Jump Start Coaches had a great time dressing up for Halloween last month!

Testimonials

Just wanted to let you

know that [my daughter]

had a fantastic time at

her birthday party at

JSG on Saturday! [The

coaches] did a great

job of entertaining the

kids and keeping the

party moving! I

especially appreciated

the extra help setting up

and cleaning up. All in

all, it was a great

afternoon!

-Anonymous

*Send us your testimonials

to be included on our

website/newsletter!

In This Issue

Fall Gymnastics Showcase:

Bring Back Summer

Jump Start Winter Classic

Important November Dates

Homework Help

Stay and Play

Youth Fitness Classes

Jump Start Baby Classes

Holiday Camps

Transitioning out of Just You

and Me/Tiny Mites Classes.

Team Corner

JUMP START JOURNAL November 2013 Jump Start Gym

Fall Gymnastics Showcase: Bring Back Summer Come see the skills your child has been working on so far this year! We will be hosting a showcase

for Tumbling Tigers, Flipping Frogs, Shooting Stars, and Kindergarten through 6th Grade and Boys

gymnastics classes on Saturday November 23rd. Register on our parent portal for your child ’s age

group and current class day. Registration fee is $15/child. Admissions will by $3/adult at the door

(cash only please). All participants will receive a medal and prizes will be awarded to the parent/

family with the best summer outfit. Raffle tickets will also be available for a chance to win a leotard

from our pro shop, a free day of camp, or a month of free classes! Register by November 13th to

participate in this years fall showcase.

Showcase Times:

2:30-4:00 : Tumbling Tigers, Flipping Frogs, Shooting Stars

4:00-5:30 : Kindergarten, Boys

5:30 - 7:00 : First - Third Grade, Fourth - Sixth Grade

Jump Start Winter Classic

Jump Start Gym will be holding our First Annual Winter Classic on December 7th - 8th right here at

the gym. On Saturday December 7th students in our invitation only classes will be invited to perform

routines along side our Hot Shots, Rec Team, and Prep Op Team. This is a great opportunity for kids

to have fun and show off their skills, or for those who think they might be interested in trying out for

one of our teams next year to get an idea of what a real gymnastics competition is like. $80

registration fee will include a Jump Start Winter Classic Leo and the meet registration fee.

Participants will be required to attend two extra practices to learn routines. Register on the parent

portal for additional practices, each practice will have a one time $20 fee. All participants will receive

a medal. Deadline for meet registration will be November 20th. On Sunday December 8th come

back to see our level 3 through level 7 teams at their first meet of the season. Admission will be $5/

adult and $3 for seniors and kids (cash only please) for each day of competition. Don’t miss this

chance to support our Jump Start Teams!

Page 2

Holiday Camps Jump Start will be offering camp during the following holidays. Sign up more than two weeks in advance to save $10 off of our

daily rate! Camp hours are 10am-2pm with option for 9am pre-camp drop off and 3:30 late pickup unless otherwise noted.

Thanksgiving Break Camp: November 26th-27th ($60/day nonmembers, 10% member discount)

Black Friday Camp (no pre or post camp): Friday November 29th 7am - 11am ($60 non members, 10% member discount)

Friday November 29th 11am - 3pm ($60 non members, 10% member discount)

Winter Break Camp: December 23rd-24th, Dec 26th-27th, December 30th, January 2nd-3rd. ($60/day

nonmembers ,10% member discount)

Important Dates

Tuition due dates for the rest of

the year are:

November 1st

December 2nd

November Class Dates:

Mon:10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18

Tues:10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12

Wed: 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13

Thurs: 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14

Fri: 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15

Sat: 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23

Please note there will be no classes Nov 26th-Dec 1st. Classes will resume Dec 2nd.

*Deadline to drop classes for

December with no penalty is 11/11.

Don’t forget, all requests to drop a

class must be submitted in writing to

the front desk or emailed to

info@jumpstartgym.com.

Stay and Play Stay and Play is back! Stay and Play is the perfect place for

your little one to spend that coveted extra time in the gym,

playing or working on skills. Have some last minute errands

or holiday shopping? We now offer the option to drop kids off

for stay and play (must be potty trained). We will be offering

stay and play on Monday through Friday from 9:15 - 10:15

and 11:30 - 1:00. Rates will be $5 for members if you stay

with your child, or $10 for members if you drop off (non

members add $5 to price). Please remember to pack a

snack for your child if you are dropping off.

