Gymnast Magazine - February 1972

February /

1972 /

75¢

Group Sports Rapidly Increasing .....

• ••• •

Girls' "Modern Gymnastics"

The growth of group and team sports, particularly girls, is creating a lot of excitment among girl students who have always wished to participate.

'Modern Gymnastics', which arrived here from Europe, is rapidly becoming the most popular of the girls' team sports.

The investment involved to either the student of school is very low and the girls participate in an excellent physical fittness

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program which does not require extreme physical exertion.

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REPORT FROM:

TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume XIV / Number 2 / February 1972

THE PUBLISHER JAPANESE USA TOUR: At press time we were still receiving photos and reports concerning the Japanese Gymnastic Team tour of the USA. The success of the immeadiate tour, the impact on the audiences and the carryover values for the USA National program seemed to surpass the wildest dreams of all involved . It was another step forward for the growing enthusiasm for the sport of Gymnastics in America today, not just among the participants, but also among the vast TV popularity our sport has developed over the past few years . ... Cathy Rigby is becoming a household name synonymous with gymnastics across ou r nation.

People who heretofore may have thought of Gymnastics as a mass of people jumping up and down, now see it as the beautiful individual expression of movement, feeling and skill so aptly viewed today . We are sure after the TV showing of the JAPAN USA Compet ition (scheduled for April on ABC) the names of Nakayama, Kasamatsu and Tsukahara, along with Moore and Pierce will take on added significance with the general public and that the list of names, expressions, events and moves will not be limited to a core of elite followers( such as our GYMNAST subscribers) and the knowledgeable audiences of Penn State University.

THIS YEAR! More than ever before is the year for the big growth in the sport of Gymnastics. Everyday we hear of new programs, new clubs being formed, old programs and gyms reactivated along with new interests in competitive and technical aids, plus the increasing number of summerGymnasticCamps popping up allover the country. The fantastic Japanese Tour and the forthcoming Summer Olympics to be held in Munich, Germany at the end of August just add adrenalin to the already rapid pulse of our growing sport.

With YOUR AID the GYMNAST would like to add more fuel to the growth pattern of Gymnastics in America for 1972. If you have a local Gymnastic Newsletter, do not limit it to your club, gymnasts and coaches , but place it in the waiting rooms of Medical buildings, Doctors offices, company reception rooms, libraries etc., let the people in your area know YOU ARE AROUND. To help in your service program to makeyourfriends aware of Gymnastics we will send an introductory subscription to the next three editions of GYMNAST for just one dollar to each name you send us along with a notice stating that this is a three issue introductory gift subscription to: .. . ...... ..... (their name) from GYMNAST subscriber . .. .. . . . ....... (your name).

THIS SPECIAL Introductory subscription offer is NOT for the coach, gymnast or official in your area{we would like to assume they are already subs cribers), but this is a GYMNAST public relations program to stimulate interest and Gymnastic knowledge to your friends, neighbors and relatives interested in Gymnastics but not actively participating. we at GYMNAST realize that the more the general public(your friends, neighbors and relativ es) know about the sport of Gymnastics, the more support and enthusiasm will be generated for your local program and our National Teams. Working together we can help stimulate this interest and support at all levels for "GYMNASTICS, The Beautiful Sport."

NEXT EDITION: More photos and reports on the Japanese USA Tour.

4

FROM THE PUBLISHER, Glenn Sundby

6

LETTERS

7

GYMNASTICS WITH LOURIE, Rodney C. Hill

8

NAMES 'N NEWS

9

VIEWPOINTS, Dick Criley

10 GYMNASTICS: A PATH TO THE ARTISTIC LIFE, Daniel J. Millman 12 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GYMNASTIC CLINIC

WOMEN'S

14 TWO STEPS FORWARD - STEP BACK, Herb Vogel 16 1972 JAPAN USA TOUR, Frank Bare 20 SAN FERNANDO V ALLEY STATE COLLEGE 23 CALIFORNIA STATE COLLEGE AT FUllERTON 28 CHICAGO 29 TEMPLE UNIVERSITY 30 PENN STATE 32 JAPANESE-AMERICAN COACHES INTERVIEW 33 NEWS 'N NOTES, Renee P. Hendershott 36 37 38 39 40

INSTRUCTIONAL: PRINCIPLES OF JUMPING AS THEY RELATE TO GYMNASTICS, Renee P. Hendershott A CINEMATORGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE VALDEZ, Ronald Byrd and Peter Everett HELEN'S CORNER, Helen Sjursen V ARIA TIONS OF ROLL TO ARCH OUT, Helen Sjursen BEGINNER HORIZONTAL BAR ROUTINE, Jerry Wright SKILLS FROM START TO FINISH, Don Tonry

44 BOOK REVIEW 46 CALENDAR COVER: Center the Japanese Team arrival at the Los Angeles Intemational Airport and scenes from their Competitions across the USA.

Publisher: Glenn Sundby Associate Editors Jack Medina Dick Criley Rich Grigsby Jerry Wright

Gerald George Don Tonry A.B. Frederick Rod Hill

Renee Hendershott Helen Sjursen Marialice Carter (More to come)

GYMNAST magaZine is published by Sundby Publications, 410 Broadway, Santa Monica, Ca. 90401. Second Class Postage paid at Santa Monica, Ca. published monthly except bi-monthly June, July, August and September. Price 75¢ a single copy. Subscription correspondence, GYMNAST - P.O. Box 110, Santa Monica, Ca. 90406. Copyright1972~ all rights reserved by SUNDBY PUBLICATIONS, 410 Broadway, Santa Monica, Ca. All photos and manuscripts submitted become the property of GYMNAST unless return request and sufficient postage are included .

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LETIERS:

Be a"NAME DROPPER" MENTION

t:~"fU~ known and preferred 'round the world!

Dear MS. Sundby: I had to wr ite to you rega rding an unu sual circlimsta nce. My daug hter just recently received he r first copy (after a long wa it and many letters). I happ ened to look at the copy (Sept.-Oct.) and noti ced the following on yo ur masthead page: " One su ch fea ture will be a fictional se ri es by coach Rod Hill ," Gymnastics with Lorie" My name is Rod Hill ... My daug hters ' name is Laurie!

Laurie atte nded the nation a l summer palaestrum ca mp in 1970 and is now the manager of the boys gymnastics team at New Rochelle, N.Y. Hi gh Schoo l.

Sin ce re ly you rs, Rod Hill New Ro chelle, N.Y. Your middle initial doesn' t happen to be 'C'n? .. ed.

Dear Editor : I would li ke to thank Edward Bailey for th e comp liment he pa id to me printed in the Sept.-Oct. 1971 Mme G. issue . So for him the fo ll owing are the stick figures of Judy Putnams mount de scribed on page 25 of Mme . G. • May-Jun e 1971 issue.

!

Wherever coaches meet nd gymnasts compete ...

I M MASTER is first,' ice in gymnastic i ment, built to,'rigid tional competition.

.c= Take off under LB with Y2 twist

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Raise legs up and over LB

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Helen Sjurse n Fanwood , N.J.

Dear readers: Miss jeannette jay, one of our new 'Gymnast' contributors will be starting a column for the ladies called " Dear Jea nn ette" • . . below are a couple of examples of letters • .. If you have some questions to " Ask jeanette" send them on to her at: 1482 Alabama Ave.,Pittsburgh, Penna. 15216••. and the most interesting will be published in the 'Gymnast'.

Dea r Jeanette: Do yo u think fe male coaches are as good as male coaches?

Ans: no not really, I think it kind of balances out. Women are good on style and dance, like on floor and beam and men are good spotters especially in bars, vaulting, and tumbling.

Personally I think us female have mc-e patience!

Dear Jeanette: I have been doing gy mn astics forB yea rs a nd I don 't seem to be gett ing anyw here, do I need a new coach? or shou ld I just g ive up a ltogeth e r?

Ans: no. 1 - Do you practice daily at least 2 to 4 hours? Do you know anything about your coaches background!? Are you in it to be a Natn'l champion? Or just for the fun of it. Lots of it depends on you, a good gymnast doesn't need to have a coach there every single minute.

Then if you're still not getting anywhere, why don't you take up weight lifting?

6

Mrs. Corbet look ed at the young man before her a nd sm il ed. From the stands he had looked o ld er than he now appeared .. He was slightly taller than h er, and his blue eyes lit up as he smi led a nd said , " I' m always looking for more talent." " It lo oks like yo u already have a great deal here," said Mrs. Corbet as she returned the smile.

Mister Mason said , "Tr ue , but we can always use more. Is this the daughter you're talking about? "

GYMNASTICS WITH LOURIE By Rodney C. Hill

Hy'es."

Looking at the slim girl before him, Mister Mason said, " Has she done anything in the spo rt ?" " No. This was our first experience in gymnastics. " To Lourie he sa id , " You think you'd like to try it, huh? " II Yes. "

Illustrations by Marialice Carter "The nineteen seventy-one State Champion in the Open Division is Sylv ia Gearhart. " Lour ie Corbet sat with her mother, in the upper section of the high schoo l bleachers, watching, as Sylvia wa lked across th e gymnas ium floor toward the victory platform.

Mom e nts later, as the audience applauded their approva l, the young gymnast mounted th e platform to take her place behind the sign procl a iming her No.1 in the State.

Lo uri e added her app lause to th e hundreds around her. For the past three hours she had seen Sylvia com pete against the best the State had to offer, a nd as the da y progressed , it becam e more and more obvious that she was No.1.

Mrs. Corbet look e d at her yo ung daughter and smiled . " Are yo u glad she won? " " Yes. "

" Do you still think yo u 'd lik e to become a gymnast? " The brown-headed, blue-eyed, slim-figure d , 10-yea r-old girl smi led broadl y and sa id , " Yes, ca n I?" Mrs . Corbet, a young-looking woman of twenty-n in e, had to laugh at the enthusiasm of her daughter. She said, " That 's one of the reason s we came here. First to see if we like the sport, then if we did , to find out how to get you into it. It 's obvious that we both like it, now for the second part, wh ich might b e the ha rd es t. " The mother and daughter sat looking at the remaining activ ities on the flo or for seve ra l minutes. They knew from t he day' s act ivities that Sylvia Gearhart was a member of a loca l team , named the Mason GymClub. The Mason Group won the all- around titles in eac h of the four age groups, and th e Sta te Team Titl e. Even though she was not a n experienced gymnastics observer, it was obvious to Mrs. Corbet that the Mascn Group was by fa r the best in the gymnastics.

As the ceremonies on the floor e nded and the gymnasts were surrounded by groups of a dmirers, Mrs. Corbet said , " Let 's go down and see if we can get you in. " Lou rie stood and anxiously fo llowed h er mother down the stairs to the gymnasium floor.

They h es itated for a moment, then walked over to the crowd around Sylvia. After severa l moments, the young gymnast was free . Mrs.

Corbet said, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Sylvia turned and smil ed as she sa id, "Sure. " " First let me say that we enjoyed watching yo u and the other girls today. It's the first gy mnastic meet we've eve r been to, and we found it very exciting." " I'm glad . We need more people lik e you to take the time to co me out and see the sport.

Then we'd have more supporters."

Looking around at the sta nd s which were no w nearl y empty, Mrs. Corbet co ntinu ed, " You had a real good c rowd today." " Yes," said Sylvia . " But this was the State Meet. At the other meets the crowds sometimes are not ve ry good . In fact , some times they're practically non-existent. " " That 's too bad because it 's reall y a beautiful sport. " "Aga in we ag ree ," laughed Sylvia.

Mrs. Corbet put her around Lourie's shou ld er and said, " We certa inl y do. In fact , so much so th at I want to see about getting my daughter in . That 's th e main reason we came down to talk to you, to see if you cou ld give us so me information on how to go about it."

Sylvia smiled at Lourie and said, " Have yo u ever done any gymnastics?"

Lourie turned and looked at her mother, then back to Sylvia as she said, " No. " Looking at Mrs. Corbet, Sylvia said, " How a bout dance? " t/ No, "

" Howald are you?" Sylvia again directed her quest ion to the you ng er girl. elTe n, "

" That 's a good age to sta rt. I wish I could ha ve started at that age."

"Howa ld were you?" asked Mrs. Corbet. " Thirteen. " "You 've done pretty good." " Not bad , but it cou ld have been better. But to answer your quest ion . The first thing you should do is talk to Mister Mason." Sylvia looked around and said, "He's cleani ng up some tables over there now. Come on over, a nd I' ll introdu ce you to him."

Lourie and he r mother followed Sylvia across the nearly empty floor. When they were sta nding in front of Mister Mason, Sylvia said, "T hi s lad y wants to get her daughter into gymnastics. "

"Good. Let's take a moment and see what kind of natural talent you have ."

Mister Mason took Lourie's hand in his and walked out onto the light green free exercise pad. He asked , "Have you ever done a back bend? " HYes." "Let's see it."

Lourie stood with her feet slightly spread apa rt and slow ly bent backward . When her hands were on the floor, Mister Mason stood looking at a nearly perfect backbend. He helped her back to her feet and said, " How abou t the splits? " " I ca n 't do them ." " Let's see how close you are."

Louri e lowered her body into the splits.

When she was about six inches from the floor, she stopped and said , " That's as far as I can go."

Mister Mason smiled and said, "That's fine .

Now come here."

Louri e followed him across the floor to the uneven bars. Hhere he said, " I want you to do some pullups. " Mister Mason helped the small girl up to the high bar, then watched as she easily performed three pullups. " That 's fine," he said, and helped he r back to the mat.

Louri e and the coach walked back to stand in . front of Mrs. Corbet. Mister Mason said , "She has some fine natural talent. Her body is good for the sport, and she seems to have a good mind. Actually that 's the only unknown factor at this point. If she has drive and desire, and can learn discipline, then I think I can make a darn good gymnast out of her. If she doesn ' t, then it 's ha rd to say." " I noticed she doesn't have the splits," said Mrs. Corbet. " Those are needed, aren't they?"

"Yes. But splits are something that ca n be learned . If she had a bad back , then we'd have prob'l ems. The splits and strength for bars ca n be developed, but a back cannot be helped very much if it's really bad." " You think she has a good back for the sport?"

"Ve ry good," said Mister Mason. " Would you be willing to coach her? " Looking at Lourie, Mister Mason said, " Do you want to work?"

Smiling at the man before her, Lourie said, "Yes. " " Th en I'd be willing to help you."

Mrs. Corbet winked at her daughter, then sa id to the coac h, "W hat do we have to do?" " Our gymnasium is located in the Baker Shopping Center. We took over one of the old department sto res. There's a big sign on the front so you can ' t miss it. Have Lourie over continued on page 42

7

NAMES 'N NEWS NEW

REGIONAL REPORTERS GYMNAST

FOR

THE

Reporting for Pennsylvania, West Virginia , Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C. w ill be MissJeannette Jay of Pittsburgh, Pa. Jeannette Jay is the owner and director of the National Schoo l of Gymnastics in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She was a member of the Buffalo Turners for 10 years. She was also Polish Falcons ' Nat ional Gymnastic and Diving Champ ion and a member of the USA Tumbling Team coached by A I Stumph in 1959 . Miss Jay also competed in International competition . ..

USA vs. Canada in 1959.

Miss Jeannette Jay 1482 Alabama Ave. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15216 Reporting for New England , New York, and New Jersey wi ll be David Reeves, current ly coaching the young Go ld ettes team in Livingston , New Jersey, as we ll as instructing at three YMCA's. He is a member of the Jersey Shore Board of Women Officials and hold s a region al USGF / DGWS judges' s card. He is also Competitions Chairman of the New Jersey Gymna stics A ssociation .

