GYMNAST SA
Bi-Monthly Magazine – September, October &
November 2012
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Front Cover
This absolutely awesome front
cover pic was taken by Glen
Hlongwane. Thank you Glen! I
think there is going to be a lot of
hard work leading up to Rio and a
lot of gymnasts with their eye on
the olympics!
Note from the editor
Well into the last stretch of the year and of course gymnasts
never rest with the African Champs and Zone VI coming up in
December. South Africa are the hosts this year and as always
these are very prestigious and exciting events with the best in
the continent competing.
Apologies for being so late with the issue but I have just been
so busy at work that I have not had time to even phone
gymnasts to get their profiles this month or feature a club. I
hope that the information is still helpful and interesting
though.
USA Gymnastics – Global
Ambassador Program
USA Gymnastics committed $100 000 during the
next three years toward a Global Ambassador
Program to assist countries with the
development of gymnastics. The partnership
comprises of the U.S Olympic Committee
(USOC), AAI and FIG. USA Gymnastics will
provide its athletes and coaches as consultants
on a request basis to countries to stimulate the
growth of the sport and athlete development at
many levels.
The focus of the Global Ambassador Program is
to send elite athletes and coaches to countries
defined as “developing countries” in various
gymnastics disciplines.
Let’s hope that South Africa becomes one of the
countries to be developed and we can gain
valuable knowledge and expertise in all areas of
gymnastics.
Everyone wants to take a rest in December but that could be
detrimental if you are in a rigid training programme as it takes
twice as long to get back up to speed. So keep up the
conditioning a bit every day and you won’t battle when you are
back in the gym.
Good luck to all our gymnasts still competing and well done to
those of you that have achieved your goals this year. Have a
safe and restful Christmas and we will be back full steam ahead
in January.
Megan
[email protected]
Thank you
Thank you so much for the emails received back on the mag. I
enjoy receiving feedback even if it is negative so that I can ensure
I get the right articles and information in.
Zone VI 2009 above (Namibia)
Right Lukisha Schalk – Australia
LUKISHA SCHALK
Lukisha Marion Schalk (born 20 November 2000) in Alberton, Gauteng, and is the second
child of Wilfred and Yvonne Schalk. She has an older brother Revaldo.
Lukisha always had a passion and desire to climb onto high-rise objects from a very early
age of 2 years. She could always be found on the jungle gyms and other obstacles at
Edu-Start playgroup centre or swinging in and around anything “challenging enough” she
could lay her hands on. Mom and Dad were challenged at a very early age to find activities
that would satisfy Lukisha. With such an obvious interest in physical activities, she soon
ended up in the doctor’s surgery with a cut lip and bashed forehead that needed stitches.
Her “junior gymnastix” teacher - that also scouted for talent in pre-school centres - advised
her parents of her special skills and urged them to put her in a formal gymnastic program.
Her parents formally enrolled her at Alberton Gymnastics Club at the age of 6 - after various considerations and finally
conceding that she was born to become a gymnast. She progressed quickly and started competing on provincial and
national level in 2007. On advice from her coach Maryna Blignaut, she also started with tumbling – the art of
performing acrobatic tumbles in the air.
Lukisha also attended ballet classes at The Lisa-Michelle School of Dancing in Alberton in the same year - under the
wonderful leadership of her dance teacher Elizabeth (Lizzy) Burger. She excelled and developed a huge interest in
ballet that also gave her tremendous joy and fulfillment. She has also won numerous awards and won the trophy for
the Most Promising Ballerina (2009) and Runner-up (2010). She won Most Classical Ballerina in 2011 - all competitions
as part of the Alberton Eisteddfod. She has achieved distinctions in all her ballet exams.
It became apparent that Lukisha takes to any sport that she is introduced to, and spent hours in training in all these
three sporting codes. Sadly, she had to scale down as the training hours clashed with each other. She was devastated
to officially stop with ballet in 2012, as it complimented her gymnastics career in many ways.
Lukisha Schalk (now age 11) has become a member of the prestigious Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre (JGC) and has
been selected as a High Performance (HP) development gymnast. She had been promoted from level 8HP to PreJunior Olympics after the National Competitions that were held at the end of October 2011 and steadily makes her
way up to Senior Olympics with the Olympic Games as the pinnacle. Lukisha is a highly committed individual who
trains an average of 20 hours per week to achieve the absolute best in a sport that seems to have been created for
her tiny body and exceptional strong personality.
She travels from Alberton to Roodepoort and Randburg every day of the week – after school - to be trained and
developed with other gymnasts her age, by some of South Africa’s elite gymnastic coaches: Ilse Laing and Glen
Hlongwane of JGC (women’s artistic gymnastic) and Adyl Guseynzade (tumbling).
Lukisha attends school at Brackenhurst Primary and has achieved half-colours for culture and full colours for sport,
with several other prestigious recognitions in her education. Her academic achievements are above average (+80%) making her a merit learner. She also performs regular duties at school as a scholar patrol.
