February, March, April 10

February, March, and April 2010
Little Champons
Corner
Academy Corner
Team Corner
Spring Camp
St. Patties Party
A Message from the President
Page 1
Inside this issue:
A Message from the
President
1
The Role of Gymnastics
Parents
Let’s Get to Know Our
New Coaches
2
Little Champions Corner
3
Academy Corner
4
Team Corner
5
Unlimited Gymnastics
6
Calendar
Events Corner
Happy New Year to you all! I
can not believe that yet another year has passed and a
new one is beginning. Already, this has been a wonderful and yet stressful year
for us here at Azarian. We
have already had a boys
team and a girls team competition in Las Vegas and we
did great. Some of the girls
were doing a new level for
the first time and they all did
wonderful. I am also very
proud of my boys, they conquered at the Vitaly Scherbo
Invitational in Las Vegas.
Moving on to some stressful
news that we experienced
this month. As most of you
know, we had a flood in the
gym on Tuesday, January 19.
One of the panels in the ceiling blew up and we had a
waterfall in the viewing area.
Thanks to the support of our
wonderful staff and parents,
we were able to get the gym
back together and running
smoothly the next day. We
still have some damages that
need to be replaced, but
we’re hoping that most of it
are already fixed! We also
have some exciting news,
we have a new coach just
added to our family named
Brice Myers. You can read
more about him in the new
coaches section. I am very
happy to have them as part
of the Azarian family. We
also have some exciting events
coming up so make sure you
keep your eyes out for details on
those! As always, I would like to
thank everyone for being a part
of our family and trusting us with
your children. We only want
what is best for all the children
that walk through our doors and
we would like to thank you all for
supporting us! And of course I
would always like to know everyone’s opinions and feedback so if
you ever have anything you
would like us to know please
email us at
[email protected] .
Let’s have a great
year!
Sincerely,
7
In a recent article, I wrote of the many benefits of participating in a gymnastics program. The skill development, physical
benefits, social improvements and cognitive development of young athletes was outlined. Signing a child up for a Gymnastics class is a major first step toward a healthy lifestyle. What happens then? Research strongly suggests that parents play
the largest role in influencing the development and healthy socialization of their children involved in sports. Selecting a
Gymnastics program that provides a safe and nurturing environment is a primary concern but a parent’s responsibility
does not end there. What are the next steps a parent can take to ensure a positive experience for their child?
A study led by Benjamin Bloom, Developing Talent in Young People, looked at how talent manifests and is developed in
young people. The study divided the careers of talented young people (in art, music, mathematics and sport) into three
stages: early, middle and later. We are going to call them the Romantic, the Technical, and the Mature stages.
The Romantic Stage is the beginning. The child just loves the sport. She can’t wait to get to the gym; she practices her cartwheels and handstands at every opportunity. The child experiences immediate success. She/he is better at this activity than
her peers, which increases her enthusiasm for participating in it. These are the years of playful encounter with the sport…."
Enjoyment is critical. "Had there been no excitement during the early years… there would never have been a middle or
later period." One gymnast remarked, "Practices were fun… you’re having so much fun that you don’t realize you’re exhausted." A child’s self-appraisal of ability (self-esteem) is directly related to a parent’s judgment of their child’s physical
ability. As a child’s perceived competency in gymnastics is a key factor in continued participation on to the next stage of
development; two factors are critical – successful task completion and parental support. At a certain point, someone, often a
parent, but typically a recruiting coach, notices talent in the child, this often leads to the middle or Technical Stage.
The Technical Stage is inaugurated by the appearance of the technically-proficient coach who is brought into the picture to
ensure that things are done correctly. The transition from sport as fun to developing the proper technique is where many
kids drop out. As the focus moves to technical proficiency, all too often the sport becomes more like a job and less like a
wonderful fun experience. The joy goes out of the experience, and the child removes himself from the sports experience as
soon as he is able. As children enter this stage, parental feedback continues to be critical in shaping their child’s selfperception. It is important that the parent’s feedback be directed toward task completion rather than comparisons to others
or the correct accomplishment. In other words, leave the coaching to the coaches. Parents must remain involved in a firm
and consistent manner, enforcing guidelines, limits and appropriate expectations.
