Ask Al Fong - Dragon Gymnastics www.gagecenter.com

Hands Up!

2017-07-31T21:18:00.005-05:00

Just so you know...from here in, expect less writing from me.
Not that I don't have something to say, it's just that I know you want to "cut to the chase" and see what I do as a coach, and not so much read what I do.
I get it!
Go Dragons!

Use the arms to reach...see the comparison!

Front Giants!

2017-07-28T22:40:00.003-05:00

Front Giants!

A "must have" bar skill for any respectable bar routine ---- Level 9 and above.
The "Al Fong Spotting Blocks" from Tumbl Trak make it easier and safer to teach this skill.

Training for tomorrow----today!

2017-07-09T22:58:00.000-05:00

Gymnastics is an amazing sport!

It's wonderful to see kids participate at any age, at any level. You don't have to be an Olympian to feel the thrill of setting goals and accomplishing them, learning a skill for the first time, or showing off for friends and family.

Not to mention gymnastics is integrating into dance, cheerleading, diving, water sports, snow sports, and extreme sports.

It's not supposed to be a sport for the few. Rather, an activity for the masses and a life style that people embrace far after their competitive days are over.

For those young athletes who possess the qualities needed for high level gymnastics, proper training at an early age is very important. At GAGE, it's what we've done for decades.
Train for tomorrow---today.

Here's a young GAGE gymnast training for 2024!

Yurchenko vaults aren't complicated....

2017-06-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

Coaches!

Yurchenko vaults aren't as complicated as some vault experts make them out to be.

First of all---respect the skill. The yurchenko vault can be scary and dangerous if not performed properly.

But it's not difficult at all to learn if the gymnast is physically strong enough, and mechanically sound in the "basics" department (body alignment, core strength, correct round off, correct back handspring, etc...).

In the "not too old" days, the yurchenko was executed on a sideways vault horse. Picture a men's pommel horse---take off the pommels----raise it as high as possible----turn it perpendicular to a vault board and a landing mat---and do a round off back handspring onto a surface that is approximately 1 foot wide. It's like threading a wet spaghetti noodle into the eye of a sewing needle.

Today's vault table makes the yurchenko a whole lot safer to learn because there is a much greater surface area to place your hands on.

The key to success is in the approach to the vault table, which includes the run, the hurdle, and the take off from the board.

Pay attention to these things when coaching your gymnasts and you'll be happy with the results!

See the stations I've set up and the processing of the athletes through these stations.

Introducing My Next Elite Squad for 2020!

2017-06-11T11:25:00.002-05:00

Alexis Jeffrey!
JaFree Scott!
Leanne Wong!

Kara Eaker!

We recently competed in the qualifying meet hosted by the Parkettes and qualified 3 out of 4 athletes to the American Classic at the national training center and the US Classic in Chicago.

The girls had a very successful Level10 JO National Championships which gave me the green light to pursue the elite route this summer. If they hadn't done well, I wouldn't have taken them to the next level.

The jump from age group to elite is a huge leap and only the toughest, smartest athletes have a chance at making the cut. It's not meant for everyone.

At GAGE, the ONLY reason we take a girl elite is to win medals for the USA. So...any gymnast I train for that level must have medal winning potential.

Even when the athlete has the "stuff " to be an elite, the road is long and treacheous. How she handles the pitfalls along the way defines her success...or lack there of.

One of the weaknesses my gymnasts have must be fixed ASAP or they won't make it.

They have a listening problem.

As a dutiful coach I do everything and anything within my power to help these girls. In this case, buying them standard issue listening aids hopefully addresses the weakness head on.

Go Dragons!

Yurchenko question....

2017-04-12T21:32:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine saw me at Level 8, 9, and 10 Regionals this past weekend and asked me to help her teach her elite hopeful how to successfully perform a yurchenko double full on a competitive surface.

She goes to the developmental camps on a monthly basis hoping to someday get her athlete into a national training camp and ultimately make the national team.

She asked multiple vaulting experts and received plenty of coaching tips to help her athlete, but still came up short in teaching the skill successfully.

I don’t proclaim to know all the answers, but I’ve had more success than most coaches in teaching my elites a yurchenko double full and a yurchenko two and a half twist.

