gymn Digest                 Sun,  5 Feb 95       Volume 3 : Issue  64

Today's Topics:
                               ASU MEET
                     corporal punishment (2 msgs)
                      Digests Web page (2 msgs)
                          February Calendar
          Fwd: Re: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)
                          grip lock (2 msgs)
                           Gymn's WWW pages
                          gymn commemorativ
                     gymn commemorative (2 msgs)
                           Natalia Frolova
                              NCAA MEETS
                  ncaa score inflation (not again!)
                    NCAA Score Inflation [Again]
                            OLYMPIC FEVER
                         Region 1 Elite meet
                          romanian brutality
                         Romanian Gymnastics
                             RSP RSO post
                               scAM Cup
                           some corrections
           Some Results from Women's Zone meet at Karoyli's
                      UCLA,STANFORD,DU,CAL MEET
                         UF-NC State (2 msgs)
          USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf) (4 msgs)
                       USAIGC and USGF (3 msgs)

This is a digest of the gymn@athena.mit.edu mailing list. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu,  2 Feb 95 08:05:00 UTC
From: ***@genie.geis.com
Subject: ASU MEET

Dear Amanda,
        Thank you for the report on the ASU meet.  Keep up the good work.
        You wondered whether the the judges were using a "different" code.  -
Well... in a way... yes they are.  NCAA is judged on the basis of age group
Comp. 1B, which is different from the Comp. II and Comp. III you see on TV
with the international Elite meets.  Also, the NCAA has made some
modifications.  The vault table is the 7/31/93 value table.  A HSP-front
tuck is a 9.9 and a front piked is a 10.0.  Round-off entry vaults are not
allowed.  On beam, they get a .2 bonus for BHS-BHS-Layout; BHS-Layout gets
+.10.  All layout saltos on beam are D's.  On floor, just as in age-group, a
double back is a D.  The value requirements are 3 A's, 3 B's & 2 C's.
Routines are valued at 9.6 with .2 bonus for each extra D (or .2 for an E)
and .2 bonus for certain connections.  Get the picture?  Any questions?
        I hope to see ASU at Stanford on 2/17(?).  I'll either be able to
explain their scores, or their scores will be lower when they meet the nasty
ladies of NorCal. (grin)  We shall see.
        Personally, I can't fault any woman that carries a full academic
load and then puts in the workout hours that these women do.  They are doing
their best and giving it their all.  Their bodies have grown from girls to
women, and they work hard, and adjust, and take the pain, and keep on going.
I have great respect for them.
        I am glad that you are going to keep going to the meets.  Who is on
the schedule?  Keep those reports coming.
 
Kathy E.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 12:53:59 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: corporal punishment

     I think that Kathy is unfortunately right that corporal punishment of
gymnasts is not restricted to Romania. The USSR used it when it was still the
USSR (I don't know what the situation in the different republics is today). I
have a friend who owns a gym, and for a while he had a lot of ex-Soviet coaches
working for him. He had a very hard time trying to teach them that they
couldn't slap the kids around, as they were apparently used to doing in the
USSR. One of the coaches he had working for him was the former USSR team's
choreographer. She had choreographed Omelianchik's, Lashchenova's, Baitova's
and Shushunova's floor routines, among others. So obviously she had been a
coach at Round Lake. I was at my friend's gym several years ago, when this
coach was still there, and I actually saw her slap a young girl for making
mistakes on bars. She then kicked the girl out of practice. The little girl was
was crying and came and told her mother about the incident. Her mother and the
other parents there were outraged, and fortunately had the guts to complain
aloud to my friend. Eventually, he fired that coach and several other
ex-Soviets whom he had hired. But the whole thing made me wonder what kind of
punishments Omelianchik, Shushunova and the others had been subjected to....
Sometimes I wonder if that's one reason almost every ex-Soviet says they
wouldn't want their children to become gymnasts.

Beth

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 12:53:59 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: corporal punishment

     I think that Kathy is unfortunately right that corporal punishment of
gymnasts is not restricted to Romania. The USSR used it when it was still the
USSR (I don't know what the situation in the different republics is today). I
have a friend who owns a gym, and for a while he had a lot of ex-Soviet coaches
working for him. He had a very hard time trying to teach them that they
couldn't slap the kids around, as they were apparently used to doing in the
USSR. One of the coaches he had working for him was the former USSR team's
choreographer. She had choreographed Omelianchik's, Lashchenova's, Baitova's
and Shushunova's floor routines, among others. So obviously she had been a
coach at Round Lake. I was at my friend's gym several years ago, when this
coach was still there, and I actually saw her slap a young girl for making
mistakes on bars. She then kicked the girl out of practice. The little girl was
was crying and came and told her mother about the incident. Her mother and the
other parents there were outraged, and fortunately had the guts to complain
aloud to my friend. Eventually, he fired that coach and several other
ex-Soviets whom he had hired. But the whole thing made me wonder what kind of
punishments Omelianchik, Shushunova and the others had been subjected to....
Sometimes I wonder if that's one reason almost every ex-Soviet says they
wouldn't want their children to become gymnasts.

Beth

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 06:00:16 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: Digests Web page

Btw, this page and it's "child" pages are no good.  There is some
problem caused by the fact that the file names include "#" marks.  If
anyone knows of a way to fix this, please email me a note.

