WOGA VS Any Other Gym?!

[iJaide!!]

Sorry, I am not sure what thread to post this under. If you need to move it, go ahead.

I just always wonder... What makes WOGA so much better than the other gyms? As far as elite goes, I guess....Has there ever been another gym (not just country, but gym) that has coached 2 AA Olympic gold medalist, in a row? Possibly, even 4 in a row- 2012 (Rebecca Bross: Ik, not so sure about that), and 2016 (Katelyn Ohashi).

Is it the conditioning program that makes the difference? Someone, tell me please! I am dieing to figure this out!

[dunno]

stay away from that koolaid that you be drinking...

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I am curious to see what people have to say about this. Of course, let's not count all our chickens before they're hatched (Bross and Ohashi) but of course there ARE other gyms that have or have had in the past a lot of national team members. It's also possible there's a bandwagon effect - WOGA has a lot of successful athletes so upcoming successful athletes go there - though that doesn't explain it all!

[Aussie_coach]

I'm in Australia so I have no idea if they really are better than other gyms. But it sounds like they have a fairly large team of elites. While many other gyms have 1 or 2. It is greatly beneficial for elites to train together, they motivate and push each other and compete against each other on a daily basis.

[Wheresmygripsdad]

First I wouldn't give this too much thought. At the elite level a think they attract more elites. So it is a Harvard effect good students tend to go to Harvard even if the actual education isn't that much better than any other college. Secondly I speculate that the coaching is pretty solid at the elite levels.

[thefellowsmom]

So, I am reading this very cool book called "The Talent Code" and it details out the psychological, neuroscience and sociological reason behinds these "hot beds" of talent. Much like WOGA, I would say. Last night I was reading a passage that reminded me of this conversation, which up until that point I hadn't given much thought. It talks about a trigger moment and how it can spark internal motivation and increase skill improvement dramatically.

Most kids see the Olympic dream as just that, a dream. It is something so intangible and out of reach that they don't know how to relate to it internally for themselves. When Carly Patterson won that gold medal, that changed for every little girl in the WOGA gym. They realized that it was achievable and that someone they knew and worked out next to had done it. So those girls in that gym, believe they can do it too and this is great motivation to work harder and more deeply. It subconsciously turns them into little steam engines or shooting rockets, choose your analogy.

Now, those girls have or are moving up through a great program and they are attracting girls from all over the country to want to be a part of what they have going there. Katelyn grew up in a gym (well one, with a short stint in another) in Seattle, just recently moving to WOGA (I believe there was a stop in between as well). They have created a talent hot bed.

I have really been enjoying this book. I originally bought it as part of a concerted educational effort to take my writing to a more professional level and it has been applying equally to gymnastics. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this type of thing and think it would be an excellent read for coaches.

[shelovestoflip]

So, I am reading this very cool book called "The Talent Code" and it details out the psychological, neuroscience and sociological reason behinds these "hot beds" of talent. Much like WOGA, I would say. Last night I was reading a passage that reminded me of this conversation, which up until that point I hadn't given much thought. It talks about a trigger moment and how it can spark internal motivation and increase skill improvement dramatically.

Most kids see the Olympic dream as just that, a dream. It is something so intangible and out of reach that they don't know how to relate to it internally for themselves. When Carly Patterson won that gold medal, that changed for every little girl in the WOGA gym. They realized that it was achievable and that someone they knew and worked out next to had done it. So those girls in that gym, believe they can do it too and this is great motivation to work harder and more deeply. It subconsciously turns them into little steam engines or shooting rockets, choose your analogy.

Now, those girls have or are moving up through a great program and they are attracting girls from all over the country to want to be a part of what they have going there. Katelyn grew up in a gym (well one, with a short stint in another) in Seattle, just recently moving to WOGA (I believe there was a stop in between as well). They have created a talent hot bed.

I have really been enjoying this book. I originally bought it as part of a concerted educational effort to take my writing to a more professional level and it has been applying equally to gymnastics. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this type of thing and think it would be an excellent read for coaches.

Just ordered this...thanks for the recommendation! I'm a teacher and have had many conversations with many parents who are concerned about whether their child is 'gifted'...whether I (or the school) am providing just the perfect balance of 'stuff' to help their child get ahead....and the flip side....why a child doesn't 'get it' and 'maybe they just weren't born to understand 'x'"

I think all sides are valid (I also hate arguing with a parent...so of course they're all right :-)

But I do have some personal experience with the nature/nurture thing....and I think that the talent, on some level, is a 'raw' one that a child is born with ....part of their 'genetic code' so to speak....

But then it is indeed up to us...parents, teachers, coaches....to identify that talent and then nurture it!

Because I do believe that there will be children who have the raw talent for 'x' but it will never be nurtured due to environmental or emotional circumstances...

My guess is the majority of us on this board are lucky enough as parents to have the wear with all (time/money/psychic energy) to provide our children with access to coaches we love so their talent will be developed.

My philosophical 2 cents for the day :-)

Looking forward to reading the book!

[Wheresmygripsdad]

I have read the talent code and I agree that woga is a good example of a hot bed now and will likely increase once Marta retires and luiken co owner of woga,becomes team coordinator for the usa.

[gymluvr33]

I have read the talent code and I agree that woga is a good example of a hot bed now and will likely increase once Marta retires and luiken co owner of woga,becomes team coordinator for the usa.

Is that official? I had heard that he was not going to take the job, but I am by no means "in the know"...

[dunno]

absolutely not!