Mr. David Reeves 29 Nassau Rd. Upper Montclair, New Jersey 07043 Reporting for our Southern States in USGF Region s 3 an d 8 is Mar ialice Carter who has performed as a d ancer with the Shreveport Civic Ballet, th e A rkansas State Ballet, and the Baton Rouge Bal let theatre. She attended School of Art and Drama in Little Rock Arkansas and th en L.S. U. as a fi ne arts major. She and her hu sband originated the Panama City Tumbl ers program , They now operate their own " Mademo isel le Gym Club" in Panama City.

They have compet iti ve programs for both boys and girls. Not on ly will Mrs. Carter be reporting for The Gymnast, but she w ill be contributing her art work for our new column, Gymnastics w ith Lorie written by coach Rod Hill.

Mrs. Marialice Carter 2405 Stanford Rd. No. 120 Panama City, Florida 32401 Reporting from our Western States in USGF Regions 1 and 2 wi ll be Chery l Wagner who holds a USGF / DGWS Nationa l Judges rating .

She is very active in teaching judging in California and is soon to be the Co-Editor of THE CAL IFOR NIA GYMNASTICS NEWSLETTER .

M rs. Cheryl Wagner 185 West Celeste Ave. Fresno, California 93704 These four peop le wil l be looking to you for information on meet and clinic dates and writeups . Meet results, interesting writeups about meets or c1in ics you ha ve attended , new sy items about people known to us all, and pictur es -pictures-pictures! They must get their materi al in to u s by the 21st of the month preceding pub li cation , so be sure to get your information to them on time .

If you are doing a writeup, it would be very help ful if you wou ld type it and double space it.

If you are se nding us dates, be sure and in clud e a contact.

REMEMBER . . . WE CAN MOVE THE NEWS FASTER ... IF YOU HELP US PUSH! Coordinating the efforts of these four reporters is Renne Hendershott.

Any information from USGF Regions 4 and 5 (Midwest) should be sent directly to her. Also anyone wishing to write articles for the women ' s section of The Gymnast should submit their material directly to her. She would like each potential author to list possible titles in order for her to plan a good progression of material. All articles shou ld be typed and double-spaced. Drawings and photographs are we lcome. Send " Letters to Editor" to her also.

We would like to start a monthly " Gym-Chat" co lumn in which we wi ll include, short in sp irin g slogans, cartoons, short poems, bits of wisdom . . all submitted by yo u . . . our readers . . . for others to share.

Mrs. Renne P. Hendershott 17615 Fries Avenue Lakewood, Ohio 44107

TERRY SPENCER VOWS RETURN despite broken back

next moment, became enchaineci by confus ion, pain and fear. This began a sequence of events far more important to me than the glory of Olympic team membership.

"My return to reality came when I realized that unidentifiable faces looking down at me were those of my teammates and the hands that cradled my head were those of my coach( Herb Vogel) . Only then was I allowed to know him as he really is ... if his eyes, vo ice or hands could heal , then healed I wou ld have been .. . " The next morning . . . flowers from the team. .. plus gifts, flowers , cards and calls from students and community people I didn't even know . .. " Once I thought that standing on the victory platform at the Olympic Games might be the ultimate experience. But finding out that people do care about other people has now erased that thought . . .

After only 11 days in the hospital, Terry put on a hefty and painful brace and started walking around. She knows now she w ill never make an Olympic team . She couldn't possibly stay in shape until 1976. H er moment has passed. Everyone told her to quit and just be thankful she can walk.

But,recently Terry decided as soon as the brace comes off sh e is going to start again. She is go in g back into rigorous training and try to make the U.S. team for the 1973 World University Games to be held in Moscow.

Terry Spencer is a very brave and courageous girl indeed and her determination to continue in gymnastics and stri ve for future championship goals attests to this fact .. '. Best of luck Terry.

U.S. T. A. TUMBLING RULES

TERRY SPENCER Terry Spencer of SIU had her Olympic dreams shattered in February when she seriously injured her back from a falloff the uneven parallels which resulted in a comp ression fracture of her 11th dorsal vertebrae. Upon recovery she should be as good as new, but only time and faith will tell.

Terry who now has had her Olympic hopes dashed a second time&an ankle sprain kept her out of the final trials for Mexico), has discovered there is more to ath leti cs than winning and losing.

The following letter by Terry, printed in a Carbondale, III. newspaper, came to our attentio n and we believe. it warrents a second printing.

"About one week ago all I had worked for and dreamed about since my ninth b irthda y came to an end.

"Suddenly, by 'accident,' I became aware the most important event in my life would not be a trip to Munich , Germany, as a member of the United States Olympic team .

A lso, by ' accident,' I began to discover that in my disappointment, loneliness and physical discomfort, an important event in mylife had occurred. Due to the accident, I was given the opportunity to measure my fellow man. " Only moments earlier, I had experienced the indescribable freedom of gymnastics. The

A committee on tumbling ga rth ered in Geneva, Ohio recent ly to formulate tumbling rules Which wi ll be used for future tumbling competitions. These ru les are now complete and ready for distribution to members of the U.S.T.A . In the future, all U.S.T.A. spo nsored meets will have tumbling and these rules will apply. For further information write: United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association, Box 1270 Cedar Rapids , Iowa 52406, Editor: John Miller

A com me rica I from George Huntzicker and coach , Newt Loken

GYMNASTICS OCACHING POSITIONS

VIEWpoints

1972-73 School Year The following is a li st of teaching and coaching positions in th e state of oregon. For additional information , contact: Bill Ballester, Gymnastics Coach, Uni versity of Oregon, McArther Court, Eugene, Oregon. 97403 Beaverton High School District: (Portland suburb) New Program 3 positions: Men's gymnastics and open teaching areas, Approximate salary : $7,200 up to $14,000, Approximate coaching salary: $1 ,000-$1,200 Contact: Jerry Pflug, Athletic Director, Beaverton High School, Beaverton , Oreg.

97005

Springfield High School: (Eugene suburb) New Program.

1 Position: Men 's coach (combination English and possibly other), Salary : $7,100-$13,000, Coaching: $450.00 Contact: Mr. Don Buckley, Activities Director, 875 North 7th Street, Springfield, Oreg. 97477 (503-747-3331) South Eugene High School: (Eugene) Top program in the state. Excellent facilities. State Champions seven out of eight years. 1 Position: Men 's gymnastics and physical education (possibly other) Salary: $7,250-$14,500, Coaching Salary: ?

Contact: Harry Johnson, Gymnastics Coach, South Eugene High School, Eugene, Oreg.

97405 Thurston High School: (in Springfield) 1 Position: Men 's coach (teaching other than P.E.) Salary: $7,00-$13,000, Coaching Salary: open Contact: Herb Devos, Principal, Thruston High School , Springfield, Oreg. 97477

INTERNATIONAL GYMNASTICS lIfeAW HAll NORTHWISTIRN UNIV. WOMIN MIN

SATURDAY SUNDAY

IVANSTON, IU.

JAN. ZZ, 117Z JAN. ZI, 117Z

7:10 RM. 7:10 RIA.

OffICIAl 'IOCIAM 1\.00

JAPAN -USA PROGRAM-POSTER CALENDAR A unique and beautiful 2 x 3 foot program-poster calendar was printed up for the Official Japan vs USA match in Chicago.

Some of these souvenir Program-poster Calendars are still available from the Illinois Gymnastic Coaches Assoc. who hosted the competition . If interested you may obtain copies of them at 501t each (or 3 for a dollar).

Write to: John E. Armour,Pres. ,IHSGCA,Niles West High School, Oakton at Edens - Skokie, Illinois 60076.(don't forget to include your money) .

by Dick Criley

A newspaper columnist in our town recently completed his 200lstdaily column; I'll never get that far, but every once in a while, Ilike to think back to my early days in gymnastics. This column is prompted by a richly colored Hawaiian sunset which reminded me of similar sunsets I observed during those cold winters back at Penn State.

It would be about 5 o'clock or so as I' d leave a chemistry or botany lab and start hiking across a half mile (then) of campus, the wind biting at my face, to Rec Hall. My glasses would fog up instantly as I entered that warm, seaty locker room. The gym team shared the floor with the basketball team and a couple of high jumpers already anticipating their spring season. We were supposed to quit at 6 but usually rolled up the tumbling mat about 6:15 . The flying rings specialists had it easy by campa rison. (For today' s gymnasts, these were the daring young men who did their "thing" while swinging in a 40 to 60 foot arc and holding on to a pair of heavy, rubber-covered, iron rings; their thing ranging from double cut catches at either end of the swing to flying handstands and Hickman rolls to a shoulder-destroyer called a whippet.)

The floor exercise pad, when we brought it out at all, was a three-piece, Va inch , hard rubber mat which had to be unrolled, re- rolled, lifted onto carts, and pushed into a closet. At the end of a workout, you still faced a workout to put the equipment away. I'm told that such conditions no longer exist at Penn State (a pity, for it surely brought everybody together), but I feel at at home again here in hawaii (at least we 've got a floor exercise mat to put away!).

Nearly everyone who has caught gymnastic incurable, seldom fatal) fever (almost remembers the joys and aches of learning something new, "losing it, and re-Iearning it to use it finally in a meet. Even after competition is no longer a factor, the drive to work on a new move still persists . The caution has to be against over-doing it. (Who am I to be talking after a repeat of an achilles tendon accident!)

Other " retired" gymnasts I've talked with also have found in gymnastics a special kind of recreation. Linda Stanley, formerly of Ithaca College, confided that her friends could always tell when she hadn't been able to practice because of pressures of studying, "Go do some Floor Ex, you'll feel better," they always said.

UCLA gymnast Brian Casserly now with the U.S. Navy said he didn't even think to pack his hand grips when he entered the service and admitted he had missed the feel of the high bar and all the other events. Even while working on his Ph .D. in Radiation Biophsics at the University of Tokyo, Lonnie Kapp (Cal Berkeley) still cummuted across town for a chance to work out. I certainly admit that the chance to work and play at gymnastics during six years of graduate study kept me from climbing walls, and I know of many other gymnasts who feel the same way.

Like many of my VIEWpoints columns, this one also has an editorial thought.

As gymnastics grows in the high school and college programs, there will be more and more people like Linda, Brian, and Lonnie who want

[0 keep up wit h their gymnastics after col lege.

Many European countries do offer the opportunities for their gymnasts to work out as long as they are able th rough clubs or organizations affiliated with their national gymnastics association. Is it too much to hope that our USGF might soon devise a program into w hich our many senior gymnasts can fit both for their owr satisfaction and to the benefit of newer gymnasts. After all, the AAU offers senior or master' s competitions in many .sports, most natably track and field.

Gymnastics needs are, of course , more complex than track and fi eld , but the encouragement of a national organization could do much to the opening up of more recreation opportunities for gymnasts by ci ties, the military, y's, and school systems. One of the objections always offered by schools or clubs having equipment is the lack of liability insurance for other than th e ir own members.

The USGF could take the leadership in stimulating the development of an in surance program for workouts in addition to the program offered for the USGF-sanctioned competitions.

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9

only goal in his mind was to "become one" with the bow -- to feel the forces involved so closely, to become so finely in tune w ith the bow, that the archer's spirit is an a rrow, and the 'arrow " shoots itse lf" with no conscious effort on the part of the arc her. Th ere in is the potential for mental refinements, and a growing unity of body and mind , of man and Daniel j. Millman Stanford University nature.

This article is the first in a series of three -- development of body-mind unity comes in As it happens, Zen archers are known to each dealing with an aspect of many ways in japan ; through meditation or shoot more than 1200 bull's-eyes in a row, for gymnastics-and-the-mind.

I. Describes meditative activity, ranging from flower once one has discovered the spirit of kyundo obstacles found in Western society which arranging to karate, gymnastics or painting, (a rchery), the physical follows the spirit. hinder our development of bod y-m ind unity haiku or kendo, archery or the tea ceremony.

In the Eastern tradition, mastery of one through sport.

All activities are seen as potentially artistic activity leads to master of any activ ity, for in II. Discusses in particular how gymnastics can en deavors ... a bus driver who has mastered mastering one activ ity, you learn to master help us to better integrate body-mind, and the refinements of his activity is an artist as yourself. perhaps grow in previously unexplored ways. much as a musician who has mastered his.

In the West, our sports are socially oriented, III. Tells how gymnastics can serve as a There are no status heirarchi es of art in Taoist or with external development stressed rather than constant reminder " how to live an artistic life."

Zen thought -- the important thing is that the internal. Because of many complicating Part I: "Obstacles in the Path of Inner individual picks and pursues every activity of economic and psychological factors, we end up his life with an artistic spirit.

Development" with often authoritarian tendencies in our The artistic spirit is simply a constant For the past two or three hundred years, sporting activities, gymnastics included. Other Western thought has been dominated by a awareness based on some fundamental than relatively shallow "cha racter building" body-mind polarity -- the concept that the questions -- " How can I act with the least rhetoric, we seem to have llittle stress on inner physical body and the mind are somehow two possible conflict (with myself, with nature's development, because our aims, like the separate entities joined together in an uneasy laws) -- how can I flow, be lighter" more beginning archer, seem confused. It becomes partnership, with each "fighting" for control. effortless, natural , rela xed?" If all the Western harder and harde r to seek and find individual The body has been viewed as lower, or techniques ("how to" do gymnastics joy in the free movement of sport. "animalistic," to be controlled by the " higher" movements, paint, do karate movements) Since the 1950's when Sputnik was orbited, could be called the parts of a stained glass part, the mind there has been an unprecedented push toward This body~mind dualism didn 't exist to the window, we in the West would have a very scientific and technological professions. What same extent in ancient Greece. Plato taught beutiful window, with many fine and colorful , waning prestige physical education and gymnastics. Aristotle did much of his teachings panes ... but this spirit is the light from behind physical activity had in the 1950's was soon while sitting on the floor of the gymnasium. the window, shining through and bringing the sublimated for the "great intellectual " push in The intellectual man who wasn't physically fit beauty alive. Without the spirit, the light, all our the schools, which has affected most of us. In was not considered a whole individual. The fancy techniques are mechanical, without life. trying to keep up with the joneses (in this cases, athlete who had an undisciplined mind drew Perhaps an example will serve well here. the USSR) , we have fallen deeper into the little respect. The body-mind was seen as a unit, There is a story of a Zen master of archery who semantic trap of " higher" mind over the "less reflected in a later latin saying, " Mens corpore severely chasti zed a pupil for hitting the important" body. en corpore sano;" "A healthy mind in a healthy bull's-eyes! "W hat!?" we reply. " That doesn 't Many students are self conscious about body." make sense! " Because we 've been taught all spending so much time in the gymnasium . Why The Chinese Taoist and japanese Zen our lives, on television, in the little leagues of do you, reader, not enter the gymnasium with Buddhist life-views are similar in many ways to baseball or football , that so long as you win, or the attitude that you are about to do some the Greek's. Man and nature, the physical and get first place, you've done the job. How important studying? One reason is our spiriutal, are regarded as one. The different were this Zen master 's views! For the conditioning -- another is, our programs are rarely run in such a way that one is allowed to pursue individual body-mind growth . It seems as if most gymnasts and coaches are preoccupied with the little wars we call competition, and fetishizing of external rewards such as medals, trophies and such. We build the stained glass window with such care we forget about the light beyond.

