| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Backhandspring Fears | 3/12/2007 |
Q: I am 16 years old and did gymnastics over the summer. I have a whole year to learn a backhandspring ...
A: In order to learn a back handspring, you will need a coach or spotter of some sort. A back ...
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| Hiya | 1/13/2007 |
Q: i have started a gym, and really like it there, but i'm doing stuff that i can already do, the girls ...
A: Unfortunately, I cannot give you a clear answer without seeing you perform the moves. It is ...
|
| flexibility | 12/12/2006 |
Q: I am a dance instructor from England and was wondering if you could give me some tips on how i can ...
A: Many thanks for your question. When it comes to flexibility, practice and time are key. When ...
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| gymnastics: dive roll & sommersault | 12/12/2006 |
Q: can the action for a dive roll take off be used as training to progress into a sommersault? if so ...
A: First of all, my apologies in the delay in getting back to you. Secondly, thanks for your ...
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| Mental blocks | 12/11/2006 |
Q: my daughter is 11 and a level 6 - she is stuck at 6 bc of her mental blocks with bakc tumbling. she ...
A: My apologies in the delay in getting back to you. I've been traveling internationally and access to ...
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| Full Spilt | 12/10/2006 |
Q: I was wondering what can I do to achieve the full split, I know how to do the Chinese splits and I ...
A: but I actually need some clarification in order to answer it. I have never heard of the term ...
|
| Learning to vault | 12/6/2006 |
Q: It is the level 5 vault, a front handspring. As near as I can tell, she's not getting over. I'm ...
A: There could be several reasons as to why your daughter is not getting the bounce she needs off of ...
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| Back Handspring | 12/4/2006 |
Q: My 11 year-old daughter has been working on her back handspring for about a year and a half. She ...
A: Being scared of a skill after a bad fall, unfortunately, is normal in gymnastics. The only way to ...
|
| Learning to vault | 11/30/2006 |
Q: My eight year old daughter has been in non-recreational gymnastics for about 18 months. She was ...
A: Before answering the question, I need to ask what vault she is trying to learn and what aspects of ...
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| kip | 11/28/2006 |
Q: My daughter is having a very hard time with the kip...at this point she is the only one in her team ...
A: A kip can be a very frustrating move to learn, but once you get it, you practically never lose it. ...
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| im so discouraged | 11/27/2006 |
Q: im discouraged my coach is always picking on me im 12 and im good but not so good she picks on me ...
A: I must ask, are you discouraged because your coach picks on you? Or are you discouraged because you ...
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| mental blocks | 11/20/2006 |
Q: My daughter is 8 years old and has been in competitive cheerleading now for 5 years. She also did ...
A: Many thanks for your question. Unfortunately, mental blocks are quite common in gymnastics and it ...
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| how | 11/20/2006 |
Q: can i improve on my upper body(arm strengh),for the level 5 routin on bars? also how many piont are ...
A: Unfortunately, I've been away from the sport for many years, so am not entirely knowledgeable on the ...
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| College gymnastics | 10/31/2006 |
Q: What level does the women gymnast need to be to become a collegiate gymanst. What skills are ...
A: A collegiate gymnast can be practically any level depending on what school she is competing for. ...
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| A few optional questions | 10/16/2006 |
Q: I have a few questions for you. I have been coaching for seven years and built the program I am ...
A: Below are my answers... Beam Backhandsprings: Hand placement is based on what feels most ...
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| Gymnast punishment? | 10/3/2006 |
Q: My daughter is 11-years old and in AAU Prep Op, she was in level 5 USA last season and just didn't ...
A: While coaches can be very strict at times, if what you've written is true, I do believe it may be a ...
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| age vs. level | 10/2/2006 |
Q: I am 16 going to be 17 and i am a level 6 gymnast. I know that I am extremely pushing the age limit ...
A: Some colleges will allow you to train with the team at times, it completely depends on the coach. ...
|
| a few questions | 9/25/2006 |
Q: Today I started learning a new mount and dismount on beam (I do high school gymnastics). The mount ...
A: Many thanks for your questions. Let me try and answer them one by one. Sounds as if you're very ...
|
| front walk over help! | 9/20/2006 |
Q: well i am doing gymnastics but i cant seem to come up from a brige posistion to a stand posistion. ...