Homework Help Room Do you have errands to run that will take longer

than your child’s class time? Does your child

struggle to fit homework in with all of their

extracurricular activities? Beginning Tuesday

November 4th Jump Start will be offering

homework help in the studio on Tuesdays and

Thursdays from 3:30-5:30. For $5/hour kids can spend time

before or after class working on homework , reading, or playing

a quiet game under adult supervision while you run errands,

drive carpool, or even just go home and get some work done.

Call or email the front desk for more information.

Youth Fitness Classes Are you looking for a fun way for your child to stay active? Sign them up for our Youth

Fitness classes with Coach Mike for a non-stop fun filled class where they will work on

core strengthening, balance and agility, while building self confidence. While this class

is a great offseason workout for kids who play team sports, children of all fitness levels

are encouraged to join, and no prior fitness or sports experience is necessary. Each

student will be given a unique workout plan suitable for their current ability and

designed to help them reach their fitness goals.

Coach Todd's Baby Talk Have you ever wondered why JSG offers a

free unlimited baby class for 3 month olds

until they begin crawling? Yes, Coach

Todd loves babies. Yes, we want repeat

customers. But the real answer can be

found in our mission statement, Helping

families provide their children with strong

emotional, social and physical foundations

for them to jump start their futures. Dr.

Jaroslav Koch, author of Total Baby

Development, said:

"Babies whose muscles and senses are stimulated become more receptive to

their surrounding, leading to a fuller life intellectually, emotionally, and

physically."

In our baby classes, we sing songs, use hand-eye exercises, sensory experiences,

muscle development (specifically the core), and interaction with other grownups. Come

join us and bring your friends to see why “JSG Moving Monkeys is the best experience

around!” Next issue we delve into the secrets of why we do what we do, stay tuned...

Coach Todd

Page 3

Is Your Child Ready to Make the Leap?

Have you been wondering how you will know when its time for your child to make the leap from having you or a caretaker with them in our Just You and Me Kid or Tiny Mites classes, to trying a Preschool class all by themselves? Most children are ready for this transition between 3 and 3

1/2 , with the majority of children falling towards the latter half of this range. Each child is

different and matures at their own rate, and the age overlaps in our classes are designed so that children can be placed in the class that is the best fit for them. In our Preschool classes we encourage children to stay in the same age group for the entire school year; the transition into Leaping Lemurs or Mighty Mites is the only one that will happen throughout the school year because there is no magic age when kids are ready to move into classes on their own.

Here are some signs your child may be ready:

He/she is potty trained. We have found their is a correlation between kids potty training and being ready to take a class with out the 1:1 ratio. Potty training gives kids a sense of responsibility and independent success.

Your child responds to verbal cues in class and does not need hand on instruction to understand what to do. When children move into classes with out a 1/1 ratio the coach is there to spot one skill while verbally helping the kids through the other stations.

He/she understands gymnastics terminology (tuck, pike, donkey kick, etc.) Knowing these basic terms is like learning the language of gymnastics. As your child advances in gymnastics knowing these terms will help them feel successful. Emphasis in preschool classes is that children understand what they are trying to do as opposed to that they are mastering each skill immediately.

He/she can get around each obstacle three times without getting distracted. This is always the goal in our younger classes, however short attention spans are expected and there is more flexibility with a 1/1 ratio. Leaping Lemurs and Mighty Mites classes are expected to make it three times around, or 10 min on each event.

He/she is content being praised ever third or fourth skill instead of after each skill they do. When there is a 7:1 ratio coaches are always looking to praise a job well done and give tips on how to improve a skill to each child, but it is not the same one on one attention they may currently be used to.

If you have decided your child is ready to move into a class on their own, we would like to offer some tips to help make the transition as smooth and trauma free as possible.

Make sure to talk with your child about being a big girl/boy and taking class by themselves. You could do this the night before, the morning of, or even in the car on the way to class. Reassure your child that you will be watching and are excited to see what they learn. If your child will be taking class with a friend this is a great time to remind them of that to help calm any nerves they may have.

Get to Jump Start a few minutes early to allow for bathroom / transition time.

Remind them of their coaches name. When/if possible, try and take a Leaping Lemurs/Mighty Mite class with the same coach as their previous class (or a coach who was in the gym during their previous class who your child is familiar with).

Some children will be hesitant to go into class by themselves and will want you to watch from inside the gym instead of on the benches. This is not uncommon! Here are a few tips to help transition from watching in the gym to joining other parents in the lobby:

It is very tempting to comment from the side lines. Try hard to fight this urge and let the coach give the praise and feed back, especially if your child is not listening :). When parents respond to negative behaviors it actually encourages the child to misbehave more and undermines the coaches authority. As parents we know how hard this is, but it will pay off in the long run.