The Mature Stage. Here the child has developed her talent to the point where she is performing at a high level on a grand
stage at the national or maybe even the worldwide level. Most kids never make it to this stage. Why? For some, it is a lack
of talent or interest, but a majority of the kids who do have the talent do not make it to this stage because they have lost the
joy in playing, which powers the commitment and effort needed to become great.
Continued on page 3
Let’s Get To Know Our New Coaches!
Page 2
For this quarter’s coaches profile, we interviewed our Little Champions and Academy coach Brice
Myers. We sat down to talk to him to get to know him just a little bit better.
A.G. How did you get into coaching
gymnastics?
B.M. I always loved summers at the
gym. The boys team worked out in the
mornings and after practice we would
B.M. I was a gymnast for almost nine
years and when my time ended the tran- go swimming for hours.
sition to coaching was just very natural. A.G. Who was your mentor?
A.G. How long have you been coaching?
B.M. I coached for nearly two years at
another facility and coached tumbling
clinics for Cheerleaders in college.
A.G. What is one of your favorite
coaching memories?
well as an avid
reader.
A.G. What is your
coaching philosophy?
B.M. Every athlete
B.M. Eduard Azarian was a mentor to
who
walks through
me both as a gymnast and after. He
our doors is worth
took the time to develop my skills as an
investing
in
deeply.
There is potenathlete as well as a young man. I owe a
tial in them all, and it is my job as a
lot to him.
coach and mentor to
A.G. What are your hobbies?
help them realize
B.M. I am an amateur photographer as that promise.
Continued from page2
Most youth with talent never reach the Mature Stage because fun is sacrificed in the technical stage. Perhaps the most important lesson for parents here is that you need to manage the transition from the Romantic to the Technical Stage. Make sure your
child isn’t rushed into the Technical Stage. A child expected to "work" at the sport too soon is more likely to turn off and never
reach the Mature Stage.
A parent should provide their children with a variety of opportunities and multiple chances to achieve success in the early years
of sport participation. Parents need to offer lots of positive feedback. There are drawbacks though; research indicates that as
peer comparisons become increasingly more important to the young athlete, by about the age of 9, children become more
evaluative of parent feedback. If positive feedback is not accurate, does not match performance, then the parent’s involvement
could actually be detrimental to the child’s perception of their sport competence. Parents must give encouraging but honest and
accurate feedback.
Talent is not often obvious at an early age. Bloom stated: "One of the most startling discoveries of our study has been that it
takes a while to recognize talent." Only 10% or less of the athletes could be confidently identified as gifted by the age of 11 or 12.
One coach didn’t recognize how talented a swimmer was even after working with her for five years (she went on to make the
Olympics). Remember, Kathy Johnson (bronze medalist on floor exercise, 1978 World Championships and team silver medalist
and balance beam bronze medalist, 84 Olympics) did not begin her gymnastics career until she was 13 years old – fairly late
considering the talent she subsequently demonstrated.
Many kids have great potential. Support makes the difference: Perhaps the most interesting observation is that most children
(95%) have the ability to approximate the achievements of the talented youth with proper encouragement. What is the difference
between the children who reach the stage where their talent blooms forth and those who don’t? These children experienced
something from their parents that seemed to make a huge difference.
"So far as we can tell, this willingness to give encouragement and support on the part of the parents (and siblings) is one of the
major distinctions between the families of these Olympic gymnasts and other families." "…no matter what the initial characteristics (or gifts) of the individuals, unless there is a long and intensive process of encouragement, nurturance, education and
training, the individuals will not attain extreme levels of capabilities in these particular fields." The research is very clear –
what a parent says and does have a tremendous influence on their child. The more you as a parent support your children, the
more your children will reach the highest level of talent development possible for them.