Lukisha with
Coach Adyl
and tumbling
gymnasts(Ryan far left,
Laurent on right,
that went to
Bulgaria to compete
In 2012
[email protected]
http://www.facebook.com/SnowflakeDesigns
LUKISHA’S ACHIEVEMENTS
WOMEN’S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS
Eastern Gauteng Colours 2007, 2008 and 2009 along with many gold medals.
2010: Selection to the JGC High Performance programme as well as Central Gauteng winner and a silver at SA
Nationals
2011: Central Gauteng - gold
2012: International Training Camps
Western Australian Institute of Sport, Perth, Australia – February 2012
Dare Devils Gymnastics , Arizona, USA – June 2012
Naperville Gymnastics, Chicago, USA – June 2012
And next year - 2013: Perth International Gymnastics Competition – January 2013
Future Goals and Aspirations for Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
Lukisha’s goal is to compete at the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships and Junior Olympics and
her major goal is to compete in future Olympic Games.
TUMBLING
2009: Central Gauteng Colours for Tumbling.
2010: Leagues, National and International – what a year of gold
Leagues: Level 4 – gold medal, Leagues: Level 5 – gold medal
Gauteng Championship - gold medal, South African National Trials: Pre Junior (Aged 9 to 14) – first place
South African National Competition: Level 5 – gold medal
Zone 6 International Competition held in Zimbabwe: Pre Junior - gold medal
2011: Leagues, National and International
League A, B, C: gold medal, Gauteng Championship - gold medal, South African National Games – gold medal
Zone 6 International Competition held in Namibia: Pre Junior – gold medal
Invitation to train at Stars of Tumbling in Stavropol, Russia – missed trip, due to Injury
2012: National Age Group and International Competitions
League A,B & C: gold medal, Gauteng Championship - gold medal, South African National Games – silver medal
Trials to compete in Bulgaria (Age 11-12) – first place, International Sofia Cup held in Bulgaria, October 2012:
Prelims – 4th overall, International Sofia Cup held in Bulgaria, October 2012: Prelims – 6th overall
Zone 6 International Competition Qualification - to be held in Pretoria in
December 2012
Future Goals and Aspirations for Tumbling
Short Term:
To compete in the World Age Group Competition in 2012 to strengthen
her future goals
To compete in the All Africa Games.
To compete in the World Championships and World Cup Competitions.
SAGF 2012 Awards Winners
On the 3rd October 2012 the Annual SAGF Awards Function took place at the prestigious Centurion Lake Hotel. Gymnasts
and coaches who have excelled in the year of 2011 received awards for their outstanding achievements. Trophies were
handed out for the respective categories and disciplines.
Well done to all the gymnasts and coaches and keep up your dedication to the sport.
Acrobatic
Emilio Abreu & Malik Baatjies – GAU Central – Junior Gymnasts of the Year
Matome Tshishonga & Natalie Friesling – GAU Central – Senior Gymnasts of the Year
Natalia von Willich – GAU Central – Senior Coach of the Year
Aerobic
Demi Botha – KZN – Junior Gymnast of the Year
Ray Meas – Western Cape – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Anne Vermaak – Western Cape – Senior Coach of the Year
Artistic Gymnastics – Men
Tiaan Grobler – Gauteng North – Junior Gymnast of the Year
Michael Makings – Central Gauteng – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Derick Scholtz – Central Gauteng – Senior Coach of the Year
Alaan Chadwick
Administrator of the year
and outstanding service
to SAGF Board.
Artistic Gymnastics – Women
Claudia Cummings – Central Gauteng – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Ilse Laing – Central Gauteng – Senior Coach of the Yea
Ashleigh Heldsinger – Central Gauteng – Special Award of the Year
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Botle Mosupa – North West – Junior Gymnast of the Year
Aimee van Rooyen – Central Gauteng – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Stephanie Sandler – Boland – Retiring Senior Gymnast of the Year
Maureen van Rooyen – Central Gauteng – Senior Coach of the Year
Annette Nel
Olympic Rhythmic Judge
Rope Skipping
Matshidiso Khanye – Freestate North – Junior Gymnast of the Year
Lebogang Mosholi – Freestate South – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Sibusiso Mabele – Western Cape – Special Award of the Year
Aletta Petlo – Western Cape – Special Award of the Year (Administrator)
Trampoline
Euro Tramp
Lucky Radebe – Gauteng North – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Tiaan van der Walt – Gauteng North – Senior Coach of the Year
Tseko Mogotsi
Special Award – Tumbling
Double Mini Tramp
Bianca Zoonekynd – Eastern Cape – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Mandy Zoonekynd – Eastern Cape – Senior Coach of the Year
Tumbling
Khotso Seheri – North West – Junior Gymnast of the Year
Biance Zoonekynd – Eastern Cape – Senior Gymnast of the Year
Mandy Zoonekynd – Eastern Cape – Senior Coach of the Year
Kyla Phillips – Central Gauteng – Special Award of the Year
Tseko Mogotsi – Gauteng – Special Award of the Year
Clive Naidoo – Technology
and Innovation - KZN
News & Views
The FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup took place in Sofia Bulgaria on the 5th and 6th October and out of the 4 competitors taking park
in the Women’s Tumbling event, Bianca Zoonekynd took the Bronze for South Africa. Although absent from Sofia, multiple World
Champion Anna Korobeynikova claimed the 2012 World Cup Series Title thanks to her total points in previous challenges. Russia’s
Anzhelika Soldatkins and Ekaterina Gaas tied for first place on the day.
