50 Stocking Stuffers from Gym Gab

HO, HO, HO!

Are you ready for Christmas? Makenna over at Gym Gab (my new favorite Gymnastics Blog!) has taken some time to put together a great list of goodies for your gymnasts! Check them out here.

Image credit: Gym Gab Blog

Happy Shopping!

Flips 4 Flops Giveaway

'Tis the season for giving and my friend Sandra, creator of Flips 4 Flops, and I are embracing the holiday spirit with this flippin' awesome giveaway!

Name this Flips4Flop and you could win 5 custom made pairs for your team!

To Enter:

Leave in the comments what you would name the Flips4Flop in the picture.

For additional entries 

You can Pin This! on Pinterest,

Like Coach Casie on Facebook

OR

Share this giveaway on Facebook!

One lucky winner will be chosen on Saturday, December 7th.

Friday Freebie: Gymnastics Gift Tags

Happy Friday everyone! It's that time of year again, when we are scrambling around to find the perfect gift and the perfect way for presentation of the gift. When you've got a team of gymnasts, some coaches' gifts and other gymnastics fans to provide for it can be quite disheartening to find there are little options to choose from.

Don't worry, I've got your back!

How to Make the Most of Your Craft Foam with DIY Gymnastics Stamps

This weekend is going to be fun! Funky and I are headed to one huge pool party for two sisters (one happens to be my level 4 gymnast who has one of the most delightful floor routines that you just can't help but smile from first beat to final pose!) Presents, favors & swimming suits ready to go. But there's a thing about the gift wrapping paper.

You see, I am super cheap thrifty. In Singapore, they don't sell wrapping paper by the roll. It is sold in 1 meter squares, boring or overly girly with pink lace or some other gaudiness that makes chics like me puke AND almost $3 a pop in some stores.

Third world problems...I know.

So, how do you avoid this wrapping paper inflation of Singapore?

PRINTABLE: Boys Superhero Gymnastics Birthday Banner

Super awesome, superhero gymnastics?!

YES!

It's here for you and I'm just dying to see someone print this out and make a banner for their little dude. So if you do follow these super simple steps to create a little bit of awesomeness I would love to see it.

Healthy & Easy Snacking for Gymnasts: Pre, During & Post Workout Printable

So, I've got to confess, I fell off this amazing clean eating that gave me this powerful energy in and out of the gym. I blame the pregnancy for my indulging in ridiculous amounts of dairy, donuts and chocolate for my meals snackin'. With 10 more weeks to go until we get to meet this little gymmy doing flips in my tummy, I'm getting the household back on track with healthy, clean eating.

Foot down, are you ready to do the same?

For you all out there scrambling to find EASY snacks for your amazing gymnast. Here is a list I made. I now keep it on my fridge and use it as a reference to keep us in full swing.

Pre-Workout Snacks 

•Apple & nut butter
•Bananas & peanut butter
•Cottage cheese & fruit
•Avocado
•Small bowl of cereal
•Whole grain english muffin
•Pita bread with hummus
•Fig newtons
•Trail mix
•Veggie strips
•Energy bar

Mid Workout Snacks 

•Grapes
•Kiwi slices
•Cut Papaya cubes
•Sunflower seeds

Post Workout Snacks 

•Banana
•Coconut Water
•Fresh fruit juice
•Pineapple
•Veggie Juice
•Dates & Nuts
•Cherries
•Natural Peanut butter & apple wrap
•Sweet potato
•Frozen grapes
•edamame

I'm hoping this list will help you out when you are trying to pick snacks out for your gymnast. It doesn’t always have to be an Iced Milo and a bag of chips. Mix it up!

Since you read through the whole thing I will reward you with a freebie.

Now all I need you to print this out, post it on your fridge & fuel those bodies! 

Download the Pre, During & Post Workout Printable by clicking here & saving from Slideshare!

What Kind of Gymnastics Levels are there in Singapore?

I've gotten asked this question a few times from readers and friends back home. If you are familiar to the USAG Junior Olympic program, what I like to think is a pretty darn good comprehensive program for the development of top gymnasts, diggin' deep into the Singaporean levels systems can leave some of us to raise an eyebrow.  Yes, and I plan to do just that...dig a little deeper. But for now, here's a little overview. 

In Singapore, Singapore Gymnastics (SG) is the national governing body that runs the competitive system. This "10-year Long Term Plan for Gymnastics in Singapore to enter Top 12 in the World and Compete at the Olympics" system is broken up into two streams before the gymnast would compete F.I.G.:

Stuff Gymnastics Coaches Say

Who doesn't love a fun infograph?

