Category Archives: Elite Meets

POST OLYMPICS- COMMENTS

3 Replies

Blog: Post Olympics

 

 

The euphoric highs associated with the phenomenal successes of Team USA at the Olympic games linger to this day. Sometimes it feels as if I was watching some well scripted movie with me playing a role as supporting actor. The stars are the stars and the supporting cast quickly learns that they are just that… supporters.

 

Heading into London a few of the coaches had every intention of milking the experience for all it was worth. We would fulfill our obligations to our sport and team and then enjoy the rest of the games as spectators. Kathy Kelly and few of the more experienced simply smiled and said “when the last dismount had landed we would be begging to get on a plane.” For the most part she was right. 4 straight weeks of living, breathing, thinking and doing nothing but gymnastics will take its toll on your energy level. Throw in the natural highs of success and the gut wrenching lows that come with not meeting expectations and you start longing for the stability of home. All the coaches were on a plane the day following event finals and happily bound for good ole USA. The athletes did stay through the closing ceremonies however and soaked up some well deserved attention.

 

In hind sight I still have this beaming sense of pride. USA won it’s second Olympic Team Gold Medal ever and we were a part of the process, my athlete was there, and I have my name attached to USA Gymnastics history. It is an amazing feeling. I could not be prouder of the Fierce Five!

 

Speaking of the Fierce Five, the media jumped the gun a bit prematurely after hearing a few mumblings about the group being called the Fab Five. After a little research (isn’t google wonderful), the girls soon learned that the Fab Five had already been taken and was associated with a group of U of M Basketball players who had a couple members who, shall we say, didn’t  live up to the code of ethics that most would expect of true champions. This team wanted their own identity and they played with countless “F” combinations. Fenomenal Five (nope, didn’t want anyone thinking they couldn’t spell), Flashy Five, Fearsome Five (too long), Famous Five (too cocky), First Aid Five (too appropriate). They settled on the title that best fit the Team’s personality and their ‘fierce” ability to compete on the world stage.

 

Someone asked what the biggest disappointment of the Olympics game was for me personally. I would have to say it was the media or more specifically the media that had no business covering a sport that they knew absolutely nothing about. Let me preface this by saying that there are some fantastic journalists, and bloggers out there that know our sport, and those that take the time to learn all they can about it. This of course puts them in a much better position of reporting accurately. Others, who claim to be professional, take the easy road and focus on the overstated, over dramatized sensationalistic approach. One such “professional” was Bill Reiter of Fox Sports. Not only did he call Jordyn the biggest disappointment of the Olympics, he also characterized me as making excuses for my athlete. Neither is even close to the truth. The entire 4 week process leading up to the games, Jordyn started having issues that presented themselves as a potential stress fracture of the fibula. We of course had to adjust training to compensate and in my opinion this certainly had an impact on her performance. This is not an excuse but mere fact. Post Olympics MRI discovered that indeed she had a full fracture. Now you try doing a Amanar or a Double Double on a broken leg Mr Reiter…. Jordyn endured with the heart of determination of a champion and is by no means a disappointment to anyone.

 

Back to the media. Never once did we focus on the training issues. Never once did we allude to the injury as a justification for not attaining the medals that “THE MEDIA” said were certainties. We focused on contributing the best that we could. After event finals I didn’t feel the need to rehash Jordyn’s disappointments again but was specifically asked to talk to the media. From the opening question everything centered around the “injury”. I made a specific point that we would not be making any excuses … the result were what they were and we congratulated the medal winners. I did answer questions honestly when asked about the injury. I stated that it looked as if Jordyn had been dealing with a potential stress fracture for 3-4 weeks BUT wild horses would not have kept her from competing. I was asked the question as to whether or not Jordyn would have competed IF this wasn’t the Olympics… the answer was “of course not”.  This is the problem with dealing with media… you answer questions that they ask… you try to be as honest as possible… and then they (Mr. Rieter) sensationalize your answers to fit the story they think will create the biggest stir. Mr. Reiter not only twisted my words but he misrepresented my message, all for the drama impact. Shame on you sir and for your unprofessionalism and heartlessness I dub thee “the biggest disappointment of the Olympics”.

 

Back in the USA the whirl wind impact of the Olympics is still being felt. Clubs across the USA are reporting record numbers of recreational students. Our two clubs have seen 30% growth in one and over 100% growth in the other SO THANK YOU TEAM USA! The related problems with massive growth in a short amount of time are significant. Staffing, scheduling, equipment needs, staff training etc all take their toll too. BUT if you are going to have problems, these are real good ones to have.

 

My personal calendar has been filled with speaking engagements, hall of fame inductions (one for me, one for my wife), coaching awards, and the thrill of a life time opportunity of throwing out the first pitch at a Detroit Tigers baseball game. I have enjoyed the recognition (lord knows it took it’s good ole time getting here) but getting back in the gym, getting back to the grind has been my biggest priority. A new crop of talent is coming up and there is just something that draws me towards helping them achieve. We will see where that leads.

 

Jordyn is currently about mid way through her obligations with the Tour of Champions. She has stopped by the gym a couple times and expresses how much she really loves the entire experience on the road. All I know is that we certainly miss her in the gym. She loves the show and is increasing her level of participation now that the leg is progressing well. A second tour is in the works and will keep her pretty busy through January or February and thus her graduation date may have to be pushed back a bit. No worries… college isn’t going anywhere. Still no firm commitment as to her plans after the tours so we will wait to see where that leads also. Life is an open book at this point.

 

Jordyn’s Mom Rita has been busy putting together her web site www.gymmom.net, which will feature a blog from a gym mom point of view, sell apparel and gym mom goodies. Rita has one book on the market “Gym Mom” and there is rumors of another coming soon. Check out this web site if you get a chance.