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Feb 95 10:09 EST
From: ***@PSUVM.PSU.EDU
Subject: Digests Web page

The Recent Digests are okay, it's just the older ones that aren't
correct.  Your pointer to recent includes the escapt character % in
the file name but the older ones have just the # character.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 00:11:50 +0600
From: ***@scoter.cdev.com
Subject: February Calendar

  ###################################################################
  #                                                                 #
  #  ________ G y m n ________                 \       |      ___   #
  #                               o     __o     |o     |o    (o     #
  #     An electronic forum       !__   \!      !      !      \.    #
  #       for gymnastics.       ====== ====== ====== ====== ======  #
  #                                                                 #
  ###################################################################

The Gymn Calendar

Anyone that has any events to add to this calendar, please mail them
to me.
All events on this calendar are subject to change.  -- John
---------------------------------------------------------------------
 

   February 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
          1  2  3  4
 5  6  7  8  9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28

3-5             Peachtree Classic/ Atlanta, GA
11-12           Rhythmic Challenge (R)/ Colorado Springs, CO
16-18           American Classic/ Pan Am Trials (W)/ Oakland, CA
18-19           Coca Cola Classic/ St. Louis, MO
24-26           Gymcarolina Classic/ Raleigh, NC
24-26           Blackjack Invitational/ Las Vegas, NV
-----


   March 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
          1  2  3  4
 5  6  7  8  9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31

2, 4            McDonald's American Cup (M/W)/ Seattle, WA
4               BROADCAST McD's Am. Cup/ NBC 4-6:00PM EST
4-19            Pan American Games/ Mar Del Plata & Buenos Aires, Argentina
5               International Mixed Pairs/ Seattle, WA
8-11            Messe Cup/ Hannover, Germany
11              BROADCAST Reese's Int'l Gymn. Cup/ ABC, 4:30-6:00PM EST
TBA             BROADCAST U.S. Winter Cup Challenge (M)/ TBA
18              BROADCAST International Mixed Pairs/ NBC, 2:30-4:00PM EST
18-19           British Sports Acrobatics Championships/ King's Lynn
25-26           British Rhythmic Championships/ Bletchley
25-26           Peter Vidmar Int'l Invit'l/ Westwood, CA
-----


   April 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
                   1
 2  3  4  5  6  7  8
 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30

8               NCAA Regionals (W)/ (West) Oregon St. U./
                   (Midwest) U. of Nebraska/ (Central) U. of Michigan/
                   (Southeast) Towson St. U./ (Northeast) Kent St. U.
8               NCAA Regionals (M)/ (West) U. of Oklahoma/ (East) Penn St. U.
11-15           USAG Collegiate Championships/ Denton, TX
15              USAG National Inv. Tournament/ Cape Girardeau, MO
20-22           NCAA National Champs (W)/ Athens, GA
20-22           NCAA National Champs (M)/ Columbia, OH
27-28           VISA Challenge: USA/BLR/CHN (M/W)/ Fairfax, VA
TBA             NCAA Championships (M) (W)/ TBA
29              BROADCAST VISA Challenge (W)/ ABC, 4:30-6:00PM EST
-----


   May 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
    1  2  3  4  5  6
 7  8  9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31

5-7             J.O. Championships (R)/ TBA
11-14           Boys' J.O. Nationals/ Oakland, CA
11-14           Junior J.O. Nationals (W)/ West Palm Beach, FL
13-14           Western Rhythmic Open/ Downer's Grove, IL
15-22           Junior World Sports Acrobatics Championships/ Germany
18-21           Senior J.O. Nationals (W)/ Lincoln, NE
20-21           Eastern Rhythmic Open/ TBA
29-7/2          National Gym Fest/ ?
-----


   June 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
             1  2  3
 4  5  6  7  8  9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30

9-11            Elite Regionals (W)/ TBA
9-11            USAG Rhythmic National Championships/ TBA
16-18           European Cup Final/ Rome, Italy
17-19           Budget Rent-A-Car Invitational/ San Jose, CA
24              BROADCAST European Cup (M)/ ABC, 4:30-6:00PM EST
24              Junior Pacific Alliance/ Cali, Colombia
24-25           Rhythmic European Cup/ Telford, England
25              BROADCAST/Budget Rent-A-Car Invit./ NBC, 3:00-5:00PM EST
16-18           USAG Rhythmic National Championships/ TBA
TBA             BROADCAST/USAG Rhythmic National Champ./ CBS, TBA
-----


   July 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
                   1
 2  3  4  5  6  7  8
 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31

1-9             Special Olympics World Summer Games/ New Haven, CT
1               BROADCAST European Cup (W)/ ABC, 4:30-6:00PM EST
1-2             Elite Regionals (W)/ TBA
7-8             National Elite Gymnastics Festival (W)/ TBA
9-12            YMCA Nationals/ Savannah, GA
9-15            10th World Gymnaestrada/ Berlin, Germany
21-30           U.S. Olympic Festival (M/W/R)/ Denver, CO
21-23           U.S. Classic Nationals/ TBA
TBA             BROADCAST U.S. Olympic Fest. (M/W/R)/ TBA
-----


   August 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
       1  2  3  4  5
 6  7  8  9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31

12              Gymn's Third Anniversary
16-19           Coca-Cola USA Championships (M/W)/ New Orleans, LA
19              BROADCAST Coca-Cola USA Champ. (M/W)/NBC, 8:00PM EST
20              BROADCAST Coca-Cola USA Champ. (M/W)/NBC, 7:00PM EST
17-20           USA Gymnastics National Congress/ New Orleans, LA
23-9/8          World University Games (M/W/R)/ Fukuoka, Japan
30-31           Int'l Junior Competition/ Yokohama, Japan
-----


   September 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
                1  2
 3  4  5  6  7  8  9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

8-9             NationsBank U.S. World Team Trials/ TBA
19-24           Rhythmic World Championships/ Vienna, Austria
-----


   October 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
 1  2  3  4  5  6  7
 8  9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31

1-10            Artistic World Championships/ Sabae City, Japan
4-7             Olympic Congress of the USA/ Atlanta, GA
8               BROADCAST World Champs/ ABC, TBD
15              BROADCAST World Champs/ ABC, TBD
-----


   November 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
          1  2  3  4
 5  6  7  8  9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30

1-4             Australia Cup/ Sidney, Australia
14-17           Pre-Olympics (???)/ Atlanta, GA
24-26           DTB Cup/ Stuttgart, Germany
-----


   December 1995
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
                1  2
 3  4  5  6  7  8  9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31

TBA             DTB Pokal/ Stuttgart, Germany
1-3             Swiss Cup/ Zurich, Switzerland
1-3             European Championships Team Final/ Charleroi, Belgium
7-8             Grand Prix/ Birmingham, England
16-17           Chunichi Cup/ Nagoya, Japan
-----


