Monday, August 31, 2009

Uniform Check Out Today

1. Today we started checking out uniforms. If we are short anything, I will order what is needed.
Gymnasts are responsible for what is checked out to them, if anything is lost, there will be a fine so the program can replace the item. Please see the parent meeting agenda for the costs of various items.
2. If gymnasts want to have their own warm ups (those are the black ones, jacket and / or pants) I can order them. Jackets are $30, pants are $30. The deadline to order will be Thursday, September 3. The jackets can have names embroidered on them. Checks should be made payable to Ponderosa High School.
3. Warm up leotards should be in tomorrow. The girls will only receive their leotard if they have paid for it. Leotards are $40, make checks out to Ponderosa. The girls can wear these leotards to practice, we will also compete in them often.
4. I still need 5 volunteers for stadium concessions Friday. If you are available and can help out I would greatly appreciate it. Please let me know, either by e-mail or cell phone.
5. Friday practice will be canceled.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

No Gym Friday, August 28

No gym Friday. The girls have had a big week and deserve a three day weekend.

Tryouts went smoothly. I am impressed with how far our beginners have come along in two short weeks. The competitive girls look great as well, they are showing polish and confidence. Now we need to focus on event requirements and bonus skills.

I still need parent volunteers to work concessions at the football game on Friday, September 4 at 6:00. Please send me an e-mail or call my cell phone and let me know if you are available.

On Monday, Greg from Local Value will be dropping off Local Value cards for the girls to sell as a fund raiser.

Warm up leotards should be here by Tuesday at the latest. Leotards are $40.

Wednesday will be team pictures, I would like to start the picture taking at 4:00, so come ready. Picture forms were handed out at the parent meeting . We will work out afterwards, so bring workout gear.

We will start checking out uniforms on Monday or Tuesday. In order to get uniforms, gymnasts must have their Information Sheet turned in to me.

Thank you to everyone who came to the parent meeting. I really appreciate your support. If there are any questions, comments or concerns, please call, email or text me.


Friday, August 21, 2009

Open Gym Saturday 8 am - 9am

Saturday, August 22 there will be an open gym for gymnasts wishing to work on skills and routines. No spotting will take place, gymnasts are expected to be safe and work within their ability.
This is not required, but can count towards the nine required practices.

Monday, August 24, 2009 6 pm - 6:45 Parent Meeting. Parents - please attend.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Gym Notes 8-20-2009


More information...
1. Try-outs for vault will be moved to next week. Once we have a vault runway and can practice vault a few times, I will then let the girls know when we will do vault try-outs.

2. Local Value information. Local Value now sells cards worth $60, for $48. As a program we get $24 from each card sold. The Local Value website has a link http://www.localvaluefundraising.com/store/pc/search.asp which lists all of the vendors that currently accept Local Value. The gymnastics program needs to fund raise. This is an easy way to do it. I plan on demonstrating Local Value at the parent meeting on Monday, August 24.

3. As many of you are aware, there are many girls who are receiving rides from older team members to gymnastics practice every day. Please consider the gas these drivers use and encourage your daughters to help diffuse the cost.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please get in touch with me. All of my contact information is on the calendars the girls have.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Gym Notes 8-19-2009

The gymnastics season is off to a fantastic start. I am really excited. There is a lot of talent in the gym and there are quite a few girls new to the sport who are learning new skills and routines very quickly. It is a good mix.

1. The parent meeting is at 6:00 on Monday, August 24. It is important that all gymnasts have a parent (or guardian) attend the meeting. If this is not possible please call or e-mail me so we can discuss team policies.

2. Fund raising. I try to make fund raising as easy as possible. I have scheduled two fund raising events. One is selling concessions at the Friday, September 4th football game. It will be at Burt.com Stadium. I need 8 parents who can sell concessions on the visitor side. Volunteers need to arrive at 6:00 for a brief training, and concessions usually go until the middle of the 4th quarter. The other fund raiser I have planned is stadium clean up on Thursday, September 17, at Burt.com Stadium. Clean up usually takes an hour, and is done by the girls. It starts at the end of the football game, and we are paid $400. Also, check out the Local Value website http://localvaluefundraising.com/store/pc/ponderosa.asp Local Value returns half of each purchase to the selected program. So, if $100 of Local Value credits are bought, $50 goes to the selected program.

3. On Monday, we set team rules and goals. I think the girls did a great job with the process. I will be sharing the rules and goals at the parent meeting on Monday, August 24.