 

Speaking of Web Sites, coaches, gymnasts and parents will want to take a look at THEGYMNASTICSCOACH.COM. This is my project and designed as a coaches/gymnast/parent education blog site. The topics cover a full array of issues and will deliver some experienced based observations and advise so as to help shorten the learning curve in this complex sport. “ASK JOHN” is a tool you can use to seek advise on any area related to gymnastics that you may be struggling with. Whether it be technique oriented, organizational details for setting up a productive training program, dealing with staff, parents, coaches or athletes, I will do my best to help point you in the right direction. THEGYMNASTICSCOACH.COM is newly RE-DESIGNED and easy to navigate. Check it out!

 

 

 

Olympic Games- Blog Post 7

Leave a reply

Olympic Games- Blog Post 7

 

 

The Olympic Games provided case and point to the old adage “that’s why you play the game”. Jordyn was picked by many as the pre-meet favorite in the All Around… but that is why you play the game. If their was a “LOCK” for a gold medal, most would have placed their money on Makayla Maroney and her world class moon shot vaulting ability. But again, that is why you play the game. I felt so bad for her as she sat down her second vault thus opening the door for the biggest upset of the gymnastics weekend. 9 times out of 10 Makayla wins the gold on Vault but this was that 1 in 10 day. She stated it best saying she was not disappointed with the SIlver medal, but just the performance.

 

Event finals at World and Olympic games use a NO 30 SECOND TOUCH rule. You have access to the podium for an open training period and then are transferred to the warm up gym for additional warm up if needed. This creates a situation where athletes have to change equipment, and sit around waiting for hours (Jordyn had 3 hours from podium exposure to actual competition). NO 30 Second touch is something the FIG deemed appropriate due to the supposed needs of television. NBC officials state that they really wouldn’t care (perfect commercial time) WOW great call FIG… lets put the health of the athletes at risk for the sake of TV ratings and efficiency.

 

Rumors of a vault finals controversy struck when one Amanar was deemed incomplete by the judges (thus giving it .7 less in start value). This was over turned by the FIG WTC chair Nelli Kim. I am quite certain that slow motion replays will verify that the floor judges made the right call BUT the end result was a medal for the wrong athlete. The evaluations of vaulting through the games was frustrating from the standpoint of separation of the good and great. Team finals was in my opinion a judging travesty. Just review the vaults of the top teams and if you can justify the separation of scores I would love to know how.

 

I hope I do not sound like I am bashing the FIG. I am sure all their decisions and rules have a sound fundamental basis and many great people with good intentions serve on this governing body. But when rules don’t make sense, people need to voice an opinion if for not other reason than to enrich the debate. Rules that need to be revisited with open minds are:

 

1- The 2 per country rule. The FIG stance is that this rule helps promote the sport of gymnastics. My stance (and many many others) is that this is flawed thinking. FIG feels that spreading the wealth for more countries will foster growth in that country. I do not see any indication of this working and feel that growth of the sport can be directly attributed to exposure to it’s best athletes. Nadia and Olga sent gymnastics sky rocketing in the USA. The point being, the gymnastics world wants to see the sports best athletes. The 100 meter sprint featured 3 Jamaican and 3 USA sprinters in a final field of 8 athletes, yet it is inappropriate for countries to have 3 AA finalist in a field of 24? I beat a dead horse.

 

2- The Tie breaker rule. First of all if athletes tie for the Bronze, award both as this would spread the wealth and give more countries a moment in the gymnastics glory spotlight. BUT if tie breaking is deemed necessary then do so based on execution scores NOT dropping your lowest of your 4 event scores as this allows the athlete with the largest mistake to gain the upper hand.

 

3- The Age rule. We all know the controversy here and it is widely believed that the forging of documents still exists. Regardless of the FIG thinking, this is a little girls sport. Yes it is wonderful when we see such established champions as Ponar and Ferrari, Chusovitina and more grace the Olympic stage. BUT younger athlete’s can perform this sport at it’s highest level also. This combined with the rules that contradict the mission (i.e. we want older athletes yet create a disadvantage with a 180 cm spread on the bars and 125cm table and beam height) makes the lure of cheating very attractive. Lower the age limit back to 14, and more countries could field competitive teams and in turn create less incentive for cheating.

 

4- 3 up 3 count team finals-  On one hand the FIG wants to spread the wealth by limiting the number of finalists per country, but on the other they limit the number of opportunities to participate in the Olympic Games. One argument for this rule was given by FIG committee member and former USAG president Bob Colarassi … he stated that some countries simply can not field more than 3 athletes to which I reply these teams are more than likely not the ones that qualify to team finals so this is a moot point.

 

5- 5 Member teams- Another contradiction. The FIG wants to foster the growth of the sport yet limits the number of opportunities per country. Providing realistic opportunities to represent your country would serve this goal much better. First 7 members, then 6, now 5. With this as evidence I would say that the mission to growth the sport is failing miserably.

 

 

Event finals were separated into 3 days of competition. Day one had Mens Floor and Pommels with Women’s Vault. Day 2 had Mens Rings and Vault with Women’s Bars and Day 3 had mens PBars and High Bar with Women’s Beam and Floor. Going into Bar finals we knew a medal would be very difficult. The Chinese, Russians and home country favorite Beth Tweddle would be tough to match.

 

On the final day Aly Raisman shined for the USA winning a bronze on Beam and Gold on Floor. Nobody works harder than Aly and I couldn’t be happier for her and her coaches. The beam results looked to mirror the AA with Aly finishing 4th and out of the medals. BUT an inquiry was posted and upheld thus giving Aly a tie for 3rd. This time she won the tie breaker (which is based on the execution score).

 

As I mentioned earlier Jordyn had a 3 hour wait between the podium warm up and Floor finals. In the mean time she waited patiently in the warm up gym. With 30 minutes to go prior to march in for Floor finals we did our normal meet warm up trying to time the conclusion as close to march in as possible.