The stumbling blocks to learning the skill seem to be obvious, but in reality most coaches focus on the wrong thing. It’s not the twist itself, but the round off, the board approach, and lift off from the table that determine success or failure.

After showing her the videos I saved in teaching the yurchenko multiple twists, it was like a light bulb moment and she immediately understood what her athlete needs to do to make the skill.

Look at the videos below and see if you can identify the solution.

The Kip Routine

2017-03-06T00:33:00.000-06:00

Gymnastics skills are learned in parts.

Fundamental skills are composed of basic movements involving strength, balance, body awareness, and timing.

Combining basic movements build a more complex and usually more difficult movement. This describes the creation of a gymnastics skill.

Some gymnasts learn very quickly. I’m sure you know gymnasts like that. But most gymnasts I’ve coached can’t just see a skill and then perform it. They must learn a series of progressive skills leading up to the final skill achievement.

I like to think of this learning process as the accumulation of essential building blocks. Gymnastics is a constant accumulation of building blocks which evolves into new skills.

Take a look at the kip routine.

It’s a basic single bar complex composed of a kip, front hip circle, cast back hip circle, drop kip, front hip circle, cast straddle glide kip.

At GAGE we teach this complex to our beginner gymnasts. This becomes the skeleton routine where cast handstands and bar circles (clear hip, toe hand, stalder, inward) are introduced.

This helps the gymnast understand routine construction when putting together an optional bar routine.

It’s fun, challenging, builds strength, and teaches gymnasts to be fast with their hands.

See videos:

Kip routine

Ultra kip routine

The Power of the Pineapple!

2017-01-20T09:26:00.000-06:00

After reading my blogs over the last five years, it should be no surprise to anyone that as an Olympic coach I am absolutely involved with training my level 4's, 5's, 6's, 7's, and optional gymnasts on my team.

How else can you explain why GAGE has been in every Olympic Trials since 2000 to 2016, produced 2 Olympians (Terin Humphrey and Courtney McCool, 2 Olympic alternates (Ivana Hong and Sarah Finnegan), and numerous World Champions (Brenna Dowell and Maddie Desch)!

GAGE has been a constant R and D gym (research and development) creating new skills and new techniques to teach gymnastics.

One tried and true method of inspiring young gymnasts to learn skills has been to offer rewards for achievements. Stickers, stuffed animals---even popcicles and candy (not healthy choices and actually these selections send the wrong message for aspiring gymnasts).

After 6 months of trying to get my level 7 and level 8 gymnasts to "reach for the stars" and hit skill milestones like a clear hip handstand, I reverted back to a tactic I used 15 years ago to get the gymnasts going. I used the pineapple as a reward to produce gymnastics progress.

Boom!

Success and happiness for all!

Go Dragons!

Happy New Year!

2017-01-01T20:48:00.000-06:00

And welcome to the next Quad! This is the beginning of the next four years when the Olympics come around again.

This is the mind set of GAGE. Always has been. Always will be as long as we intend to continue putting more athletes on the USA Olympic team.

It may seem like a long time, but to us....sometimes it's not long enough to teach a gymnast everything she needs to know in time to fulfill her Olympic dream.

Let's use uneven bars as an example of how long it takes to be excellent. A beginner gymnast has to learn the basic swing, develop the air sense, and build the super human strength needed to perform an award winning bar routine at the Olympic level. As much as we'd love to take short cuts to speed up the learning process, it just can't be done without God given natural talent, endless amounts of sweat, great teaching concepts, and a little luck.

I actively teach bars to my level 4, 5, 7, and 8 gymnasts because someday they will become my level 9, 10, and elite gymnasts. Over the years I've developed some basic bar complexes that have been very effective teaching systems.

The videos below show my young gymnasts at the beginning of their bar journey doing some complexes that hopefully will lead to great bars in the future!

Gymnastics Takes Commitment!

2016-12-18T18:46:00.000-06:00

In the Gymnastics world, the word commitment means two things.

There's commitment to the sport of gymnastics, and then there's commitment to a skill.

To be really good there's a certain lifestyle that you have to buy into. As they say....eat, sleep, and breathe gymnastics.

