Recent content by Flippin'A

This exactly. Kids are built to play because that's how they learn. It's vitally important. 12 hours a week of structured exercise can be draining, both mentally and physically if she isn't excited about it, and that kind of structure isn't what every kid wants or needs. I say let her quit and...

Congratulations to your DD! That's a huge accomplishment.

At least two gymmies on my DD's team got their long hang kips on a pit bar before their low bar kips. I personally found them easier as a gymnast. Unless there's a form/bad habit reason I'm missing I don't know why it would be important to solidify low bar kip before doing long hang kips.

I think it goes both ways. The public is going to have to adjust their expectations a bit to account for not having Simone. But more than that, the national staff also has to adjust for not having Simone. Tom felt comfortable leaving tenths on the table because he didn't think Olympic gold would...

I just want to see more strategy employed by Tom (and USAG as a whole.) I don't think "athlete centered" has to translate to a lack of strategy when it comes to team selection as long as you outline to everyone ahead of time how you're going to be picking the team. I'd especially like to see...

Also keep in mind that the ones who will actually be the young ones come 2024 haven't even turned senior yet and aren't eligible to compete in worlds this year. Anyone who's already a senior will be a veteran by 2024 and typically there's a lot of burnout, injuries, and retirements that happen...

Wow-- fascinating to see the differences between states. When I did high school gym growing up you were required to attend a certain number of high school practices before you were allowed to compete for the school and I seem to recall that number was pretty high. That stopped people from just...

In the past if there was a gymnast they wanted to bring on an international assignment but who wasn't part of the national team they'd just add her when they gave out the assignment or at a camp beforehand. It's never ruled someone out for the whole year. Otherwise an injury right before...

"Mental health issue" isn't a technical term for diagnosable disorders, it's just a descriptive phrase which means an issue related to mental health. There's no reason to put such strong limits on what can or can't be described as a mental health issue. I agree that the media largely ignored the...

During the beam final I saw a fantastic display of sportsmanship from both Simone and Suni as they cheered for each other as well as the Chinese gymnasts who took home medals. We could literally hear Simone screaming for Melnikova during the AA broadcast. They offered high fives and hugs to...

Not a coach, just an ex-gymnast/gym mom, but for me it looks like you're undercutting a lot in the last video. You're going up and down, instead of sitting and pushing back when you take off. Definitely limit the number you're doing without a spot like that because it looks really hard on your...

All excellent points. Beam's also last which meant she had the most time to adjust and gauge exactly what she can do. I do think that missing the gold from Rio likely played into the choice, but if this week taught me anything it's to trust Simone to make decisions for her own health and safety.

These poor young women can't live their lives without people tearing them apart. I teach undergrads. This is the exact same behavior as a huge number of young adults in the US, it's just that you're seeing it displayed more publicly for them because they happen to be extraordinary at a sport you...

Exactly. Knowing NBC they'd spend an equal amount of time panning to an empty chair and speculating about where Simone is and why she isn't supporting her team. There's no winning for her in any of this. Mental blocks suck when it's your back walkover on high beam and they suck when it's the...

I remember being a gymnast in the late 90s/early 2000s and Kerri Strug was constantly brought up if we complained about an injury. She was the gold standard for what a good gymnast was, and since we all looked up to her we didn't even question it. It's important to note that Moceanu, had a...