April 1996
15-21           Artistic World Championships/ San Juan, Puerto Rico
-----


   July 1996
 S  M Tu  W Th  F  S
    1  2  3  4  5  6
 7  8  9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31

19-8/4          Games of the XVIth Olympiad/ Atlanta, GA
-----


August 1996
12              Gymn's Fourth Anniversary
16-27           Xth Paralympic Games/ Atlanta, Ga.
-----


August 1997
31-9/12         World University Games, Sicily, ITA
-----


July 1998
25-8/9          Goodwill Games, New York, N.Y.
-----


Summer 1999
TBD             World University Games, Palma de Mallorca, ESP
TBD             XIIIth Pan American Games, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN
-----


September 2000
16-10/1         Games of the XXVIIth Olympiad, Sydney, AUS
-----


October 2000
21-11/1         XIth Paralympic Games, Sydney, AUS
-----

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 01:00:52 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Fwd: Re: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)

---------------------
Forwarded message:
Subj:    Re: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)
Date:    95-02-02 00:59:31 EST

My friend Mara spoke thus:

>>non-profit and public programs

>Although a supporting statement would have been nice, technically, NCAA
could
>fall under the above phrase.

I should think that, given its importance to the bigger picture and its
current crisis, the NCAA merited more than a general inclusion as an
afterthought. It, and the future of our internationally competitive Men's
program, rates far better than that.

David

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 01:18:42 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@delphi.com
Subject: grip lock

Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 10:14:05 -0800
From: ***@Eng.Sun.COM
Subject: Gold Cup wins GymMaster's Invite

Rachele writes:

 --A Cypress gymnast wrapped himself on high bar (where the grip locks
 in place but the gymnast keeps swinging around the bar) -- but somehow
 he managed to not break his wrist. I don't know much about it, but
 isn't it almost better to have a clean break rather than stress the
 wrist that badly? 

I don't *think* that locking up necessarily need result in a broken arm or
a stressed wrist, although somebody that's really cranking would have a lot
of energy.  For the uninitiated (hopefully everybody), it happens when your
highbar grips are too long and lock up, kind of like an oil filter wrench.
When it happens, the motion of your body actually makes the wrap tighter.
I heard of one fellow that when it happened to him they had to toss him
around the bar the other way to get him down, broken arm and all. Grips
stretch over time, so it's important to check them regularly (and *never*
wear ring grips on highbar.)

I don't thing that it's an issue on uneven bars, because of the diameter.
Anyone heard of it happening?

>Hey, as long as we're on the subject, I've got a nerdy question for all
>you gymnasts out there.  I've had experience with two grip manugacturers,
>Reisport and 10.0.  The 10.0 grips seem thicker to me and cozier at first,
>but they stretch out really quickly.  The Reisports seemed a little thin
>and awkward at first (couldn't seem to develop a lip), but over time they
>became very comfortable, and don't appear to stretch nearly as much.  Am
>I just imagining this, or has anyone else out there noticed a difference?

>-George

Not at all, it's a well known fact. The 10.0's were popular because they were
a) Cheaper
b) Broke in eaiser due to the leather being softer, however,
c) They don't last as long, due to the above characteristics.

Kind of like the old Sasaki grips for men. Took a YEAR to break in, but you
could pass them on to your children. They must have special super tough cows
in Japan for those things. Probably bullet proof.
bjcorr@delphi.com

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 09:55:53 -0800
From: ***@Eng.Sun.COM
Subject: grip lock

bjcorr writes:

 Not at all, it's a well known fact. The 10.0's were popular because they were
 a) Cheaper
 b) Broke in eaiser due to the leather being softer, however,
 c) They don't last as long, due to the above characteristics.

Ah, this makes sense.  Don't think they're that much cheaper anymore, but the
10.0's sure break in more quickly than the Reisports.  But my oh my how they
stretch out in no time flat.  I'm heavier than most gymnasts, so it's probably
worse for me.  But my 2's stretched to size 3 in about three months or so.

-George

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 05:22:43 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: Gymn's WWW pages

Gymn now has Web pages at http://www.rmii.com/~rachele/gymnhome.html.

Disclaimer: These are my first Web pages ever, and I've never even
seen a Web browser (but I will see one this Sunday) and so go easy on
me!

Please email suggestion directly to me, not to the list.

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 22:07:27 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: gymn commemorativ

| you didn't send in stuff!  Next year's edition (will there be one?) will

There will be one if Gymn wants one.  Last year we had a Holiday
lottery with lots of participation but no one expressed interest in it
this year.

It also would be good next year, if we have another commmemorative, if
someone volunteered with it.  If my sked is the same next year, which
I assume it will be, then I don't think people will want to wait five
months to get the commemorative!  ;)

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 18:52:39 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Gymn Commemorative

Rachele-

I just received mine and it really looks good!

Thanks,

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 19:11:14 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@asu.edu
Subject: gymn commemorative

I got mine too yesterday, and it was great to finally see some faces! 
Although I must admit I don't know what I was thinking when I sent in my
submission...  I think I had been up all night.  Oh well, too bad more of
you didn't send in stuff!  Next year's edition (will there be one?) will
hopefully be bigger.

Amanda :-)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 3 Feb 95 15:16:37 EST
From***@leo.vsla.edu
Subject: Natalia Frolova

Hi, my name's Patrick and I'm new to this list, but a long-time
gymnastics follower.  This may seem like an odd place to bring
up a musical question, but I can't think of a more appropriate list. 

Some of the older members here might recall one of my all-time
favorite gymnasts from the former Soviet Union, Natalia Frolova.
She was in the US/USSR competitions of 1986 and '88, both
nationally televised events.  I'm hoping that someone who has
a *very* good memory or a tape of the '86 meet might know the name
or the source of Natalia's floor music.  (It was later reused by Natalia
Kalinina at the 1989 US/USSR meet.)  I have tried for years to get a
copy of this music, even writing back then to her coach (no answer),
but the only thing I've ever discovered about it is that it *might*
be by a European group called Rondo Veneziano.