Another complicating factor obscuring a meaning'ful view of sport is the economically-oriented, spectator-based system of athletics in the West. Intense, individually oriented growth is generally set aside for team goals. Since schools receive prestige from sports pages and how well their teams do in the gladitorial arena of athletics, the emphasis on winning has overshadowed participation for the fun of it. A great deal of pressure falls on coaches, and "s uccess " in their job is defined by the school administrators and society at large as winning (and if any character development happens on the way, that's fine) .

Often this pressure on coaches is mirrored on the athletes, who are required to do such and such "for the good of their own development." This might be true for their physical development , but too many athletes forget the inherent fun in their activity and begin finding their only solace in winning, by " beating" other people. This development is particularly sad in gymnastics -- an art form of such aesthetic appeal, one wonders if such competition stress is needed at all.

gymnastics: APATH TO THE ARTISTIC LIFE

10

Since coaches often must deal with man y, many athl etes at once, it's too co mmon that they devise a gene ral schedu le for al l of th e gymnasts to fo llow, enen though in reality each man on the squad may have wide ly differing phys ica l abilities and psychologi ca l mak e-ups.

Those gymnasts who are more independent, individ uali st, are often labe led as " problems" and told to "shape up or ship out."

It's easy to see how gradual, internal development and a happy, se rene state of mind are not easily nurtured in o ur .typical training environment.

Gymnastics, like other physi ca l activities, can be engaged in o n many levels : As a form of drukgery (or eve n self-punishment!), as a form of entertainment, for physical fitness, for recreation, as a form of self-mastery, self-tra nscendence, self understanding, as a form of meditation . . . or as a pure, (but chal lenging) childlike activity of joy.

What form our physical endeavo r tak es depends upon our depth of body and spiritua l involvemeent.

Next article, we can look more deep ly into just how gym nastics in particular is a beautiful means of achieving body-mind unity.

Th e following is a brief bibliography of some readings yo u may fin d en lightening and interesti ng. Th e gymnast who is interested in doing more than j ust building some muscle and winn ing some meets wou ld do we ll to look over some of these readings : ---BIBLIOGRAPHY - - Zen in the Art of Archery: Eugerl Herrigel , McGraw Hill.

Points out a unique co ncept of body-mind un ity and demonstrates how a physical discipline contributes toward individual growth.

Gestalt Therapy Verbatim: Fritz Perls , Real People Press An insigbtful book into the maki ng of a real , whole individual -- lea rnin g to " li ve in the now ."

Your Inner Child of the Past: H . Missildin e, Simon and Schuster I'm O.K., You're O.K.: T. Harri s, Harper- Row (Torch) Both ·of t he above books help one gain defi nite perspective on his o r her ow n motivations -- a better understanding and acceptance of the parent figure, ad ult, and child that is in each of us.

The Athletic Revolution: J. Scott, Free Press.

Probably the best book yet on current athletic trends, problems and potential s.

Deals with various shortco mings of organi zed sport.

Faith, love and Seaweed: I. Rose, Award Books One of the better books written about nutrition and the athlete.

Aikido in Daily Life: K. To hei , Ri kuge i Publishin g A model of " living the good li fe" based upon suberb, aesthetically and morally refined martial art .

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GYMNASTIC PHOTO REPORT Long Beach State College was the site of the " First" annual Southern California Womens' Gymnastic Clinic held during the Christmas vacation recess. Registration went beyond all estimates. Over 340 girls including the Mexican registered , National Modern Gymnastics Team for Mexico City, for the 5 day program of classes and demonstrations and an open to the .public show on the final night.

A lot of preliminary work by the directors was evident by the lack of confusion among students and clinic in general. Plans are already in motion for a bigger clinic next December.

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1. A portion of over 300 girls that registered for the clinic doing the daily warm-up exercises. 2. Gym wheel instruction being given by Norbert Dill, former world champion and Vice-President of Gymnastic Supply Company.

3. Balance Beam demonstration at the Thrusday night show which drew .a capacity crowd . 4. Over 300 girls registered for the clinic.

S. (I. to r.) Madeleine Cratty, Gretchen Dowsing, Norbert Dill and Wendy Cluff (not pictured) directors of the clinic. 6. Coaches session in the excellent gym nastic room of Long Beach State College. 7. Dan Speraw teaching spotting techniques. 8. Trampoline classes were popular.

9. One of many special classes.

10. Helena Grathaus, competitor in World Modern Gymnastics Championships, demonstrating scarf routine. 11. Spotting for cartwheel dismounts. 12. Smaller girls during public performance.

13. Madeleine Cratty with large class 14. Gym wheel perfromance pleases the crowd.

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路...

Photos courtesy of Gymnastic Supp ly Comp any

NIA WOMEN'S GYMNASTIC CLINIC

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TWO STEPS FORWARD -ONE STEP BACK Report by HERB VOGEL Women 's Gymnastic Coach , SIU In the not too distant past the description of our progress was found to contain a high percentage of adjectives and nouns with a low level seasoning 路 of verbage. While busying ourselves with self acclaim, fantasizing about what might be or could have been , the sweet smell of success eluded United States gymnastics most effectively.

Not too long ago it was one step forward and two steps backward. Yet gymnastic authorities, perhaps due to the length of time they spent standing on their heads as youths, called that progress.

The Aquarian Age For U.S. Gymnastics The 70's might well be the Aquarian age for gymnastics. Our period of darkness, the dark age of gymnastics, is over. The renaissance period of gymnastics brought its enlightenment but it cannot end here. The best is yet to come.

The dark ages of gymnastics gave us little more than historical foundation upon w hich to build. Historical events, accomplishments as well as mistakes, need not be repeated to realize that to some, from both a physiological as well as a sociological point of view, the pain of growing up can be severe.

Even in those dark ages came slivers of light--small penetrations of light in a near impenetrable darkness by those indi viduals who were, to use a well worn phrase, "a head of their time ,' , challenging the honesty and integrity of man , as well as challenging the established limitations placed upon bodily movement. Presently there are coaches, this writer included , and administrators who feel that they too were or are ahead of their time--the best available estimate is about 15 minutes. At best we are just catching up and are on the threshold of letting the sunshine through.

To exemplify this , many readers will remember the big dismount Tom Maloney, via national television , glibly called a " Rigby."

With no discredit to Cathy intended, the first underswing front sommi uneven bardismount was first executed by Doris Fuchs in 1959.ln fact she did it the hard way--from a free hip circle instead of a sole circle. Doris can also be credited with the first stateside heche giant swing, free hip circles, etc.

Few self deSignated or experienced authorities could disagree that Doris Fuchs was ahead of her time. The 1Y, twisting back sommi step out to a tinsica mounter in floor exercise by, Teresa Montefusco is another example of the catching up that now is being accomplished by not just one, but many yo ung aspiring coaches and gymnasts.

Overview Opinion Credit must be given to whoever said " out of the darkness comes the dawn ." It is not just the dawning of a new generation but a " now" generation impressive in number, skill and capabiiity--a mass of now generation young coaches and gymnasts, who are not just ahead of their time but are setting a torid pace on the

14

Two step forward . . . one step back!

Progress? Knock it if you like ... but progress is being made. national level that must, and shall, particdarly if nurtured and administrated effectively, have international impact.

Historically speaking, we have have had pace setters in our gymnastic past. Even in gymnastics darkest days glimpses of hope were found in the "then " gymnastic names as Meta Neuman, Ruth Growkowski and Clara Schroth--names that the now generation haven 't forgotten but perhaps never even heard of. Gymnastics then, impressive for its time , can be compared to the Wright brothers ' endeavors. To get man "of f the ground" versus the " now-space age " gymnastics performance levels of today.

When we sit in judgment of the gymnastic progress of today, we must try to keep our perspective by recalling what has gone before us. Even space age historians will agree that although air travel seemed a hopeless dream, the Wright brothers did get off the ground.

Some folks on the current gymnastic scene may recall that as recentl y as 1956 our U.S. Olympic Team contained some members who had some difficulty getting off the ground via a flip flop.

That humble beginning certainly could not predict the balance beam combination " moon walk " of the 1971 U.S.G.F. Elite Championship.

A now generation combination of an in-sequence standing back sommi to an immediate back full twisting sommi discount.

But some individuals within our historical past, as did the Wright brothers, did get off the ground and literall y got gymnastics off the ground. The past, quite apart from the present, did not ha ve numbers but had individuals.

Individual standouts who stood out--head and shoulder above the mass; individuals who must be credited for setting the standards of yesterday as well as la ying the foundation upon which tomorrows are built.

In the opinion of this writer, Sandra Ruddick is the first gymnast to start the United States on its way to toda y's leve l of gymnastis. The Walt Lienert-coached Sandy was the Queen of U.S. Gymnastics, setting the pace for Lienert-coached teammates as well as the nation . Incidentally, Miss Ruddick, proving perhaps that gymnastics may have some carry over to civilian life, continued in her pace-setting ways by also becoming the first gymnast to receive marque billing as the first olympic stripper. Possibly more exciting, I'm sure more lucrative, than judging or coaching after retiring from competitive gymnastics.

That of course is predicated upon your point of reference.

Ruddick's first competitive challenge , at least on this side of the ocean, came from Ernestine Russel Carter.

The diminutive blond, pony-tailed , blue-eyed Canadian was quite a contrast to the dark-eyed , brunette, 5'7" plus U.S. star Ruddick , but that 's where the contrast ended. " Ernie " took charge and became the national champion of two nations and in doing set standards in style and performance that rings loud and clear in toda y's gymnastics as well as echoes through th e chambers of the

Canadian Hall of Fame which credits her past achievements.

Where now there are man y, then there was but one. One girl, waiting in the wings off stage, willing and as it came to be, quite able to challenge the wearer of the crown . That girl was Muriel Davis Grossfeld--another phase in our sports hi story as the western hemisphere now had two stars to help chart the course of progress.

Both Muriel and Ernestine possessed fine dance backgrounds, ample gymnastic preparation , individual beauty and grace and both were creativel y proud. While the rest of the masses plodded on , attempting to attain what they exemplified, Ernie and Muriel began a gymnastic tug-of-war for which, year in and yea r out, alternated the title of Queen of Western Hemisphere Gymnastics.

These young women were, in the opinion of this writer, the true pace setters of current day gymnastics. The remaining body of the gymnastic society used their style and class to guide their training but seemed content to settle for less than best while watching their annual battle for supremacy.

As great as these two women were and as large as the influence they had on gymnastics, it is unfortunate that they became .by-products of a system of administration which was simply not as good " politicall y" as the gymnasts were gymnastically. Although their contributions to the sport were immeasurably large the leadership of the period infinitesimal.

Adequate , perhaps even good, but simply not good enough--an administrative weakness that hopefully will not carryover to this generation.

Historically, this was a period of confusion and turmoil. We coaches "pretended " to know, as our judges pretended to evaluate, and our leaders pretended to lead. A great deal of " tail chasing" caused little more than dizziness and an ample amount of nausea. In this confusion , time, as it ineVitably does, plodded on. Out of the wings came Betty Maycock, whose gymnastic bag of tricks had pace setting ways. Acrobatics, both isolated and in dance type competition, in floor exercise and beam, had its impact. Another pace setter was Gail

Far Left- Donna Schaenzer; Top Cente r- Dale Flansaas; Bottom Center- Betty Maycock; Top Right- M u rie l G rossfe ld; Bottom Right- Marie Walther.

Songerath who p icked up the Maycock cl ue but in add ition b rought new moveme nt to bars.

Marie Walther and Donna Schaenzer entered the scene about th is t im e as d id the cu rrent coach of the 1972 U .S. Olympic Team, Dale McC leme nts Fla nsaas. Dale, in particular, bro ugh t the European dance influence and creat ivity and her personal influ ence to the spo rt w ith each of th e above mentio ned in their turn and t hei r time help in g to raise the standa rd of gymnast i c content and performance.

Now, of the o ld line compet itors, on ly Linda Met heny remains. The Tanacs, Gleasons, Daleys, have Lind a as thei r only linkage to the past. Linda Methe ny, too , is one t hat can stand out as a U.S . pace setter. Under the dedicated stubborn ness of a capab le coac h, coup led with the pain and sac rifi ce of lo ng hours of disciplined preparation, Lind a rose from a 13th place A.A. placement, among a fie ld of 20 in t he first U.S.G.F. national meet in 1962 to Olympic team membership the fo ll owing year. She, an d she alone, must be credited w ith t he first b reak through o f U nited Sta t es gymnast ics on the intern atio n al scene.

The U.S.G.F. Eli te Champ io nship of 1971 found more of eve rythi ng, both in vo lume and capab ility--better leaders hi p, more produ ctive coaches, judges merit, and a mass of wel l-trained kid s. Yo un g enoug h to dream more, young enough to give themselves and U.S. gymnast ics a br ight today and a brilliant tomorrow. To be more specif ic, the recent U.S.G.F. Elite Champiohs hip gave these ind ications.

There was a time that Met heny' s A.A. supremacy, due in part to her d isciplin ed mastery of t he compu lso ri es, as we ll as stro ng progressive optional performance, particularly in floor exercise, beam and bars, was as secure, in the t it le " Th e Nationa l Champ ion " as a " fly in an o uth ouse. " Lin da no longer holds, w hat on occas ion has been , near two pointed edge over her peers. Thi s heretofore pace setter must now keep pace. W here o nce there were few, now there are man y.

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Cat hy Rigby, w ho sta nds quite tall despite her d iminuti ve size, simpl y is not the so le chal le nger. She most certa inl y heads the li st w hi ch includ es Joanne Moore, w ho un expected ly tied Me th eny for th e 19671 elite title particu larly after Moo re's much to be desired show in g in her unsuccessful bid for th e '71 Pan Am Team and Roaxanne Pierce, w ho, in the absence of Rigby, reigned su preme in th e Pan Am Tri als and the Pan Am Games. For the first time in the h isto ry of gym nasti cs there are more good -t o -exce ll ent gy mn as ts than t here are judges.

W ith out a doub t, the U nited States w ill fi eld the finest team yet , co m e " prosit" time in Mun ich. But the best is yet to come!

Predictions Munich w ill be the loca tion ; 1972 the yea r-the United States w ill n o longer be 'ju st a Olympic particip ant in the spo rt of gym nasti cs.

Our first O lympi c Meda lli o n wi ll be won.

Yet, 1972 wi ll not be " o ur" year. We w ill st ill have members on the sq uad w ho will have a weak eve nt. H opefu ll y t he coac hes, grossf eld , Flansaas, and Mulvihill-- w ill not be satura ted w ith the sport by 1976 for this is th e time whe n the co mpl ete all-event performer w ill come of age.

Thoughts For those readers w ho mi ght have found t ime or made tim e to broaden your life beyond four wa ll s of gymnasium s the fo ll owin g refe rence wi l n ot be unfamiliar. Shakespeare, in Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene III , wro te a passage that depicts the present gymnasti c scee n and gives advice as gymnas ti cs enter its Aquar ian age. " There is a tide in the affairs of men wh ich, taken at th e flood , leads on to fortu ne. Omittted, all the voyage of their life is boun d in sha ll ows and in

ever before. The expe rien ced coaches are putting their maturity into practical application w hil e the you ng coaches are using the knowledge ava il ab le to them and seasoning th ei r efforts w ith creat ivity. The judges have in crease d in numbers, knowledge and quality of co n si st ent performance and th e administration ha s never been more si ncere.