About the Author: Michael A. Taylor is a USAG Kinder Accreditation for Teachers (KAT & MELPD) Instructor, serves on the USA Gymnastics PreSchool
Advisory Panel, is a USA Gymnastics National Safety Instructor, serves on the USA Gymnastics Safety Review Board, is a USAG PDP I Video Clinic Administrator, an American Red Cross CPR/First Aid and Sport Safety Instructor, and an American Sport Education Program Coaching Principles (PDP II) Instructor. Michael is a Certified National Youth Sports Administrator; an Instructor for the Stanford University based Positive Coaching Alliance, a long-time
member of the United States Elite Coaches Association and a former gym owner. He is currently a Senior Recreation Supervisor for the City of Menlo Park
that includes the 1600 student Gymnastics program in Menlo Park, CA. A Certified Pool Operator and a licensed National Playground Safety Inspector,
Michael is also the owner of Gym.Net, a Gymnastics Professional’s Network of Educational, Business, Consulting, and Internet Services specializing in
Gymnastics oriented businesses.
Azarian Gymnastics Newsletter
Page 3
Did you know…
...that daily movement is an integral part of your child’s
overall educational experience? Preschoolers are ready to
acquire and practice new motor skills while they are in this
stage of rapid development. According to an article published by Iowa State University, regular physical activity
can...
•
improve a child’s fitness, in both health-related and
skill-related areas
•
build fundamental motor skills like running, jumping, or skipping
•
aid in developmental growth
•
increase awareness of the body in space
•
reinforce a good self-concept through participation in success-oriented tasks
FEBRUARY:
•
enhance language skills
1.
Floor- Bottoms Up
•
strengthen social skills
2.
Bars- Re-Grips
•
encourage expressive/ imitative thought and problem solving
3.
Beam- Releve walks
4.
Pommels- Half circle
instill a love for movement
MARCH:
•
...what an incredible difference you are making in
your child’s life by encouraging them to participate in
gymnastics!
Thank you!!!
PRESCHOOL FOCUS
SKILLS
1.
Floor– Tri-pod
2.
Bars– Bird’s Nest
3.
Beam– Straddle Mount
4.
Tramp– Seat drops
APRIL:
About Our Curriculum
1.
Floor– Cartwheel
Our unique curriculum is designed progressively in order for
2. Bars– Pull-over
your child to improve safely and quickly. For example, if you look 3. Beam– Backward
at our focus skills on floor for these coming months you will see
Releve Walks
three individual skills... Bottoms Up, Tri-pod, and Cartwheel.
4. Floor– Backward Roll
What you may not see is that these three skills are connected.
“Bottom’s Up” teaches your child to hold their body upside
down with straight arms and straddled legs, which is immensely important in the
development of a cartwheel. The “Tri-pod” position teaches core strength and
balance, equally important for this future skill. Therefore, continuing participation
is crucial for your preschooler to fully benefit from their gymnastics class.
Page 4
Micah joined us at Azarian only a few months ago and already he is such a valued member of our staff. He began his
love for gymnastics as a young child and it has stayed with
him throughout the
years. In his gymnastics career Micah reached level
10 and has never
forgot the hard
work that it took to
get there. He enjoys sharing his
love for the sport
with all of his students. Micah gives
his best every
class and it shows
in how all his students progress.
Jacob Bingham
Miya Sumimoto
Averi Flaman
Marina Olivieri
Vincent Iadarola
Nazanin Kakavand
Allison Gershunoff
Tatum Lyftogt
Olivia Chilvers
EXCEL
Quinn DiLeva
Katelyn Eichenbaum
Gunner Steele
Reagan Bailey
Aaron Mansfield
Sophia Gross
Rebecca Jacobs
Tessa Blanchard
Chloe Abrocosa
Kayla Queen
Jonathan Langan
Kiana Rees
Donnie Robertson
Hannah Metez
Sarah Porello
Chloe Lorenz
Grace Haecherl
Aubergene Frazilus
Lindsey Turnbull
Natanya Schwimmer
Nadya Simone
Mia Sylvester
Finn Rimay
Amanda Plonski
Ava Encinas
Kayley Browe
Miranda Martinez
Coach Andrea was so thrilled to nominate Nazanin for the student of the quarter. “Nazanin has
really worked hard to get all the skills needed
to advance. She comes in everyday with a positive attitude and always puts 110% effort into
her gymnastics. She is a pleasure to coach and
her spirit and enthusiasm makes every class
she is in a great one!” -AC
When asked to nominate a boy for the student of the quarter Micah said “Finn Rimay is a pretty awesome kid! He works so
hard to make every correction and he
really is just a blast to coach!”-MW
Page 5
GIRLS TEAM
With the end of compulsory season at hand and the optional season well
under way, our girls are poised to continue their winning ways. The
entire team recently competed in Vegas at the Lady Luck Invitational,
where our Level 4 team took 2nd place with Avery and Kylie winning
first place All Around and Isabella, Emily Ho taking 2nd place All
Around! Madelyn Tudor was a level 4 Bar Champion! Super job
girls!