A: To go from a bridge to a stand position takes quite a bit of flexibility, strength,and technique; ...
|
| MENTAL BLOCKS | 9/19/2006 |
Q: Do you have any advise on mental blocks? I'm a gym owner/coach & I have a lot of girls on my team ...
A: Mental blocks are certainly part of the sport of gymnastics. I had several when I was competing and ...
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| My Level | 9/10/2006 |
Q: I am 14 years old and have participated in gymnastics for 8 years, 4 years at a competitive gym, ...
A: Yes, I do believe that you can compete again. It is very difficult to say exactly what level you ...
|
| Back Walk Over | 9/3/2006 |
Q: I can not seem to go into a bridge with one foot in front of the other.. i have no problem haivng ...
A: When learning a back walkover, it is important that you have someone spotting you. The beginning ...
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| about forward walkover... | 8/30/2006 |
Q: i wanna ask how can i make the proper procedure.. of forward walkover.. i love that tumbling very ...
A: In order to learn a front walkover, you have to be flexible enough in both your back and shoulders. ...
|
| about stunts | 8/27/2006 |
Q: what are the stunts in gymnastics? what are those performed individually, by pair and group? can you ...
A: but I need some more clarification before answering. There are many stunts, which are normally ...
|
| Grips for young gymnist | 8/21/2006 |
Q: I have a five year old daughter who will be on the level 4 team in January. She spends 30 - 45 ...
A: Building up callouses on your hands (for a gymnast) is a good thing. You will always get the ...
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| Gymnastics vs. Acrobatics | 8/20/2006 |
Q: Ive always wanted to do gymnastics, and the studio i decided to go to only gives acrobatics...I ...
A: Acrobatics is somewhat similar to gymnastics in the sense that you are doing gymnastic type moves, ...
|
| straight legs | 8/17/2006 |
Q: My legs always bent and I don't point my toes. I am always losing marks. How can I fix this?
A: Apparently, this site was down for a bit. In regards to your question, unfortunately, the only way ...
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| Weigh-In | 8/15/2006 |
Q: What are the most important and effective things to do the day of weigh-in to stay where you need to ...
A: Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing effective that you can do the day of weigh-in to make a ...
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| problems | 8/11/2006 |
Q: what i've come to realize with the head coach and the other coaches for that matter is that they are ...
A: Well, there are really only two ways to solve this problem. One way, is to just accept their ...
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| problems | 8/10/2006 |
Q: i have been at a new gym for 6 weeks now and i hate it!! im not quite sure why though. i love the ...
A: First, you need to take a step back and take a deep breath. Things are never as bad as they seem ...
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| pak salto | 8/8/2006 |
Q: Do you have any good drills in helping the girls finish in a support on the low bar? I've worked ...
A: Sounds to me like it is a repetition issue or the problem could be extending from fear of possibly ...
|
| . | 8/3/2006 |
Q: Is there any streches for your lower back? Do you have any tips for an airel i have enough height ...
A: As for stretches for your lower back, I assume you want to know for the arching direction, correct? ...
|
| sqaut on | 8/2/2006 |
Q: there not mad that im not doing the move becuase im am its just that im afraid when they watch me do ...
A: Bridget- As I mentioned before, if it is mental you can try visualizatin exercises. It may seem ...
|
| Roundoff backhandspring | 8/1/2006 |
Q: Well I really need help getting confidence to do a roundoff backhandspring. All my coaches say that ...
A: The only way to really get a skill is repetition. I can understand how your mind plays tricks with ...
|
| Gymnastic back handspring (backflip) | 8/1/2006 |
Q: I am 12 years old and I am currently trying to learn a back flip. I can alreany do backwalkovers but ...
A: Are you talking about doing a back flip or a back handspring? The normal progression after learning ...
|
| sqaut on | 7/31/2006 |
Q: im trying to go eight this competition season and im doing really good so far but i have this one ...
A: First of all, you should not be afraid to make a mistake in front of your coaches. They are there ...
|
| bridge | 7/31/2006 |
Q: I can push up into a bridge position, but my legs are bent. How do I get them to unbend? Do I just ...
A: Yes, you do need to develop more flexibility in your back, but also your shoulders. Praticing the ...
|
| Level 4 vault drills | 7/28/2006 |
Q: I am a level 4/5 team coach and I'm looking for some good drills for the level 4 front handspring ...
A: You can also have your girls do drills on the trampoline. Not sure if you have one of those tumble ...
|
| walkovers..etc | 7/27/2006 |
Q: Okay well im 13 currently working level 6. Im having MAJOR trouble on back walkover on beam. My ...