In total, gy mn asti cs of the ea rly '70's, the now, is massive ly impressive. The tide is high , flooded with ability and th e prospect of that sweet smell of success . Nothing ca n be more impress ive in strength , size and potential than a w hal e but let th e tide go out and the ineffective ness of the mass can only be equalled by a sm ell th at is less than sweet.

More directly, wo m en 's gymn asti cs in its totality is the greatest it has ever been but is not good enou gh. It co n tinu es to be pl agued b y ego, it st ill has sho rt circuits in its lines of co mmunica tion , it still la cks togetherness. In a rule book of lo nge r sta nding that the FIG code of points we find , Eccl es iastes 3:1-2, the se wo rd s: "To eve ryt hing there is a seaso n, and a time to every purpose under the heave n. A time to be born, and a time to di e; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that w hi ch is planted " Women 's gy mna sti cs is o n the move but the question that yet remains to be answe red is w h ere is women's gy mna st ics go in g? The progress, two steps forward and one step back, of today is exceptional but only in retrospect. The gestat ion period of women's gymnastics is co mpl et e, the dark ages are over, the best is yet t o come.

miseries. "

In simpl er words perhaps, th e tide for U.S. gymn astics is in. There are more ca pabl e, better tra in ed and highly sk ill ed female gym n asts than ever before. There are more capab le, bette r trained and act ive judges than

15

JAPAN USA TOUR 1972 Repolt by FRANK BARE, USGF EXE' c-utive Director

The finest ambassadors of gymnastics won most of their competitions, and thousands of friends.

The japanese men 's and women 's national team came to the United States in mid-january to tour from the West Coast to the East Coast.

The tour was maginificent from every aspect; the teilms performed before a packed house at every stop. Received standing ovations for the last two performers at every stop, and in general were outstanding good-will ambassadors for gymnastics and their homeland that it will be difficult for others to match their performance even off th e gymnasium floor. Hard-mane y-wise there is another facet of thi s tour that needs and deserves mention. Thi s tour marked the first real maturity gymnastics has ever reached from a busin ess standpoint. Every stop met the guarantee and every stop made monies for their horne area for the promotion of gymnastics. included The tour began in Los Angeles.

Disneyland and Hollywood, and then got down to serious busine ss. Bud Marquette teamed with Dick Wolfe at Fullerton State College and together th ey did a great job hosti ng the women 's event. More than 5,000 sea ts where filled and some 400 others had to stand to witness the Southern California ' All-Stars ' mad e up of team membersfrom the SCATS and th e KIPS edge out the japanese women 's team by a narrow margin. The presentation of the meet was excellent and it was a pleasure to see good gymnastics in a gymnasium with not only . . no empty seats, but no place to move!

Next evening, at San Fernando Valley State College, under the able guidance of coach jack Medina , and team coach jack Beckner, the men's teams met. The USA ' All-Star' men 's team was under th e gun from the very begining in meeting the finest men 's team in the world, but did a creditable job and showed signs of greatness in spots that could not be denied.

Naturally, the japanese men 's team won the event but the situation of significance . .another standing room only appreciative crowd with standing ovations when deserved , which was often. Les Sasvary, President of the So. California judges Association was in charge of this app ea rance and he was a perfect ho st, everything was handled professionally and with proper courtesy and diplomacy.

From Los Angeles to Den ve r. It was perfectl y timed and the host Colorado Gymna stic Association even managed to take the visitors to see a real Rod eo . .. and issu ed for official wear ,typical cowboy hats. Th e japanese Team wore th ese hat s for the remainder of th e tour!

The visiting tea m s perform ed in D enve r and th e following night at Colorado Springs, both purely ex hibitions but both ve ry we ll received and att ended again by ma ximum capacity cro wds. Tothe CGA man y th ank s for being th e b .••cious hosts they have alway been to visiting tea m s and in thi s case, bett er th an ever!

Bre nt Sim m o ns

18

Next stop Chicago, Illin ois, hosted by th e Illinoi s High Schoo l Gymnastics Coaches Assoc iation. John Srmour(Pres.), Sid Drain , Tom Gardn er and man y others all worked many , man y hours to pr epare for this the Official USA vs JAPAN co mpetition at th e McGaw Hall of Northwestern University.

ABC-TV was also on hand to film the matches for showing on Wide World of Sports,April 15th ... mark yo ur ca lendars! The matches were close, the women dropped a chance to win th e women 's competition by a technica l error that saw us penali ze d some 1.5 points for too man y va ults of the same type . . . this was a real area for discussion , but even with that deduction for our team with fewer misses the women cou ld have pulled that meet out for the USA .

None-the-Iess we didn 't. . .and that 's the part of the sport that co unts, so we dropped the match to Japan by .6 of a point. The men 's meet the next evening was great, and the same fantasti c crowd(nearly 6,000) filled the Hall and gave Nakayama and Kasa matsu standing ovations at the close of the meet. Our American team lost again, but a strange thing .. .some of those who also worked against the Japanese in Los Ange les were looked even better and scored higher. Tom Lindner got a 9.60 on the Hi gh bar and finished 4th! He did a super job and worked under grea t pressure following Nakayama with a 9.90. All in all two excellent competitions in Evanston , and a great job by the hosts at that Windy City stop.

On to Philadelphia and an appearance at Temple University. Host Coach, Bill Coco and host Director, Ernie Casale rea ll y did a fine job preparing for this event. About 4,000 spectators in Temp les ne McGionig le Hall and the young American gymnasts who worked in the three-deep format for each event all turned in fine performances. Joan Moore of Philadelphia looked great as usual! Again . . . before the evening was over standing ovat ions for th e visitors from Japan! American crowds saw gymnastics as never before and appreciated everyt hin g they saw.

Last stop State-side was Penn. State University.

The teams were read y for an ex hibition match , w ith some USA' ALL-STARS ' invited by host coac h, Gene Wettstone and th e usual fanta stic crowds th at the team appeared before in all parts of the USA were again on hand. 7,300 spectators cro wded the Recreation Hall as the format called for two women s events and three mens events the first night and the final half of the events the next night. Th e format was not even a co nce rn of the Penn . State captive audience, th ~y came to see th e best gymnasts in the world, and so they did . Friday nights session was good compet ition and ended with th e Japanese m en's and women 's teams holding leads. G inn y Coco. coaching the girls ind icated she~wou l d bring ' em ba ck on Saturday~night prepared to win this unoffic ial match. Saturday night was packed with the same crowd ... even a little more crowded to our eyes, and the meet was on. Th e women , under th e able guidance of Ginny, did what they sa id th ey would , turn ed Continued on page 28

19

Akinori Nakayama

Shun Fuiimoto

20

John Crosby

Jack Medina with All Around w.inners

JANUARY 15 SAN FERNANDO VALLEY STATE COLLEGE

men's competition

21

Shun Fu jimoto

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY STATE COLLEGE

22

Toshiaki Morioka

Masanori Takahas hi

Sandy Gross

JANUARY 14 CALIFORNIA STATE COLLEGE AT FU LLERTON Eiko Hirashima

Debbi e Fike

Eiko Hi rash ima

23

CALIFORNIA STATE COLLEGE Photos by G le nn Sundby

26 Toshimi Muta

Takako Hasegawa

AT FULLERTON women's competition

Dag ma r Hintn au s Kyle Gayno r

27

JANUARY 22 & 23 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, EVANSTON, ILLINOIS men's and women's competition

the meet around and won the match. The men, far down in score, did what they could in real style. Never has Tom Lindner looked better and he received a 9.70 on the horizontal bar and deserved that or more. The finale . .. was a real show, and a classic finish for this exhibition match at a University noted for its' showmanship and appreciation for good gym nastics. Tsukahara worked the horizontal bar and received 9.90 as the third from last man for the japanese. Kasamatsu worked later and while everyone waited he received a 9.95 . .. and the crowd was onGe again on their feet for a standing ovation that eemed' as if if would never end. THEN, Nakayama walked on the floor and you could almost hear the silence.

The crowd waited, he mounted the high bar and did perhaps the most perfect routine ever performed. Everything to the highest possible point, execution, fo rm , style and risk . .. it was all there including a lot of class ... and when he dismounted with his full-twisting Hecht over the bar(he does it very early) and hit the floor where he stuck like a dart, it was obvious, his score. . . 10.00. You cannot discribe the reaction of the crowd never before having seen a 9.90 in Recreation Hall and tonight seeing a 9.90, a 9.95 and NOWa 10.00 They came to their feet in a collective mass to give Nakayama a fitting tribute by a standing ovation and three bows .. . IT WAS QUITE A SHOW! There were at least four mere American Cities or Univers'ities wh0 would have liked to play host to the Japanese Team if they could have extended their tour another week or ten days.

But this was not possible so after Penn State the Japanese flew off to Hawaii for a day of rest along with another full house exhibition hosted by Dick Criley and the Hawaiian Gymnastic Assoc iation. Then on to their homeland loaded down with trophies, m'ementos and memories of a trip that was perhaps too fast and too short, but very successful as viewed from this side of the Pcific.

What the Japanese tour did for American gymnastics is almost immeasurable as the Japanese were perfect ambassadors 0f good will and Great Gymnastics. All told some 50,000 American spectators saw the Japanese perform in person . Millions more will see them on TV when ABC airs the Official USA vs JAPAN Match on April 15th.

Personafl}r, after getting to know lvir. Sasano (Chief of the Delegation) and Mr. Aiba (Judge), and the ' team members, I would Irke them to have stayed forever, The finest tour everlltwill be hard to follow but brace yourselves we are making plans to follow it in 1973.

THE ENE>

MEN'S RESULTS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11 .

12.

28

Shigeru Kasamatsu Akinori Nakayama Mitsuo Tsukahara Shun Fujimoto Masanori Takahashi Tom Lindner Toshiaki Morioka Paul Tickenoff George Greenfield Richard Swetman Bob Dixon Kanati Allen

D 9.50 9.55 9.60 9.45 9.45 9.35 9.20 9.20 9.40 6.60 6.65 9.00

-- --• 9.60 9.45 9.45 9.45 9.60 6.80 8.90 8.95 8.90 9.20 6.85 9.05

00 ....

9.70 9.80 9.70 9.65 9.25 9.15 9.30 6.65 6.30 6.95 9.40 8.45

9.45 9.30 9.50 9.25 9.25 6.65 9.30 9.30 9.30 6.75 6.65 6.95

9.80 9.75 9.65 9.40 9.40 8.95 9.20 9.15 9.10 9.35 6.45 6.75

9.80 9.90 9.80 9.60 8.9!} 9.6G 8.50 9.00 9.40 9.35 9.50 6.20

TOTAl 57.85 57.75 57.70 56.60 55.65 .

55.30 54.50 54.45 54.40 I 54.20 53.50 52.40

WOMEN'S RESULTS 1, 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

. 7.

8.

• 9.

'10.

11 .

12.

Cathy Rigby /oane Moore Roxanne Pierce Eiko Hirashima Takako Hasegawa Toshiko Miyamoto lunko Hyodo Kim Chace Yuniko Komiya Na'ncy Thies Karen Schuckman Toshima Muta

[~JBg~ TOTAL 9.50 9.35 9.45 9.40 9.45 9.75 9.30 9.30 9.00 9.00 9.00 9.15

9.70 9.45 9.55 9.40 9.20 9.30 9.25 6.25 9.25 6.95 8.35 8.60

9.65 9.35 9.20 9.40 9.30 9.35 9.20 9.35 6.70 6.60 9.40 6.80

9.65 9.70 '9.50· '9.45 9.60 9.10 '9.45 9.50 9.35 9.35 9.30 9.10

36.50 37.65 37.70 37.65 37.55 37.50 37.20 36.40 36.30 · 36.10 36.05 35.85

JANUARY 25 TEMPLE UNIVERSITY men's 路and women's competition Photos by Steve Bronstein

Mitsuo Tsukahara

Ron Clemmer

29

Marsha ll Avener

Richard Swelman

30

Openin g Ce remon ies

JANUARY 28 PENN

STATE

men's and women's competition

Geo rge Gree nfi eld

Japanese - American Coaches Interview Centering On The Socio-Cultural Aspects Of Olympic Success On Tu esda y, j anuary 25, th e T emple University Varsity Club proudly presented a competition between the japanese national team and the East ern A ll-Stars. Prior to the competition, a panel discussion was held between the j apanese's team leader (coach), team manager (who participated as a judge in the evening's competition), and the United S tates' Olympic gymnastic team's coach (acting as the eastern A ll-Star team coach during the evening's competition). As a special gesture as well as to broaden the perspective of the discussion, T emple'S team coach was also present. Th e purpose of the panel discussion was to identify and explicate the ex tent to which various cu lt ma l differences come to bear upon the preparation of j apanese and American Olympic gymnastic teams. It was held that the sport of gym nastics as well as the relations betw een the participant countries would be augmented positively as a resu lt of such understandings. To these ends, however loft y, the discussion was dedicated.

Participants - - - - - - - - - - Pete Nagafuchi - Interpreter (Temple Univ.

Shuji Tsurumi - Team Leader, Japan Grad. Student) Hiroshi Aiba - Team Manager, Jap an Frederick C. Hatfield - Moderator (Temple Abie Grossfeld - Olympic Coach 1972, USA Uni v. Grad. Stude nt) Bill Coco - Temple University Teac h Coac h

Q. What level of popularity does gymnastics enjoy in japiln? The United States?

Aiba - The sport is very popular in senior high schools and colleges. Many elementary schools have little equipment except mats.

G"r ossfeld - I've been to Japan a few times and found that what equipment there was was usually very good, especially their mats. They have very good land ing mats . Their gyms are very cold in the winter~-U.S. gyms are much better as far as gyms go, but then that makes little difference in preparing gymnasts.

Q. Is gymnastics funded by the government or by private enterprises?

Tsurumi - Gymnastics in the schools is not funded by the government--rather by the Japanese Gymnastics Federation , an organization similar to your Amateur Athletic Union . They sponsor gymnastics in the schools, and particularly those schools in which gymnastics is very popular.

Aiba - General physical education programs on the elementary level require gymnastics as they do volley ball, baseball, etc. Tumbling, vaulting and p-bars are required , and thus in senior high the basic tricks are not taught because they _have been I~ar:.!!.ed already. The interested person can join gymnastic clubs which, like other sports, are sponsored by the senior high school. At the junior high level special instructors are hired to handle strictly .club activities.

Grossfeld - The Olympic team is funded by private donations from corporations and the like. Olympic bylaws prohibit government funding to keep politics out of sport. Dues from athletic clubs are used sometimes to send a member to the Olympics.

Coco - Smaller clubs have been funded by private funds from parents and the like, but the trend nowadays is for these small clubs to become incorporated so they can put on demonstrations , shows, etc., to raise funds. This has become necessa ry because of the tremendous cost of sending gymnasts around the country to compete. Solicitation of funds is also practiced by incorporated clubs.

Q. Is there funding in the form of subsidized training camps or clinics?

Grossfeld - International rules allow two week of Olympic preparatory training wh ich are to be taken just prior to departure for the Games.

32

This is gotten a round , however, by taking a " rest day" between the two week preparatory training and the preceeding period called Olympic development which is funded by a spearate allocation.

Aiba - I concur with Abie. We are all allowed two weeks of government funds to train together. Anything other than that is, as you say, " under the table."

