books | Recreational Gymnastics

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Rick Mc 8:41 am on December 14, 2025 Permalink | Reply
Hubert’s Gymnastics Adventures BOOK

Hubert’s Gymnastics Adventures – Fairground is might make a good present for a little gymnast.

Hubert’s Fairground Adventure is a joyful, action packed story designed to get young children moving, learning and having fun.

Join Hubert the bear as he visits the Fairground and explores the rides, games and surprises at every turn. …

Created by qualified gymnastics coaches, this imaginative tale is part of an innovative Early Years gymnastics award scheme …

The book also includes a catchy companion song, making it a fully immersive experience and providing a full minute workout for little learners. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
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Rick Mc 6:44 pm on July 25, 2025 Permalink | Reply
Gymnastics For All – Worldwide Experiencs

Volume 2.

FIG launched a new eBook on non-competitive Gymnastics activities.

I particularly like the article by Dr. Keith Russell on Gymnastics Movement Patterns.

From that page you can read it online. Or download as a PDF.

You an also read the PDF on this page. Or download a copy from here.

Gymnastics for All v2 Download
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Gymnastics For All – Worldwide Experiencs – Gymnastics Coaching.com is discussing. Toggle Comments
Rick Mc 3:03 am on April 13, 2022 Permalink | Reply
Molly Loves to Move by Mary Morice

A children’s picture book about a girl who loves physical movement and is introduced to a gymnastics club for the first time. Mary Morice is very expert in all aspects of non-competitive Gymnastics.

Well done!

It’s available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters and more. It could be used as a club fundraiser.
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Rick Mc 3:01 am on June 27, 2020 Permalink | Reply
Keith Russell’s Rec Gymnastics manuals

Keith Russell has been the principle author of the Canadian coach education programme since 1978.

It’s considered one of the best in the world.

In fact, the FIG Foundations course was also authored by Keith.

Here’s how coach education works in Canada.

Everyone takes 4 hours of theory and the 9 hour Gymnastics Foundations course.

Next you can specialize in Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline or Active Start (preschool).

After completing some work at your own gym, you are evaluated and — finally — fully certified.

You can be an instructor with your own group of kids.

Here’s the 2008 edition cover of the Canadian coaching manual.

IMG_9384

Unfortunately that text is not available online. The only way to get it is to take the course.

Similarly, you can’t purchase the FIG Foundations manual online.

Too bad.
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- Rosemary 4:40 am on December 7, 2017 Permalink | Reply
  
  Wow Rick, that’s the simplest explanation of the GF program that I have seen! Thanks for that; I believe that the Introduction course is taken before the Theory.
  
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Rick Mc 3:03 am on July 7, 2014 Permalink | Reply
new book – ‘Jake at Gymnastics’
… Jake, a little boy with a cute bowl-cut hairdo, who kicks off the story by greeting his classmates and his teacher, Dave. In the all-around welcoming environment Isadora presents, children are happy and well cared for and are eased into a gym routine with stretches and creative play (“Let’s be frogs and hop today”). The kids are adorably round and smiley, ready to crawl through the tunnel, walk on the balance beam, and hang on to the parallel bar. …

Amazon
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Rick Mc 6:41 pm on May 19, 2013 Permalink | Reply
Head Over Heels About Gymnastics
The author sent me a review copy.

Graphics are superb. Gymnastics correct. High quality paper and binding.

It would make a great gift for a young gymnast.

Head Over Heels About Gymnastics is a child friendly picture book written by Gemma Coles that introduces aspiring young gymnasts to the basics of gymnastics. Through photographs and easy to follow steps, the author guides you through the essential floor skills, and includes little helpful tips along the way!

… Overall I found this book very well written, and I would certainly recommend it to any parent interested with helping their young gymnast succeed.

Triple Twist

Click through for links to the book itself.

Coach Gemma Coles runs a successful gymnastics club in the U.K.
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Rick Mc 3:51 pm on May 8, 2013 Permalink | Reply
on overweight children …
Published 2004, Rescuing the Emotional Lives of Overweight Children: What Our Kids Go Through — and How We Can Help is a book by Sylvia Barkan Rimm.

Dr. Sylvia Barkan Rimm (born 1935) is an American psychologist specializing in parenting, child development and learning. She has written books on raising gifted children, success for girls, and communication skills.

… In a recent study of 15 countries, including the United States, the U.S. had the dubious honor of being ranked first in the prevalence of overweight and obese adolescents. …

Overweight children were five times as likely to describe their self-confidence as poor compared to average-weight children. They were much more likely to describe themselves as lonely, sad, fearful, and different.

Overweight girls were less likely to describe themselves as popular or beautiful. Overweight boys were less likely to describe themselves as athletic. Overweight children were much more worried about almost everything, and very over-weight children were three times as worried about their futures than average-weight children. …

The Six-Step Healthy Rescue Plan

Be a coach, instead of a judge.
Go for the goal.
Recruit additional support.
Design a nutritional plan.
Organize an exercise effort.
Celebrate strengths.

Rescuing The Emotional Lives of Overweight Children

I’m dubious.

Things will continue to get worse before they get better. 😦

Some overweight children can handle the extra social pressures.

It may even be more normal to be heavy at a young age than it was in the past.

But best practice would be to get your children early into good exercise and eating habits.
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Rick Mc 5:37 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Reply
The Young Performer's Guide to Gymnastics
Just in time for Christmas. 🙂

The Gymnastics Book: The Young Performer’s Guide to Gymnastics
by Elfi Schlegel and Claire Ross Dunn
Second Edition
Firefly Books

144 pages
full color photographs throughout, glossary, index, useful addresses

19.95 CDN / 19.95 US

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Elfi Schlegel is a World Cup medal-winning gymnast. In addition to teaching gymnastics, she is also a sports commentator for NBC Sports, covering 12 Olympics, as well as countless other gymnastics meets.
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Rick Mc 3:04 am on November 8, 2012 Permalink | Reply
handstand homework
Dozens of coaches have been consulted on a new resource, a home handstand training program.

The first reaction of most was: “I’m not sure I want my kids doing too many handstands at home. They’ll practice bad habits.”

But I was quickly won over. This is going to work. Kids are going to do handstands at home — so let’s have them practice as correctly and safely as possible.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Just in time for Christmas, the package is available worldwide for $361. Or you can buy the pieces separately.

details

The 60 page workbook is the best resource on handstand I’ve ever seen. Congratulations to editor Carrie Lennox.

(via Gymnastics Coaching)
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Rick Mc 7:40 am on April 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply
GYMMY THE OWL AND HIS FRIENDS

A delight for all lovers of rhymed poetry and gymnastics, Gymmy the Owl and His Friends offers children and parents entertaining and amusing poems and useful information about gymnastics and gymnastics terminology.

Author Vladimir Zaglada, who worked at the highest levels of Soviet gymnastics during its heyday, created Gymmy and his friends as a way of introducing young children and their parents to the world of gymnastics. Readers of any age will be drawn in by his parallels between the natural abilities of animals and the skills humans must work hard to develop in order to perform gymnastics ….

Illustrator Katya Korobkina brings to life a charming community of “Nature’s Gymnasts.”

details on CoachZaglada.com

$24.99

(via Gymnastics Coaching)
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