 

Jordyn has not verbalized much about her intentions past these Olympic Games. This brought about the realization that these Floor finals could very well be the last routine she ever performs as one of my gymnasts. A emotional moment for me. I pulled her aside and gave her a misty eyed pep talk. “I am hoping that this is not the last routine of our partnership but if it is I just wanted to thank you. Sincerely. I have added many lines to my personal resume that would have never been possible were it not for you. So if indeed this might be our last hurrah… lets make it sparkle! I want you to channel all the frustrations from the all around day disappointment and let it serve to fuel the Jordyn Wieber fire inside. You deserve and have earned success. Love you”.

 

The individual accolades for Jordyn were just not to be at this Olympic Games. Whether it be fate, pressure, health, lack of focus or lack of coaching, I guess we will never know. Whatever the final verdict is let it be known that I could not be more proud of any one individual had she won 5 gold medals. It has been a remarkable journey since Jordyn tumbled into the national and international gymnastic scene in 2006. She has always been a remarkable athlete but even more than that a remarkable young lady. Her resume may not include all of her ultimate goals but it certainly is one of the most impressive ever and let us not forget the fact that it includes an OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL. Thank you Jordyn!

Olympic Games- Blog Post 5

Leave a reply

I will start by reposting something I wrote on Facebook following team pre-lims.

Thanks for all the texts, tweets, emails and such. Obviously pre-lims did not go as planned but we have zero excuses. Jo had a good day (4th in the world) but was not as good as her teammates on this day. We congratulate Gabby and Aly on their remarkable performances and are extremely happy for them, their coaches, family and fans. They are both outstanding athletes and we wish them the very best in the upcoming AA finals.

The mark of a true champion is the grace and dignity they display when the results don’t read in their favor. With the sting of disappointment leaving a mark that could very well last a life time, Jordyn made me, her family and the entire world gymnastics community extremely proud. She handled herself with class and immediately set course for assisting the USA in their quest for Team GOLD!

Many wondered how she would respond to such a gut wrenching set back. Knowing Jordyn there was never any doubt in my mind how she would come out of the gates on Tuesday night. There would be FIRE in her eyes, the fire we have seen so many times in the past. She is a team player, she has a competitive spirit that few can match and I was confident that her disappointment would only provide fuel to that fire inside.

Sure she cried! Shame on those that saw this as some sort of poor sportsmanship. Passionate athlete’s have invested so much. A career of investment and sacrifice can tug on the emotions a bit when the heart crashes head long into crippling disappointment. After a little alone time and a few embraces I advised her to handle adversity in the same manor that she had handled the uncountable successes. She did just that. She handled the media like the champion she truly is.

Team finals was incredible. The teams are seeded with the top 2 pre-lim finishers starting on Vault, teams 3-4 on bars, 5-6 on beam and 7-8 on floor. We were to rotate with Russia. In the warm up gym the organizers were operating by the letter of the law … nobody on the equipment until the stated starting time. To them this meant mats, runways, and sitting on the floor exercise mat. Most teams were 15-30 minutes early and thus needed a place to sit and stretch. The organizers asked all to remain off any equipment yet ONE TEAM ignored the request. Well if they could use the vault runway for stretching, we could use the floor, and other teams other areas. It became a infantile battle of if they get off … we will get off. Quite childish actually but the drama did pass the time more quickly.

Warm ups would start on our second competitive event with each rotation being 20 minutes long (more than enough time to ready 3 athletes). The warm up gym was set up on podium and was equipped with 2 sets of bars, 2 beams. On these events we took one and the Russians took the other. On vault and floor we split the time evenly. I am not sure if the meet was won in the warm up gym but it has to be somewhat intimidating when USA rattles off routine after routine with precision while other teams struggle with individual skills. Now granted this is the training style for some teams, but still the USA machine, pounding out a flawless warm up, has to have an impact on the psychological warfare that occurs.

We were first team up on Vault which was our strongest event. Jordyn was assigned the lead off spot due to her experience and consistency. We needed a dynamic opening to the competition. We could not have scripted a better first event for Team USA. Jordyn launched and stuck 15.933, Gabby followed and stuck 15.966, and then Makayla blasted a text book moon shot with a perfect landing for a 16.2? We were off and running with a 1.4 lead going into Bars. I later called this BOOM, BOOM and then a REALLY BIG BOOM!

Our goal was just to maintain a lead coming off of bars. The Russians are dynamite on this event and could very well close the gap. They posted some great scores which to some might have felt like pressure. Not Team USA.

Jordyn was up first again. This meant we could not do an entire routine in her 50 second touch warm up due to the lack of recovery time prior to the green light going on. She opted to warm up just the first one third of the routine. When the green light is lit, the gymnast has 30 seconds to mount. I told Jordyn (and we rehearsed this several times) to use as much of the 30 seconds as she needed so as to maximize her rest time. She mounted and delivered another great lead off performance. We were not quite happy with the score but not much we could do about it. Kyla was next and nailed her set. On day one she kicked the bar (a .5 execution deduction) which cost her making individual event finals. Today she was flawless yet only scored .1 higher than pre-lims. Something was rotten in Denmark (something my Dad used to say when something was questionable or fishy). Gabby anchored the round with a great performance which from our perspective was not rewarded accordingly. The end result was that Russia closed the gap to .4 going into Balance Beam.

I have always hung to the belief that major meets are won or lost on Balance Beam. This is the very reason that we put so much emphasis on this event in training. Performing on a 4 inch wide plank with the entire world watching via TV camera’s stuffed in your face is NOT an easy task. The beam seemingly shrinks at times like these for most teams. Kyla, Gabby and Aly drew the beam assignments. There was debate as to use Jordyn’s more consistent and time tested competitive ability OR Gabby’s potential for great scores. We opted to roll with Gabby’s building momentum. The choices paid off as all 3 looked like they were walking on a sidewalk. You could sense the pressure building on the sidelines as the Russians watched. Some wobbly and shaky performances later and the USA had rekindled their lead to 1.3 going into the last event.