A: In order to increase flexibility in your shoulders, you need to do stretching exercises. Take an ...
|
| how do i do a backwards walkover | 7/26/2006 |
Q: I am not in any level in Gymnastics but I can do a cartwheel forward roll, handstand, bend back into ...
A: First, in regards to the back walkover, since you can already do a back bend, the next step is to ...
|
| standing handspring | 7/24/2006 |
Q: I'm a JV cheerleader at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, CT. We are a very competitive team and ...
A: Truly the only way to build confidence to do a skill is repetition. You must repeat the skill so ...
|
| upper body strength | 7/24/2006 |
Q: My daughter will be 9 next month and is trying her hardest to get to Level 4 after moving from level ...
A: Keeping up strength is very important during the break, though I would recommend giving your ...
|
| good form for a bhs | 7/23/2006 |
Q: I have no idea how long I've been doing backhandsprings, but i dont compete,i just want good form, ...
A: In order to get better form, you need to go back to the basics of the move. I would suggest that ...
|
| Dance | 7/11/2006 |
Q: I have just recently began coaching level 4 and 5. These girls have never taken a dance class, and I ...
A: It is ok for these girls to take dance class and in fact, I would recommend it depending on what ...
|
| how to | 7/11/2006 |
Q: I am on a allstar cheerleading team and i want to learn how to do a backhandspring or at least a ...
A: Since I do not know your current level it is difficult for me to answer whether you can get these ...
|
| Bent arms | 7/10/2006 |
Q: My daughter just turned 7 and passed Level 4 just two months ago. She was placed on Level 4/5 ...
A: This is a very difficult one to answer because I have not seen the extent to which your daughter's ...
|
| Illusion turns for the first time | 7/6/2006 |
Q: there! I'm wondering how to do illusion turns. I've watched my friend do them over and over, but I ...
A: This question is not very easy to answer over email as an illusion turn must be taught in person in ...
|
| Backhandspring | 7/4/2006 |
Q: I just cant seem to get my backhandspring.I can do it on the trampoline but when it come to the ...
A: It's actually quite difficult to answer since I am not sure where your exact problem lies. I can ...
|
| Back-hand Spring trouble | 7/4/2006 |
Q: I have been working on my back-hand spring for a while along with my roundoff back-hand spring. My ...
A: I am unsure as to why your coaches are telling you to keep your head in, as that would be unnatural ...
|
| Vault, half-on half-off | 7/4/2006 |
Q: At the recreational club my daughter attends they have just started teaching beyond handspring ...
A: I have actually seen this move performed both ways. However, if the gymnast wants to progress ...
|
| change from cheerleading to gymnastics | 7/2/2006 |
Q: my name is jana and i'm 16 years old. I have been a cheerleader for 6 years. i started working on my ...
A: To answer some of them.... - You are not too tall to do the sport. I had a teammate who was 5'10" ...
|
| Mental Block | 6/28/2006 |
Q: My daughter has excelled in gymnastics since she first stared competing as a 6 year old level 4. She ...
A: Getting over a mental block can be one of the most difficult things in sports, especially ...
|
| Levels | 5/30/2006 |
Q: I have been tumbling for a while. (I'm currently working on full twists) I'm interisted in ...
A: Unfortunately, I cannot help you with this as the rules and qualifications have changed since my ...
|
| grips | 5/17/2006 |
Q: What is your opinion about whether or not team level gymnasts should wear grips? We are considering ...
A: I did wear grips when I was training and found it to be much easier to perform skills with them. ...
|
| elite gymnasts | 5/16/2006 |
Q: I'm just doing an assignment on the energy intake needs of elite artistic gymnasts and I need to do ...
A: Unfortunately, I don't know of any sites that would list the kind of information you are looking ...
|
| Motivation? | 5/9/2006 |
Q: My daughter just competed at level 8 Regionals. This was her first year as a level 8. She had a ...
A: When your daughter says that she really loves the sport, I have to wonder what she loves about it. ...
|
| beam back walkover bank handspring | 4/20/2006 |
Q: My daughter is a level 8, but for this past season would not do her back walkover back handspring on ...
A: Question for you, can she do the series on a floor? If she can, then the problem has nothing to do ...
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| Back Handspring? | 4/5/2006 |
Q: My daughter is 6 years old, and is currently in a rec. program. However, she is pretty good but is ...