This blog focuses on commitment to a skill. To learn a skill successfully and safely, there's more to it than the right training equipment or the right coaching cues. There's only so many things a coach can do or say to teach a gymnast how to swing on a bar, tumble on a beam, add another flip, etc...

The gymnast needs to take ownership and "be all in" when performing the skill she's trying to learn.
Often times coaches miss this point because they assume the gymnast is doing everything possible to be successful AND the gymnast looks like she's trying (but actually not really trying as much as needed).

As a coach you'll have to look closely to determine which scenario fits.

Here's some skills on bars to help you understand what I'm talking about.

Watch the videos that show:

"the Pak"

1) partial commitment but not really (look at the feet reaching the mat)

2) full commitment even though the execution is flawed (feet stay up no matter what)

3) full commitment! (good execution and the feet stay above the floor)

"the Geinger"

Full commitment (look at the hands and fingers to the bar)

"the Jaeger"

Watch the lack of commitment in the first video and full commitment in the second. (Watch the hands)
1) no intention of catching the bar (look at the hands and fingers)

2) not a perfect release but Alexis was in full commitment mode)

Al Fong's Secret Santa Invite!

2016-12-11T13:12:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to thank all of you who attended my Secret Santa Invite at the Sheraton Inn / Crown Center Exhibit Hall complex, where you got to enjoy the famous Kansas City style Christmas - with lights, decorations, family activities, festivities and world class shopping!

And thanks so much for supporting our Toys for Tots campaign for needy kids and their families! Lots of toys and funds were graciously donated to support this holiday cause.

For those of you who couldn't attend our meet this year, please save a spot on your competition calendar next year for Al Fong's Secret Santa Invite December 9th and 10th, 2017!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

In Gymnastics, there are giants...and there are giants!

2016-11-29T23:23:00.000-06:00

Confused? Understandable.

There’s nothing more exciting or memorable for a young gymnast (and her parents) than the first time she finally performs her back giant on bars. The only other skill with the same impact is the all important kip.

Savvy coaches understand that in the beginning it’s not about form and technique. It’s about reaching an important milestone. I often say, it may not be pretty, but who cares. You did it! High five!!!

It doesn’t matter how long it took to get it, it just matters that you finally got it.

Let’s talk about the evolution of a skill. Once a gymnast finally breaks the ice and learns a skill, there is an ongoing process where good enough may not be good enough. Depending on the level of the gymnast or the ultimate goal of the gymnast, fine tuning factors in.

Example:

1) Performing a back giant successfully in a Level 7 routine to qualify for the State Championships is good enough---no matter what the technique or form is.

2) A gymnast has level 10 goals. She needs a technically correct back giant for releases and a D dismount.

I’m not here to judge. I’m just saying depending on the goals of the gymnast, there might be an ongoing process where she must constantly work to improve the execution of her back giant if she intends to accomplish her goals.

Can you see the evolution of the back giant taking place?

Chalk Revelation!

2016-11-10T11:29:00.003-06:00

As an Olympic coach one of my perks is seeing friends from around the world.

Two such friends are Kelly Manjak - Manjak Gymnastics inToronto, Ontario and Aaron Brokenshire - Revolution Gymnastics in Waterloo, Ontario.

During a casual moment at an international meet, we were having a discussion about chalk and how it was a necessary evil. Chalk dust is everywhere from bars to beam to vault.

Kelly installed a vending machine in the lobby stocked with blocks of chalk. His gymnasts buy chalk as needed.

Aaron had his athletes bring a tupperware container to keep their own block of chalk.

I decided to give it a try. I implemented the same policy with my athletes and gave them each one block of chalk. When they used it up I gave them another block.

I thought maybe I could save a little money since I was buying a case of chalk every 3 months.

What happened really surprised me. My athletes started taking ownership of their chalk and competed with each other to see who could make their block last the longest.

Almost immediately I no longer had to sweep up excess chalk in the bar area. My beams became cleaner and my vault area was spotless. Amazing. My friends told me this was going to happen but I had my doubts. I'm a believer now.

And it's been over 6 month since I had to purchase another case of chalk!

SCORE!!!

It doesn't matter when you get it. It just matters that you finally do!

2016-10-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

As a coach there's nothing more gratifying than having one of my gymnasts finally learn a skill that I've been trying to teach her for years.