Voo doo dolls had to be working overtime. The Russians led off with a strong performance from Mustafina. The next 2 competitors however made uncharacteristic mistakes which pretty much sealed their fate. All we had to do was to avoid a total melt down and the Gold Medal was ours. Gabby opened with a energetic and charismatic masterpiece. Prior to Jordyn’s turn I advised watering down the jump out of her triple (we didn’t need it). Similarly Mehai watered down Aly’s first tumbling run. Both rocked and exited the floor with emotion filled expressions etched on their faces.

These looks on the girls faces (the coaches faces for that matter) were priceless. Everyone was beaming with the pride of accomplishment and the crowd (a very USA friendly bunch) responded with great enthusiasm. A team GOLD MEDAL was our number one objective. Individual accolades take a back seat to the team first concept at USA Gymnastics. Mission accomplished!

Olympic Games-Post 4

Leave a reply

Sitting in our 2 bedroom coaches apartment listening to the subway trains whistle by. The thunderous distraction makes it difficult to sleep through any night, but last night presented the largest challenge. The eve of the Team preliminary competition. The meet that sets the games in motion. The qualifying round for Team Finals, All Around Finals and all the individual apparatus. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed today and the sting of misfortune may endure for years to come. I did not sleep well.

Kathryn arrived yesterday, which helps direct my wondering mind towards the vicinity of a comfort zone. All the “better halves” are now in London and by this I am referring to the halves that seldom get the credit for the work they do. Silvia Brestyan (internationally respected Brevet Judge) , Galina Mainova (1980 Olympian and 2 time World Team Member for Bulgaria), Liwen Zhaung (beam coach for Olympic Gold Medallist Shawn Johnson), Howie Liang ( Producer of numerous USA and China national team members) and Kathryn (Beam and Floor coach for the 2011 World AA Champion). Each athlete represented here has 2 very capable and respected coaches, yet sometimes they exist silently in the shadows. These are not “secondary coaches” as they are sometime referred to by the national office. These are Olympic coaches that miss out on a little bit of the glory due to the limits enforced by the USOC, FIG and USAG. Their contributions have created the athletes that will represent the USA today.

The final 2 training sessions were very light. We were limited to one session on the day of opening ceremonies (the day after podium) and chose to do only one session yesterday being that it was the day prior to the real competition. I purposefully backed off Jordyn’s numbers. She needs her rest and Martha has little issue with this strategy provided it is not something we overuse.

It is the day of the single biggest competition of my 36 year coaching career. My thoughts drift back to the days of teaching my little brother and sister to do back handspring in the front yard when I was 14 and teaching some after school tumbling classes to the elementary schools while I was in high school. I was hooked early on. I loved coaching. Influences that contributed to this passion are not forgotten and in fact respected and appreciated. My elementary school assistant principal, Roger Witherbee who invited me to participate in a special after school gymnastics program, my high school coaches Jack Discher and Ray Timm who basically instilled work ethic and integrity as well as how to do things the right way. My first club boss and mentor Gary Anderson (the originator of the Capital Cup format) who instilled the strategies of organization and disciplined training. These are people that I owe a great deal too. They pointed me down a path that twisted and turned, went uphill and downhill and eventually led me here to London. I am grateful.

Then there are the countless athletes that helped mold my ever evolving coaching style and philosophy. It to has taken some twists and turns over the years and some of my early athletes paid the price for my lack of knowledge at the time. This is one reason I pledge to assist with coaches education, to help shorten that learning curve for those coaches that wish to pursue excellence in this wonderful sport. But back to the athletes that stretch over the years… I thank them for enduring, achieving and putting me on the coaching map.

Likewise there are a long list of parents that have supported and endured as well. Those that believed that beneath the often gruff exterior was a heart that truly had that best interest of every athlete in mind. Parents that believed in the tough love approach to discipline and training. Parents that assisted in forming what has now become a gymnastics program with international acclaim. The numbers are too great to mention, but let it be known that I remember. I know and appreciate all that have contributed to this quest.

The clock nears the departure time. I close just in advance of slipping on the Red White and Blue Olympic Team Warm Up. This is a proud moment.

Olympic Games-Post 3

2 Replies

We have the daily routine honed and polished, tweaked and refined. Precision is a trademark of USA Gymnastics, not only in regards to performances but all of the little details that help separate the good from great and the great from the outstanding as well. Breakfast, transportation, line up, warm up, conditioning, specific event requirements, line up, dismissal, return transportation, lunch, therapies (taking care of budding or existing injuries), and rest. If the schedule calls for 2 work outs, we simply repeat the aforementioned. As monotonous as it may sound, it has a proven track record so there is a resistance to change just for the sake of variety.

Wednesday (July 25) we left PM training up in the air. If the girls looked ready for Thursday’s scheduled podium training, then they would earn the afternoon off. The lure of a manicure (for the athletes not me) was all the motivation that was needed to spur sparkling performances. Martha concurred that the girls indeed looked ready for the first real presentation to the judges and media. Podium training is the initial exposure to the competition venue and equipment. Judges and media attend in full force as they also conduct their own version of a pre meet tune up. This is basically the dress rehearsal for everyone.

The afternoon was FREE but the nail salon had yet to open in the village. So the afternoon was spent dreaming about a manicure and getting a little extra rest. The coaches on the other hand took full advantage of the reprieve and headed in to Piccadilly and the surrounding attractions of historic London. The transportation system is easily navigated using the subway, busses and trains. Sightseeing combined with intermittent refreshment breaks at the local watering holes made for an eventful afternoon. My 3 male companions are quite entertaining to say the least.

