Olympics 2008 - Page 34

Alex · 08-14-2008, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

Although, Karolyi has been VERY outspoken about the obviously younger than 15 girls on the China team.

True, but only because the U.S. team observed the limit. His solution is to get rid of minimum age requirements. His complaint isn't so much that China used 14 year olds but that we didn't get to.

Quote:

Then he offered a solution: "The only way to stop this is to take off the age limit," he said. "Take it away. We would have some amazing young athletes on our team, too, but they missed it by a few months. To force honest countries to hold back and allow other countries, not so honest, to push them forward, it's not fair."

I agree that if Olympic gymnastics is going to emphasize skills best done by 12 year olds then they should allow 12 year olds to do it. The real answer, though, is to change the sport to once again emphasize skills best done by adults. In my view, if a 13 year old can compete globally in your sport then you haven't so much created a sport as a playground game.

scaeagles · 08-14-2008, 08:26 PM

Pretty sick.

BarTopDancer · 08-14-2008, 11:05 PM

I "trained" (aka took gymnastics classes) at SCATS back in the early 80s, around the time of the 84 Olympics (I think I was 6 or 7). Even the supposedly beginners fun classes there was tremendous pressure to maintain a certain look and punishment if you failed to complete a routine or exercise the way it was expected.

My mom pulled me from the program because of the "culture". I took classes elsewhere for awhile but the culture was the same.

I remember coming home upset because I wasn't as flexible, or as skinny as the other girls and had to do punishment exercises because I wasn't as good.

scaeagles · 08-15-2008, 05:01 AM

Good coaches rarely, if ever, should give out punishment exercises for lack of skill. I only do for one thing - missing open layups in practice. If you can't make an open layup in practice 99.9% of the time you shouldn't be playing HS basketball. Those types of punishments typically just instill fear, and not many athletes are motivated well by fear.

Now for not doing what they're told....yeah. Run 'em till they drop.

innerSpaceman · 08-15-2008, 06:43 AM

Well Nastia Liukin won the gold medal and she looks to be somewhat older than 13. Can we all breathe a big sigh of relief?

Alex · 08-15-2008, 06:59 AM

Not really, it is great that she won at 18 but she is very much a product of all that I despise about the Olympics gymnastics system. The only reason she wasn't on the Olympic team at 14 in 2004 is that it would have been against the rules.

I do give her story a bit of a pass since she literally grew up in the sport since both of her parents were Olympic gymnasts and so at least she got to have their significant involvement beyond driving her to boot camp at 5 in the morning.

Kevy Baby · 08-15-2008, 08:05 AM

Great. Our cable just went out last night and TWC can't be here to fix it until Saturday afternoon - just in time to have missed Michael Phelps eight gold medal swim.

innerSpaceman · 08-15-2008, 08:16 AM

Uch, another gold medal, how boring.

Kevy Baby · 08-15-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Uch, another gold medal, how boring.

If you are referring to Phelps, I think of it as history in the making. And you never know what exciting moments there might be: I am still buzzing from the finish of the relay that earned Phelps his first gold.

Not Afraid · 08-15-2008, 09:43 AM

I'm very happy for Nastia. She has been my favorite member of the US team. I'm sorry I missed the live coverage, but the bit of replays I saw looked like she did great.

08-14-2008, 08:26 PM	#2
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Pretty sick.
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08-14-2008, 11:05 PM	#3
BarTopDancer Prepping... Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Here, there, everywhere Posts: 11,405	I "trained" (aka took gymnastics classes) at SCATS back in the early 80s, around the time of the 84 Olympics (I think I was 6 or 7). Even the supposedly beginners fun classes there was tremendous pressure to maintain a certain look and punishment if you failed to complete a routine or exercise the way it was expected. My mom pulled me from the program because of the "culture". I took classes elsewhere for awhile but the culture was the same. I remember coming home upset because I wasn't as flexible, or as skinny as the other girls and had to do punishment exercises because I wasn't as good. __________________ Spork is the new MacGyver Postcards From My Edge
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08-15-2008, 05:01 AM	#4
scaeagles I LIKE! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 7,819	Good coaches rarely, if ever, should give out punishment exercises for lack of skill. I only do for one thing - missing open layups in practice. If you can't make an open layup in practice 99.9% of the time you shouldn't be playing HS basketball. Those types of punishments typically just instill fear, and not many athletes are motivated well by fear. Now for not doing what they're told....yeah. Run 'em till they drop.
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08-15-2008, 06:43 AM	#5
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Well Nastia Liukin won the gold medal and she looks to be somewhat older than 13. Can we all breathe a big sigh of relief?
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08-15-2008, 06:59 AM	#6
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	Not really, it is great that she won at 18 but she is very much a product of all that I despise about the Olympics gymnastics system. The only reason she wasn't on the Olympic team at 14 in 2004 is that it would have been against the rules. I do give her story a bit of a pass since she literally grew up in the sport since both of her parents were Olympic gymnasts and so at least she got to have their significant involvement beyond driving her to boot camp at 5 in the morning.
	Submit to Quotes

08-15-2008, 08:05 AM	#7
Kevy Baby Chowder Head Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Yes Posts: 18,500	Great. Our cable just went out last night and TWC can't be here to fix it until Saturday afternoon - just in time to have missed Michael Phelps eight gold medal swim. __________________ The thing about quotes on the internet is that you cannot verify their validity. - Abraham Lincoln
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08-15-2008, 08:16 AM	#8
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Uch, another gold medal, how boring.
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08-15-2008, 09:43 AM	#10
Not Afraid HI! Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 17,108	I'm very happy for Nastia. She has been my favorite member of the US team. I'm sorry I missed the live coverage, but the bit of replays I saw looked like she did great.
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