It can be frustrating breaking down the skill ten different ways, using all the stations that worked in the past, and doing endless video analysis to no avail. It would be understandable if the gymnast wasn't smart enough, talented enough, or had some fear issues. This was not the case with my athlete.

It's a great lesson for all coaches to never give up. Put the skill away for awhile. Then come back later in the month and give it another try. Sometimes it helps to have one of her team mates show her how it's done and coach her using language only kids can understand.

It's usually a big mistake to try to put a deadline on learning a skill. Not always though because positive pressure to learn that's internally driven by the athlete might be all she needs to do the skill successfully.

And don't forget the power of competition. Things can be magical when team mates compete with each other to learn the skill first. A competitive gymnast never wants to be left behind.

That's why Alexis and JaFree finally performed the double layout at the same time!

Back Handsprings and More

2016-09-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

It's never been easier to learn gymnastics skills than today. Trampolines, air tracks, rod tumbling strips, and endless mat shapes have made it easier and safer for all abilities and body types to do skills that were unthinkable not too long ago.

One of the most sought after skills everyone outside our sport wishes they could learn is the back handspring.

Teaching the back handspring used to be labor intensive. Lifting and shaping the beginner was not only physically taxing but potentially harmful to the spotter's back, arms, and nose.

Today there are numerous mat shapes like the Pac Man, Boulder, and Octagon you can buy to speed up the learning process safely.

Don't think for a second that back handspring trainers are good for back handsprings alone.

At GAGE we use them to teach beam skills like the Onodi and full twisting back handspring.

See below...

The Olympic Creed

2016-08-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

I'm a big fan of inspirational stories because it helps me educate my athletes to pursue their dreams and never give up, whether they're Olympic bound or not.

Find what you like, be passionate, and go for it, no matter who gets in front of you and says it's not possible.

I salute the parents of my gymnasts because they support their kids unconditionally. It's never easy and there are countless family sacrifices. But it's an opportunity they gladly give because they know there are many life lessons to be learned along the gymnastics journey that produces a happy, healthy, and successful individual.

The movie "Eddie the Eagle" tells a true story of a young man with an impossible dream who sets his sights on becoming an Olympic ski jumper for Great Britain.

To the sports community, it was a mockery of ski jumping, but to Eddie it was his destiny. In the end he won the hearts of millions who witnessed his journey to success.

The Olympic Creed reads: "The most important thing in the Olympics is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well".

My daughter's video captures the moment....

Next!

2016-08-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

1988

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

Now setting new goals for ...................................... 2020!

This is the heart and soul of GAGE. The Olympics is the engine that drives Armine and me to do what we do!

Very few kids have what it takes to be an Olympic gymnast. Just like the hundreds of thousands of kids who play football or baseball, only a few ever make it professionally, let alone go to the Super Bowl or the World Series.

Those events take place every year. The Olympics are held every 4 years.

What’s required to be an Olympian? Raw talent, hard work ethic, the right gym, the right coaches, supportive parents, and a little luck.

When speaking at clinics and consulting coaches, I often talk about my philosophical “Wholly Trinity”.

Athlete

Parent Coach

Everyone must agree what the goal is and determine if that goal is achievable. Then all three must do their part to reach it, no matter what it takes.

In order to make it, the gymnast has to be mentally “all in”. Because the right attitude pushes the athlete past impossible odds, stumbling blocks, and set backs to reach the milestones along the way to her Olympic dream. The wrong attitude and negative influences will stop her in her tracks.

What’s next? A new generation of gymnasts are taking the place of the GAGE Dragons moving on to college. The goals are the same but the faces are new.

The culture, the training, the team philosophy, and the daily regimen are infused into the “Next” bunch of Dragons.

It all starts with the Team Line Up before and after each practice.

See the video…

For Brenna Dowell's fans....

2016-06-20T16:41:00.000-05:00

As Brenna's gymnastics journey comes to fruition, her story as a gymnast is the stuff that family, friends, and fans will surely agree is legendary.

Brenna becomes shy when people describe her as the consumate role model for so many young girls and aspiring gymnasts. It's something she'd better get used to because that's the way people will always describe her when talking about her.