I realize how impossible this quest(ion) is, but if by the
remotist chance someone knows the answer, please let me know.
And yes, yes yes yes, I admit it, I had (still have) a BIG crush
on Natalia, though I have not seen her or heard any news of her
since 1988. Well, what other reason would have kept me on the trail
for so long? *sigh*

Thanks.

--
Patrick Kilmer

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 03 Feb 95 09:22:26 EST
From: ***@email.cfr.org
Subject: NCAA MEETS

Kathy E. wrote:

>        Personally, I can't fault any woman that carries a full academic
>load and then puts in the workout hours that these women do.  They are doing
>their best and giving it their all.  Their bodies have grown from girls to
>women, and they work hard, and adjust, and take the pain, and keep on going.
>I have great respect for them.
       

Perhaps that's why I often enjoy seeing NCAA women more than Elites. 
I can relate more to the experiences of studying and participating in a
sport at the college level.  Though I didn't go into gymnastics, I well remember
my penchant for playing tennis, returning to studies, and going back to tennis.
Obviously the discipline can be entirely different for gymnastics, but the
transition from sport to studies can leave you in a "fog" whatever that activity
may be... How many times did I think during a pol. sci. class, how how could I
have made that point during the game?  Too many.  I can only imagine the added
concerns involved in being a gymnast.  I agree with Kathy; Hurrah to them all
for their efforts (to anyone participating in sport while studying for that
matter)!  I hope to see the U. of Michigan team at regionals come April.

Connie

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 01:18:26 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@delphi.com
Subject: ncaa score inflation (not again!)

I almost hate to start this again, but...

>>First week, and the score inflation is already ridiculous.  It's a shame,
>>
>> Actually, I was sorta surprised that there were no ten's.  Some people
>> regard the high probability for ten's as the very essence of the NCAA
>...
>> I think it's not really a question of score inflation for the
.> individual routines, but rather just the whole thing that the NCAA
>> needs to relax the rules so that the gymnasts can attain scores that
>> are more appealing to the public.  Does this hurt or help gymnastics,
>> in the long run?  I could argue both ways, and haven't really made up

>        Well if you argue that NCAA is competitive and not just a circus
>(remember that thread as NCAA women competitors and whether or not they
>could make the national team?) that I can't say but that it hurts the
>sport.  They should be judged on what they actually perform, and not "on a
>curve ;-)".  How can anybody who takes gymnastics seriously say that the
>scores should be inflated so the audience likes it?

Ah, perhaps one of the defining statements of the argument about the
difference between sports and entertainment. Perhaps the silliness that goes
on at such things as Barts exhibition in Mexico can be excused or even
admired as entertainment. But NCAA gymnastics? Well, which is it? 


> I know, how about let
>them judge using a "Noise-O-Meter?"  When they scream the loudest then
>that's the best routine.  That will *really* encourage audience
>participation!

And a reply....

>And the home team would win automatically!!  On T.V. I've seen/heard
>almost felt that gym in Utah rock-n-roll!!!  I *must* go to one of these
>women's NCAA finals, seems a phenomenon in itself.  The "noise-o-meter's"
>needle would bust....

Guess that answers my question. So please, no more insistance that NCAA
Women's gymnastics is a serious sport. Lively entertainment, perhaps. But
let's not pretend you can have it both ways.

I have coached on the floor at that "Utah rock-n-roll", and found it mildly
repulsive and degrading at the time. In retrospect I see I was mistaken, I
was just trying to take it seriously. Foolish. I left for a real coaching
job and the nausea vanished.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 22:21:01 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: NCAA Score Inflation [Again]

| >Also, remember that base score is higher during the season than at
| International meets and finals at NCAA championships
|
| Why should it be? 
|
| Mara


The base score during the college season for men is 9.5.  Otherwise
it's 9.0.  This is done to produce higher scores for the men, and in
the age of college women's gymnastics' "auto-10", you can't compete
with that unless you have high scores.  So, for marketability.

Also, the switch from the '93 Code to the '97 one was big on the men's
side -- they originally choose a 9.5 start because otherwise then only
a select number of routines would even come close to a 10.0 in
difficulty.  They stayed with 9.5 because of the above mentioned need
for merketability, and also bcuse they did not want guys tryikng
skills they coudn't safely do, just to get to a 10.0 international
start.  They use 9.0 in finals because all the routines are so strong
that they need a wider base of comparison.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 3 Feb 1995 17:49:23 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: OLYMPIC FEVER

Dear everyone,
I have recently heard of a book about Chelle Stack told by her mother.  The
book, which is unfinished, is called "Olympic Fever".  It is written by Keith
McCaffety.  The book, or should I say article, is about 25 pages.  It's about
Chelle's training with Bela Karolyi and other gymnasts that trained there.
 It deals with the difficults of being a world-class gymnasts. 
I have tried to download it from America Online, but all attempts have proved
unsuccessful.  I would really like to obtain the article "Olympic Fever".  If
anyone knows where I can get a copy of it, please e-mail me at:
 bilozerche@aol.com
I'd really appreciate it.  Thanks for your time!
Gymnastically yours,
David

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 01:18:56 -0500 (EST)
From: ***@delphi.com
Subject: Region 1 Elite meet