Speak with the coach before class and have a "plan" such as you will watch the warm up from inside the gym and then go to the benches, or you will stay in the gym only if the child is participating.

Telling kids this age that you need to go to the bathroom is something they relate to and understand, and is a great tactic to slide out of the gym.

After class talk with the coach and your child about next class goals: only watch warm up / get extra stamp for coming in alone / child being a special helper for the coach (ie: pick song to do / item on parachute )

If you have made a "deal" with your child for going into class on their own (favorite lunch / playing a game after / getting a snack/ etc...) make sure the coach knows so they can help remind and encourage your child to stay in class!

Please keep in mind this is a new transition; some kids will run in the first class and not look back while others take a few weeks. If the coaches feel the transition was made too early they will come to you :), otherwise stay positive and consistent and your child will learn to love being in "big kid" class.

Courtney & Todd

TEAM CORNER Page 4

Routine of the Month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znA8H1v2yMo

For our first round of “Routine of the Month”, I picked one of my absolute favorite Beam workers from representing Russia, Anna Pavlova. (search for Anna Pavlova 2004 Olympic Beam Team Final to find this routine on YouTube)

This gymnast is very well known in the elite community for her quick-footed steps and incredible control on the apparatus. Outside of her extreme talent and difficult repertoire of skills, her most notable attribute is her wide variety of acrobatic elements. Where most gymnasts tend to tumble either strictly forwards or backwards down the beam, she takes extra risks by performing skills that involve her body tumbling across the WIDTH of the 4-inch beam, adding supreme bonus points to her overall score.

Though the routine may seem particularly exceptional, a style such as Pavlova’s is the norm for the Russian Gymnastics Federation. From the great Yelena Shushunova of the 80’s to the present day Viktoria Komova from the 2012 London Games, the Russians have always embodied a lofty notion of grace and poise, on all four apparatus.

Enjoy the routine! Next month we will look at the Uneven Bars and travel back in time!

This Month In Team Practice

The Hot Shots have

been working on

connecting skills to

create routines. They

have also been working

on fun conditioning drills

to help them get

stronger and improve

their form.

The Level 3's are

working extremely hard on understanding the motor mechanics of each skill they

have in their routines. So far, everyone has grasped the fundamental concepts on

the Beam and Vault, however Bars and Floor will take a little more time. Their

routines are NOT easy and they are handling them very well! However athletes

who only practice twice a week may need a private lesson to help perfect these

routines. We can't wait to see the peanuts compete at their first meet in December!

The pre-optional level 4 and 5 girls are coming off a very successful weekend of

both physical and mental training. They are also starting to put together their

routines WITH the skills they have been doing very well on. These young ladies

have worked very hard and are sure to impress at our first competition!

With a large group of Optional Gymnasts, our wonderful coach Daniela has had the

opportunity of choreographing their Beam and Floor Routines, which I must say,

look fantastic! Each routine is very fitting to the personalities of each girl. It will be a

sight to see at this year's competitions! With the addition of their own dance and

optional skills, I am sure the uniqueness of each girl will show on the competition

floor!

Our Prep Op girls are very excited to be learning their new floor routines. Be sure

to book your private lesson to learn your routine from Coach Ashley ASAP. Our

first meet is only a few weeks away!

Skill of the Month: Tkatchev First performed by two-time Olympic Champion Soviet/Russian gymnast Alexander Vasilyevich Tkachyov in 1977, the “Tkatchev” (pronounced tah-kaht-chev) is one of the most impressive and popular skills performed on the Uneven Bars as well as Men’s Horizontal Bar.

Also known as the “Reverse Hecht” in the gymnastics community, the skill involves the gymnast swinging forward in circular motion in a constant handstand (called a giant). Before the gymnast can complete another revolution around the bar, the athlete must release the bar by changing the shape of their swing to an arched-body and throwing the bar aggressively behind them. As quickly as they changed shapes, they must then return to the same beginning shape in a straddle, pike or straight body position to re-grasp the bar and continue movement. In Women’s Gymnastics, the most common practice is through the straddle position, where the legs are spread wide apart.

In this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tijdsQko9xw) from Universal Sports, Olympic All-Around Champion Gabrielle Douglas performs the maneuver in both the pike (at 0:59) and straddle (at 1:09) positions with exceptional technique and form. (Search for a video titled “Gabrielle Douglas Dominates Uneven Bars– Universal Sports” on YouTube to find this video).

Enjoy the video and look for a beam skill for next month’s “Skill of the Month!”

See what’s going on this month with our Jump Start Competitive Teams!