Q. What are the methods used for selecting Olympic teams in the United States? japan?

Grossfeld - We change from Olympiad to Olympiad . This year we're running a series of qualifying meets to compete in the Olympic trials. We've already had one, the USGF Championships. The NCAA, NAIA, National AAU--most meets in which nationally qualified judges are used--serve as preliminary qualifying trials. The gymnast must score over 100 points in these meets in order to qualify for the Olympic trials, the first of which is to be held in May. Eventually, the field will be narrowed to 12 contestants who will compete in the finals. The composite score of the finals and the semifinals will determine the six competitors and the alternate for the 1972 Olympic Team.

Tsurumi - This is basically how it's done in Japan as well.

Q. How are Olympic team coaches chosen in japan? The United States? How have they been chosen in the pasO Coco - In deference to Abie 's position, I'd like to answer that question . The FIG, the International Gymnastic Federation has a majority of votes on the Olympic Committee, so it's usually been a political appointment from their own organization rather than looking at the coaches' qualifications. Abie, however, improved the status of the United States Gymnastic team in 1966 so much that it was decided to give him another chance. This is the first time, however, that the coaches got together and put in their bid for a coach with the best all-around qualifications. World championship team coaches are chosen by the USGF . The Olympic coach , again, is chosen through the gymnastic portion of the Olympic Committee, and the overseer--the Olympic Committee--has to approve their decision , which they normally do.

Aiba - The coach is selected by the Japanese Gymnastic Federation Committee. Generally,

the coach is selected beca use of th e ir career.

Fo r instance, Tsurumi, Endo, Ono are, o r we re, o n the coaching staff beca use they have been Olympic competitors, and ca n identi fy with the psychological pressures which the younger gymnasts enounter. Also, they a re a lways educated in the physica l educa ti on school to prepare them professio nally to adequate ly mee t the c hallenges o f training techniqu es, psychological preparedness being optimal , as well as sound knowledge of ph ys iol ogy a nd nutrition.

Q. Are these considerations taken into account in selecting United States coaches?

Grossfeld - No, they haven ' t bee n. Offhand , I remember one coach who was never a gy mnast, an d one other who never went to co llege, altho!Jgh he spent many yea rs as a coach . I feel that the national coach must have been a gymnast in order to have that one experience to fall back on. So many factors are involved in gymnastics that ca n only be experienced through having competed, and if you lack pe rsp ective it 's just one less dimension that you can draw from.

Q. What are the United States' prospects for the 1972 Olympics? japan's prospects?

Abie - We have 15-20gymnasts that have a good chance to make the team. It is unrealistic to hop e for too many me dals, however. Crosby has proven his ability to compete in floor exercise with the best 'gymnasts in the world.

Last year in Latvia he tied Nakayama, twice world champion, for first place on two separate occasions. I can't think of another person that has as good a c hance of winning a medal as John , but there are a few with a c hance.

Aiba - As long as the Japanese wish to compete in the Olympics we will be happy only with every gold medal offered . As gymnasts, they aim for this. But, it's like a flip of the coin--who knows until the Olympics?

Coco - Fred Turoff has a good chance of making the team . He's done a fine job so far . He came in third at the World Championship trials. He 's injured, however, and will have to heal first.

Ron Clemmer also has a good chance.

I'd like to say a word a bout the women 's team . If they have a good training setup and if they can get a good coach, they will have a good chance to place among the top four countries in the world . Inte rnationally, they have gained a lot of recog nition--they came in 7th in the world championships . I think they can do it, ' providing they get a good training setup and coach . There again, there's political hassling going on--it hurts the gymn asts to a great extent. The right coach and they can do it--the wrong coach and they will not do it.

Grossfeld - I hate to admit it but th e girls are ahead of th e boys. I intend to do something about this, but the girls have re ally co me a long way.

Q_ln closing this discussion, would you care to make any predictions as to the outcome of the 1972 Olympics?

Grossfeld - Japan, Russia , East Germany. After that it's a toss-up between many countries--that's where we stand . These are Poland, Czechoslovakia, Rumania and West Germany--especially beca use the games are to be held in West Germany .

Tsurumi - I agree with Abie 's idea s. Japan , I hope , will not lose to Ru ss ia.

NOTE: That evening Crosby went on to win the floor exercise event over Nakayama with a 9.65, and the girls team upset the Japanese girls team .

They would ha ve looked like optionals to our judges; so far as Lakewood was concerned, our compulsories would have been optionals to Lakewood judges. We didn 't do this this year, because the USGF said they would do it, but last year we sent films out to all the judges and tapes of the music. This helped the judges quite a bit.

I do not know if the film is available thru the USGF. I have not seen it. " "We have really just begun. This is our second year, and our season is really just beginning, but I would say this: Practically every conference team that I know of, Louisville, Oklahoma, Kansas City, Lakewood, ourselves . .

by Renee Hendershott . has 3 or 4 rated judges, and we've not had this Women 's Coordinating editor before the conference , began, so we are moving along in this area. " We had our compulsory clinic for all the teams at the begin'ning of the year . We went thru all of THE MID-AMERICA CONFERENCE the compulsories and the judges were asked to be there. Many of them attended Madame Dick Mulvihill interviewed by Renee P. Nagy' s lectures last year. The USGF/ DGWS Hendershott judges' rating exam was administered at the Elites in Novermber. We were ' highly Between sessions at one of our Mid-America instrumental in having the examination Conference meets, I had opportunity to speak scheduled there. There were about 11 people with Mr. Mulvihill about the purpose, who took it. We have a start." achievements, and future of this very active " We counted up and found that the forty gymnastic conference. girls that made the first cut at the Elites in " The purpose of the Mid-America Gymnasti c November, 28 were associated in some way Conference is to : with the conference. In Ljublijana we had 4 on the National Team. On this year' s Olympic 1. Develop good all around Olympic Team ... in looking to the future, I would say caliber performers. we have 6 girls that will probably be in the top 2. Develop our Olympic tale nt to the point twenty." where the Ol ympic team is amde of gymnasts from the Mid - Ameri ca When asked if there were any changes he Conference. Of course we realize there will would like to see made he replied : " At the be other indi viduals, other teams, and moment, I would say we have to do more for formation of other conferences that will be the judges.There is not enough written trying to dupli ca te and beat our work. information going out. We are now demanding 3. Devel o p capable judges who know what that our conference judges spend more time in the gym watching our kids. I think there should th ey are seeing and have a sound knowl edge of the compulsori es. We hope be more workshops within the conference. We have a newsletter, but the newsletter should be to get away from the circumstance where the judges will have onl y judged th e more vibrant so far as putii~g out stick figures etc. is concerned. " compulsori es once or twice during a dual meet year, and then will be faced with "The next world games are going to be in judging them nationally" Bulgaria. They will be using the same " We require that every participating team have components, but different connections, so the all equipment meeting International Olympic compulsories are done, as of the specifications. Every gym has a floor exercise Olympics. The components are the only rlling mat and cable bars. International rules of that are good for 4 years . At the next Olympiad competition are followed. On example of they will have different components and wh ere this is helping is, in following the new connections, but for Bulgaria, there will just the rul e that states " onl y 4 of the sam e vault to be changes in the chronological order of the perform ed by a team " , the kids have had to components. In effect this will force us to learn and o ther coaches have been forced to choreograph a whole new set of compulsories teach other vaults besides the Yamashita and with different connections. If we don't do ,?omething about the communication gap we other vaults done so commonl y."

"We use the current Olympic compulsories at will still be way way behind ." all the meets so that our gymnasts do "Next year, I would like to see an Eastern and a experience competition using the Western Division come in with Dallas, Fort compulsories before going into national Worth joining Oklahoma City, Kansas City and competition. We do have some novice Denver. The Eastern half would be Lakewood, gymnasts in the conference, and they compete Louisville, Champaign and Flint. We would using th e new USGF / DGWS Advanced Level meet every team in our section plus maybe two from the other section. Lakewood wouldn't routines ."

"Participation in the conferen ce by less have to . . . in other word s we would try to keep experienced teams has served to pro vide down the travel. I would like to do this next exposure for the less advanced girls. They look year if these people are interested ." and they emulate, and they ask questions . .. " I would like to bring in more Colleges and Universities to the Conference. Then we will " How long do you work? What's your weight? have more girls going on to schoo'l staying in Why do you do this, etc." These kids mi x, and they socialize a little bit. They really socialize the sport once they go on the College. It will put the pressu re on the coach to produce more gymnastics ." " The coaches get together and establish one than 3rd rate collegiate teams. Our collegiate uniform version of the compulsories. For teams are really bad . They are a lot better than exampl e, say Lakewood han't ever been to a they were 8 years ago. In the first collegiate clinic and they did the compusories today. championships we had only 4 or 5 teams

NEWS

N'

NOTES

competing. Las year there were about 36 in the Nationals so, at least, we have more teams competing. To show you how bad it really is .. .and this is certainly not meant to be a criticism of Kathy Gleason . . . but she pulled out of her retirement after two years and walked away with the All-Around . There's no way that this should happen . With these teams in the conference, the pressure to produce would ' really be felt; what college team wants to get knocked off by a team composed of high school girls? They would be competing right along with our conference teams. At first it would be hard , but after a while they would probably be able to wipe out some of these clubs." " As to the future of the conference after the Olympics .. . It depends largely on how well the United States does. I think if we do better, the newspapers and magazines will pick it up and will have more teams with the better girls, more people coming into coaching. Hopefully, many of our youngsters like Metheny, Rigby, Carver, Bolin will be interested in coaching when they retire from competition. Up to now you haven't heard much about former Olympic gymnasts going into coaching. A number of our young Olympians are getting their degrees in dance. Being exposed to Olympic competition and with the wide dance experience, they will probably be much better coaches . .. at least they should be. " With this, our time ran out and back to the gym we went for an afternoon of some exciting and beautiful gymnastic performances. It is hoped that the Mid-America Conference will serve as a model for others in the United States. who wish to see us develop nationally as the World Champions of the future!

Di ck Mulvihill

REPORT ON NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PRE-CHRISTMAS CLINIC CONDUCTED BY DICK MULVIHILL California Gymnastic Newsletter, December 31 , 1971 A four day pre-Christmas clinic for advanced gymnasts, featuring master coach, Dick Mulvihill and Olympian Linda Metheny was sponsored by the Diablo Valley Gym Club coached by Jim Gault. Twenty-five gymnasts from Northern and Southern California participated daily in advanced work covering

33

ANOTHER VIEW USA ALL-STARS vs JAPAN PENN STATE UNIVERSITY Report from Jeanette Jay

Clinic Action and InstructiOn by Dick Mulvihill

the Olympic compulsories and Optional routines and movements with a daily clinic in the 4 Olympic events conducted by Mr. Mulvih.ill .

Commenting on the Olympic compulsories, Mr. Mulvihill noted that the Russians are executing the false eagle in the bar routine with a very deep piked wrap with a delayed pop and fast snap, the arms moving directly overhead, then circling for the catch on the low bar, whereas the Japanese are hitting and holding a hard arch in air, then a fast snap return to the bar.

Great emphasis was placed on the 8 BASICS which each gymnast must master to perfection in order to develop advanced skills / routine on the bars: 1. Back hip circle 5. Squat through 2. Front hip circle 6. Basic kip 3. Back seat circle 7. Reverse kip 4. Front seat circle 8. Underswing Drill combinations of these basics for development of perfection and continuity.

Gymnasts at the clinic had opportunity to work new, original combinations .

BALANCE BEAM: It was suggested that the gymnast never be al.lowed to work the beam while wearing warm-ups as the coach is unable to note those slight form breaks and thus consistantly correct the gym nast .. bad habits result. If warm-up apparel is needed while working the beam, it would be better to use tights so that every movement of the body can be clearly seen .

He suggested that for beam drills, more emphasis be placed on turns .. V2 turns full turns, double turns, V2 -V2 , and combinations.

Much work is needed by gymnasts in order to develop the absolute conirol needed in turns and consequent movements, and area which is often neglected. All beam elements in drills should be worked on ALL levels, for example, the arabesque should be drilled on toe, flat-foot , bent-knee, etc., . . CONTROL AT ALL LEVELS OF ALL MOVEMENTS. He recommended a minimum of 3 hours minimum daily on the beam with one half of the time spent on compulsories and one half of the time on optionals and parts. 40 compulsory routines and parts sholJld be done daily. The routine should be broken down with the skills listed in order ' on a check list sheet. Then, immediately after the completion of each routine, the gymnast can check on the sheet those elements or points in which she had a fall, a major or minor break, etc. She can then , by checking her check list over a period of time ,

34

tell where she may be consistantly weak , what the needs to cC>rlcentrate on. (Memory can be poor .. a check list is very objective. This can be used for optional routines also.)

The mount for the beam should be a very explosive superior mevement if possible and then move from V2 to 2/ 3 of the way down the beam rather that the full length .. change of pace, surprise element with unexpected change of direction. The floor pattern of the beam is vital and if often neglected. To be of national calibre, a beam routine must have in it, several high leaps, a full turn to a leap or another movement or a double turn, and an aerial movement. Focus on the beam is important for two reasons : to sta y on the beam with absolute control of the bod y and to achieve the best focus in order to catch the judges interest and attention. One stop only in a routine is preferred. Always allow for an unexpected stop, thus , never have more than two composed stops in the composition in order to allow for the unexpected stop. He emphasized the need for use of total bod y movement combined with CORRECT THROUGHOUT EVERY POSTURE MOVEMENT (Head, shoulder, hip alignment) FOR PERFECT CONTROL. FLOOR EXERCISE: Mr. Mulvihill suggested that a routine NOT start with an early move to a tumbling run .. too obvious. Many dance combinations when correctly executed are extremely difficult and ' exciting . The judges often do not give sufficient credit for the extreme difficulty of a dance move or combination when well executed with ampliiude and control. Single aerials out .. combinations in. The Russians are working their routines using circular movements rather than lines and angles. The need for more leaps with amplitude was emphasized.

VAULTING: His study a Europeam is the Yami vault shows a pike.in the body before it reach es the vertical all the horse (as the hands touch) rather than a straight body push off. Head slightly tucked when ' han'ds hit and pike.

(Similar to modified Yogi position). On hurdle noted arms are bent on the throw, rather than a straight arm throw in common use .. more explosion possible. Noted th e brief heel touch on the hurdle but does not recommend mentioning it to beginners because they have a tendency to hit flat-footed anywa y.

OVERALL: CORRECT POSTURE - BODY ALIGNMENT AND BASICS MUST BE STRESSED, STRESSED, AND RESTRESSED. (Does that sound familiar, Coach? )

What a weekend at Penn State! I'll probably never live long enough to ever witness anyone getting a perfect score of 10 points! Some people say it shouldn 't have been , but I couldn't find a single break or flaw in the entire routine. Akinqri Naka yama , the world champion from Japan ga ve a never to be forgotten ' performanc.e on the High Bar. He recei ved a standing ovation for at least 15 minutes. Many were in tears, it was so beautiful.

Our American girls used front aerials on the beam . . . Rigby, Pierce, Moore and Chase (who missed hers). Rigby has a sharp trick - she did a switched leg gainer backhandspring on the beam . . . gorgeous!

The japanese women unfortunately were not excellent tumblers. Their technique' could be better, but they still had their full twists. What was great was their composition in dance. One of the japanese girls did some movements as if she was a robot or a maniken. The routine was very original, and each movement went right with the music. Rigby had a new floor exercise.

When she came out with the music, " Roll out the Barrel " , she was the only girl who did a flip flop step out, out of her full twist! Karen Schukman used " Deep in the Heart of Texas." I was very impressed with her floor too! joanne Moore's front handspring front layout somie, was reall y a classic. Her choreography was beautiful tbo. Kim Chase's flexibility on floor ex was unbelievable! I think our girls need more of this.