Just got back from the Region 1 Elite meet at Sac State hosted by Gymagic,
here's what I remember.
LOTS of falls. Heidi Hornbeck, Mary Beth Arnold and Amy Chow were all there,
but only Amy did Optionals. Because her coach Mark Young ( a rabid 49'r fan)
had to fly to Colorado Springs for a protocal meeting on SuperBowl Sunday (
oh he was BUMMED) Amy competed with the Level 8's of the invitational part
of the meet Saturday morning. The Level 8's all freaked out and LOVED having
her with them! Amy was really just using the opportunity to try some new
routines out. On bars she mounted with a run and jump to a front stalter on
low bar to handstand piroutte, back stalter/shapishnikova to high bar, very
cool. More stalter work and piked Jager, very clean, straddle flyaway to the
low bar, turned around, got to the high bar and did a double double and
nailed it. It was all very clean and tight. Vault was a yurenchenko layout
1/2 ( she has been working the double twist for some time, but it is coming
slowley.) Floor and beam had some differences but I will have to go over the
tape before I say something boneheaded and get flamed. She looked very good
and was great to all the kids. She definitely killed all the level 8's. None
of the rest of the Internationals did 8 routines. Amy Shelton ( Starfires )
competed a handspring front full twist and made it (barely) - 9.65. She was
throwing a hot bar set in warm up, choked in the meet on a miller full ( the
whole sequence goes Miller 1/1, Miller 1/1, Reverse Hecht in the lights.)
Too bad. Heidi's back still seems to be bothering her, after optional warm
up she scratched. Compulsories she went 35.550 with an 8.7 on beam and she
still moves well when she isn't hurting. Mary Beth looks fantastic, to bad
she only went comps. (37.775 with an 8.650 on Beam!) The Jr. Int's were
boring as were the Sr. Nationals. In fact they got beat by a Jr. National,
Karissa Chock ( Full in, triple twist, standing full on beam with a triple
twist dismount, good handspring front vault, unremarkable bars, standard 1/1
piroutte to release with underswing front 1/2 dismount.)  I
probably missed a lot watching my kids so I'll post scores tommorrow ( I am
beat...) and I'll watch the tape  and get back to you all.


P.S. I asked Neil Resnick ( Mary Beth's coach) what the hell a protocol
meeting was. He said it was " most likely a meeting with the national staff
where they discuss how NOT to say possibly INFLAMATORY things about other
coaches during interviews on National TV!
Uh oh......

P.S.S. I have started downloading the GIF's and JPG's from the netcom site
to my bbs (norcal bbs) in case people can't get through ( I have a HARD
time!) Since I run a 14.4 it won't take too long to download....

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 20:19:34 MDT
From: ***@mercury-deans.health.utah.edu
Subject: romanian brutality

Normally I am content to observe the dialogue of this forum from the
sidelines, reading the news and comments with interest, but rarely
contributing to the discussions.  However, considering the disturbing
nature of the following subject matter, I felt that it was imperative
to pass on this news item to the readers of this forum, and anyone
and everyone else who may have the opportunity to read it.  This
article obviously evoked considerable emotion from myself, as
I hope that it will evoke a similar response in the readers.  It is
my hope that it will cause all of us to take a good, long look at the
direction sport is taking, especially sport involving our children. 
There are many lessons to be learned from this terrible tragedy; let
us not ignore what it can teach us.  The following is a summary of a
news report from Reuters Ltd....

  A former trainer from Bucharest's Dinamo sports school, Florin
Gheorge, is accused of brutally killing a young gymnast under
his charge during a training session.  According to the prosecution,
Gheorge pulled the girl from the beam, threw her to the ground, and
brutally beat her.  She died in the hospital just hours later. 
Little Adriana Giuraca was just 11 years old.
  Teammates of the girl have testified that the beatings were a
regular part of the training.  The defense blamed these harsh
training techniques on the influence of former Romanian coach Bela
Karolyi.  This comparison was disagreed with by noted sports
columnist Constantin Macovei, who aknowledged that Bela was
"famous for toughness" but that there was little comparison.  The
defense aknowledged that Gheorge "slapped" the girl, but had not meant
to kill her.  The defense was quoted as saying that this "was an
unhappy incident because he had not the slightest intention to kill
the girl." 
  If found guilty of unintentional killing, Gheorghe could face a
jail term of up to 10 years. (!!!!!!!!!!)
  Octavian Bellu, chief trainer at Romania's Gymnastics center said
that there has been no change in the style of work or rules in the
means to great gymnastics performance since the fall of communism
in 1989.  Iron discipline is still the way to go. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeni

------------------------------

Date: Thu,  2 Feb 95 08:15:00 UTC
From: ***@genie.geis.com
Subject: Romanian Gymnastics

Here is the follow-up on the incident in Romania -
 
 
 
 Gymnastics coach jailed for beating girl to death
    By Radu Timofte
    BUCHAREST, Jan 31 (Reuter) - A Romanian gymnastics coach was jailed for
eight years on Tuesday for beating to death an 11-year-old girl during a
training session.
    A Bucharest court found Florin Gheorghe, 25, a former trainer at the
capital's elite Dinamo club sports school, guilty of manslaughter in the
November 1993 killing of gymnast Adriana Giurca.
    Under Romanian law the charges carry a maximum jail sentence of 10 years.
    Gheorghe, who has been in detention since February 1994, was not present in
court, and neither were Giurca's parents, who issued the lawsuit over their
daughter's killing.
    After learning from lawyers about Gheorghe's eight-year jail sentence, the
girl's mother, Maria Giurca, said the court had been too lenient.
    ``That trainer hit my daughter like a beast and her death was more than
manslaughter. It was murder and he should have been punished for that,'' Giurca
told Reuters by phone.
    The court also set ``moral damages'' at 10 million lei ($5,600), which
Gheorghe will have to pay to the Giurca family.
    ``The money is nothing for me and my husband. No money can bring our
daughter back to life,'' Giurca said.
    The Giurcas said they would sue the Dinamo gymnastics school, which they
accused of ``irresponsibility'' in employing what they called ``a criminal
trainer.''
    The court heard testimony that Gheorghe flew into a rage during a training
session on the balance beam in November 1993, throwing the tiny Giurca to the
ground and beating her.
    The girl died in hospital several hours later.
    ``If sports performances are built on physical and moral ordeal, all the
gold medals that Romania won throughout the years mean nothing,'' Adriana's
father told Reuters.
    Romanian sports officials have rejected accusations that beatings were used
in training to turn Romanian gymnasts into top performers.
    Commenting on Adriana Giurca's death, Romanian Gymnastics Federation
president Adrian Stoica called it an ``unfortunate event.'' ``Such behaviour is
unusual in our gymnastics schools,'' he said, adding: ``It was an accident.''
    But Adriana Giurca's team mates told the court that corporal punishment was
``normal'' in their school whenever they failed to perform up to their
trainers' exacting standards.
    ``We accepted the beatings and the pain because we were convinced that this
would open the door to top performance for us,'' a young girl gymnast told a
court hearing last week.
    Octavian Bellu, chief trainer at Romania's Olympic gymnastics centre in the
Transylvanian city of Deva, said that despite changes in Romania since the 1989
fall of communism, what he called ``an iron discipline'' was still the best way
to attain top performances.
 REUTER
 
The whole incident is a shame on Romanian gymnastics.  I doubt the practice
of beating the children is restricted to Romania.  I know it is common
practice throughout the communist countries to hit students with a stick in
the schools.
 
