My First Day
I often find it hard to recall moments from my childhood; the first time I rode a bike, the first time I went on holidays, but I can always remember my first day at gymnastics. I had spent the summer […]
British Gymnast age 8
Thanks to Rick at GymnasticsCoaching.com for posting this youtube video of a fantastic little gymnast Catherine Lyons from the UK. Catherine was competing at Level 4 and shows some amazing strength, power and flexibility and only at aged eight! I’d imagine […]
Favourite Routines
Everybody involved with gymnastics has their favourite routines from the competitions and events over the years. Below are some of mine. I have chosen some performances from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Every so often, I hope to show you […]
Injuries
Part 2 The End Performing a simple handspring vault, I landed incorrectly, meaning one foot took a disproportionate amount of the impact, mainly on the big toe joint from pointing my toes so much during the move. I was competing […]
Injuries
Part 1 Being injured is a terrible event in any athlete’s career. One injury can jeopardise some-one’s progression in the sport or even mark the end of their career. In gymnastics, it is so easy to get hurt. The […]
5 facts about gymnastics in Ireland
1. There are 9 different disciplines in Irish Gymnastics (IG) Womens Artistic (WAG) Mens Artistic (MAG) Tumbling Acrobatics Special Needs All Disciplines Aerobics Trampolining Rhythmic 2. There are eight different regions throughout the country in IG. In these eight regions, […]
Spotting Talent
Part 2 Flexibility Flexibility works hand-in-hand with strength. A combination of the two in a gymnast is a step towards perfection, as long as they know how to control their body (i.e. using their strength to not allow themselves be too […]
Spotting Talent
Part One Part of being a gymnastics coach is that I must constantly be on the look-out for new talent. Every September when the new term begins, streams of new kids come through the doors. Kids of all different […]
The Recession & Gymnastics
We are all aware of the Global Recession. How is it affecting your club? Surprisingly, we have not noticed a drop in numbers nor a lack of interest for gymnastics since the global recession came to light. However, we have […]
What are you passionate about?
For sixteen years, I’ve taken part in the great sport of gymnastics. I trained as a gymnast for eleven years and I am now in my fifth year of coaching professionally. Everyone has their reasons for feeling passionate about something […]