4. Choreography on floor and beam has started. I have former Ponderosa gymnasts donating their time to help with the process. I have to say a HUGE thank you to Caylee, Angela, Lenise and CheyAnne for their willingness to help out the program. I will make sure that the gymnasts who have joined the program this week get floor music and a routine.

5. Try-outs are not optional. Every gymnast will have to try-out on every event. Everyone will have a routine or skills to show for try-outs. In order for this to happen, the girls need to come to every practice on time and stay for the entire practice. I know that some girls have other activities going on, and I understand that things come up, but if they miss practice, they miss learning routines and skills and preparing for the season.

6. Team pictures have been re-scheduled for Wednesday, September 2 at 4:00. We will practice after pictures.

7. The athletic office is working on clearing athletes. I do not have a list of gymnasts who are cleared to workout and who are not. If I find out a gymnast is not cleared, she will no longer be permitted to work out. If you (or your daughter) might be in this situation, please get the forms turned in to Ponderosa tomorrow. The forms are available at .

I just want to say again how great things are going. The girls work so hard in the gym and everyone appears to be learning something. I realize the girls are sore and have bumps and bruises, but as they work through it all, I know they are learning they can push their limits and rise to even greater heights.

Please if there are any questions or comments or concerns, get in touch with me. All of my contact information is on the calendars I gave the girls on Monday.

Basic Beam Routine

Basic Beam Routine
Horse Mount (to become jump on), V sit, leg, leg, V, whip to squat
Body wave to stand in releve (on to) arms up
Arm down, arm down, drop heels, lift head
1-2 steps, split leap, split leap, stretch jump (to end of beam), step to releve, push arms down and back (Titanic pose), pivot turn bring arms up
Chasse, knee up, back hold (arms opposition)
(step if needed) hitch kick (lever in) handstand (lever out) finish in lunge
Step assemble, tuck jump, (jump 3/4- bend knees when landing, arms in front, thumbs 3 inches apart)
½ turn, lunge arms up, step together to releve circle arms back to up, lunge push arms out to high V
1/1 turn, finish in lunge, step kick to end of beam, arms opposition, ½ turn
Cartwheel, cartwheel, (back walkover, back walkover) finish in lunge, step cat leap, cat leap (to become 2 cat leap ½)
Step down to knee lunge, knee scale (put hands on beam, swing front leg to scale, hold 2 counts) chin up, smile, swing leg back to knees lunge arms up, stand gracefully, push arms down
Dismount round-off to become a brani

Italics are requirements
Underlined are superior skills

This routine as is has no superiors or high superiors. As you master more skills on beam, you can put the underlined skills into the routine where they fit. Replace mediums with superiors (and high superiors). Missing requirements: aerial, handspring, salto, and superior dismount

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

School has Started!!! Gym notes 8-11-2009

Wow! School has started and I feel swamped. I will try to be more consistent about posting weekly. I have had a wonderful time working with each of the girls and I am very excited about the season.
1. The big news is that tomorrow, Wednesday, we will be taking pictures for the Fall Sports Program. I will give everyone either a leo or warm up to wear. Make sure that gymnasts bring a leotard to work out in.
2. Team pictures will be Thursday, September 3. They will start at 4:00. After pictures we will have practice.
3. PLEASE turn in your athletic forms ASAP. No athletic forms means no practice. Once the athletic office give me the list, if a gymnast's name is not on it, I cannot and I will not allow her to workout.
4. The gymnastics parent meeting is scheduled for August 24 from 6:00- 6:45. Please meet in the gymnastics gym and we will move into the team room.
5. I am trying to get the girls to pick floor music. We have lots of music that the program has bought or has been donated in the past for the girls to pick from. I also have demo music from Floor Express. I like Floor Express (and other companies as well) because the music is cut beautifully into counts of 8, and has good beginnings and endings, and meets time requirements. If a gymnast wants music from Floor Express, it needs to be purchased by her. It is possible to cut music for floor. Music needs to be between 1:10 and 1:27 and on a CD. I do not cut music.
Floor music needs to be picked by the end of this week.
6. If there are any questions, comments or concerns, please contact me. I have no computer in my classroom as of today, so I will check e-mail when I can. Text messages work great on my phone and I do check my voice mail for both school and my cell phone at the end of each school day around 3:00.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Gym Camp Starts Tonight 6 -8 pm

From 5 - 6 we will be doing some set up. If you can come and help, that would be great.

In order to participate in camp you need to have all of your athletic paperwork turned in including your current physical signed by a doctor. I hope to have a list by Thursday of everyone who has turned in paperwork.

I am looking forward to doing some gymnastics tonight.