The girls (and Coach Daniela) had a great time at Flip Fest!

FIG (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique) Scoring – How it Works

In 2006, the World had to watch as the International Stage of Gymnastics took a change for the better, or in some opinions, for the worse. No longer would we see a darling 13-year old score a perfect “10”, but rather a mandatory 16 year old girl score a whopping 14.5. For fans of the sport, this may seem rather confusing, but I am here to break it down for all those inquiring minds out there!

The Old System: The absolute amount that a gymnast could attain was a 10.0. Women began their routines from an 8.8, and men from an 8.4. From that beginning score, the gymnast was able to then add in difficult skills and any connecting skills for extra bonuses. The gymnast was only scored from the 6 most difficult skills of their routine.

Ex: Nastia Liukin: Uneven Bars: (8.8 +1.2 in difficulty and connections) Total Possible Points = 10.0. From this score, judges can take up to 0.1 for small errors and 0.5 or more for falls.

Ex: 10.0 – 0.537 in total judging deductions = 9.463

The New System: This system was designed to better make distinctions between more difficult routines. In this system there is an “A” Panel (designed for the difficulty score) and a “B” Panel (designed for execution errors). The gymnast is automatically given 10 points in execution before they begin their routine. From that amount, judges will take deductions. The difficulty score will not change, as long as the gymnast connects and performs all difficultly without stopping or completing the skill.

Ex: Shawn Johnson: Floor Exercise: (A = 6.5, B = 10.0) Total possible points = 16.5

The B score judging can now take anywhere from 0.1-0.3 for small errors and up to 1.0 for a fall.

Ex: 16.5 – (.595 + 1.0 for fall) = 14.905

Essentially, the scoring system is designed to praise athletes who have harder skills and can do so with sufficient form. Unfortunately, at the concern of many gymnastics enthusiasts, gymnasts who excel in artistry are now few and far between. More concern is placed on how hard the routine is, as opposed to how well the athlete communicates with the event and the audience.

"Time is of the Essence"

Hello JSG Family,

For those that were present at the 2013 Flip Fest Fall Adventure Camp, I can safely say that every girl in attendance had a blast! They had the opportunity of being exposed to world-class coaching (including elite coach and former Olympian Beth Kline Rybacki) and drilling that has morphed some of the best talent across the nation into national champions and Olympic Hopefuls. It is my true hope and prayer that our gymnasts took the information they learned this weekend to heart.

Specifically for me, it was beneficial in that it was a reminder of the finesse and delicacy of performance that is required from Women's Gymnastics. Seeing our girls learn the warm-up performed by the Junior & Senior National Teams was a pleasing reminder that elements of artisanship and refinement are not completely gone from this new era of gymnastics. At JSG, it is our true goal and passion to create an environment that emphasizes not only power and strength but also the grace and artistry of the sport.

With the competition season right on our coat tails, the ladies will be completing set after set of routines. The name of the game for the next four weeks is "Numbers, Numbers, Numbers!". A famous coach once said, "The only way you get better at gymnastics, is by doing more gymnastics". It is important that the athletes not only get their numbers in daily, but do so with exquisite form and technique. If a gymnast can do constant repetition of a skill with fantastic execution, she has the true makings of a great Optional.

Our first competition is December 7th -8th, right here at Jump Start! I think having our first competition in front of a home crowd will really help the girls gain the confidence they need when they start traveling to our future meets.

Last but not least, thank you Parents for all you do!

Coach Taylor

Page 5

JSG, STICK! Parents and gymnasts,

Jump Start is proud to announce the first round of the JSG STICK Competition! This contest is open to ALL kids of ALL ages enrolled in classes at Jump Start!

What Is It??: For the first round of the STICK contest, we will be doing the “Handstand” Edition! In order to enter the contest, your child must perform a handstand in the most random and wackiest place they can think of! It does not matter how long they hold the handstand and the parents can help the child if needed. All we need is a simple picture of your child performing the handstand to qualify to win!

How to Win: In order to enter the contest, simply post your wackiest, most random handstand picture of your child on the Jump Start facebook page. The Jump Start Staff will then select the winner based on location and creativity. The winner will then get his or her photo as the timeline photo on Jump Start’s Facebook page for a whole week so EVERYONE can see!

When: All applicants have until November 22nd to submit their photos to the above email address. Winners will be announced in our December Newsletter.

Gym Talk

Pirouette: A ballet term that refers to the skill of turning the body on a longitudinal axis. It is either performed with one

leg on the floor or balance beam, or while the body is in a handstand on the floor, balance beam or bars. The turns are

generally measured by degrees of half turns.