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  1. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Is TOPS a Talent Pipeline or a Legacy Relic?

    I think there's this intuitive idea that the best 7-year-old gymnasts will go on to become the best 17-year-old gymnasts. That's just not how it works. Everybody has an upper limit on how good they can get, and getting there faster doesn't increase the height of that limit; it just means you...
  2. Geoffrey Taucer

    Women HELP! Froggy back handspring needs fixing

    I'm not a fan of trampoline parks, or of working tumbling at home. Happy to discuss what I'd focus on as a coach if she were at the gym working with me, but let the records show I do not encourage going to trampoline parks to train without a coach. Anyway, having said that If she's doing...
  3. Geoffrey Taucer

    Women HELP! Froggy back handspring needs fixing

    Short answer: rows and rows and rows of multiple backhandsprings from a stand on tumbletrak, and lots of straight jumps on trampoline. Long answer: the problem is most likely not the backhandspring itself, with the transition between the roundoff and the backhandspring. The snapdown and...
  4. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Should I say something?

    Ok, but even if this is the case, the coach needs to know that it's hurting the athlete's confidence.
  5. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Should I say something?

    I'd let the coach know directly. If they're a good coach, they'll listen and take it to heart; we all want our kids to be confident. If not.... well, then you know, and can make decisions accordingly.
  6. Geoffrey Taucer

    Coaches Hotshots/preteam

    Were I heading a program (which, disclaimer, I haven't in about 10 years), I think the main things I'd look for are strength, shapes, and above all, understanding how to keep a rigid body. As far as specifics go, here's what I'd probably want to test them on: 1) Arch/hollow rockers with a...
  7. Geoffrey Taucer

    Gymnasts Double Lay tips?

    For almost any other skill, yes But a double lay isn't really a double lay; it's a double whip. You pretty much set for rotation as hard as you can in this skill.
  8. Geoffrey Taucer

    Off Topic The side hustle/side project/self-promo/hobby thread

    Back home and much better than she was, though still not as stable as we'd like.
  9. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Tumbling progressions (offshoot from 2026-2030 CoP thread

    Imo there are very very few cases where an athlete should run more than 3 steps. It should really only be for niche top-level passes that don't use BHS or FHS, such as doing a big skill from just a punch.
  10. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Tumbling progressions (offshoot from 2026-2030 CoP thread

    I'm with you on FHS bounder. In the abstract, it should reinforce and exaggerate everything needed for strong front tumbling; in practice, by the time they have a good FHS bounder, they probably already have all the skills it's supposed to lead up to. I'm a big fan of punch bounder as a lead in...
  11. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon 2026-2030 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CODE OF POINTS

    I have split the discussion of tumbling progressions off into its own thread: https://chalkbucket.com/threads/tumbling-progressions-offshoot-from-2026-2030-cop-thread.73834/
  12. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Tumbling progressions (offshoot from 2026-2030 CoP thread

    Last time I was in a position to be setting progressions for an Xcel-equivalent group was close to 15 years ago, so I'd have to take some time to get a solid handle on the current Xcel rules before answering this with any real confidence. But having made that disclaimer, I'd probably aim for...
  13. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Tumbling progressions (offshoot from 2026-2030 CoP thread

    I can't take all the credit; my preteam coaches at that gym were brilliant. They laid a very solid foundation of strength and basic shapes, which made my job much easier. But with that said, I do think I've got the progression from single standing BHS to multiple BHS and then to back saltos...
  14. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Tumbling progressions (offshoot from 2026-2030 CoP thread

    Aiming for perfection is literally my job as a coach. Insisting on perfection at the lower levels makes the upper levels much easier, safer, and more consistent. It also allows much faster progress once those basics are set in place. This isn't just theoretical, by the way; last time I was a...
  15. Geoffrey Taucer

    Anon Tumbling progressions (offshoot from 2026-2030 CoP thread

    Funny enough, I think the strongest argument for Xcel over compulsories is that it would make it possible to introduce roundoffs to routines much later.
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