On bars, Roxanne showed much originality, and Rigby' s extentiQn was super, as usual. Sorry to say, I was not especially impressed with the japanese girls bar work . I guess this is their weakest event. They did mostly Eagles, back straddles (?) and hecht dismounts. I think itwas Karen Shuckman who dismounted bars with a reverse front somie off the back of the high bar.

She hit a perfect landing. The Thies girl, one of Dick Mulvihill's gymnasts showed a good all around performance. She worked very confidently and with finesse!

JUDGING CORNER THE NEW USGF/DGWS JUDGES RATING EXAM Material for study: 1. FIG Code of Points for Women, $5.00; 2. judging Guide -1972, $3.00 3.

National Compulsory Routines (Girls), $1 .50.

These materials are all available at USGF, Box 4699, Tucson, Arizona 85717.

The Theoretical Exam: 1. 50 questions on genreral knowledge, 2. 50 questions on all three level s of the new USGF / DGWS National Compulsory Routines.

The Practical Exam: 1. After judging the first routine , you will be given the master score for a point of reference , 2. Practical judging will be on optionals only and on all four events, 3.

There will be 5 routines to judge from each event which count toward your score. Time: The exam takes about three hours to complete .

Text or Film: Follow the text with the following corrections and clarifications.

Beginning Beam: XIII Film and stick figures show LEFT forward. Text reads left in back.

Either way okay.

Beginning Bars: If the gymnast is in the youngest age group and cannot jump to the high bar, she may be lifted up to reach the HB for the mount.

Intermed. Beam: XVI II should read: Pick Rig ht hand and execute v.. turn left. LEFT hand grasps beam .

Advanced Bars: VI The Y2 turn should be to the LEFT. Advanced Beam: XV should read " Step right forward with a bending and straighten ing of right leg and a wave of the body. Right arm moves upward, forward to join left arm in vertical position . .. " Advanced Floor XI 2. "pivot 360 0 to Left Begin . Vau lt: Bent hip straddle ... remember the ru ling that if the gymnast performs a vault with higher elevation than prescribed, the vault will not be scored zero; however there w ill be a deduction of .5 How u p to date is the Exam ?The exam includes all of the changes in d ifficu lties and judging procedures up through the latest judg ing course in Madrid. All of the latest information is included in the prescribed texts above. (This informatio n comes , from Varina French Exam and Rating Chairman) (Includes all rule cha nges as of Oct. 1 , 1971) M usic Tape for the Floo r Ex ercises : 'The USGF / DGWS tapes are now ready and ava il ab le from: Betty Meyer, Northeastern Illinois Univers ity, Bryn Mawr at St. Louis, Chicago, III. 60625 The tape contains two separate renditions of the floor exercise music; the first piece was written for the Beginner leve l floor ' exercise; the second p iece is for the Intermediate and the Advanced level. Tape is $2.00. Make checks payable to USGF Women ' s Comm ittee.

How are you rated: You must attain these min imum scores to obtain these ratings: National ; Practica l 80%, Theoret ical 90%.

Regional: Practicai 65%, Theo retical 80%.

Loca l: Practical 50%, Theoretical 70%.

Certification Period: "Accorng to action taken by t he joint committee, the new certificat ion ratings extend from September to September.

The information in the DGWA Guide is incorrect. Those holding ratings that are to expire in 1972 wi ll be honored unti l December 1972 under the old po licy. " Varina French Who ca n administer this Exam ? All USGF Exe'c utive Officers, USGF Sub-Committee Chairmen, USGF Regiona l and State Chairme n, DGWS authorized persons. Request names of authorized personnel from: Mrs. De lene Darst, 4094 Statewood Rd, N.E. , Atlanta , Georgia 30342 Wh ere is the Exam being given : See o ur calendar. We have tr ied to find out the rating exams are being g iven throughout the Un ited States in the 1972 season. If your area is giving a USGF / DGWS Rating exam let us know immediately so we can include it in the next issue of " The Gymnast" . Send information to: Renee P. Hendershott, 17605 Fries Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio 44107 Wh ere and w hen are judging clini cs being given? We w ill list this informat ion in the Gymnast as it comes in. Send any information about clinics to Mrs. Hendershott at the above address. If you do not have qua lified persons in your area w ho can hold cl in ics for you, contact Mrs. Darst at the above address. She has information about qualified personnel in your region. When you do schedule one of these cl inics, don ' t forget to let Mrs. Hendershott know so we can put the information in .

HIGHLIGHTS O N NO TES FRO M MADRID

SPECIAL BULLETIN On behalf of the United States Olympic Committee I wh ich to inform yo.u of the total qualification that has received approva l from the Olympic Committee. This current plan is by far the best and most fa i r. It gives as all ied members of the USGF a chance to further advance into the FINAL TR IAL without disturbing the original plan of advancement of the top 20 gymnasts from the 2ND TRIAL in Te rre Ha ute.

COMPETITION NOTES

FINAL TRIAL Longbeach May 31 June 1,2,3

C- Olympic Compulsories 0- Optiona ls

2 Rounds C + 0

72.00 (9.0) C+O Top 20 C+O

2ND TRIAL Terre Haute March 10,11

68.00 (8.5)

USA CHAMPION SHIPS ELITE Fullerton May 4,5,6

(8.5)

DGWS INTEIL Des Moines March 21 April 1

u...

l.J Vl

::J

68.00 Top 40 C+O

1ST TRIA L Champaign November 18,19,20

(8.5)

ISGF SR. NAT. Denver April 27,28,29

68.0u (8.5)

QJ

-E 0 V>

c

0 .;:;

C+O

-

AAU SR. NAT. Billings Apr il 27,28,29

.E

TURNER NAT: MEET (if scheduled)

cu

.~ C

cu

68.00 66.40 2 sets Opt.

(8.5)

i:" 0, Q; .ÂŁJ

REG IONALS Oct. - Nov.

USGF JR. NAT. Bethesda April 14,15

E QJ

2

ADV. USGF IDGWS COMP o+ OPT.

SOKOL NAT. MEET (if schedu led)

68.00 (8.5) (8.5)

YMCA NAT. Downers Grove April 21,22 ADV. USGF / DGWS COMP, + OPT.

Va ults not in the Code - FIG A pproved: 1. Full Twist On - Handspring Off 2. Handspring - Full Twist On and Full Twist Off 3. Handstand - Rront Somersault Off 4. Roundoff - Back Tuck Somersault 5. Vault No. 15 is again eva luated at 10.00 pOints(Handspring) New Values fo r the Horizontal stradd le and stoop va ults listed by FIG : The ir values go down from 8 points to 7 points (nothing was sa id about the value of the HFOR IZONTAL SQUAT VAULT BY FIB since it is not a vau lt listed in the FIG Code. After check ing with USGF Tec h nical Chairman , Jackie U. Fie, we can te ll you that the value of the Horizontal Squat vault is also lowered one point (from 7.5 points to 6.5 points.) These changes are in keeping with the deductions of 2.0 points for doing a layout vau lt at Horizontal in the FIG Code. This will necessitate our USA adjustment of the 1.0 point for " at horizontal " t02.0 points in keeping with the FIG Code of Points. (In the new Code to be assembled after Munich , only 10.0 po int vaults will be accepted.)

Va ulting - New Penalty: If a small jump or step is taken upon arrival of the gymnast on the ground after the vau lt, a 0.1 or 1.2 pena lty is taken. Two gymnasts who execute ' the same vault, one tak ing a step forward, should not

receive the same score.

Difficulty Credits - Bars: a. Six superiors and no mediums - 4.0 difficulty - 0.5 pena lty for compos ition not conforming to the logical ba lance is not app licable to bars. b. Eight mediums and no superiors - 2.0 difficulty - 0.5 penalty for composition for lack of superiors is not applicable to the bars.

Compulsory Elements - Bars: Compu Isory elements may be repeated , such as the gli de k ip catch the HB, without penalty for repet it ion, but if executed in the same combination , a pena lty for composit ion will be taken.

O ut of Bounds - Floor Exercise: If a difficulty is completed outside of the area, a. Pena lize under composition for performance out of the area - 0.1 , b. Pena lize under general impression 0.1, c. Pena lize for I ine vio lation - each time - 0.1 After the last warn ing signal - Floorexerdse: Once bell sounds, the judges watches nothingno medium or super ior diff iculty credits or execution errors. Example : Bell rings, gymnast does a superior move afterward Deduct 0.3 extra time Deduct 1.0 if this was necessary to complete the difficulty requirement Deduct 0.5 for no dismount from genera l impression .

Correcti on in Code of PoBnts, Page 9: Loss of ba lance, II I Serious Faults, third item shoulrl be corrected to read : "to begin again(repeat) a m issed element (on the floor or apparatus) 0.50.

35

INSTRUCTIONAL: Good instructional articles with illustrations (drawings or photos) for all skill and age levels needed and welcome at the GYMNAST offices.

If you have instructional material you feel you would like to share with other GYMNAST readers, do not hesitate to submit them to our instructional editors.

Instructional editor for men: Dr. Gerald S. George Dept. of Physical Education, Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia 23508

Instructional editor for women: Mrs. Renee P. Hendershott 17605 Fries Avenue lakewood, Ohio 44107

PRINCIPLES OF JUMPING AS THEY RELATE TO GYMNASTICS Renee P. Hendershott

The theories of jumping which come from the dancer's realm of knowledge relate directly to the gymnast's tumbling and vaulting. The gymnast who studies dance will develop a better understanding of tumbling and will also build the proper strength for increased height. let us examine some rules of jumping which can be applied: I. All jumps originate and terminate with the knees slightly bent. There are two reasons for this: A. One must start from bent knee position to be able to push off from the floor . B. When one lands, the legs take the tremendous shock by acting as springs . If tile landing is made on straight legs, the back and abdominal organs take the brunt of the shock .. They are not made for this!

II. The power for a jump must come only from the legs. The torso and arms must not be thrown to assist one in jumping. The body remains straight; before, during and right after the jump. (See Fig.'s 4 thru 10). The tendency for the untrained jumper is to lean forward before jumping, pull back during the jump, and drop the torso forward during the landing.

2

3

A. Every time one does this, a tremendous strain is put on the lower back. The same effectwould be acheived by lifting something which is too heavy.

B. There are a number of technical mistakes which cause the gymnast to land with the back as in Fig 3. a. Throw too early for hecht dismount : Have to pike to get feet under for landing. b. Over spin on a handspring vault causes upper body to be thrown forward in landing. c. Stall in a layout back flip and have to pike under to get feet under. d. Open up too late in back tuck flip . e. On the other hand there are technical mistakes caused when one uses the torso to assist in a jump.

36

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

In thes pictures note the landing . . TOE ... BALL . . . HEEL! (4,5,6 and 7). See the knee and foot extension upon pushoff. (8,9and 10) Torso remains stable throughout jump.

a. The gymnast with underdeveloped leg muscles will throw the head and torso back in an attempt to get over in a back flip. Without proper muscular development in the legs, it is simply impossible to get around any other way.

(Typical "swing back " ) b. The gymnast who throws the back into an arch during the hecht dismount usually does not get our-far enough away from the bar and ends up having to bend the knees to get past it.

She should have used her leg muscles to help her " pop " off the bar. Although this is not a jump, it is an example of the use of torso instead of the leg muscles and it does produce a bad landing.

IV. Immediately upon landing, the pushoff must be made into the next jump. The body will appear to bounce right up off the floor if done correctly. The ability to push off quickly or " punch" is controlled by: A. One's reaction time (which can be speeded up by deliberate practice), and B. Leg strength which can be brought to its optimal development by doing ballet bar exercises daily ... and .... repetitive jumping.

The inability to punch out of a landing immediately, causes the timing of a number of gymnastic skills to be thrown off. c. Then there is the vaulter who, instead of punching off the board with a strong upward takeoff, just reaches the horse and kills the vault. d . When the torso is thrown back to help one get up, the jump is never as high or bouncy as it could be. With t~e back in this position it is impossible to use the legs efficiently for apushoff.

III. When making a landing, toe, ball, heel, (in that order) must come lightly to the floor as illustrated in Fig.'s 4,5,6, and 7.

A . An effort must be made to control the lowering of the heel to the floor for lightness and to prevent injury. (The command "SHHHHH" will make student use the proper muscles to control landings) B. Gymnasts who do many large jumps and tumbling without lowering the heels to the floor in landing are subject to Achilles tendon and ankle injuries.

A . Roundoff back flip. If the gymnast pu~hed off late after the roundoff, the back flip will be directed back more than up.

B. Vaulting: If the vaulte r hits the board " dead " , the body moves too far forward before takeoff. This causes the angle of takeoff to be too far forward . Nothing has been gained by using the beat board if the takeoff is not done immediately upon impact. e. The gymnast's performance appears to be heavy and weak.

V. As one pushes off from the floor, the feet must arch forcefully and the knees extend to the fullest. Only with full extension does one benefit from the springlike action initiated in the pushoff.

VI. Any time the jump includes a turn around one 's vertical axis (such as in a full twisting back layout flip, or a hecht with a twist), all parts of the body must remain close to the vertical axis.

This means legs together and straight, arms close to body or up above head, and back perfectly straight. Below are examples of how parts of the body come away from the vertical axis. These all cause an uncontrolled twist and poor landing. The farther the member is from the vertical axis, the slower it will rotate. It is possible to get different parts of the body rotating at different speeds. The twist will go out of control and the back will suffer from stress of twisti ng.

CORRECTIONS FOR JANUARY .ISSUE OF . THE 'GYMNAST' MAGAZINE page 34 middle column under Beam: "rings ... do dismount .5 - should read : rings .... no dismount .5" page 34 1st column ••• See material sent for February issue about the USGF/ DGWS Rating exam . .. Judging Guides #1 and #2 no longer in print. They are replaced by 1972 Judging Guide for Women which also indudes notes from Madrid .

Page 34 Column 3 ••• Age cut off ••• this was correct at the time , but just received notification that this rule was illegal and they have reverted back to the old rule.

A CINEMA TORGAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF THE VALDEZ by Ronald Byrd, Ph.D. Peter Everett, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Professor Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida 32306 Editor's Note: The subject of this analysis is female and due to the mechanical dissimilarites between the female performances and male performances of the technical phase of the valdez, this analysis is primarily applicable to the female gymnast.

INTRODUCTION The Valdez is a very difficult stunt and is almost as difficult to teach as to p路erform. Even skilled performers often have trouble in attempting to communicate with learners on the importance of certain aspects of the stunt.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative participation of body parts in the Valdez by means of a cinematographical analysis, thus providing coaches and instructors with information that would be of value in their teaching of the stunt.

Frames 1-9

RESULTS Frames one through nine. Preparatory movements co nsisted of a forward movement of the head, right arm, and trunk (See Figure 1).

This placed the body into an advantageous position in which force could be exerted over a greater distance, thus increasing available momentum .

Movement into the stunt was initiated by the head . The head, right arm, and shoulders moved backward before the glutii left the mat.

This resulted in a force being exerted downwar.d on the legs for .17 second as momentum was being built up.

The right leg then applied force and lifted the hips nea rly vertically. At frame nine, the trunk-thigh position had caused the angle at the knee to approach 90 degrees; .017 second later the ang le became 100 degrees, about optimal for final force application . The body has begun to arch, shortening the moment arm and facilitating rotation .