An Armenian, a Romanian, and Chinese and an American traveling the streets of London … it sounds like the opening line of a joke. Well perhaps it is. One evening with the clock pushing past midnight, Chow and I were out on the town. Our choices were simple, we could return to our apartment or stay out later and enjoy the Olympic atmosphere. Pondering the choice I told Chow “hey I can sleep when I am dead!” indicating my position on staying out. Chow loved the saying (he actually hadn’t heard it before). The next night in a similar situation with both of us pushing the edges of exhaustion, Chow tried to recall the saying from the night before. He chipped in (using a Chinese accent here) “Hey remember you can take a nap when you are dying!” I about spit my beer across the table. Something was lost in the translation BUT the result was hilarious. Chow cracks me up daily.

Podium training carries a certain smell of competition and thus there is a bit more tension and anxiety in the air. We followed the normal routine and boarded the bus to the O2 Arena. Upon arrival we got the long awaited answer to the long existing question of whether or not the training gym would also be on podium. To our delight it was. The significance here is that there will be less adjusting to the equipment when we move from the warm up gym to the competitive arena as both are identical set ups. The gym was laid out in HOT PINK (I wonder how the mens teams feel about this) just like the training hall. USA chose HOT PINK leotards so they looked as if they were an intricate part of the venue itself (as it should be). From warm up through the show in the arena, the girls were on point. We had a bobble here or there but did not have a mistake that would have been crucial had it been the real competition. Judging by the post podium media comments I believe the consensus was that USA stole the show although Russia and Romania did make strong statements of their own.

USA started strong on Vault with an arsenal of 4 Amanars (2.5 Twisting Yurchenko style vaults) and a monster DTY (double twisting Yurchenko). This is a key event for our team and the display on this day was close to spectacular. Bars followed with 4 strong performances. Bars is somewhat of an achilles heel for Team USA, so it will be important that we maximize the little details (hitting handstands, vertical pirouette angles, limiting form errors etc). Beam was next and although there were a couple of breaks (one in each of the 2 rounds of routines that we decided to do), in both cases the team picked up the slack, like good teams do. As with most competitions, Beam will be a critical event for all teams. If USA nails beam like they can they will be in a good position going into their second strongest event … Floor. Floor went very well with the exception of a few of the dance skills not being awarded full credit (suspect subjectivity). When all was complete, USA had to feel good about the afternoon.

The following obligatory media marathon took 3-4 hours. After the on sight media “mixed zone” we had a caravan awaiting to hustle us away to the NBC headquarters. Lunch was being served in the commissary when Ryan Seacrest showed up at our table. He spent a few minutes with the goo goo eyed girls and they got to snap off a fair amount of photos with Ryan playing a willing participant. Next a Today Show segment was recorded followed by a press conference. Everything was separated by a prolonged waiting period. We understand that Media plays an instrumental role in creating a feeling of importance for the sport and the athletes, and appreciate all their contributions, but the priority must be given to preparing to do the best possible job at the Olympic Games. Any less consideration would be doing the athletes and the sport an injustice and thus we try to balance the potential distractions.

The press can be interesting, especially those that really do not know the sport of gymnastics. These are the reporters that tend to drift towards over dramatization and sensationalism. We had a toe issue that was front and center. It was a sprained toe that has recovered very well (thanks to the medical magic of USA Team Physician, Dr. Larry Nassar). But you would have thought this sprained toe was the biggest news story ever. Some tried to twist words to make it sound more dramatic (This toe was broken a long time ago but is fully healed now)… so a sprained toe became a broken toe … and how could USA Gymnastics or her coaches allow this poor little innocent girl to compete with such a horrific injury. Sensationalism at it’s best. Folks… this is this child’s OLYMPICS, even if the toe were broken… do you really think she would simply pack her bags and forfeit the opportunity that she has trained a life time for??? REALLY? It is also such a double standard approach to journalism. IF a male competitor competes injured… he is macho, heroic, he is a MAN! If a girl does it, she is being abused or misguided. OK John, down off the soap box…

Additionally it seems everyone wants to hype up the Jordyn vs Gabby rivalry. First of all there is no rivalry as they are teammates. Secondly let us not forget that there are others who are legitimate contenders as well and to discount their abilities would be a huge mistake. When asked about this we downplay it as much as we can. This is a team project first and foremost and in order to achieve the ultimate goal ALL of the cogs in the wheel need to be strong. Team is job one.

There is debate in the house as to what leotard to wear during team pre-lims and finals. The USA has a plethora of gorgeous designs so it will be interesting to see which one wins out. This is a decision that Martha and the girls collaborate on. I have my opinion, but heck, I am just a guy, what do I know about what looks good???? The choice of course is top secret.

Opening ceremonies is tonight and the area is buzzing with activity. I tried to go to the mall and casino but both are closed. The bus and train station is packed to the rafters with visitors 4 hours prior to the event. Security is everywhere. I anticipate the subways and trains to be a picture of congestion so I have elected to stay close to home base and watch the presentation via a telecast with a locally brewed beverage in hand. Let the games begin!

Olympic Games-Post 2

1 Reply

I get the sensation that I have been living in a parallel universe. Things are happening in my normal life, the gym back home is still functioning, family and friends are conducting business as usual yet I have lost a sense of contact.These prolonged events create a false sense of reality. 4-5 weeks of nothing but gymnastics can do that to you and although this is not a complaint, it does tug on your mind. Everything revolves around the next training session, routine, or competition but life is still in full swing outside of the limits of London. Interesting feeling.

My vote for day one of training would be NOT TO. I would loose this battle before it even started so rather than fire a blank, I keep the safety locked on my opinion pistol. To me I have traveled enough to know that the athlete’s bodies need adequate time to adjust. Past experience could point to a long list of mishaps on day one that put the athlete and team in catch up mode from the start. I believe Martha is also aware of this issue and thus she encourages minimal expectations and a gradual increase to full routine preparation. I would still rather my athlete just rest.