Signs of a burnout gymnast

For a proud parent of an aspiring gymnast, the last thing you want is your daughter/son to feel any sort of pain. Be it physical or emotional stress, our lives are dedicated to protecting the most important people in our lives.

WARNING SIGNS

• Not enough sleep/sleeping every chance she can.
• Irritable. (watch out!)
• Not wanting to go to practice. Making excuses. 
• Talking about quitting. 
• Saying the coaches don't encourage her like they do the other kids
• Complaining about not having free time
• Increase of injuries
• Decreased appetite
• Lack of enthusiasm

But what happens next?

Not all cases are the same but here are some tips to help cope with whatever might be going on, gymnastics related or not. 

• Talk to them about rescheduling activities. Lower training hours, switching to a recreational program, etc. 
• Try to find out which activities they put in high priority. 
• Talk to their coach. Perhaps, he or she notices too and chances are they have dealt with this situation more than once before. 
• Come up with a game plan. GOALS to get out of this rut no matter what! What needs to happen, when, why and how?

Being forced to do a sport they just aren't into is much more damaging to a gymnast than retirement. Some say finishing what you started is something we need to instill in our children, I'm interested to hear your thoughts.

Would you make him/her finish the season if he or she decided its time to hang up the grips?

Traits of High Achieving Athletes

Summer time is here and its time for another round of goal setting for the upcoming year. Not only will the gymnasts be working on physical goals but also emotional and mental goals. I've been pleasantly surprised by the large amounts of information for mental training and sports performance provided by the USA Gymnastics mental toughness trainer Dr. Ali. She has a great website, Head Games that offers many web camp sessions to help any athlete get over fears or to up their game.

Many of the tools used for mental toughness training I find very helpful in my daily matters. Especially, the deep breathing when I'm late for anything and it's out of my control! I'm hoping by teaching some of the techniques to my gymnasts they can use these tools not only in their gymnastics but also when stress gets high outside of the gym. Hoping they will know what to do to keep a cool head and push through tough times. 

I've found that many traits of highly achieving athletes have the same emotional competencies of successful business women, lawyers, doctors, artists, musicians and mothers. Let's take a look at some of the traits of highly achieving athletes:

• Self Awareness - These women know their strengths & limitations, they have a great perspective between their ideal & actual performance.

• Emotional Control - These women manage feelings & impulses to act, they can stay focused on the coal in the face of competing emotions. 
• Internal Motivation - These women love what they do (like gymnasts love the sport) versus fame, money and dreams of others. 
• Empathy - While being sensitive to others they are supportive of teammates, co-workers and colleagues. 
• Social Skills - These women are effective communicators that create bonds with others and share great value. 

I use the term women, because I feel that my girls are essentially that....little women who need the nurturing care through their gymnastics career and beyond.  

Birthday's & a HUGE announce ment!

My new obsession is designing gymnastics themed birthday parties. Ever since my friend had me do a few goodies for her daughter's 7th birthday, I've caught this bug that gives me something to do when I wake up every night at 3:00 am.

This is one of my latest designs that is available for customization via my etsy shop.

There are also plenty of other designs from other shops that are just as awesome. Check out some of these great ones too. 

Cool Zebra Theme 

Retro Boys Theme

Now on to the HUGE announcement:

My little Funky girl is getting ready to be a big sister! That's right, Coach Casie is expecting her 2nd baby. Perhaps this has something to do with my obsession with birthdays. I'm interested to hear any stories on how you've coached pregnant, especially spotting. I've made it through my first pregnancy coaching up to age 10 only, tweens and teenagers that are bigger than me post a challenge this time.

First Day Front Handsprings over Vault

I've been quite busy lately in the gym preparing a couple teams for the Singapore Open Championships in a couple of weeks. A few upgrades from Singapore Nationals in March and an in-house this past weekend, I'm excited to see my girls making great improvements.

One of my teams will not be competing and the girls have had quite a bit of fun working on new skills for the next season. Layout flyaways and giants on bars and front handsprings on my new found favorite event to coach, vault!

For the past month or so I've been practicing shaping from a Sweet Spot on floor and going over blocks. They love it and I like that they will do about 20 reps each in 15 mins. They tend to fix their shapes almost immediately after correction and they find the confidence to go over obstacles at a really high speed. I do some return station drills including; hollowed heel lifts, handstand shoulder shrugs & front support shoulder shrugs with some pre


I took them to vault over the table for the first time last week. Here's what came of it:


Less than 6 months for the next competition. Hopefully I can get these girls to soar!

What are your favorite drills for a front handspring vault?

Nadia in an Adidas?

Nadia in a red leotard, believed to be Podium training. It's strikingly similar to the Adidas Gymnastics Leotards of today. A true testament that a classic look never goes out of style.

