PAGU Mens Training Camp

[Coach Sommer]

PAGU Men's Training Camp

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Nov. 3, 2008 – USA GYMNASTICS HOSTS PAGU MEN'S GYMNASTICS CAMP - More than 40 athletes, coaches and judges from 10 countries attended the Pan American Gymnastics Union (PAGU) men’s artistic gymnastics camp that was hosted by USA Gymnastics at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Participating countries were Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela.

The camp was coordinated by Steve Butcher, president of PAGU’s Men’s Technical Committee and a newly elected member of the International Gymnastics Federation’s (FIG) Men’s Technical Committee, and Dennis McIntyre, the men’s program director for USA Gymnastics. The camp was conducted through a grant from the FIG and supported by USA Gymnastics, the U.S. Olympic Committee and PAGU.

The six-day camp featured a combination of seminars and in-the-gym coach/athlete instruction. The topics ranged from biomechanics, nutrition and sports psychology to the new Code of Points, which governs men’s gymnastics. The list of instructors included: Ron Brant, the senior national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics; Juan Carlos Colon, the Puerto Rican national team coach; and Edouard Iarov, Canada’s head national coach who is a current FIG Academy instructor and a newly elected member of the FIG’s Men’s Technical Committee. Members of the USOC’s Sports Performance Division also took part in the camp, including Dr. Bill Sands, a noted sports science expert.

I recently had the honor to be the United States representative to the first PAGU Mens Training Camp. In the group photo I am fifth in from the right in the very back row and my athlete, Allan Bower, is second from the right in the second row.

The week long PAGU Training Camp was outstanding. Generally the structure was twice a day practices interspersed with multiple technical lecture periods through out the day. Eduard Iarov (National Head Coach of Canada and formerly Olympic Champion Valeri Liukin's personal coach; although you may best remember Valeri now as Nastia Liukin's father!) was the primary instructor. In my opinion, it is quite possible that Eduard may be the finest technical coach in the world. (and I base this opinion on having met and trained with a multitude of Olympic Champions and Coaches over the years.)

It was also quite enlightening to be able to interact with the National Team and Olympic Team coaches of the other PAGU nations in a non-competitive environment and to watch these fine athletes training side by side. I look forward to continuing to build professional relationships with these coaches and athletes for many years to come.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Gregor]

I heard for training camp in USA, I don't know if it same...Was there any coach from Europe (American, but works in europe).

[Coach Sommer]

Gregor,

Nice to hear from you. No, I was the only American coach at the PAGU camp. Nor were there any currently active coaches from Europe present.

The FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) has divided the world into zones or unions. As such, there is the European Gymnastics Union, The African Gymnastics Union, The Asian Gymnastics Union, the Pan American Gymnastics Union etc etc. In the past, these unions were a mere formality. However for the first time in 2010, the IOC will be hosting the first ever Youth Olympic Games. This will be restricted to athletes in age from 15-18 years old (although those familiar with the FIG will understand that these details change on a regular basis!). The premise of the Youth Olympic Games is that rather than teams comprised of athletes solely from one country, the teams will be comprised of athletes from their respective area Gymnastics Union. The goal the FIG would like to promote through the Youth Olympics is an athletic allegiance that is more of a continental character rather than a national character.

Depending on their results at a qualifying meet, for the PAGU it will be the Jr Pan Am Games, each of the top five placing countries in the All Around will earn a slot on the PAGU Youth Olympics Mens Gymnastics Team. Please note that the number of slots on the team does not increase if your country has multiple athletes in the top five all around spots. Once your country has procured its sole slot, then the next country in the results will get the next slot; even if that country's athlete is seventh or eigth. This country selection process will continue until all five country slots have been filled. Thus the future PAGU Mens Gymnastics Team to the Youth Olympics will be comprised of five athletes from five different countries.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Gregor]

I know all of junior olympics...

We had simmilar camp from UEG (europian) in Italy this summer. We had for each aparatus one specialist:Valeri Belenki (pommel and p.bars), Diego Lazarich (rings), Valeri Potapenko (Flor adn Vault-one sesion only) Piere, I don't remember last name, but it's a french school of a high bar.

Ratio on a coach and competitor was almost 1:1 (litlle more coaches from all around Europe). It was awsome...

I asked beacuse on coach represented another camp in USA...

PS:I had a litlle time last month or two (not the whole time here in slovenia), so less time for forum.

[Coach Sommer]

Great to hear that you were able to attend a training camp with Belenki. Last October, the US had a joint training camp with the German Jr National Team where Belenki attended as one of the German Jr National Team coaches.

I certainly understand about time being short when you are a National Team coach. To do an excellent job requires exceptional efort and it often seems as though there simply aren't enough hours in the day. In the last three weeks; I attended a US Jr National Team training camp for one week, was home for one week and then attended the PAGU training camp for another week. On top of this, I coordinated the training of my other athletes, supervised my assistant coaches, worked on the Pre-Arrival Sale for the book, tried to continue to make contributions to the forum, answered literally hundreds of emails and occasionally tried to sit down for a moment !!!

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer

[Gregor]

So he brought with him one large muscled boy?

So you unederstand too good what means to have no time