Each day has 2 training sessions scheduled for all teams participating in London. One would be a shorter session (5 – 20 minute rotations, Warm Up, V-UB-B-Fl), and one would be longer (5-30 minute rotations). We were schedule to train with Australia (under the direction of Peggy Liddick, Shannon Millers coach), Brazil and Germany. The first 3 days it was just USA and Australia and since we work rather well together we arranged the schedule to our liking. Initially this did not sit well with the gym directors who insisted that we follow the schedule to the letter. They eventually got the message that as long as the coaches on the floor agree, that we could conduct training as we saw fit.

As the week progressed, the weather improved. After needing the ever popular umbrella on Thursday, Friday and Saturday beautiful days welcomed us on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. The increase in temperature created a major issue at the training hall in that the air conditioning units simply could not handle the load. Sauna training ensued while the organizers assured everyone that the problem was being addressed. No change after 3 days but the girls handled it like champs.

The normal pattern for training has been 2 days of double workouts followed by a single session training day. Rehearsing things like competition order, what coaches will be on the podium for the 30 second touch period, which coaches will tag team in and when, who will ready the bars, who sets or pulls the boards and who moves mats is all important. Jeni is required to be on the podium at all times since she is the only female (WAG requires one female coach present in the field of play). Mehai would handle the 30 second duties Vault and Beam, Chow on bars and I had floor.

USA takes the matter of fact approach to training. They understand the obligation to represent country in the best light possible and they conduct themselves accordingly. Training is business and business for the most part is very good. They attack their requirements in a machine like fashion and this blue collar mentality is very apparent. They, simply stated, are the hardest working team anywhere. This is indisputable. At the Olympic Trials, Martha inquired as to my opinion on who the team should be. I am not sure if she was searching for validation of her own pre-meet favorites or simply seeing if I understood the complexity of the pending decisions. My comments to her were that I would have a real hard time “messing” with the chemistry of the world team. Obviously Kyla needed to be added but maintaining the nucleus of that World Championship Team was, in my mind, crucial. They have gelled as a team and all work hard. They see the entire picture and none of the coaches or athletes try to “one up” the others. It is a true team and team chemistry is essential to success.

The social media craze has produced some very interesting slants on the selection process and results. Some have criticized the national office as being non caring souls for not including the 3 alternates in the London experience. (Elizabeth Price, Anna Li and Sarah Finegan are training 1 hour away in Birmingham, England). Why couldn’t they be with the team in London? How heartless! First of all let me assure you that if indeed there were a hint of anyone in the organization lacking compassion for any of the national team athletes, Kathy Kelly would make sure that train never left the station. The alternates can not stay in the Olympic Village by rules of the Olympic Committee. This has nothing to do with USAG and in fact they have spent more money on the alternates England training experience than the actual team itself. Believe me USAG cares about its athletes … all of them!

Another critic spouted venomous insults centering around not using one of our more experienced athletes in one of the alternate positions so that she could mentor and guide the younger athletes. Well again, since the alternates are not allowed to train or be housed with the actual team this was a mute point. On top of that, and no disrespect to this particular athlete as she is one of my favorite leaders of all time, this team is not inexperienced and has leadership budding everywhere.

I’ve been trading pins at every available opportunity. I plan on exhausting my supply so as to create an impressive collection to remember these games. One such trade was with Victoria Komova who was riding back from training on the same bus as the USA team. It struck me as odd that she was traveling alone. This is something that would never happen with any of the USA athletes. Anyway I asked her to trade and she obliged with her pixie smile. She has grown a bit since Worlds and has highlighted her hair. We look forward to another great competition and I am quite sure she will be predictably in the mix.

With 2 days remaining until our official podium training session, the village is reaching capacity. Waiting lines now exist everywhere and traffic will soon be an issue. Last night the LOC conducted a dress rehearsal for the opening ceremonies. Fireworks blasted here and there, which I am sure was just a minuscule prelude to the actual events sky lighters. When the rehearsal was finished the train and bus station was packed to the point of being frightening. Now mind you this was just with the participants in the show itself, add in the spectators and the transportation situation will be quite interesting. The congestion, organized chaos and the amount of time that the athletes are forced to be on their feet is the reason that USAG forbids the athletes and coaches from participating in the opening ceremonies. Gymnastics kicks off the very next day and although we are in sub-division 3 the recovery time would still not be enough. Some of the girls have said they want to participate in the closing ceremonies to which I say …. ABSOLUTELY.

 

 

 

Olympic Preparation Camp

1 Reply

Olympic Preparation Camp

Before I present some insight on the Olympic preparation camp period I have to back up a bit and say WHOA Wieber Fever fans. Perhaps I need to read my blog posts a bit more carefully prior to posting but I must have hit a few nerves out their with the last article. Although most submitted comments expressing positive thoughts on the content, there were a few people who misunderstood my message.

At no time would I criticize my athlete (or any other for that matter). My point of illustrating the post Olympic trials “let down” was only to show that even the best athletes in the world are human. They will have periods when, for whatever reason (distractions, mental or physical,) they will not live up to the expectations. Call it a bad day or whatever you want but the reality is that every athlete experiences them. The learning point here was for coaches to read their athletes and when it calls for backing off … do so. Put the tough love coaching ego in your back pocket and back off. I called it “living to fight another day”.

A couple people took offense to what they referred to me “whining” about the cost of elite gymnastics. For the record, this is not my first rodeo and I have fully accepted the financial obligations that accompany training upper level athletes. Again my point in laying out some of the related costs was purely educational. To paint the elite program as being all sugar plums and daisies would be misleading coaches. My secondary point was to acknowledge the giving hearts in our gymnastics community and how they so willingly stepped up to assist in lessening the financial burdens.

