For parents with kids involved in gymnastics or thinking about what sport to enroll them in, consider this story. Even if they don't stay with this sport all the way to the Olympics as Amy Chow did, this sport is a great foundation for anything in life they want to do. Whether it be swimming, biking, running or all three like Tracey!

I LOL'ed

Summer is here!

Congratulations to our First Place Level 4 Team at the GIM Sports Friendship Meet!

Renee, Milanna, Emily, Tiffany & Hannah 

I'm very proud of each and every one of you. You showed much confidence and ended the year beautifully. 

As most of the team is out of the country for the summer visiting family & friends back home in the states. The SACAC Gym is closed but I've still got gymnastics on my mind volunteering time with the Singapore Gymnastics Open which was held last weekend at Bishan Sports Hall. Myself, as well as, Coach Alexsis judged for the WAG Singapore levels and Stages Competitions while Coach Alex judged for the MAG International Competition. While some of the competitors were participating for only for passing grades the others were putting their best routines for show in the small yet tough competition. For those of you who didn't know SACAC did have one competitor in the competition, Daniel Moritz competing in MAG Level 2. I feel this competition was a stepping stone for us as an organization to be involved with more Singapore Gymnastics events and the gymnastics community in Singapore. I encourage all of you to head over to the Singapore Gymnastics Website and take a look at what they've got going on! 

Looking forward to next year, I'm very optimistic with our new Head Coach's ideas and experience to lead us in the right direction. We also added the extension of the spring floor and some excited Junior Coaches will be helping with the recreational programs. We will also be offering Open Gym on Friday evenings from 5:15-8:15 which is a great time to work on a skill that you really want to get or to just hang out with friends and show off what you can do!

I wish everyone a great summer and hope we stay moving whether it be by attending a gymnastics camp, taking dance or like me, doing some yoga! The baby will be here in 6 weeks andafter watching the Rhythmic Gymnastics competition and feeling her now, I have a strong inclination she'll be great at doing those awesome 185 degree kicks.

Trophies for all; What are we rewarding?

As a former gymnast and now a coach, I find myself reflecting back to many of my days of hard work in the gym to empathize with my gymnasts. Yes, I do know the pain of the rip. I know that fear in the back of your head every time you mount the balance beam and I do know that disappointment when things just don’t go your way in that big competition. I’m always evaluating my actions as a coach and trying to better myself as a role model. Recently, I’ve taken into consideration an ethical question brought on by competition awards.  

In completion of our first competition all of our gymnasts were given medals regardless of their place. Of course, it was fun for each child to stand up and get recognition for their routines but I feel these rewards came at a high price. Not only was this very costly for our organization but also a step back in the mental development of a competitive gymnast as well as misguiding young impressionable minds. Here’s why.

1.       Diminishing achievement value. In the reward of each child for each routine, we are simply dampening the child’s interest, their pleasure and also interfering with how good they actually do. In this instance, X received 3^rd place for a performance with 2 falls. In the following competition, X has no falls but does not place.  Reassuring X had a great routine and improved greatly in the 2^nd competition is a harder job and brings up skepticism for X and quite possibly X’s parents.

2.       Manipulating children. Children are always looking for approval whether it comes from their teachers, parents or their peers. But we as adults have the responsibility to not exploit this dependence for our own convenience. I feel that maybe medals for all was an evasion for the adults involved. Are we only going to avoid disappointment? In that case, why should we expect anything from anyone? As the adults we have to give our children the skills to develop great character, not avoid life lessons that grow from such disappointments in fear of a teary face.

3.       Tumbling interest.  For many of the young minds getting a 1^st place means they do not need to work on that particular event, skill or level. Most coaches will agree that gold doesn’t mean they were the best they are capable of doing or the best they will ever do. The gold medal proves they were the best in that event, age group, level and at that competition. Training after a gold medal performance is very often very lazy and the gymnast losses interest in training those routines and or skills with their false sense. In addition, any encouragement that is sent their way is disregarded. Is this what we want to do, stop encouragement and only give praise?

4.       Looking for approval. Yes as a coach, we give corrections always looking for perfection but I do not wish to push children to do something they do not want to do for themselves. I was fortunate enough to have a family and coach that supported my gymnastics and growth rather than pushing me to win as a requisite for approval. I’m always excited when I hear “I did it!” over “How did I do?” when a gymnast finishes performing. It shows great confidence and it’s a sign that she is genuinely involved in this sport for herself, not looking for approval.

When we come to award planning, we need to consider the emotional consequences and not cop-out where we need to step up showing unconditional love and support. We need to keep in mind our long-term goals for our children and watch the effects of what we say and do.

I really like to have our “fu n awards” after the competition where our girls pick the recipients. They are playful yet give recognition to those who demonstrate their merit. I.e. Best Hair Award, Awesome Attitude, Most Improved, Best Save on Balance Beam Award, Best Fall Award, etc. An outside motivator helps them become more excited about what they are doing in their own right, not to get approval or a pat on the back by me.

One week!

Our trip to Manila is one week away and we only have 1 or 2 practices left to perfect our routines and get a game plan for our competition. There is much happening this week without Thursday or Friday practice...our Senior Girls Team will be performing during the County Fair on Saturday afternoon at 2:45, finishing touches on our Manila packets are to be done and I've been thinking of ways to help keep us entertained during our travels.


I realize while I'll most likely be sleeping (fingers crossed) during my midnight flight, the rest of the team and parents will be full of excitement and anticipation. I encourage all students to get their homework done during the 3 and a half hour flight so we can enjoy this trip to the fullest! I've made some fun puzzles for team members and parents to do to pass those down times waiting for flights or competition. Let's do some gymnastics with our minds too! 


SACAC Gymstars Parents' Crossword
Beam Maze
Trophy Maze
Quote Search
Gymnastics Crossword
Goodwill Word Search
(links are to Scribd website and safe to download)

Competition Hair

How did she get through the metal detector with all those clips?! 

With less than a month until we land in Manila, lets take this time to check out some hair styles that would reflect our routines....AWESOME!


Some things to remember when picking the right hairstyle:
1. Many of us have a backward roll or extension roll in our routines. A centered ponytail might hit at the very same spot and be rather annoying. Opt for a low-laying ponytail, side or two sides. Is your hairstyle going to distract you from performance?
2. Is it going to stay put? We have enough to worry about during the competition!
3. How long is it going to take? Some of the hairstyles I've used take a couple hours to do. Make sure you have enough time to have your hair done BEFORE you leave the hotel for the competition.


I encourage you to pick one that suits you! Ideas are everywhere, here are some http://gymnasticshair.blogspot.com/
http://sportsgirlsplay.com/hairstyles-for-gymnastics-and-cheerleading/

SACAC Gymnastics Video

The Winter Fest video is ready for your viewing!

We had a blast editing this. Check out Daniel's dance moves at 2:30...I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! ENJOY!