...Amanda Stopinski Dr. Shillock English 108 September 14, 2009 Dreams Can Be Created but Destroyed Within Minutes As we go through life we come to face many decisions, or events, that will shape who we are today and change our lives forever. I am a gymnast and have been for fifteen years, and the sport has consumed my life. I have competed for two clubs as a gymnast. At first I was competing for Parkettes and trained with top level gymnasts who have gone all the way to the Olympics. After nine years there I decided it was time for change and I needed it right away. When I arrived at 1665 E. Race St. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, I knew that Lehigh Valley Sports Academy (LVSA) was my new home. As I walked in the doors to LVSA all I saw were orange, blue, and green walls surrounded by people and future teammates ready to greet me with a friendly smile. The gym looked like an old airplane hangar that was emptied out with four, full-size spring floors, 16 balance beams, three sets of uneven bars, two bars over a foam pit, and two vaults just sitting there waiting for me to start flipping on. The gym was quiet, cold, and had that morning dew feeling to it, but as we sat there waiting to start our workout, nice and early, I met my coach, a former world champion, Natalia Yurchenko. It was an honor to be in the presence of such a great gymnast who has had so many high level skills named after her, and to know that she is my new coach. At the close to my summer in 2007,...
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...At the age of three, I began gymnastics at the Robert K. Fox family YMCA. Because I was always trying to stand on my head and even do cartwheels, my mother decided that I should join gymnastics. Surprisingly, I was always excited to go to practice.Now I am at the point to where I can tumble on my own. Being in gymnastics for over 8 years has changed my perspective. During that time, I never would’ve imagined how much gymnastics would’ve modified my life. Gymnastics has made me change my perspective of life. In gymnastics, there is a 99.99% chance you’re going to fall. When you fall, you have two choices; to get up and try again, or accept defeat and give up. The first option is always the way to go, no one should quit as soon as they fall,...
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...Growing up I was always a fit child, I played several sports and was very athletic, until I got into the second semester of grade ten, when everything changed. I made the hardest decision, which was quitting the one sport I was passionate about, that sport was gymnastics. Gymnastics was the one sport where I felt I was good at. It wasn’t a sport where I didn’t have to worry about parents or coaches getting mad at me because I missed the ball, or that I didn’t get the ball into the basket, it was a sport that allowed me to feel confident in myself not just mentally but physically. After making the decision to quit gymnastics, my confidence left, I started eating food that wasn’t good for my body and the thought of “working out”, never crossed...
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...has been training in gymnastics since she was 3 years old. Her story of sacrifice continues today in this difficult sport. Gymnastics is physically challenging and time consuming. Gymnast must have strength, flexibility, and artistic ability. These skills must be used at the same time when performing a gymnastics routine. Difficulty is measured in Levels from 1 to 10. As you advance to a higher level, the sacrifice becomes greater and the skills more difficult. My sister’s goal is to become a Level 10 gymnast. Last year, at level 9, she was training for 20 hours per week. Many nights, while her friend’s were having fun, Alexandra was training in the gym. One night, while practicing landings from the high bar, everything changed. The mat from the high bar had slid from the proper position and moved away from where Alexandra was about to land. As she hit the floor, she felt a pop in her knee and then extreme pain. She had dislocated her kneecap. The idea of being alone in the pit at the gym made Alexandra feel sick. (Core 12) She was then taken to the hospital and had to wear a knee brace for months. Because my parents thought Alexandra had a severe injury and believed she would never do gymnastics again, they would not let her try practice for 6 months. (Core 11) My sister was very upset at the thought of never having the chance to get to Level 10. The doctor and my parents decided to give the knee time to heal and decide about gymnastics later. After 6 months...
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...teachers’ ability, personality and level of interest. The general approaches used in teaching P.E are the direct (formal/ teacher-centered) and the indirect (informal/ learner-centered) approach. As students grow, the amount and level of work should also change and increase. This will not only show growth but it will show that learning has taken place. Pupils need to be subjected to tasks that are from simple to complex. There are various methods to learn when pupils are progressing from simple to complex tasks. The first type is what is called the headstand. The headstand is one of the easiest skills to learn when starting gymnastics. It is also a skill that helps pupils to learn about balancing and tightening their body. This is also a good skill to learn the basic shape for the handstand. The Headstand position is described as a position in gymnastics or yoga, in which one supports oneself vertically on one's head with the hands braced for support on the floor or on a mat. How a...
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...Flipping Out Gymnastics Center, LLC Emergency Procedures and Safety Plan Effective Date: January, 2016 Purpose: To provide a safe and secure atmosphere for clients Mission Statement: Providing a safe and fun environment through quality programs while exceeding our customer’s expectations Approved by: Alfred Desport Policy/Procedure: 1) Fire In the event of a fire: -Stop all activity and remain quiet. -The supervisor/coach/director present will delegate someone to: -telephone the emergency services stating name and position, telephone contact number, location, emergency type, unaccounted people, assistance required, and known hazards -check bathrooms, surrounding areas, and offices -If evacuation is necessary, proceed as directed to the nearest and safest exit leaving belongings. -If the fire is large, very smoky or rapidly spreading, evacuate the building immediately, activating the nearest fire alarm to warn other occupants. -Assess the situation and decide on the safest exit, taking the roll book. -Move members quickly in an orderly manner to the designated assembly area outside the building. -Seat members and call roll. Report any missing to the supervisor. -Do not re-enter the building until directed by Emergency Services. -Attend to those in need of first aid. Designated Assembly Areas: Grassy area on west side of parking lot, next to Pep Boys for those in the Gym, Preschool Gym, Lobby, and Office areas. Back retention pond for those in the...