4:00 am came knocking early the morning after our wonderfully successful send off party. A 5:45 flight to the National Team Training Center (The Ranch), located just outside of Houston for the Olympic Preparation Camp. USAG policy limits the amount of information that I can disclose so this report will be somewhat vague. The rationale for limiting the informational leaks is strategic and to help foster team camaraderie. Often times comments made about other athletes, or photos/videos are used in poor taste so rather than risk inner group issues, the national office has frowned upon giving out specific and detailed information.

Our 1 hour commute from the Bush International Airport to the depths of the Sam Houston National Forest and Karolyi’s Ranch always  includes a stop for supplies and lunch 12 miles out. Upon arrival the athletes and coaches check the welcome board in the parking lot for their room assignments.

Media was present for photos and film fluff material prior to the 5:00 workout. Day one is normally used for acclimation, a warm up, light conditioning and then 4-20 minute rotations. On vault we just get dialed in, making sure steps are right and then do a few layouts stressing the block and rise. On Bars we normally do a couple parts and focus on alignment, angles along with form and execution. On beam we do a skill warm up followed by 2 routines (seldom is there really a workout on beam where you don’t do full routines), On floor we do 2-3 of each tumbling pass only because we are very familiar with the floor being that this is our second home. IF we were getting used to new equipment we may spend more time with basics so as to “feel the floor” prior to launching major difficulty or combinations.

Prior to training we always have a coaches meeting to discuss the training plan, the expectations of the camp and to disclose any health issues that any of the athletes might be experiencing. The initial plan included training every day … 2 a day’s on Thursday, Friday, a mock competition on Saturday, 1 training session Sunday, then back to 2 a days on Monday and Tuesday and finishing with a single training session on our travel day (Wednesday the 18th). I have never been a proponent of not having an off day so I spoke up. My point was that no coach trains 8-9-10 days in a row while at home SO WHY would we change what has proven to be proper while heading into the most important meet EVER. Coaches agreed and one thing that has become surprisingly evident is that Martha listens to the personal coaches with open ears. The compromised was to trade a full day off for a 90 minute practice the morning of the mock competition. DEAL!

Next we discussed the proposed competition line up and who would be used in the 4 man team, 3 scores count. This is important so that we train in the same order as we would compete. This way the athlete leading off has advance notice. Little things like this make a difference, for instance if you are towards the end of the vault line up and towards the beginning of the bar line up it would be important to rehearse getting your grips on in a hurry. Or if you are towards the beginning of the bar line up you might not want to do a full routine in your 30 second touch so that there is not concern about recovery time.

The line up is suggested by Martha based on past performances and the reputation that the athlete has established on each event. The Olympic team is a 5 member team yet in the qualification round we use 4 of the 5 members on each event. The proposed line ups used 3 All Around athletes with the 2 events each for the other 2 athletes. There were a couple of line up spots that were debatable. In these cases we discuss the options and go with a tentative line up while waiting to see how training and verifications go. We will set the final line up prior to departure for London which unless there is a major issue is the line up that will be used for competition. I specifically had slight issues with where Jordyn was placed on beam and vault so I asked that this be reviewed later based on her camp performances.

The Karoyli’s Summer camp is in full swing this week so naturally the Olympic Team is the center of attention. They are off limits to the campers but nevertheless you get the feeling of super star status. Each morning, prior to training, the day begins with autographing something. This has become known as their wrist conditioning but certainly puts smiles on the lucky few that find a connection or a way to get something signed.

I can not disclose exact details about the training sessions and or competition but I will say that team USA looks poised and polished. They are focused and fit, determined yet relaxed. It should be a good showing for USA in London. With this being said however I’d like everyone to know that the rest of gymnastics powers of the world can make similar claims. Social media has USA already wearing gold around their necks but we fully anticipate that this is something that will require a phenomenal performance on game day. We are confident, we are ready, but are certainly not counting any medals before they are rightfully earned.

The mock competition on Saturday went well. There were a few hitches but nothing that would be considered major issues. Jordyn performed very well on 3 events and pretty good on the forth. There were some shining moments presented by each and every athlete which delighted the special guests (dignitaries, camp staff and campers) in attendance. The after competition celebration took place at “The Lodge” (a gorgeous guest house on the lake). Bela always prepares a meal featuring something wild. This nights gourmet entree was bacon wrapped quail. It was wonderful. USAG President Steve Penny was on hand to deliver a few good luck, congratulations and motivational speeches. Steve is a inspirational leader and undoubtedly the cornerstone on which USAG has built much of it’s success. Some plum wine (Palinka) and champagne toasts accented the evening throughout.

The highs and lows of life were never more evident than on this night. The highs of an Olympic team performing well and striding confidently forward to what could be a historical London Games for USA Gymnastics. The lows of a rare text coming through at the ranch (reception is poor at best in the forest) stating that a close friend was killed in a auto accident. We learned later he was struck by a hit and run vehicle while taking a leisurely bike ride in our neighborhood. Both Dr Nassar and I knew this respected man  very well. RIP Curt Dombecky. I could do an entire book on this man and how he has impacted the lives of many, but this blog is not the place. I will say, in his honor, that he was influential in molding my coaching philosophy and style.

The off day served it’s valuable purpose. First the girls (and coaches) got to sleep in a bit prior to heading into civilization for a welcomed change of pace lunch and a movie. The next day there was a noticeable bounce in their steps. Dah… they were rested. Training went very well but the highlight of the day was receiving our National Team Apparel. Coaches received a large Adidas rolling duffle bag stuffed to the zipper with various warm ups, shirts, socks and other 3 striped goodies. The only problem is that we can’t wear Adidas during the Olympic Games due to Nike being the official sponsor. This left the male coaches scrambling to find enough non striped warm up pants to last through the multiple days of London training.