The level 5’s took 1st Place Team, keeping the 5’s undefeated for
over a year! Chloe, Amanda and Emily all grabbed first place All
Around honors with Peyton and Melanie securing 2nd! Grace Medley won Vault, with Courtney and Tanner finishing off the year with
season high scores, both finishing in the top 6! Kudos to Ellie who
Lady Luck Invitational
stepped up to her first level 5 meet earning 3rd on Vault!
Not to be outdone our level 6’s also took First Place Team, with Kayla Kremer, Lillie, and Danielle all winning first
place All Around. Kendal took 2nd place All Around with Kayla R ,Hailey, Natalie, Brenna, Mia, Lauren, Isabella
and Kristin, all placing in the top 6 All Around! Angelina did great placing 5th on Vault and Floor!
Level 7. Mikayla, Hunter, Paige, Sydney all finished in the top 6 All Around with Danielle Kelly winning her first Level 7
meet! Sydney was our floor champion! It was a great opener to the season for all of them.
Kayli had her first full Level 8 meet taking 3rd All Around and placing in the top 5 on every event! Go Kayli!
Valeri Luikin Invitational
BOYS TEAM
The Team Boys competition season is well underway! So far, the Azarian boys team
has been doing nothing short of amazing at all their competitions. The most recent
meets were when the boys went to Texas and Las Vegas for the Valeri Liukin Invitational (familiar last name?) and the Vitaly Scherbo Invitational in Las Vegas.
The Valeri Liukin Invitational was held on December 12, 2009 at the home of Olympic
Gold Medalist and former Olympian Nastia Liukin and her father Valeri Liukin. Our
boys not only had the privilege of competing there, but we won almost everything!
Our boys also got the pleasure of meeting and taking pictures with Nastia Liukin. Nastia sent a special gift to our girls team: a signed t-shirt with “GOOD LUCK DREAM
BIG” words of encouragement . It is hanging in the main gym hallway, make sure you
take a look! Some of the highlights from this competition were Marty Strech, winning
1st place all-around, Adam Young, placing 2nd place all-around and Kevin Tran,
placing 2nd on Pommel and 5th place all-around!
After Texas, the boys were headed to Las Vegas! Along with the girls team, who was
competing the same weekend in Vegas at the Lady Luck Invitational, the Azarian
teams took Las Vegas by storm! Our boys went to the Vitaly Scherbo Invitational, former six-time Olympian’s competition,
and were ready to win for their second time being at this competition. Some highlights include Kevin Wolting taking 1st
place on Floor, Vault & HBar and placing 2nd place AA, Marty Strech winning 1st place AA, Alex Monda taking 1st place
on Rings, Peter Menke placing 5th AA, Luke McDevitt winning 1st AA and taking 1st place on Pommel, Shane Sadighi
taking 1st on Pommel, Rings, HBar, PBars and placing 2nd AA, Allen Shadan taking 1st place on PBars. Our Level 6’s and
10’s took 2nd place Team! Visit our website for more results!
We are so proud of our boys for having such a great start to the meet season. For some of our boys team members, this is
their first year competing and they are doing wonderful! Keep your eyes out for more amazing results from our boys in the
next meets to come which are Palm Tree Classic, hosted by Azarian, and the South Conference Championships in San
Diego!