Kathy E.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 22:29:19 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: RSP RSO post

A letter from RSO:

Dear gentlemen,

my name is Alexander Trifonov I write this letter from the name of
my friend Elena Tarasova - the owner of the sport club "School  of
Rhythmic Gymnastics". She  is  the  former  Master  of  sports  in
gymnastics. A lot of girls from five  years  old  till  16-18  are
trained here for the different ranks of competitions  in  rhythmic
gymnastics. The club is young but she with  her  girls  took  part
already  in  different  international  competitions.  Some   girls
regularly take part in the competitions at the  Russia  level  and
become  prize winners. There is the best choreography  in  Irkutsk
city works here here name is known in Russia  also.  Her  name  is
Natalya Furseva. She helped to prepare the  program  for  the  all
round world champion in rhythmic  gymnastics  Oksana  Kostina  who
died in automobile accident in 1993.

If you are not interested in  this  information  please give  this
letter to somebody who are interested in rhythmic  gymnastics  and
would like to make connection with colleagues from  Russia,  visit
the country with the sport girls and take part in competitions.

Sincerely yours


Alexander Trifonov

P.S. Please send this letter to the interested people in case you
are not interested personaly.

My E-mail address is: ***@gkap.irkutsk.su

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 02 Feb 95 16:59 PST
From: ***@MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU
Subject: scAM Cup

Thats quite a field...

I guess money talks...

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 04:45:37 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: some corrections

Fat fingers today -- that should have said "RSG" not "RSP" in the
other msg, and the two Codes I was referring to were '89 and '93, not
'93 and '97.  I reference the codes by the first year that they wre
used, which I've heard some people do, but I think it's more common to
reference them by the Olympics year that they will be used.  So in
that case, I meant the '92 and '96 Codes.

Also, an interesting fact worth noting is that while the 9.0 base for
men is certainly always referred to as a 9.0, and perceived that way,
if the gymnast performs all the required elements, then the start
value is actually a 9.1, because of the D that is required.

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 95 18:16:17 PST
From: ***@ccm.fm.intel.com
Subject: Some Results from Women's Zone meet at Karoyli's

Text item: Text_1

I saw this on Prodigy, and thought it might be of interest to GYMN readers.  The
report comes from someone attending the meet.  I am simply summarizing the
post(s) as it appear there.  

Result of elite regional held at Karoyli's:
            vault        bars        beam        floor        
Miller      9.875        9.85        9.675       9.85         
Moceanu     9.625/9.925  9.425/9.75  9.775/9.75  9.8/9.8      
Boguinskaia 9.525        9.325       8.6         9.175      
Miller and Boguinskaia competed compulsories only.  Boguinskaia fell on beam on
the handstand and looked tired at the end of floor (no kickout on the back
tuck).  Dom Moceanu reportedly looked sharp and vaulted a Yurchenko layout 1
1/2.  Moceanu almost overshot a handstand on comp. bars (overarched but saved,
resulting in the lower score).  Soni Meduna and Heather Brink were in 3rd and
4th (exact placement not known).
Kim Zmeskal, scheduled to compete, jammed a thumb the day before and sat out the
meet.

That's it...
 

------------------------------

Date: Thu,  2 Feb 95 07:32:00 UTC
From: ***@genie.geis.com
Subject: UCLA,STANFORD,DU,CAL MEET

 
   Here is a little report on the meet last Friday.  I was judging beam and
so I didn't see floor (boo), bars or beam. I will righteously defend all
beam scores. (grin)
 
 
 
 
             UCLA, STANFORD, DENVER UNIVERSITY, CAL-BERKELEY MEET
 
 
        Friday, Jan. 27th found UC Berkeley's Harmon gymnasium hosting four
from the west. (UCLA, Stanford, Denver University and UC Berkeley) Denver
University gymnasts sported T-shirts that said "Just DU it!", but it was
UCLA that did it.  They took the team title with a 189.125, followed by
Stanford with a 188.425.  Third was CAL with a 186.075 with Denver scoring a
fourth place 185.125.
 
 
 
