GymtasticsGymTools.com

Balancing life and work. What is your time worth? Our secret for success.

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:28:47 -0600

How do they do it? We all know them, those time starved people who still seem to get everything done and more. I didn’t sign up for this job in sports education to spend it in an office all day doing administration work. Yet it still needs to get done and as much as I would rather be in the gym inspiring young children, I could never keep up to all the admin and planning that needed to get done in order to run a successful gym class (and business).

Over 30 years of coaching pre-school, recreational and competitive gymnastics have taught me a couple basic things… that every child is a star in their own way and that rhyming things with silly words is always a big hit. With some business skills and my background in early childhood education, I have grown my gymnastics club Gymtastics into one of the premier gymnastics clubs in North America. During that time I created lesson plans and products that have proven to not only transform my own gym club but many others around the globe. I find that very rewarding.

I am extremely passionate about understanding children and sharing my trade secrets to help coaches, teachers and club owners all over the world. Most recently, I have dedicated my valuable time towards creating, testing and perfecting my online content to be able to share it with you. This truly is the most innovative, modern, efficient and professional content available on the internet! I understand how valuable your time is and I know we would all love to have a little more of it for ourselves. Hopefully by using our website we will be able to save you and your club hours of administration time or even years of content development. So get out of the office and spend more time, with the children in your classes, your family and get back more time for yourself! You will find everything you need in one place… www.gymtasticsgymtools.com

From little thing, big things grow…

Darlene ‘the Bean’

PS - Please contact me at gymtools@gymtastics.com to a brief description of your gym club and I will personally recommend specific products that and can enhance your programs individual needs.

What Olympic Champion Kyle Shewfelt says about our gymnastics programs

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:20:41 -0700

“I have personally recommended many children and families to go to Gymtastics Gym Club because I find that Darlene and her gymnastics programs offer something unique and special. I’m glad that Darlene has now offered her gymnastics lesson plans and gymnastics tools online and believe all gym clubs and children’s programs could benefit from this material”

Kyle Shewfelt - 2004 Olympic Gold Metal Champion

See what others have to say about us here: http://www.gymtasticsgymtools.com/about/testimonials

Or tell us about your experience with any of our products : gymtools@gymtastics.com

We would love to hear from you

Preschool Gymnastics Teaching Tip: The Backward Roll

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:37:00 -0700

Preschool Gymnastics Teaching Tip: The Backward Roll:

Backward Roll
Learning to use the momentum when rocking and rolling backwards is key to a successful backward roll. The fall back to a roll is the most frightening part to learn for preschool children. Backward rolls on incline surfaces create speed, making it easier to do the roll. Parents must lift all the body weight off the child’s neck and head. Children are encouraged to lift their own legs up using their tummy muscles.

Teach the child to put their hands behind their head when rocking backwards. This position helps support the neck while keeping the chin tucked in.

For Intermediate-Advanced: 3.5 to 5 years

Backward Activities:

It is important for the children to experience falling, rocking and rolling backwards safely. It is natural for preschool children to try to stop the backward motion, as they are scared to fall or rock backwards. Setting up multiple jumping or rocking backwards stations will help the children learn to feel more comfortable in this movement.

A child’s center of gravity is high and the upper body strength is not quite developed, making a backward roll skill one of the most difficult skills to teach a preschool child.

Backward Roll:

Learning to use the momentum when rocking and rolling backwards is key to a successful backward roll. When first introducing backward rolls into your gymnastics lesson plans, it is important to teach the child to put their hands behind their head at the start of the skill. This position makes it difficult for the children to take their hands away, reaching backwards stopping the momentum of the roll. This is also the safest and strongest position, protecting and supporting their head and neck.

The backward roll is broken down into many steps, which should be practiced repeatedly before attempting the whole skill on a flat surface. These steps are:

•The tucked, straddle or pike body position with chin tucked in.

• Proper hand placement before and after the skill

• Momentum and speed. (Rocking and rolls on steep inclines and mats)

• Leg lifts.

• The momentary support and push off their hands in the rotation.

• The proper body positions at the end of the roll.

A teaching hint when first teaching a backward roll is to use inclines to rock and roll. This creates speed making it easier for beginners to roll. Cue words: “Hands up, chin down, toes up, roll fast and finish in a front support (Push).”

The Importance of Visual Learning

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:15:30 -0700

The Importance of Visual Learning:

We recognize there are many types of teachers and learners out there. Working in any sports program, we are a unique group of people who love working with our hands. All of our tools take a look at teaching a little differently. We visually demonstrate not only gymnastics positions and skills to be performed for each specific age and level with illustrations, circuit sample diagrams and easy to follow, organized instructions but other sports as well.

"“Gymtastic Gym Tools’ customer service is one that every company should emulate! In..."

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:45:00 -0600

“

“Gymtastic Gym Tools’ customer service is one that every company should emulate! In addition, I have been highly impressed with the free sample lesson plan. Such detailed sheets make my work as an instructor so much easier and my lessons so much richer. “

Malka S
Hudson Valley, New York

-Thank you for all the kind words Malka! We are so glad you have enjoyed our product!