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... What do you think of when you think of sports? I think of hard workers that compete against other teams. Do you think cheerleading is a sport? I do! Cheerleading requires all of the abilities of a sport. Sports require you to be strong, flexable, and confident. People who are cheerleaders compete just like any other sport and win trophies or medals. According to seventeen.com, cheerleading became an Olympic sport in December 2016. The first Olympic cheerleading competition will be in the summer of 2020. In my own experience, cheerleading is as hard as any other sport. Cheerleaders have to train and work hard to accomplish your there goal in cheerleading. Some people have to lift other people which takes a lot of upper body strength. Then, with these talents you have to put together a two and a half minute dance together. Cheerleaders have to be in sync with there moves which makes it difficult. It is harder than it sounds, because other people on the team have to learn it and remember it. To make the team look good,and they have to be together. Cheerleaders are hard workers. They have a big season through football and basketball. Not only do they cheer at football and basketball games, but also, they have three competitions. Sometimes they go out of state for competitions. They do their dance that they have been practicing for in front of judges. Usually, there is a first, second, and third place, but you want to try to get first. Now...
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...History of Gymnastics In the beginning of gymnastics, which formally originated from Ancient Greece, gymnastics was originally intended for military training, where it was used by soldiers to get ready for war. The skills and strength in performing gymnastics at the ancient times were thought as great assets to those battling on the war field. In 1569, Girolamo Mercuriale from Forlì (Italy) wrote Le Arte Gymnastica, which brought together his study of the attitudes of the ancients toward diet, exercise and hygiene, and the use of natural methods for the cure of disease. Girolamo was an Italian philogist and physician, who received his doctorate in 1555. He was later asked to occupy the Chair of Medicine in 1569. De Arte Gymnastica also explained the principles of physical therapy and is considered the first book on sports medicine. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Germany, three pioneer physical educators – Johann Friedrich GutsMuths (1759–1839) and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778–1852) – created exercises for boys and young men on apparatus they had designed that ultimately led to what is considered modern gymnastics. Don Francisco Amorós y Ondeano, was born on February 19, 1770 in Valence and died on August 8, 1848 in Paris. He was a Spanish colonel, and the first person to introduce educative gymnastic in France. Jahn promoted the use of parallel bars, rings and high bar in international competition.[3] The Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) was...
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...and acrobatics from the backs of horses as part of their military training and for amusement. They wrote stories and made pictures of these activities and arecould be considered the first gymnasts by many people. By the late 1700s, Gymnastics started to shape into a sport. in the late 1700’s. In 1774, a German Saxon named Johann Bernhard Basedow was recorded to include various physical exercises at his school in Dessau. Shortly thereafter, a man named Jahn Friedrich Ludwig, another German teacher, constructed basic devices that became the basis for the gymnastics equipment now used throughout the world. LudwigHe is thought to be the founder of gymnastics. Janh's followers organized clubs...
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...Biomechanics of Gymnastics Biomechanics is the application of mechanical analysis to study body movements, this allows for research and developments into everyday activities. Often time biomechanics is used to study different sports and the movements that an athlete would complete in relation to that sport. One sport that there was a desire to do biomechanical research was Gymnastics. Gymnastics is a sport that incorporates full body movements, to better understand the body movements’ biomechanical studies are used. These studies allow for research to be done into how the body moves for a specific movement, then the movement can be optimized being able to improve a gymnasts skills. Also these biomechanical analyses can help understand the forces and loads that the gymnast’s body is enduring; this can lead to finding ways to reduce these loads and forces in hopes to prevent and injury. Gymnastics is complex a sport that incorporates physical agility, coordination, strength, flexibility, and artistic abilities. All of these attributes are judge through the gymnast’s routines for each event that they complete. The different events are specific to gender, males do one set of events while female complete another. Women complete 4 different events, these include: The Uneven Bars (UB) The Uneven Bars are an event that includes two wooden bars, each supported on either side of the bar. The two bars are set a distance apart, with one bar being at a higher height than the other...
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...The three concepts that will be discussed in this paper and were also heavily covered in the Applying Learning Theories course are behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. These three theories provide imperative methods for teaching students. Each concept will be applied to a story called, “Nathan the Gymnast”. The story is about a little boy named Nathan. Nathans’ gymnast abilities were uncovered at a young age and considered to be so profound that it came naturally. His inspiration to become a professional gymnast came through being exposed to the Olympics, thus convincing his parents to enroll him into the local gymnast training center. After attending gymnast training, his coach noticed his natural abilities and became eager to enroll him into competitions. So with Nathan’s parents’ approval and his personal determination he began competing. The only setback that Nathan displays is his weakness on a particular portion, which is the pommel horse. Nathan dislikes the pommel horse and therefore doesn’t give it proper practice time unless his parents strongly encourage him. Consequently, he performs well on all of the other areas except for the pommel horse. Oddly even after Nathan has participated in competing for a couple years now, he is still weak at the pommel horse. He wins medals for the other areas as he excels in them. His parents even brought him supplement instruction, a practice home version called the mushroom. In addition, to the video his father purchased...