 
        Friday, Jan. 27th found UC Berkeley's Harmon gymnasium hosting four
from the west. (UCLA, Stanford, Denver University and UC Berkeley) Denver
University gymnasts sported T-shirts that said "Just DU it!", but it was
UCLA that did it.  They took the team title with a 189.125, followed by
Stanford with a 188.425.  Third was CAL with a 186.075 with Denver scoring a
fourth place 185.125.
        In the all-around competition, Stanford's Keri Monahan was first
(38.275) followed by Mindy Ornellas of CAL (37.60) and Lenee Berumen of
Denver (37.450)
        Vault was a close contest.  The top vaults were all front pikes -
rated 10.00 in NCAA.  The powerful Kareema Marrow from UCLA was first with a
9.85.  There was a three-way tie for second (9.80) between Candice Kwok and
Lisa Washington of CAL and Leah Homa of UCLA.  Stanford and UCLA both put up
only 5 vaulters.  UCLA had 5 strong vaulters and came up with a #1 48.65
set.
        Stanford turned in the top bar set with only 5 routines.  Quality
made up for quantity as they turned in a 47.00 bar set. Stanford freshman,
Keri Monahan had the highest score on bars with a 9.70, followed by UCLA's
Megan Fenton (9.65) and Corinne Chee (9.60).  While UCLA and CAL both had
good difficulty on bars, they had to count falls (1 each) and erosive form
breaks.
        Stanford also has the highest beam set of the evening (48.025) with
UCLA trailing behind with a 46.075.  While Leah Homa of UCLA had the top
beam score, it was the Stanford Cardinals that had the next five highest
scores (9.65, 9.65, 9.60, 9.575, 9.55).  Some of the more notable moves:
Leah Homma did her Homma mount (three flying scissors); Stanford's Misty
Moore nailed a layout-layout series (9.65); Tina Snowden had an interesting
cat leap to side salto mixed series (9.65); Keri Monahan dismounted with a
double back (9.60); Ariel Passanisi did an excellent sheep jump (9.55).
There were a lot of front full dismounts and backhandspring-layouts done
well. Generally there was a very good level of difficulty.
        UCLA led CAL by .125 to win the floor set for the night.  Denver
University was thrid with a 46.6 and Stanford had an uncharacteristic
46.475.  It was a hit or miss night.  When the were good they were very,
very, good......  There was a three-way tie for first place between Mindy
Ornellas of CAL, Leah Homma of UCLA and Lenee Berumen of Denver (9.75).  But
when they were bad........  Falls on those double backs eroded the team
scores for CAL, Stanford and UCLA.  Stanford had to go with only 5 gymnasts,
as their tumbling tornado, Jene Elzie, was out of action with a sore knee.
        Mental lapses and concentration errors were the hallmark of the
night.  The difficulty, composition, choreography, elegance and amplitude
were all there, but so were those 'oh, so close' moments that ended in falls
and breaks.  As the season marches on, let's hope the confidence, and
precision march in.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 00:03:52 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: UF-NC State

To All:
 In the biggest win in the history of the North Carolina State women's
gymnastics program, the unranked Wolfpack stunned the #3-ranked University of
Florida Gators, 191.95-191.15.
 "David and Goliath? Yes, I think so," NC State Head Coach Mark Stevenson
said as his athletes continued to hug each other in celebration behind him.
"This is a real big step for us."
 Everything about the night was magical for Stevenson and the Wolfpack. It
was the first time the team had competed in the city's Civic Center, and it
was the first time the team had been televised. And more importantly, it was
the Wolfpack's first time to defeat a team from the mighty SEC during the
regular season. And the team did all this with its second-best athlete, Lisa
Donaldson, on the sidelines with a twisted ankle.
 "It was a good feeling to beat them," said Christi Newton, NC State's top
performer. "We've got the talent. We've just got to go out and hit."
 The Gators simply were tired. The meet was their third in six days in two
countries, and the fatigue showed in the Gators' six falls and rough
routines. Overconfidence also may have been a factor, Gator Head Coach Judi
Avener said.
 "This was a letdown," Avener said. "I wasn't too worried about the meet, and
maybe I should have been."
 Gator Kristen Guise was the meet's top all-arounder at 39.30, and she also
won bars (9.875) and tied for first place with Newton on vault (9.825) and
beam (9.9). Newton won the floor title with a full-in and a 9.875.
 Skill-wise, the most noteworthy routine was that of Wolfpack walk-on Emily
Bradsher on bars. She threw two "E" moves, including a giant-half to a piked
Yaeger and a double-layout dismount.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 95 11:22:46 EST
From: ***@eos.ncsu.edu
Subject: UF-NC State

> To All:
>  In the biggest win in the history of the North Carolina State women's
> gymnastics program, the unranked Wolfpack stunned the #3-ranked University of
> Florida Gators, 191.95-191.15.

Please forgive me, but. . . WOOF!  WOOF!  I was there, I was impressed
by our N.C. State team.  One of the gymnasts told me that Florida was #5
in the coaches' poll and that State was #23, though.

>  Everything about the night was magical for Stevenson and the Wolfpack. It
> was the first time the team had competed in the city's Civic Center, and it
> was the first time the team had been televised. And more importantly, it was
> the Wolfpack's first time to defeat a team from the mighty SEC during the
> regular season. And the team did all this with its second-best athlete, Lisa
> Donaldson, on the sidelines with a twisted ankle.

The meet was sponsored by Raleigh's _Then News & Observer_ newspaper,
which is why it was at the Civic Center.  (It was originally supposed to
be at our Reynold's Coliseum.)  The funny thing is that I could find
ZIPPOLA "Blues in the Saturday edition of the paper.  I was peeved.

[rest of post deleted]

 --Brent

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 20:44:49 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)

n the January 1995 issue of TECHNIQUE, the USAG began a serialization of its
Mission Statement and Strategic Plan, the result of 10 months worth of work.
As a part of its Mission Statement, the USAG included no less than 17
"visions of success," or strategic goals, that make up the Strategic Plan.
(If all of this is starting to sound like Pentagon gobbeldygook to you, bear
with me.)

What was included nowhere in these points was anything that may be remotely
deemed to support Collegiate gymnastics, as though it didn't exist. Nearly
every other facet was mentioned in point 9, which read:

     USAG will encourage and promote the development
     of a financially stable gymnastics industry, including
     private clubs, non-profit and public programs, and
     suppliers of gymnastics products and services."
  TECHNIQUE, January 1995, P. 31

Put quite simply, USAG is prepared to give more assistance to Reebok and
Gymkins than it is to collegiate level gymnastics. In that no small number of
Men's competitors are supported and developed in the NCAA, in that there are
NO programs for men over the age of 17 in the USAG, in that the vast majority
of Men's National Team members come from our nation's colleges and
universities, and in that Men's Gymnastics Progams nationwide are falling
under the Title IX ax, the failure of the USAG to place the support of Men's
Collegiate-level gymnastics is a travesty.

I would suggest mobilization. Anyone?