Frames ten through fifteen. Final force was applied by the right leg between frames ten and eleven, that being the time at which the foot left the mat (See Figure 2) . This thrust ca used some acceleration to continue to frame fifteen at which time the center of gravity moved inside the base of support. It was noted that accelerations for various body parts dropped off progressively indicating a negative summation of forces (See Table 1). This was one

PROCEDURES The subject used in this study was a former Olympic competitor and was, at the time of the study, in training for competition. A Bell and Howell 16mm camera on a stationary tripod was us,ed to film the movement. The subject performed the Valdez severa l times prior to the actual filming so as to facilitate proper camera placement. The camera was set up 8.4 meters, measured perpendicularly, from the projected center of action of the subject and at a height of approximately one meter from the floor. A

Frames 10-15

vertical two-meter stick and a horizontal one-meter stick were included in the camera field as references for the analysis. A white background was used to omit distracting elements from the film . The subject wore black leotards and was marked wi th contrasting tape at th e ank les, knees, left hip, left shoulder, elbo ws, wrists, and just anterior to the left ear.

Filming of a two-meter ball drop provided accurate data on film speed.

The processed film was studied by means of a Recordak 16mm film reader. It was decided to use every fifth frame so as to capture significant motion without superfluity . Four main divisions of image transfer were employed, each cr '1sisting of outline figures at the initial and final frames with stick figures of body components between . Broadly, the divisions were : (1) force application; (2) momentum up to when the center of gravity goes into the base; (3) movement of the center of gravity out of the base until foot contact is made with the mat, and (4) recovery to a standing position.

Frames 16-22

factor causing the smooth appearance of the stunt. It was further noted that the base of support changed from the left hand at frame thirteen to both hands at frame fourteen. This had the effect of forcing the cente r of gravity to travel further before moving out of the base and causing a renewal of acceleration.

Frames sixteen through twenty-two. No acceleration occurred until frame eighteen when the center of gravity moved out of the base (See Figure 3) . Disequilibrium occurred at this time and gravity ca used body acceleration.

This end of equilibrium ended a period of no acceleration or deceleration that occurred for .255 second while the center was over the base.

As momentum picked up, another summation of forces phenomenon was noted . First the hip and then the right leg accelerated until the left foot touched down at frame twenty-two (See Table 1).

Frames twenty-three through thirty-two. At this time there was a tran sfer of momentum to the body and arms and then the head, causing these parts to accelerate (See Figure 3). This momentum was absorbed by the extended arms, body, and right leg rotating about the left hip until the right foot touched the mat. The right leg then absorbed the' final momentum and caused deceleration to the final position, frame thirty-two.

Frames 23-32

CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the Valdez reveal :'d the following factors which should be ei of value to instructors.

Frames one through nine. The importance of momentum building rotation of the right arm must be stressed . Attention should be given to the fact that head movement should initially be horizontally backward to facilitate future body rotation . Placement of the right foot as near the gluteus as possible must be accomplished. This provides optimum angular force application hy the right leg. Placement too far forward would cause a loss in the vertical force co mponent of the thrust. There is a tendency to move the hips forward , but this should occur vertically so as to eliminate the need for extra acceleration and / or force to overcome this adverse action.

Frames ten through fifteen. At fr'ame ten enough force must be added by right leg force application and hyperexte nsion of the spine to carry the body' s ce nter of gravity into the base.

This is a most critical moment and its importance should be stressed. Also, the left leg and thigh should be flexed so as to decrease the radius of rotation and therefore rotational inertia .

Frames sixteen through thirty-two. Except for striving for good form, there is little difficulty involved in this part of the Valdez . No special attention was given to analysis of this part of the stunt with respect to teaching techniques.

37

HELEN'S CORNER

by Helen Sjursen Dear Readers: I have been discovering that some judges are marking entire sequence as " one" diff iculty mark, which of course cheats the gymnasts out of some difficulty ratings .

Therefore, I have decided to rate some sequences so that both judges and gymnasts will realize that you don 't rate " entire sequences" but each trick as they are performed . . .

I have also discovered that some judges, if they think a sequence is a real good one, will give credit for a superior, even though the sequence did not contain any superior trick as per FIG Code. How did judges ever get started on this binge? I feel you give medium and superior credits as offically rated and then if you like a particular combination you can credit this under the composition mark or the combination mark! H.J.

WHAT WOULD YOU RATE THIS

SEQUENCE~

\

~,!::mgnd? y<

Squat through LB

(Jo!ladns SU!elUOJ aJuanbals!Y1) ')pew " uO!leU!qwOJ" JO "uo!l!sodwOJ" aYl 01 ppe Aew AaY1 'anle" ou 10 slJed lIoolJa"o 10N op ' a8pn[ e aJe nOA II L pue swn!paw l

~~J

~OI~3dnS-d!lI aSJa"a~

Ii\In1031i\1-SH YJleJ Sl Ja"o 100YS lallses anle" ou-y8nOJYl lenbs 8al alqnoo Ii\Inl03Ii\1-S1 uo d!lI ap!18 uml Zj~ 'ap!19 : S~3MSNV

Basket, shoot over LB catch HB

WHAT WOULD YOU RATE THIS SEQUENCE?

• 'lIJew "suOlleu!qwOJ" aYl 01 JO " uo!l!sodwOJ " aYl 01 ppe Aew AaY1 'anle" ou 10 sjJed lIoopa"o 10N 00

free back hip circle to Y2 turn catch HB

•

Y2 turn drop catch LB

'Jo!Jadns L pue swn!paw ( SUlelUOJ aJuanbas slY1 Ii\In1031i\1-SH YJleJ 01 d!)1 ~OI~3dns

(Sl) ap!18 01 lIJeq lSeJ apJP d!y lIJeq aaJI Ii\Inl031i\1-jJoddns lUOJI aaJI 01 d!lI Ii\In1031i\1-ap!l8 01 apJP alos lUOJ1 anle" oli-puelS d001S 01 lse:) : S~3MSNV

glide kip Y2 turn catch HB

WHAT WOULD YOU RATE THIS SEQUENCE?

~( . ~ Cast to stoop stand

•

Front sole circle to glide

Of' ~ . · ~,1 I ~ Free back hip circle

38

cast back to glide

~I

kip catch HB

JO!Jadns alqeuo!lsanb e pue swnlpaw l SU!elUOJ aJuanbas S!Y1 (wn!paw se I! Jap!suoJ sa!l!l0Ylne leJ!uYJal awos 'Ja"aMoH 'SIUIOd 10 apo:) 91:1 ay) UI JO!ladns palsil S! YJleJ uml vi d!lI apll8 aY1) ~OI~3dnS-SH

YJleJ uml l/~ dill ap!18 'Sl YJleJ ' doJp uml l/~ Ii\lni03Ii\1-SH YJleJ uml l/~ 'Sl aIJJ!J d!H lIJeS aaJ1 Ii\InI031i\1-dwn[ alPpeJ)s lIJeS : S~3MSNV

VARIATIONS OF ROLL TO ARCH OUT

by Helen Sjursen

I. Jump at end of beam (top grip) , tuck head and roll forward quickly taking an under grip, and without stopping quickly arch out bending one leg-hold momentarily

EI

BEGINNER HORIZONTAL BAR ROUTINE drawings by: Pat Avera routine by: Jerry Wright

A. W ith double over grip excute front pull over, without swing, to front support.

B. Bring right(or left) leg to side and forward to straddle sit on top of the bar releasing R.(or L.) hand (leg can also be broungt between the hands without releasing the hand). e. Execute single leg circle backward 1 and 3;" times, D. Reverse direction by executing knee swing up to the stradd le sit.

E. Lean to left-release right hand and regrasp to left on left hand while turning the

body 180 degrees to left. At the same time swing the left le'g to the other side of the bar until you come to a front support.

F. Swing the legs to the rear one time and immediately execute backward hip circle.

G. At complet ion of backward hip ci rcle immediately execute underswing dismount with '12 twist to the left (or right) ... . (type of dismount may vary greatly) .

Note: Bar shou ld be placed about as high as the average sized person in class can reach.

JI> 2. Same as I except mounting diagonally from side of beam

is

done

1.

A. fronl pull over

3. From a sitting position, '12 back head roll taking an under grip, and without stopping quickly arch out bending one leg-hold momentarily

~f1!~iI~~6 ~)~~vc' C. 1짜- single leg circles backwa rds

4. From a handstand position , roll forward taking an undergrip, arch out-ho ld mementarily

~"'.~~'~~ 20.

S. From a straddle seat, swing legs down and rear-upward bringing legs together to arrive at a free front support. QUickly tuck head and roll forward taking an under grip, and without stopping arch out bending one leg-hold momentarily

12.

21 .

G. underswing dismo unt wi th Vl twist

r

25.

6. From a lunge position, forward roll taking an under grip, quickly arch out bending one leg-hold momentarily

39

EI

SKILLS FROM START TO FINISH

by Don Tonry

This article delves ·o n a free hip circle, describing and analyzing the progressive nature of the skill in terms of A, B, C parts respective ly.

Editor's Note: All materials from this article were taken from a series of wall charts entitled " Horizontal Bar", by Don Tonry. These instructional wall charts are available through Gymnastic Aids, Box 475, Northbridge, Mass.

gymnas •

BOX 475

II NORTHBRIDGE. MASS FREE BACKWARD HIP CIRCLE

From a support position; cast legs upward to the rear. Lower body toward the bar and pike just enough for lower portion of thigh to lightly touch bar. At the same time lean back with shoulders and execute roll. Extend hips and shift wrists over bar.

FREE HIP CIRCLE TO HANDSTAND (B PART)

.From free front support; lower body toward bar and lean backward with shoulders (head held forward) . As body rotates below the bar, place the lower portion of the thigh close to the bar (slight pike) . After the shoulders pass the bottom of the swing; extend the hips, turn the wrists upward and bear downward with arms.

I

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High School :__ _ _ _ __ Address :_ __ BACKWARD FREE HIP CIRCLE HOP TO HANDSTAND (C PART)

Prerequisite is a backward free hip circle to handstand . The hip circle must be executed with straight arms and the hop takes place very late or close to the handstand .

40

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41

Ihere Monday al Ihree Ihirty in Ihe ahernoon."

We' ll gel her slarled al Ihat lime."

Mrs. Corbel and Lourie le fl Ihe gymnasium severa l minules lale r. A; I hey drove home in Ih e ca r. Louri e sa id. " I hope I can gel as good as Sylvia. " " You 'll have 10 work for it. " " I wi ll. " The elder Corbel smiled al her d aughler and conii nu ed home.

Monday , Mrs. Corbel look Lourie down 10 Ihe gymnasium , which Ihey found, as M isler Mason had indi caled, 10 be a converted departmenl slore. I nside they enle red a large room w ilh Ihree sels of uneven bars, five balance beams, a free exercise pad , and IWO va ulling horses. Mrs. Corbet sa id , " Whal do you Ihink of Ihi s, Lourie? " "I like it. " Misler Mason was across Ihe room working wilh IWo young girl s aboul Lourie's age, when he look ed up and saw Ihe Corbels. Momenls lal er he walked over to Ihem and sa id , "G lad you made it. " Smiling, Mrs. Corbel sa id , " Didn 'l you Ihink we would? " " Yes." Waving his arm around Ihe room, Misler Mason asked, " What do yo u Ihink of our gym? " " Very impressive. More Ihan I ex pecled. " " We 're proud of it. The c lasses are of a size thallh e girl s don 'l have 10 stand and wa ill o gel on Ihe equipment. Thi s is importanl, especially on Ihe balance beam. " " Do you all ow parenls 10 watch?" Looking around, Mrs. Corbet co ntin ed , " I don ' t see any here. " "We let Ihem watch the firsl praclice and Ihen by permission. We've found the girl s do bett er and actually pf'rform bettf'r if Ih erf' M e no 'peclal ors. And the girls prefer il Ihal way." " I can und erstand Ihat." " Good. Now if you wan t to sil in one of the chairs over by Ihe office, we 'll gel Louri e <I ilrtf'd. " Mrs. Corbet walked away as M "ister Mason put his arm around Louri e's shoulders and led her over to a spot on the free exercise mat, where a group of girls were stretching out.

Here he introduced her to the group, then said to a young girl whom he ca ll ed Betsy, " Will you show her how we warm up. " Betsy smiled and said, "Sure."

Lourie sat down on the mat and glanced at her mother. She turned back to Betsy as she heard a question posed at her, " Are you going to join?"

"Yes," " Good. You 'll like it here . Mister Mason is a good coach , and we have the best team around." " I know. I saw the meet Saturday. " " You did. I didn 't see you."

"We were in the stands. I saw you. You did real good."

Betsy smiled and shrugged her shoulders as she said, " Pretty good. " "You won the 10 to 12 di vision , didn ' t you?" ((Yes." " That 's more than pretty good. " Betsy saw Mister Mason look her way as he led Mrs. Corbet into the office. She said, " We'd better get stretched out. We only ha ve twenty minutes, and the coach likes us to be ready.

First you get in the hurdlers stretch. Bend your leh leg up to your side and extend your right leg out in front of you."

When Lourie was in this position, Betsy said, "Now work to get your head down to you r knee . Bounce and once in a while hold it down.

42

Make it hurt, but don 't pull anyth in g. M iste r Mason says if we pull a muscle, it 'll take weeks to heal. If we spend at least thirty minutes a day before practice stretch in g, we pretty we ll elimin ate this problem. "

After stretching the right leg, Betsy changed and Lourie followed her examp le until the left leg was likewise stretched. Betsy said , " As you can see, most of us have our legs pretty we ll stretched out. You should do t hi s at home each night. When you can get your ch in beyond yo ur knee and yo u ' re flat on your leg, then you're about there. Don ' t forget to go out front also. " The girls next stood and began doing front and back walkovers down the mat. Lou ri e could not ge t up by h erself, so Betsy helped her. Mister Mason'wa lked onto the mat as they finished ten minutes of stretch ing their ba cks.

He said, " Betsy, I want YO Ll, Marty and Louri e to come to the bars w ith me. The rest of you go to the balance beams. " At the uneven bars, Betsy went through part s of her routine, followed by Marty. When Louri e's time came, Mister Mason sa id , " The first thing we have to do is get onto the bars.

We'll do the simplest of mounts, called a front pullover. Stand under the bar, kick you r ri ght leg up and pull over the bar. " Lourie stood as told and kicked as told , but she did not get up to the bar. Mister Ma so n sa id , "You let yo ur arms out. You have to jump and kick stra ight up and pull at the same time.

When you feel yourse lf going around, lift your head back , and you'll be up. "

want yo u to do a back hip circle. Bring your feet forward , arch back, then come into the bar at th e stomach and around you go as you "bend at the waist."