”

Here is a video with a few ideas to help teach a pre-school...

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:26:18 -0600

Here is a video with a few ideas to help teach a pre-school class

We have the best Gymnastics Fall Lesson Plans for all ages...

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 22:05:27 -0600

http://gymtasticsgymtools.com/product/search/q/fall+lesson+plans

THE BEST VALUE ON OUR SITE! Save money and time with this...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:28:58 -0700

THE BEST VALUE ON OUR SITE! Save money and time with this bundle. Absolutely everything you need to run a full 10 week session of preschool classes. You will love our fun theme day ideas, equipment circuit samples, progressive gymnastics lessons from the tiny tot, to the more advanced preschooler.

Instantly download straight to your desktop. A perfect way to enhance any program. A coaches dream, easy to follow, simple lesson plans with amazing gymnastics skill illustrations, hundreds of samples of gymnastics, songs, games, coaching tips and so much more. All in one package!

From now until December 16th, upload a photo to...

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:23:34 -0700

From now until December 16th, upload a photo to (http://www.facebook.com/gymtastics.gymtools) doing a handstand. The handstand with the most “likes” on FaceBook wins a FREE handstand station card package! Plus ULTIMATE BRAGGING RIGHTS!

New Pre-School Winter Lesson Plans coming soon!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:18:55 -0700

You won’t believe the quality and the detail of this package. We’ll let you know as soon as it’s posted to our website.

Our new website is all based around one thing… our...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:42:12 -0600

Our new website is all based around one thing… our GymtasticsGymTools Philosophy. This video helps explain where we are coming from. Go to gymtasticsgymtools.com for hundreds of innovative professionally designed lesson plans and visual aids.

This is a sample of our Recreational Program Fitness &...

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:50:46 -0600

This is a sample of our Recreational Program Fitness & Flexibility Warm Up Guide. The 8 1/2 x 11 illustrated station cards are great to help teach students proper gymnastics skills. Go to http://http://gymtasticsgymtools.com/product/view/80 to download directly to your desktop.

Kips, Skills, Drills & Progressions

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:58:19 -0600

Kips, Skills, Drills & Progressions:

We have a great package that contains 30 professionally illustrated skill cards. These visuals can be printed out to 8 1/2” x 11” on your personal printer. Great to place within your circuits for children to visually see how skills and progressions are performed correctly.

All these professionally designed illustrations are proven to help visually assist the athlete though the positions and progressions of each skill by placing a visual card at each station within a circuit. These visual tools help promote skill development through each stage and level of skill growth. These visual cards are guaranteed to help any instructor enhance their program. Check it out…

We anticipate these professionally illustrated Gymnastics Skill...

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:57:59 -0600

We anticipate these professionally illustrated Gymnastics Skill Card Bundles will be a huge hit with coaches. They make a great teaching aid!

Download them in seconds at gymtasticsgymtools.com

No word of a lie. The best rec warm up package you'll ever find...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:05:30 -0600

No word of a lie. The best rec warm up package you'll ever find...:

Our handy package contains 10 weeks of creative warm up ideas and activities.

A great resource for any coach or administrator to help with the start of a recreational class. There is everything from heart pumping aerobic warm-up activities, flexibility and conditioning exercises, body positions to fun activities with various equipment and apparatus.

"Help Us Help You!"

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:10:32 -0600

“Help Us Help You!”

- Our site is currently going through a public beta testing phase and we’d like your comments. Please help us make GymTools the most fantastic online resources for gymnastic education. Send us your comments and we’ll take them to heart. http://gymtasticsgymtools.com/help

Fall Session 10 Week Lesson Plan Package

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:08:20 -0600

Fall Session 10 Week Lesson Plan Package:

Save more with bundles!!

Fully illustrated quality lesson plans. Each weekly lesson plan has been designed with specific gymnastics skills and a theme. (Introductory program 18 months - 30 months, beginner program 2-3 year olds, intermediate and advanced program ages 3.5-5 years.)

Launching Website in September!

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:43:01 -0600

It’s been a lot of hard work but we will finally be launching our website in September. It will be a beta launch and we will be asking you for feedback before we promote to the general public. We have a ton of great content ready with lots more to come. Will keep you posted on when the site goes live.

Play-it-Forward

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 22:36:42 -0600

Darlene “the Bean” Fedyna… CTV’s Inspiring Albertan of the Week because of her Gymtastics Play-it-Forward program…

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110720/CGY_inspired_playitforward_110720/20110720/?hub=CalgaryHome

Darlene “the Bean” brought her Gymtastics...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:32:00 -0600

Darlene “the Bean” brought her Gymtastics Play-it-Forward program to South Africa last year. This June she will be leading a team at an orphanage in Tanzania. If you feel this is a cause you would like to support please call 403 254 9010.