David

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 22:13:54 -0700 (MST)
From: ***@rmii.com
Subject: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)

| Gymkins than it is to collegiate level gymnastics. In that no small number of
| Men's competitors are supported and developed in the NCAA, in that there are
| NO programs for men over the age of 17 in the USAG, in that the vast majority

David, I'm sorry, but your post is just not true. Ron Galimore, USA
Gymnastics Men's Program Chair, worked very hard to save the NCAA
programs and is to be given much credit for the vote's success.  As
one person put it, he was "up to his earlobes" in the issue.  Many
coaches in the NCAA will vocalize this and credit him for spearheading
a strong cooperation from USAG with the NACGC Men's coaches.  His
efforts were appreciated and noted by numerous people that I have
spoken with.  Please do not let any ill feelings you have towards USAG
interfere with recognition of his strong participation on behalf of
USA Gymnastics to help save men's collegiate gymnastics, as his help
was most valuable and it would be a shame if he somehow got the
message that his hard work was ignored.

In addition, USAG does have programs for men over the age of 17.
Seventeen national team members currently receive thousands of dollars
in funding to train, from USA Gymnastics.  That to me seems like a
supportive program.  In addition, there are some strong clubs on the
national scene for men, noticeably Daggett's, Bart Conner Gymnastics
Academy, and of coures the well-known Gold Cup.  This does not compare
to the proliferation of women's gymnastics clubs but of course this is
because many of the athletes go to college programs.  In addition,
there is the strong program at the US Olympic Training Center.  USAG
hosts Div II/III collegiate gymnastics championships, and I can assure
you that men over the age of 17 do compete there.

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 20:35:56 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)

>non-profit and public programs

Although a supporting statement would have been nice, technically, NCAA could
fall under the above phrase.

Mara

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 2 Feb 1995 00:36:40 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USAG Future Plans dont include Men (enuf)

Rachele:

Your point is well taken about Ron's involvement, and I by no means meant to
belittle his efforts or cast aspersions on the results.

But look at this: these were efforts spearheaded by a man in the USAG who saw
clearly the need and did what was necessary.

More important,  you MUST see that the USAG's failure to pinpoint the problem
of the shrinking NCAA gymnastics program in their Strategic Plan while so
many other programs of lesser importance were featured so prominently. My
whole point is that in the wake of the efforts of people like Ron Galimore,
the organization has refused to recognize that this is a very real,
continuing problem. It is an insult to those in the ranks of the USAG who
have struggled on behalf of the Men.

Yes, I applaud Ron, and I did not forget him, hence the (enuf) at the end of
the subject line on my post. Ron cannot do it all himself. There needs to be
an organization-wide initiative that recognizes the impending threat to mens
gymnastics and reacts to it in a positive, coordinated manner. Ron and the
NCAA coaches need a consistent and organized effort if we are to continue to
draw our teams from the widest possible pool of contenders, the same as we do
with our magnificent women.

As to the USAG programs, there simply isn't enough. Seventeen National team
members and the relative handful of male gymnasts training at the USOTC doth
not an adequate program make. The USAG needs to be issuing guidelines to all
clubs and registered Men's Program professional members on conducting
club-level training and competitions in order to make up for the incredibly
shrinking NCAA. We are NOT going to compete with China, the Ukraine, Belarus,
and Russia with the status quo.

How are we going to see to it that Ron never has to go through such a
nightmare? How are we going to insure that the greatest possible number of
college-age male gymnasts get the opportunity to train and compete so that we
can draw from the widest possible pool?

Your points are well taken, but lets put the shoe on the other foot. Can we
really go on like this?

David

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 02:44:03 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USAIGC and USGF

What is the difference between USAIGC and USGF.  Are their benefits of
drawbacks to one or the other?

Thanks

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 30 Jan 1995 20:41:35 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USAIGC and USGF

The USGF (Now the USAG) is the official governing body of gymnastics in the
United States, and is the official affiliate for the United States of the
International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), the world's governing body for the
sport.

Affiliation with the USAG is not cheap, but in my opinion it brings to the
athlete/professional/club access to the best information on gymnastics
available anywhere, and it tends to be the governing body (at least here in
CA) of 90% of the meets held.

Affiliation with the USAIGC is somewhat less expensive, and a case can be
made that the insurance offered through their program is a better value than
that offered by the USAG.

Whether one makes more sense than the other tends to depend on what you are
looking for. For the record, we are USAG members and we have never felt the
need to join USAIGC. Some clubs, however, belong to both, and I know of one
club that joined the USAIGC first, then the USAG later.

Hope this was helpful.

David

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 00:44:50 -0500
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USAIGC and USGF

The USGF (which is now refered to as USA GYMNASTICS - or USAG) is the
national governing body of gymnastics in the United States.  It is the
responsibility of USAG to manage our national team and develop "standards" in
the gymnastics industry.  USAG now has in place a Safety Certification Course
(which is a must for professional coaches) and several Professional
Development Programs (PDP) to help raise the level of professionalism and
safety in America's gymnastics clubs, coaches and instructors. 

Traditionally a competition focused federation, USAG over the last several
years has done a great deal towards the development of recreational
gymnastics education and safety.  Steve Whitlock, the National Director of
Education for USAG, has been instrumental in helping lead this expansion of
knowledge in the industry.

Each year USAG holds the National Gymnastics Congress where anyone attending
can sit in on seminars by the nation's leaders in  gymnastics education,
coaching and sports science.  For more information call the USAG at
317-237-5050.

The USAIGC (United States Association of Independent Gymnastics Clubs) is a
private non-profit and membership optional organization that holds
educational seminars and organizes competitions for member clubs. 

For many years Mr. Ed Knepper, President of the USAIGC held three large and
well attended seminars every summer (one in the east, central, and western
areas of the U.S.).  Many gymnastics experts lectured and gave freely of
their experience and education to those lucky enough to attend. 

The last couple of years we have missed the large USAIGC seminars, which were
replaced with more frequent and localized visits by experts to many gyms
across the country.  This format has allowed many who couldn't get away for a
big event to still benifit in a local, shorter and more affordable one or two
day event.  For more information on the USAIGC call Ed Knepper at
302-656-3706.

Jeff

------------------------------

End of gymn Digest
******************************