In short, athletes will emulate her, especially the gymnasts at GAGE and the countless gymnasts who followed her amazing life time achievements.

Fans remember her for her breath taking gymnastics, especially on bars. But the skill that forever puts her name in the history books is her famous double front salto in a pike position----the Dowell!

As much as you know about Brenna's gymnastics and all the skills she's performed, you should note there are so many skills you will never see her perform in the future because she's headed back to Oklahoma to finish her collegiate career and continue to set NCAA milestones and records.

So it's up to me to show you the great skills she's performed but didn't get a chance to showcase them at the World Championships or the Olympics.

Enjoy!

It's that time again. My Free Clinic sponsored by Tumbl Trak!

2016-04-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

It's 4 years since I've been doing free clinics and next week will be my 7th free clinic.

As I prepare for the 2 day event I've learned to cut to the chase and find out exactly what the visiting coaches want and then assemble my team to do the demonstrating and the coaching.

One of the reasons my teams have had consistent success in the acquisition of skills over the years is the culture of my gym. I insist each gymnast learn how to teach and to coach their fellow athletes.

I give the guidance. I provide the knowledge. My gym has endless mats, equipment, tramps, and ipads for video study. We spot as much as we need to but as little as necessary to be safe. GAGE's approach to teaching athletes is first of all requiring them to take ownership of their success.

IT WORKS!

The one thing all visiting coaches and gymnasts observe is how little we actually talk to dissect a skill when teaching it. Rather, we build stations and let the mats do the talking.

You'll see what I mean in the video below. In getting the gymnasts to pass through the handstand position as they learn a cartwheel or round off, we build a station and they find out naturally if they did it right or wrong.

Coach alert - expect the unexpected!

2016-03-19T10:25:00.000-05:00

In this sport gymnasts perform skills that have inherent risks. This is one of the many reasons why gymnastics is so exciting. It's no wonder gymnastics is the most watched sport during the summer Olympics. It captures the imagination of fans and new spectators alike. It will be the same in Rio.

There is a definite systematic approach to teaching spectacular skills. Embracing basics, using progressions, skillful spotting, and building user friendly stations help the gymnast successfully advance.

It takes a knowledgeable coach to use the right set ups and spotting assists to guide the gymnast through the learning curve. Creating an environment of safety cultivates a "no fear" mind set.

One would think after a couple of years successfully performing a certain skill in training and competition, the gymnast should be able to say to herself "I've got this skill".

But I'm here to tell you it ain't necessarily so.

So my advice to aspiring coaches is ....expect the unexpected.

In this video watch a bale on bars that was taught 2 years ago and used all season.

Surprise!

A Good Clear Hip Takes Time!

2016-02-21T13:34:00.001-06:00

All bar coaches know how difficult it is for a gymnast to learn a correct clear hip circle. Not every coach is willing to go the extra mile by constantly spotting and body shaping during the formative learning phase.

Strength training is required to hold the body in a tight position while the arms remain straight. The clear hip should be taught in phases: the drop, the circle, and the end position. Ultimately the finish would be to a handstand, but not when the gymnast is first learning.

At GAGE we use mats to help the gymnast understand how to circle and target shoot the direction toward the handstand.

Then...it's a numbers game. The more she does the better she gets---with or without a spotter.

In the videos below you'll see the the progress Gabby made from the first time she used the wall station to what she's doing now after a week of playing.

It's important to get this skill right because it's the back bone of the back giant, pirouettes, and exciting bar releases.

So be patient as a coach because a good clear hip takes time!

Put your best foot forward...

2016-01-31T19:39:00.001-06:00

Coaching gymnasts to the highest level takes planning, preparation, and lots of patience.

Of course not everyone is destined to become an Olympian, and thousands of kids around the world participate in gymnastics at all levels for the sheer love of the sport. Which is awesome. The benefits are many:

- reaching fitness milestones
- developing disciplined habits
- acquiring social skills
- learning to set goals
- establishing building blocks for other sports

The list goes on and on.

Whether you coach a recreational gymnast or a gymnast with a bright international career, proper basics are very important.

To maximize your tumbling and vaulting, be sure to "put your best foot forward".

Watch this round off and see for yourself what I mean. (Look at the first foot placement.)