A: Yes, you are doing the correct drills, but it is very difficult to learn a trick such as a back ...
|
| flips | 3/29/2006 |
Q: what is the best way to learn how to do a front flip and a back flip. Can you tell me how to do ...
A: First of all, my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I have not been able to load this ...
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| The cost of being a gymnast | 3/20/2006 |
Q: My daughter is 4 1/2. She has been involved in gymnastics in one form or another since she was 2. ...
A: To answer your first one, having your daughter in a training program for 2.5 hours/week is plenty ...
|
| cool | 2/21/2006 |
Q: that is so kool how do u flip in the air?i'm in gymnastics and the only thing i can do is a back ...
A: If you can already do a back and front tuck then you are already on your way to doing flips in the ...
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| bar routine for level 7, 8 | 2/14/2006 |
Q: My daughter who is level 7 has no problem to kip to handstand to get ready for a giant but she does ...
A: They are actually not very easy to answer without seeing your daughter do the tricks, but I can make ...
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| Capital cup format | 2/8/2006 |
Q: My daughter is level 4, non sanctioned and will be going to a meet and it said that all levels will ...
A: I'm sorry, but I have never heard this term before. Since there are so many levels it may be ...
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| Capital cup format | 2/6/2006 |
Q: What is meant when a meet says it will be in Capital Cup format?
A: but unfortunately I need more information in order to answer it if I even can. Can you please tell ...
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| vault: half on, full off | 1/27/2006 |
Q: when i do the half on, according to my coach, i've got enough power to do the whole thing but i tend ...
A: It is difficult to answer it without really being able to see you do the move. But I can guess that ...
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| splits | 1/23/2006 |
Q: mkay.. i am a figure skater and i need to be more flexible.. i would lke to get my splits so i can ...
A: Yes, there is a stretching technique you can use to improve your splits. First of all, stretching ...
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| how to do splits | 1/13/2006 |
Q: Thankyou regards Daniel
A: A pike stretch is when you sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. You ...
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| Back Handspring | 1/9/2006 |
Q: I really want to learn a back handspring by cheerleading tryouts in late May. I take group lessons ...
A: Yes, I do believe it is possible to learn a back handspring by late May. However, as you mentioned ...
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| hands turned outward on backhandspring | 12/27/2005 |
Q: My 7 year old daughter has just learned to do her backhandspring and in the beginning when she was ...
A: There are many different techniques that one can use when performing a back handspring. Whether ...
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| Hi I am young and would like... | 12/22/2005 |
Q: thanx!!!!
A: Tsuk is the correct way to spell it, but it is actually short for tsukahara (the person the move is ...
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| back tuck | 12/8/2005 |
Q: I am instructing high school cheerleaders and have no training mats or devices except the standard ...
A: Yes, rotation seems to be the main problem when learning a standing back tuck. This skill can be ...
|
| Gymnastics and growth | 10/26/2005 |
Q: Does gymnastics stunt your growth? I know it delays maturation and puberty, but is there any ...
A: Greetings Theresa- Thanks for your questions. There is no researched evidence that gymnastics ...
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| Fear/Bars | 10/15/2005 |
Q: A level 6 girl at our gym is having a major fear issue with the level 6 fly away on bars. She was ...
A: In a sport such as gymnastics, there will of course be many mistakes made and there is no way aound ...
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| How is gymnastics educational? | 9/27/2005 |
Q: How is gymnastics considered educational? I have an award for "educational purposes" that I am ...
A: Gymnastics is extremely educational as the sport teaches you the disciplines of life, such as hard ...
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| Gymnastics levels | 9/26/2005 |
Q: I would really appreciate it if you could help
A: Unfortunately, I can't help too much with this question because the levels have changed since I ...
|
| Aerials | 9/17/2005 |
Q: I am interested in learning how to do aerials. Do you know how to do them?
A: Yes, I do know how to do aerials and have taught them in the past, but the problem is that I do not ...
|
| Olympic team members and Nat'ls? | 8/1/2005 |
Q: This is kind of random, but I was reading through the list of competitors for Nationals this month ...
A: Unfortunately, I really don't know why there are no Olympic team members planning to compete at ...
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| Hand placement | 7/20/2005 |
Q: I am looking to find the standard for hand placement when performing walkovers, and handsprings on ...
A: I first want to apologize for my delay in answering your question. I'm currently living in China ...