Ice Baths: Why does my daughter want to do them?

It’s a known fact that immediately after an injury that ice is the answer. An Ice Pack applied to the area helps reduce pain and swelling, but have you ever tried an ice bath? Sounds chillingly unbearable if you ask me.

I once did a polar bear jump into freezing lake Minocqua back home in Wisconsin before I moved out to Asia. It is definitely something to try once....only once.

But if you’re a gym mom or dad, you might be wondering why the heck your son or daughter wants to fill a tub with ice and more important is it safe? According to Runner’s World, ice baths are a method of cryotherapy or “cold therapy.” Immersing your body in ice water constricts blood cells and creates a reduction in metabolic activity, which reduces inflammation and prevents the breakdown of tissues.

When you get out of chilly water, the tissues begin to warm up and your blood flows faster. This helps return the by products of cellular breakdown to the lymph system for efficient recycling by the body. So not only does a soak in an ice bath help prevent inflammation, but it also flushes harmful metabolic debris out of the muscles. Many athletes, especially gymnasts swear by these post-workout ice baths. Dotting their bodies with ice packs is an option, but full-on immersion in ice water is much more effective. They only need to be in the chilliness for 10 to 20 minutes.

Here’s a clip from one Stick It, one of the most popular gymnastics themed movies of my gymnasts. I think they get the idea here, really not thinking about the benefits.

I would love to hear it, have you ever done an ice-bath or would you ever do one?

Does heat make muscles worse?

Q: When I have a tough workout at the gym and conditioning is just crazy, my muscles are so tight and sore. I love to get into a hot shower to relieve my pain, but I read somewhere that heat can make the pain worse. Is this true? Should I take a cool shower instead?

A: Heat or Ice? hmmm, let me try to put that question to rest.

If you have an injury, like a pulled muscle or a sprained ankle, ice is needed to reduce swelling.

However, sore muscles indicate that you have microscopic tears in the fibers. This is normal and means you challenged your muscles. As the fibers heal they become stronger, making you stronger. When you heat your muscles either with a hot bath, heating pad, or warm compress, it helps to bring blood to the area, which aids in healing.

So go ahead and step into your steamy shower or jump in a hot bath after a grueling practice. Massage will also soothe your tight muscles, so it's a great excuse to make an appointment for a little pampering.

The next day (hopefully you do not have gymnastics practice) if you're still sore, do some low-impact exercise, or work other muscle groups — the circulation of blood will ease your discomfort.

Inspiration from the Flipside

You know, instead of the job I’ve been doing on and off since high school and solidified during graduate school. The one that doesn’t require a diploma but does demand patience (lots), the ability to lift squirmy humans, and a working knowledge of how to spell and pronounce “Tsukahara.” I wonder if coaching is something that I am supposed to outgrow.

 Taken from the Flipside column Diana Gallagher wrote on the Couch Gymnast. The most inspiring thing I've read all week!

Can Chocolate Improve our Customer Service?

I started making custom designs for gymnastics themed birthday parties over at The HandXStand. My recent addition in services includes making Hershey Kiss Labels. 

I know for many it seems a little bit odd being chocolate and all, but think of the possibilities it could provide to improve service in Gymnastics Centers.

I Support Equal Marriage Laws

I normally don't blog about political matters, however when I feel so closely tied to a cause it's hard not to share the passion I have for equality for ALL individuals. A while back Brigid, The Couch Gymnast posted an awesome gymnastics version of the Marriage Equality logo. It inspired me to make a handful of versions myself in support for my friends and family members, I'm behind you 100%.

The Freedom of Movement is Within Us

My husband and I always talk about movement and usually end up in a discussion on what came first, yoga or gymnastics. We both agree that movement gives us freedom, releases fears and emotions that can not be explained in words. The experience of movement gives us so much that we tend to forget.

Ido Portal gives such an inspiring interview in this video. Not only is he super reflective of his own experiences but also gives gymnasts around the world the biggest compliments.

Very cool!

Q & A: Are Carbohydrates bad for Gymnasts?

Q: Coach Casie, someone told me carbohydrates are bad for gymnastics. Is this true?

A: We hear a lot about carbohydrates today. Often, they are called bad and unhealthy. Yet, this is not true.

You need to realize that it is necessary for your body to have the carbohydrates that it needs to power through your body’s demands. Carbohydrates are an important player in your bodies' nutritional needs, especially for a gymnast who needs to be BETTER, FASTER and STRONGER than their competition.

You should always look for whole grains when it comes to carbohydrates. Also check the labels on the food to make sure they are not full of sugars, bad fats and processed foods. (I hope that didn't just ruin your dinner meal plan.)