Check your gymnasts to see if they have this problem. Even though it's still possible to be an accomplished tumbler and vaulter, there's a loss of push power from the leg and potential knee injuries if not corrected. Why not do everything you can as a coach to identify this problem and fix it while they're still young enough.

At GAGE we use panel mats to immediately let the gymnasts know when they're not putting their best foot forward. Hopefully they'll make the change for the better!

Happy New Year!

2016-01-10T23:34:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm starting the new year following my own advice to all the gyms out there in need of more coaches.

Trying to find coaches for my Xcel and Dragon team I initially put some want ads out on the USAG, IG, and Inside Magazine websites to find coaches who would fit the culture of my gym. This effort didn't produce what I hoped for. So I decided to look for individuals who loved teaching, loved working with children, had a great work ethic, but didn't know anything about gymnastics.

Sounds crazy? Not really. Some of the best gymnastics coaches I've had the pleasure to know and work with never were gymnasts themselves. But they were drawn to gymnastics because it's a great sport, were passionate and positive by nature, and loved working with children!

I like being with and teaching these kinds of people to coach.

One of the reasons I started writing this blog was in response to the numerous questions passionate gymnastics coaches around the world asked me about how to teach this, how to spot that, what drills I used, how to get kids to quit balking, how to peak a gymnast, etc..

Thanks to Apple Ipad and the Coaches Eye app I'm able to capture my everyday workout and the use of my training stations from beginner skills all the way up to the most difficult skills performed today.

My extensive library allows me to mentor coaches visually when I conduct free clinics sponsored by Tumbl Trak, as well as regional and national congress presentations.

So it only makes sense to take my own advice. If I can't find a coach to add to my coaching staff, I'll find someone in my inner circle and build him/her to be the coach I need with the teaching tools I have----starting with this blog.

Happy New Year!

Here are a couple videos I show my beginner coaches to start their coaching journey....

Tunnel Vision!

2015-12-06T16:37:00.003-06:00

Gymnastics requires great concentration when it comes to learning difficult skills. Although kids got into this sport because it was fun and exciting, the reality is working basics over and over, stretching beyond their limits, and working strength exercises isn’t the most enjoyable part of participating.

Physical preparation is necessary to play the sport, and the more successful they become, the stronger they must be to reach the next level.

Tunnel vision allows them to keep working those things that aren’t so fun.

It truly is a way of life that continues to provide benefits long after they retire from the sport.

During my 40 years of coaching I’ve been able to fine tune my teaching approach. While some coaching techniques are tried and true, there are variations of techniques I’ve been able to implement because of better athletes and better teaching aids.

The evolution process happens because the gymnasts get better. The competition equipment we use today is superior to yesterday’s equipment. And the abundance of training equipment (specially designed mats, rebounding surfaces, trampolines, and foam pits) allows us to teach skills safer and in less time.

Although talking to gymnasts about technique and physically body shaping them is something GAGE coaches do during practice, often times we let the mats do the talking.

The video below shows how we use a tramp and channel mats to do the talking and shaping for us when teaching extension for tsuk timers. This is a fun (and sometimes funny) use of tunnel vision.

Coaches! Take a load off you...

2015-10-31T08:15:00.002-05:00

To continue the subject of being safe for both gymnasts and coaches as I wrote about in my last blog, knowledge about the skill is important, but so are the tools necessary to teach.

Today's skills require foam pits, trampolines, and specially designed mats. Not to undermine the importance of teaching basics and physically preparing young gymnasts for the gymnastics "journey", it's not possible to stay healthy without the proper training tools.

As important as spotting is, keep in mind too much spotting handicaps the learning curve of a gymnast. Of course no spotting at all, especially during the formative years of a beginner gymnast won't produce positive results at all. Spotting and body shaping are a must!

The "tools of the trade" for gymnastics coaching are critical for safety and completion. The analogy of building a house is the same. The right power tools make the difference for a job well done...or not.

In the video below, watch how simple stacked mats allow the gymnast to practice tapping and releasing the bar for bales, releases, and dismounts with minimal spot from the coach.

You can do it the old fashioned way by physically lifting the gymnast through the swing progression, or you can use mats to take a load off you!