E
U S O
IDM
N
L M
U B
?
UNER
IO
SNL
P AO I O
FUN STAFF
Unscramble the letters in the “pie” segments below, then
find the missing letter that completes each gymnastics
word.
The missing letter is the same for all 4 words in the pie.
Page 6
Unlimited Gymnastics in April
GIVING TREE PROJECT
The Azarian Giving Tree project, organized by
Albina Azarian, was a big success!
Every year we put out a paper Giving Tree in our
Important Reminders: hallway after receiving a WISH LIST from
MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT
ENROLLMENT AND TAKE AS
Orangewood Children’s Home in Orange, CA.
Spring Break: April 5-10
MANY EXTRA CLASSES AS YOU WOULD
The families who wish to participate pick a gift
The gym will be closed!
LIKE!
tag off of the tree then purchase and return a gift
Let your kids come to gym to flip and twist
to us. This year we collected more than 100 gifts
and burn off some of that excess energy! Happy Easter!!
bringing the spirit of Christmas to the chidren of
During
the
break
we
will
be
checking
our
Call the office the day of the class you
phone messages periodically and working Orangewood foundation.
want to attend or one day prior to it.
Take advantage of this special, as it
certain hours in the office. Please feel free Thank you to all the families who participated!
is valid only in April.
to call and leave a message if necessary.
FREE UNLIMITED CLASSES
FOR ALL CURRENT
MEMBERS!
More unlimited classes coming in
June, July, August & December!
It’s the
Cold & Flu Season
Help us to help you…………
As a concerned parent, you know there are few things more annoying than seeing your son or daughter playing
with a child who is visibly sick: runny nose, coughing, feverish.
Sick children belong at home, resting and healing
At Azarian Gymnastics, we have a responsibility to ALL parents. So we ask, please keep sick, contagious children home until they
are fully recovered. You can make up the missed lesson. Our make up policy is flexible (as long as you let us know of your absence.)
Spring is just around the corner. Help us through the flu season with a minimum of illness!
February 2010
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•
Parents Night Out– Feb. 13, March 13
•
St. Patties Day Party– March 13
•
Optional Girls Studio West Invite - Feb 6
•
Girls Level 8 State Meet-March 20
•
Boys Team Palm Tree Classic - Feb. 13
•
Boys Team State Championships – March 20
•
Optional Girls CA Classic– Feb. 20
•
Level 7 Girls Team State Meet – March 27
•
Boys Team South Conference - Feb. 27
•
Optional Girls Long Beach Open - Feb. 27
•
Spring Break Camp – April 5-9
•
Boys Team Peter Vidmar Invite– March 5
•
Level 8 Girls Team Regionals –April 10
•
Optional Girls Last Chance Meet– March 6
•
Boys Team Regionals –April 15
For the People of Haiti:
•
Gym is Closed-April 5-10 -Happy Easter!!!
We would like to announce that next week, February 1-5, all of the money that is
made from all of our open gyms will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund. If you would like to participate, please sign up
for any of our open gyms. Call the office for more information.
ES
GAM
SATURDAY, MARCH 13
!
S
PATTIE
.
T
S
T
PAIN
OKIES!
O
C
Y
A
D
2:00-5:00pm
WHO: Children ages 5
(4 & under with parent)
FACE PAINTING!
POTATO SACK RACES
LUN
CH
PRO
VID
ED!
WHY: Great day to come
with your family and join us in our cele!
MORE
H
C
U
bration! Or drop off the kids!
AND M
COST: $20 per person
($5 sibling discount!)
For registration information please contact the front office 949.455.1020
GROUPACTIVITIES
APRIL 55-9, 2010
GYMNASTICS
AGES 4-14 YEARS-OLD
HOURS AND RATES:
Full Day – 9:00am-5:00pm - $49
Half Day – 9:00am-12:30pm -$30
1:30 - 5:00pm - $30
Save 10% when you sign up for all 5 days!!!
All prices are per child/per day. Family discounts are available.
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[email protected]