The last two-a-day training session on Tuesday showed signs that the team is simply ready to be done at  the ranch. The big coaches meeting is scheduled for tonight and I have to say I am a little anxious. The official coaches will be named and the final line up will be determined. As for the title of Olympic Coach, it would be the ultimate resume topper, but in this case the selection committee (Martha, Steve Rybecki and Tarin Humphrey) has a tough call to make as all attending are certainly deserving. Stay tuned for more later from London.

After Olympic Trials-Journal #5

Leave a reply

Post Olympic Trials

As a coach there are some things you just know and expect. One of those things is the fact that there is going to be the inevitable mental (possibly physical) let done after an emotionally draining competition. I would guess that the Olympic Trials would top the list of the most exhausting and taxing competitions, and so I anticipated that the week following would be a battle with frustration. Balancing the need to be productive with the knowledge that Jordyn’s  brain would be on the verge of short circuiting.

Monday morning, the athletes and at least one coach per club had a mandatory media session. For some reason the celebration from the night before took its toll and thus my wife handled the appearance duties. This was a session for publicity photos, fluff pieces (up close and personal) for NBC’s Olympic coverage and follow up news stories.  The rest of Monday was spent getting home with home bed pillow contact commencing at about midnight. IT was a long day.

Tuesday was an off day even though we didn’t train at all on Monday. We could have scheduled a light training session but past experience dictated that rest would be a more productive use of the day. Taking 2 days off in a row is something we have tried to avoid for years as it seems that elite athletes simply forget how to do gymnastics when untrained for more than 24 hours. Jordyn really doesn’t even like extended breaks but in this case it seemed warranted. 3 days off in a row was out of the question which meant gripping up on July 4th. When other kids were enjoying family time, picnics, and beach time, Jordyn was in the gym (oh yeh me too). In the elite world there is no such thing as an untouchable holiday IF practice is needed. Training for the Olympics is certainly patriotic. Training on July 4th … not so much.

The entire week following trials was a struggle with bright spots sprinkled at moments few and far between. This is when “living to fight another day” needs to be the guiding light philosophy. When the body and the mind are tired or distracted coaches need to pay attention as this is when injuries or mental issues bloom. We backed off more than we pushed forward, we adjusted requirements on the fly to lessen the pounding and frustration, and spotted more than normal. Later in the week I expected the energy and effort level to come around but it never really did. This irritated the hell out of me but sanity prevailed and rather than accept mediocrity for an entire week, I send Jordyn home early on Saturday (ok she got kicked out of practice). The message was two fold. First that I felt that I had been very patient and lenient considering the situation and that it was time to buckle up and get back to work. Secondly that if you can’t be productive and perform at the level of expectation then you may as well go home. ‘Live to fight another day” is a hard lesson learned but well worth considering at times like these.

Sunday, Jordyn had a previously arranged commercial and media shoot with AT&T and the Today Show. I originally agreed to put this on her schedule thinking that is was only going to consume 3-4 hours on an off day. It turned out to be a 8-9 hour day which can be physically and mentally fatiguing. We opted to take Monday off to ensure that she had a full rest day. The day off seemed to pay off as the normal Jordyn returned to practice on Tuesday sharp as a tack, focused, determined and full of energy. This was a huge relief knowing that our trip to the ranch was the next day.

SO you think you want to own a club and produced elite athletes? Yeh well many coaches change their minds once they discover he hidden and not so hidden costs associated with the “hobby”. This past 10 months alone I have missed approximately 3 months of gym time. This of course requires additional staffing to make sure our other deserving athletes receive the proper coaching. If you put a price tag on this (approximately 360 hours at an estimated $15 per hour($5,400 before considering the related payroll taxes that a business has to pay). Then you add in my wife Kathryn’s coverage ($1800) as she certainly is needed at the major events not only to make sure Jordyn has the event coaching that she is used to but also as a reward for her contributions to the development process. OK now the equipment costs. The London games will be on Gym Nova equipment so it was strongly recommended that we purchase a set of uneven bars and vault board so that training would more closely mirror the actual competition. ($4600 for bars that we did not need other than for this occasion and $800 for a vault board that may never be used again). Then there are travel expenses. USAG picks up the travel and lodging for one coach but if we want Kathryn to attend this is an additional cost ($4500 for Trials/and London). I think you get the picture.

The good news is that local communities really sink their teeth into rallying behind fundraising projects intent on supporting Olympians, their coaches and families. The mid-Michigan community was incredible. Friends of the Wieber’s organized a couple different events to help support their family’s expenses related to traveling to London. Friend of Twistars did the same for our club. The club “send off” party/fundraiser was held on Tuesday evening (the night prior to departing for the ranch). It was a overwhelming success with ticket sales selling out (over 300). We also included a silent auction with donated items from local businesses. The evening was loaded with key note speakers like Senators Whitmer and Jones, MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis, Cleveland Indians hitting coach, Bruce Fields and the Governors press secretary. Heck we even had Kevin Costner (who just happened to be staying at the hotel where the party was hosted) record a good luck send off message for Jordyn. We haven’t tabulated the final income statement but I am sure this event will alleviate most of the financial strain placed on our club.

Being that this was Jordyn’s send off party we really wanted her to enjoy the evening with her teammates and friends. Accomplishing this wasn’t easy. Of course everyone in attendance wanted a piece of her, a picture, and autograph, an interview etc. So we went with the “Do Not Disturb” rule for the party and made it clear that she would not being signing, posing or doing on camera interviews. None, except for the 35 fans that paid extra for VIP privileges ($100 got early entrance to the party, a signed Wieber Fever T-shirt, a signed high gloss Jordyn poster and a little photo time). We capped VIP tickets at 35 although I am certain we could have sold 100s. The “do not disturb rule” didn’t sit well with the attending media (at least 6 TV stations) but oh well, at least Jo could enjoy the night rather than developing writers cramp from signing hundreds of items or going horse from answering the same ole questions over and over again. This was a special night with fans and friends.

Stay tuned for the Ranch report coming soon!