Lourie could fee l Mister Mason 's hands on her back and leg as he guided her bod y inlO the correct position. Her legs came forward , then she felt them propelled ba c kward , and forward aga in toward the bar. She felt the wood contact her st omach, and by in stinct she felt her bod y bend and turn around th e bar. She was back w here she began. Mister Mason sa id, " Try to keep yo ur legs straight and yo ur arms as straight as po ss ibl e. A lways point yo ur toes and keep your feet together. " Lourie did th e mo ve a couple more times, then Mister Mason sa id , "N ow, we' ll do a sing le leg shoot. Th row yo ur legs back as in the hip circ le, and this time at the back of the sw in g, step between yo ur hand s with your right foot and leg. You might find it easier if you grip the bar w it h your thumbs on thi s one. " Lourie tried and accomp lished the move. " Good ," sa id M ister Mason. "N ow a single leg circle forward. Keep your legs straight, your back straight and yo ur head up. Lih up and drive you r bod y forward. If yo u keep everything firm and yo ur legs straight , you' ll go around. Oh , and press down with the forward leg. "

Again Lourie did as she was told , and this time it worked. She found herself on top of the bar. Mister Mason said, " The secre t is to keep yo ur arms bent and pulling. If you let them out, it takes tremendous strength to get up. Now I

Lourie did as told , but her f ront leg bent halfway through the move. Mister Mason said, " Rem embe r to keep the legs straight and keep that head up in the beginning." continued on page 44

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CAN YOU AFFORD ANYTHING LESS THAN THE BEST? 43

Again Lourie spun forward. Again she did not quite make it, but her legs were straight. " Now ," said Mister Mason , " do the same thing and press down hard with the forward leg. " The third time Lourie did the move she made it up. " Very good ," said the coach. " Now change your hands and bend the front le g.

Drop, back and swing up to re-grasp the high bar.

This Lourie found to be easy. " The only trouble girls have with this move is if they bend their arms. You have to keep them straight.

Now put your left foot on the low bar and kick up to a pullover on the high bar."

Lourie easily accomplished this move. " Next ," Miste r Mason said , " place your left foot on thelow bar and quickly come under the high bar and step out and over the low, to land on the mat. " Quickly Lourie moved under the high bar and by pushing down on the low, she was able to clear the low bar and fly out to land on the mat where Mister Mason caught her. " Not bad for the first time ," he said . " Now you have to practice this until you can do it by yourself. "

Continued next month

Shreveport Gymnastic Supply Company P. O . Box 5374 Shreveport, La . 71105 Suppliers of 1968 U S. Women 's OlympIc Gymnastic Team 1968 'World Trampoline Team WHY WAIT FOR YOUR ORDER? Our stock items are shipped . 'the day your order IS received. We stock most gymnastic clothiilg items and accessories Send for our catalog

44

BOOK REVIEW SPORT: A Contemporary View. by Donna Mae Miller and Kathryn R.E. Russell. 1971. Lea & Febiger, dphiladelphia, Pa. Hardbound. 202 pp. $7.50.

Publishers nearly always send their own reviews with the review copy of the book, hoping perhaps that the reviewer will simply par<!phrase them or even reprint the publisher's review . I usually anticipate an exaggerated discription of the appeal of such a book, but in · the case of " SPORT: A Contemporary View," I have to agree that it is a "lively and entertaining book. " The book analyses sport from a number of angles : spectator and participant : social, cultureal and educational; and the authors' own . When one finishes reading it, he cannot help but be impressed with the role that sport has in all aspects of our daily life. One thing bothered me though -- the book is so thoroughly documented that I felt as if I were reading a popularized version of a research paper. The publishers contributed to this feeling by setting quoted passages off in indented paragraphs of fine type, a means of assuring distinction perhaps, but distracting to this reviewer. . The authors do not spend all of their effort on the football-basketball-baseball clique of sports but touch liberally on just about every activity sport. Most of the references are to people 'still well-known today (this makes it 'contemporary, I presume).

Gymnastics enthusiasts will have to be content with a few brief references, including a newspaper quote from Dan Millman, a single citation from the Modern Gymnast, and a couple of Sports Illustrated articles.

The authors jump in with both feet on such topics as the Negro in sport and women in sport. They raise some interesting questions and try to provide some answers. A few of their examples, however, seem to reinforce old stereotypes. Some analyses seem superficial when just a few more sentences would have added greater depth, but then, more dpeth may frighten away casual readers .

Some specific reactions of mine: The section on spectators cou Id have been strengthened by more analysis on the impact of television and by treating spectator behavior as a phenomenon of crowd sociology. While spectator and participant are both analysed , there is little effort to bring out the motivations of the coach. It would also be interesting to

JAPAN VS AMERICAN ALL STARS

probe into " the college- perpetuated myth that ... athletes are students first. " In the section on sport and the arts, I felt the superb camera technique of many surfing films was overlooked and in discussing good sports literature a few examples would have added much by the way of contrast. The book concentrates primarily on U.S . athletes and sports, but some useful comparisons could have been drawn by tapping the sports interests of other parts of the .world. Just enough is written to tantali ze the reader and then it is on to some other fare in this smorgasbord of sport.

One thing this book does is provide a sports-minded student about to pursue an M .S. in sociology, psychology, art , business, or what-have-you with a rich store of topics that he could purs'ue with interest and in depth for a thesis. The book might also serve as a basis for discussion in certain kinds of physical education courses and would certainly be a more relevant approach to such courses than the usual recitation of history of physical education.

My main criticism of the book is its great dependence upon Sports IIIl,1strated magazine for its source material. It implies a lack of familiarity with other sports magazines to draw the great majority of references from 51. Far better surfing expressions are to be found in various surf magazines (at least these treat surf areas besides New' England and more contemporary surfers than Fred Van Dyke), just to cite an example, not to overlook certain prominent gymnastic publications. It is curious that Women's Sports Reporter was acknowledged but not used in the treatment of women in sports (incidentally that chapter used a greater varie.ty of sources than any o ther chaper and 51 still accounted for more than half). My greatest objection to the 51 quotes is that by documenting the sports notes appe;lring in si's "Scorecard " these gossipy little items are given more weight than they deserve . I resent being ha nded secondhand information when the authors could have sought out original works instead of citing a 51 version of it.

Criticisms aside, I enjoyed the book for the stimulating ideas it offers and the vistas in future reading which it opens . The authors seem to have capsulized their approach in noting (p 51) that this contemporary view is " composed of e xtracted bits from those who " wear the shoe" of sport and who in some way confirm a belief that sport touches a common nerve evoking group feelings that words alone cannot describe and that it taps the mainstream of humanity, showing us that people everywhere are much the same. "

JAPAN -USA ALL-STARS PATCH Two sizes of "Iron-on transfer patches" (in red and blue) were made up for the Japan-USA All-Stars competition held in Los Angeles.

Some of th e se patches are available at 50¢ each for (he small ones(pocket size) and at 75¢ each for i he large ones&approx. 11 x 12 inches) . A limited number of '1' Shirts with the two patches alread y on are also available at $3.00 each (in white only- sm .,med. & large) . Order these special souvenir patc hes of the Japanese tour from :THE GYM SHOP - 410 Broadway, santa Monica, Ca. 90401.

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45

AMERICAN GYMNASTIC CAMP AMERICAN GYMNASTIC CAMP

CALENDAR

DIRECTOR

Beginning our fourth year as the only ALL-GIRL gymnastic camp in Eastern United States.

DR. FREDERIC M. PIERCE

119 North Broad Street Johnson City, N. Y. 13790

5 Weeks-June 25th thru July 29, 1972 Mail to: AMERICAN GYMNASTIC CAMP 119 N. Broad Street Johnson City, New York 13790

Registration Form-AMERICAN GYMNASTIC CAMP Age

Name

Address

City .

State

Zip

Phone No.

(A / C)

School Attending

Gymnastic Club

I shall attend: ( ) First Week - June 25 to July I ( ) Second Week - July 2 to July 8 ( ) Third Week - July 9 to July 15

) Fourth Week - July 16 to July 22 ) Fifth Week - July 23 to July 29

Dates

. . to .

) More than one week: No postpo nement , cancellation, or refund of deposit unless camp is notified by June 1, 1972. No deposit is ever lost but credit will be made for future sessions for applicant or girl she designates wi th approval of management wi thin one year. Sessions

begin on a Sunday and end on a Saturday of every week.

FREE

Register for two or more weeks and receive FR EE a S7.00 GYM IS leotard . Register for four or fi ve weeks and receive a GYMIS style 700. 100'i,. nylo n w;,rm -u p. $35.00 value . A Camp T·Sh irt will be se nt 10 all girls who register by Apri l 2\. 1972. Sma ll ( ) Med ium ( ) large ( )

Facilities: Include 2 large indoor areas, both equipped with One a rea is 40'x8 0', the ot he r 35'x80'. Outsid e a reas are spacious.

Equipment:

apparatus.

Si x se ts o f a pparatu s a re available for instruct ion and

practice.

Make Checks payable to AMERICAN GYMNASTIC CAMP

Ehrollment limited: Only 100 campe rs will be accepted for eac h sessioR.

ENROLL EARLY!!! Minimum age - 8, unless

special a rrangements a re made.

Gymnastic instruction:

Fees:

E?<-pert instruction wi ll be provided in all girls' gymnastic activities. Included in the instructional program a re : Tumbling, Free Exercise, Balance Beam, Uneve n Parallel ~ars, Side Horse Vault , Dance, and Mini-Tramp.

Each girl will receive individu al and small group in struct ion corresponding to her ability.

$ 115 $225 $335 $445 $555

weekly session (6 days) two week session (13 days) three week session (20 days) four week session (27 days) five week session (34 days)

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struction and experience in teaching and spotting techniques a nd to parti cipate in actual classes at individual discretion.

Lodging (complete linen and bedding provided), excellent meals, a small group instruction program, use of all resort rec reational facilities, full insura nce coverage.

Deposit: $30.00 deposi t to accompany registration .

Refundable up to June I, 1972.

Special Features: Previous experience is not necessary. You ca n start your gym nasti c training at the AGe. Your progre ss will be amazingly rapid and most se lf rewarding.

Short lines and small groups a re the rule for practice and instruction. There are no long lines or waiting periods for using appa rat us. Six to seven sets of apparatus will be available for continuous use a t AG e.

Recreational facilities include swimming and boating at the clear, beautiful, spring-fed Oquaga Lake - tenni.s - teth erba l! - softb all - wate r skiing - shuffleboard - canoeing - golf.

Smorgasbord every Wednesday ni ght.

Six hours of gymnastics is sched uled every day. You can, if yo u wish, work for as many as ten hours a day - all supervised .

Our staff is always willing a nd rea tl y 10 help a nyone with specific· ptoblems o r requests.

Showboat rides around the Lake on Tuesday or Thursday eve nings.

Parents may spend a wonderful vacatio n right ulong with their daughter al bca utiful Scott's Oquaga Lake House. As a mountain vacation re sort , Scott's is unm atch ablc·. Enjoy a vacat ion of you r own and watc h your daughter progrcss in gymnastic ability.

G ymnastic a pparel and equipment will be available for purch ase. Included are leotards, warm-up su it s, swea t shirts, hand-grips , gymnastic shoes, etc. Our warm-up uniforms arc fashioned by GVMIS, th e fin est quality 100% stretch nylon wa rm-up made any place in the world.

Participation i'n the volunta ry all-camp Olympic style gymnastic competition.

., 46

Mar. 10-11 DGWS Region 7 Collegiate Championships· Women to be hosted

by U of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, Barbara Hedges is Meet Dir. Mar. 11 Indiana Novice meet 1969·71 beginner routines Mar. 11 Class II California State Mee~ Mr. Ed Franz, San Diego State College, USGF I DGWS Intermediate compulsories Mar. 13 USGF I DGWS Judges Certification Exam, at Louisville, Kentucky Contact Carole Liedtke, 6805 Moorhaven Dr., Louisville, Ky. 40228 Mar. 16 USGF/ DGWS Judges Certification Exam, at Lexington, Ky. Contact Mrs. Liedtke, address above.

Mar. 17-18 ' USGF State Women' s Championships, Jan Vaughan site undetermined Texas.

Mar. 18 Iowa District Jr. Olympic Developmental Level Girls Mee~ Waterloo YMCA . Contact Bill and Connie Robertson c 0 7211 Bryn Mawr Dr., Des Moines, Iowa 50322 (PH . 515·276·0476) Mar. 18 Jr. Olympic Nov. and Dev. meet 10·12 yr olds .. N. Y. Met Area Mar. 24-25 Darlene Darst to run Compulsory Clinic .. Florida in Fort Myers area. Girls interested should notify Molly Hunter immediately.

Par. ?

USGF Region VII Gymnastic Championships in Allentown, Pa. Meet Director: Mrs. Donna Strouss, 11 Juniper Rd. no. 2 Macupquie, Pa. 18062 Ph 215·395-4712. 2 Divisions: Adv. Lev. USGF/ DGWS. Compulsories and 1972 Olympic Compulsories.

Must have scored 28.00 in all around in a previous meet.

Apr. 1 Girls Jr. Olympic Optionals, Yakima, Ca. Apr . 8 Midwest Invitational, Des Moines, Iowa .. Girls Individual and Team Competition. Contact Bill and Connie Robertson, c/o 7211 Bryn Mawr Dr., Des Moines, Iowa 50322 PH 276·1476 Apr. 9 Same for Boys .. Contact Bill AND Connie Apr. 8 Region I USGF Gymnastics Mee~ Diablo Gym Club, Pleasant Hills, Ca. Jim Gault Diablo Gymanstics Club, 1860 Oakpark Blvd., Pleasant Hills, Ca. 94523 .. Comp . USGF I DGWS Advanced and Olympic '72 plus optionals. Must have competed and qualified at Class I State meet Apr. 8 Class I Championships, Regional Pleasant Hill Ca. Apr . 8-9 USGF Region IV Class I Championship in NW. Des Moines, Iowa Score earned from Midwest Invitational can qualify.

USGF I DGWS Advanced Level compulsories to be done on 9th. A gymnast must have earned 28.00 point AA optional or 56.00 combined comp and opt score in USGF sanctioned State Meet If no USGF state meet was held it will be the responsibility of the individual coach to enter only gymnasts who can perform the 1972 USGF I DGWS Adv. Lev. Compo routines and has been averaging a minimum of 7.0 in all Olympic event Meet to be held in Urbandale H.S., NW. Des Monies Iowa Contact Bill and Connie Robertson .. address above. Ages 12 and over Apr. 13 USGF/ DGWS Judges Certification Exam, 7:30·10:30 PM in California Contact Mrs. Cheryl Wagnar, 185 W. Celest Ave. Fresno, Ca. 93704 Apr . 14 USGF/ DGWS Judges Rating exam, originally to be held at Lakewood YWCA, to be held hat Rocky River H.S. Dates has been changed from the original Apr. 13 to Friday for convenience of commuters. Re~~ter by Apr. 1st Send $3.00 to Loretta Clark, Rocky River Sr.I'I.S . .20951 Detrott Rd, OhiO 44116 Apr. 15 California Z.one Championships Zone I not set Zone II Pleasant Hill Zone III los Altos, Zone IV Sacramento Apr. 15 I ndiana girls Meet 1969· 71 Comporoutines for Intermediate lev. girls.

Apr. 21-22 9th Annqal Gymnastics in Motion, Memorial Gymnasium, Kent State University 7:30 PM. Tickets, Rudy Bachna, Room 166 Memorial Gymnasium, Kent State U. Kent Ohio 44242. Gen. $2. 00 .. Student (Adv. sale only .. $1.00) Nationally known gymnasts and members of the KSU Men's and Women's Team.

Date Change: The Eastern States Team Invitational Championship will NOT be Feb. 26·27 as previously scheduled.

Possible dates are Apr. 8 May 13, in Connecticut.

For other dates: See December issue of Gymnastic News Notes for individual state calendars, and the January issue for up to date National Calendar (includes many Regional dates not on this caledar) If you plan to attend a meet listed in these calendars (to watch,) it would be wise to check with proper person to catch any date changes . Sometimes they occur faster than I can get them in the calender!

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