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...Standing Back Tuck Drills Set up cheese on top of crash. Athlete will sit in the athletic stance then swing their arms up past their ears. Then they will jump straight up and bring their shins and toes up and over landing on the mat in a tucked candlestick position. Hold water bottles in your hands as you perform a standing tuck. This builds up your arm swing into the tuck. Be careful and hold on tight! Sometimes people let them fly out of their hands. Put toes on a sting mat. When you place your toes on the mat make sure the balls of the feet are on the elevated mat. This forces your body to push through the toes completely; thus enhancing your plyometric ability. Put rubber bands around your ankles and right above your knees. This keeps your legs together so you can push through your toes. When your knees come apart you lose a lot of power. Back tuck up onto block Beanbag or foam block attached to rope. In this drill the objective is to rotate in a tucked candlestick position so your toes kick the foam block as you tuck. Twisting Drills Athlete lies on barrel on their back. Someone holds their toes. Athlete squeezes body and rolls onto tummy in one motion. Athlete does reverse motion to roll onto back. Repeat. Floor Exercise 1. Jump ½ turn – dominant direction 2. Jump full turn – dominant direction 3. Jump ½ turn – non-dominant direction 4. Jump full turn – non-dominant direction 5. Hollow position on back on floor, arms overhead...
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...of the rings from left to right are blue, yellow, black, green, and red b. Colors were chosen because every country’s flag contains at least one of those colors. III. This includes one obvious country, the US. c. The U.S. alone sent 596 athletes to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. d. One of the youngest members that participated in the artistic gymnastics portion was Shawn Johnson who won a gold medal at 16 years old. Body I. History a. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 19, 1992. b. Only child and lived with her mom and dad i. Extremely energetic and a daredevil ii. Loved to play on jungle gyms and climb all over tables and couches c. 3 years old- dance class and tumbling class- turned out she already had her heart set on gymnastics d. Three years later - Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance, ( still her coach), and started competing by 7 Transition: As the years passed, her talents as a gymnast progressed to high levels. Her family and coaches could see where this sport could take her. II. Career in gymnastics e. 2007- 2008, attended Valley High School iii. as a normal teenager, and iv. only trained for 25 hours a week v. Low compared to 40 hours a week most Olympic athletes train for f....
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...My entire childhood was devoted to gymnastics. At the age of nine I began taking weekly classes at a local gymnastics center. By the time I was ten I was asked to join the “blue stars team”. At my gym the blue stars team was essentially levels one through four combined. The blue stars team served as an opportunity for young gymnasts to test the waters and see if they could be successful in gymnastics. The main goal of the blue stars team was to learn all the skills needed to compete in a level five competition. These skills included a kip on the bars, a front handspring on the vault, a back walkover on the beam, and a double back handspring on the floor. I spent entire summer training in the gym to gain these skills. Each day I would enter the gym wide-eyed, eager to learn new skills. Upon entering fifth grade I was moved up to level five and competed in my first meet. This patterned continued for the next four years of my life; each summer I would train a higher level and then compete the level the following year. By eighth grade I was thriving as a level eight gymnast. However, through four years of gaining new skills I had lost my most important skill: my love for gymnastics. Gymnastics had engulfed each sector of my life. Each week I would spend forty hours training. Not only would I train at the gym, I would also do my homework there, eat dinner there, and shower there. By eighth grade my life seized to exist outside of the gym. It was not until the end of eighth grade...
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...AMR Faces $162 Million in Penalties: WSJ Tues. Aug. 7 2012 Pg. B3 Key Terms: Oligopoly, Government Regulations, Externalities, Profits One could argue that one of the worst feelings in the world is that sinking sensation when you find out that your flight is delayed. Often times, you will see your plane sitting at the gate, so what are they doing out there? Odds are the answer to this question is maintenance. Maintaining a fleet of planes is a huge cost to the airline industry and it’s a cost that the airlines are willing to skip out on if they can in order to maximize profits. The airline industry is an oligopoly. This is to say, there are limited number of firms in a market supplying the same good. In this model, firms are really sensitive to what each other are doing. Each one is trying to get a leg up on the other and if saving a bit of money on maintenance means your firm can keep up with the next airline that lowers its prices, they will do just that. Enter the FAA. The Federal Aviation Administration is a governmental organization designed to monitor and regulate the airline industry, all for the benefits of the taxpayer of course. The FAA wants to hit AMR Corp., the parent company of American airlines, with $162 million dollars in fines for violations concerning maintenance. These fines seem hefty and would lead one to believe that AMR Corp. is putting an unsafe product in the air. The scope of their crimes...
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