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| life after gymnastics | 5/31/2005 |
Q: do you find that when gymnast's exit the sport they loose their direction in life or would you say ...
A: The direction in life a former gymnast takes after gymnastics completely depends on the individual. ...
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| tall gymnast | 1/26/2005 |
Q: My daughter is a 15 year old level 8 gymnast, she is a decent competitor. She would like to pursue ...
A: Yes, colleges will consider your daughter as height has little to do in their decision making ...
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| Transitioning from Compulsory to Optional | 12/22/2004 |
Q: I am a coach of a program that in the past has only had gymnasts up to USAG level 6. I have two ...
A: Answers to your questions are aas follows: 1) I am not sure about the age of these girls, but if ...
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| going to a gym | 11/14/2004 |
Q: After watching the summer olympics I regretted quitting gymnastics...i did it when i was 7 and only ...
A: I should start by saying that it will be very difficult for you to learn the sport by yourself ...
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| help! | 9/19/2004 |
Q: hey, i dont know if you'll have an answer to this, but every time i do back handsprings and stuff, ...
A: Unfortunately, I can't be of much help in this department, since I don't have a medical background. ...
|
| giants | 9/8/2004 |
Q: i did gymnastics for 7 years but i quit due to knee problems. i was out for 3 years and just ...
A: Yes, there are tips to try and get your giant back, but I'm not exactly sure what you are terrified ...
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| Asprin | 9/2/2004 |
Q: Is it true that before/during competions, the gymnasts cannot take asprin and other medicines as ...
A: It is true that gymnasts, and many other athletes, can not take certain drugs prior and during ...
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| gymnastics stunts | 8/30/2004 |
Q: How many basic stunts are there in gymnastics?
A: I'd like to answer your question, but need more information in order to do so. There are many basic ...
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| Beginning gymnast | 8/24/2004 |
Q: I have a daughter who is 9. I placed her in a basic gymastics class to assist with her ...
A: Greetings Marcy- Thanks for your question. I'm glad to her that your daughter is really ...
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| rips | 8/21/2004 |
Q: My daughter is a level 6 USAG gymnast. We are entering the height of meet season and are coming up ...
A: Unfortunately, getting rips and blisters are part of the sport. Before your daughter builds up the ...
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| How is it that Gymnists performing... | 8/20/2004 |
Q: How is it that Gymnists performing in the olympics all seem to be so small (short) and compact. For ...
A: Most gymnasts are very compact, that is the norm for being a gymnast. Khorkina's body type is ...
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| The Body of Gymnasts | 8/16/2004 |
Q: Hey, How's it going? I've been watching the Olympic gymnastics competition (mostly the women's, as ...
A: No, the gymnasts have no surgery done to their bodies to be the way that they are. Gymnasts have ...
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| rhythmic gymnastics | 8/10/2004 |
Q: I would like to know everything about rhythmic gymnastics. World's best athletes; what outfits do ...
A: Unfortunately, I have no training in rhythmic gymnastics, but only artistic gymnastics. I have ...
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| Floor music | 7/12/2004 |
Q: I am 14 years old, and i am going to level 7 starting this september. I dont like any of the music ...
A: First of all, I want to apologize for my tardy response. I have been having trouble with my e-mail ...
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| Basic Casting | 6/28/2004 |
Q: For some reason I am having trouble doing a simple cast on the low bar. I used to be able to do it, ...
A: I'm not quite sure why your coach is telling you to bend your arms and legs more when preparing to ...
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| Music | 5/22/2004 |
Q: I have my first gym competition in September. I need some music for my pairs sports acro routine. ...
A: Cahterine- Unfortunately, I can't be of much help, especially because of your location. However, ...
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| Spotting and pushing the gymnasts | 5/17/2004 |
Q: How do you know when to stop spotting a gymnast? How do you push a gymnast? How do you make ...
A: Jessica- There is no one specific time when to stop spotting a gymnast, it is completely situation ...
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| Eating and Athletes | 3/31/2004 |
Q: I am doing a research paper on Athlete's with eating disorders and was wondering if you could answer ...
A: ..I'll answer them chronologically...but I am unclear about a main point. When you say "athletes" ...
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| Eating Disorders in gymnasts | 4/27/2003 |
Q: I asked you some questions about gymnasts and eating disorders. I accidently gave the wrong e-mail ...
A: Just an FYI...that I don't have any control over to which e-mail address this answer gets ...
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