2012 Rushmore Rosebowl – UK – WAG
The annual Rushmore Rosebowl was held in the UK in October and comprised of a team and individual competition. Out of the 74
gymnasts competing, Estie Jacobs (40), Christy Nel (42), Logan Lawrence (59) and Tania Luckay (61).
Congratulations to Dominique Hurter from Fish Hook for
entering the competition for the Beth Tweddle book.
Thank you to all who entered and hopefully we will have some
more exciting competitions in 2013.
GYM FOR LIFE 2012
13 Girls from Giants Gymnastics entered the Regional gym for life challenge held at the beginning of June as a fun element to their
gymnastics. We incorporated gymnastics, dance and acrobatics into the routine. At the regionals they received a GOLD performance and
an entry into the National Gym For Life Challenge.
3 of the girls from the regional performance were not available for Nationals so we had to find other girls to learn the routine and take
their places. This was done so with ease and with lots of support from the parents.
Nationals was held at the UCT Sports Complex from the 5th – 8th July and included groups from Gauteng, KZN, Northern Cape, Mozambique
and Eastern Cape. The Glitter Girls, as we called ourselves, were entered in to the Small without apparatus section and walked away with
yet another GOLD performance. They were then chosen to perform at the Gala evening and official launch of the 2013 Gym For Life which
will be held in Cape Town.
The girls and their parents thoroughly enjoyed every minute of being involved in this performance and look forward to being included in
the next one.
A big thanks goes to all parents and supporters for all their help in ‘make-up’, hair, keeping them hydrated, making banners and just being
there. All participants received a Gym For Life 2012 bag, t-shirt, certificate and of course their GOLD medal.
WELL DONE GIANTS AND THE GLITTER GIRLS
Preparing for the SA Games was a huge challenge for this club in Port Alfred, not only do they NOT have a tumbling strip but
their second-hand double mini trampoline broke and they don’t have a euro trampoline to speak of or practice on. All their
training was done on a blacktop trampoline and a normal floor. Obviously not having the necessary aids would hinder most
gymnasts but these guys took up the challenge. Nine gymnasts were selected for the Eastern Cape Team to participate.
The tumbling gymnasts did very well with Siphokuhle Nyoka taking Bronze in Level 2 11/12, Liyema Nxopho in level 4 11/12
taking another Bronze and Siphamandla Baku going for Gold in Level 4 14 and over, well done.
The trip was not only about competing at the games but experiencing different things and a trip to the Pretoria Zoo and iceskating was on the cards as well as a trip to Gold Reef City. The gymnasts were also lucky enough to go to the Hector
Pieterson Museum and Mandela House in Soweto.
A big tumbs up to Rhodes University of offering transport for the trip and also a hearty congrats to Lunga Vulindlu and
Philasande Mara who passed their coaching exam and are now qualified level 1 tumbling coaches.
Not only does NEMAT have a gymnastics club but they have fencing, handball, and rowing. Why not follow them on
www.matinyanafund.org.za and of course if you have old equipment or can spare some extra cash this December, why not
make a donation towards some real equipment for this club. I have also placed their newsletter on the Gymnast SA web.
YOU DID WHAT AT GYM TODAY?
What is a Yurchenko vault – the gymnast performs a round –off onto the board, a back handspring onto
the horse and a flip off. To increase the name to an Amanar Vault you need to flip off the horse and do
a 2.5 twist layout backflip!
Arabian – The Arabian is a flipping move in which the gymnast starts backwards, jumps and does a half
turn in the air and then completes a front flip. In the double Arabian, the gymnast does a half turn and
then performs two front flips in the air before landing. If the gymnast twists later on in the flip, it is
called a back flip with a half twist instead of an Arabian.
Code of Points – This is a judging system used in gymnastics and it outlines the difficulty values of a skill
and how each skill should be performed. It also states the rules of competition and how scores are
calculated. It is created by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
Touch warm up – Due to the time in-between regular warm-ups and competitions, the gymnast is given
a touch immediately before competing on that specific apparatus. It is usually only 30 seconds but
enough time for the gymnast to get a feel for the equipment and the main reason for this is to ensure
the gymnasts safety.
Links:
www.sagf.co.za
www.fig.co.za
www.myweb-page.co.za
Fun, Competing and Winning at
all cost – The Controversy
Re-printed from the Gymnast SA June 2008 edition by Dina Engelbrecht, Sports Scientist and Performance Enhancer
University of the Witwatersrand
Fun is important …… but winning is more important” at least for the parents!!!
Early participation in sport is widely believed to be a mechanism for character building, physical, social and
psychological development and to encourage sportsmanship. Sport however can also be viewed as an emotional
pressure cooker in which the gymnasts are subjected to a number of undesirable stresses. Where the truth lies, is a
matter of conjecture!!
What we do know is that a gymnastics competition is high drama. The cast is varied and includes the following main
actors: The gymnasts, the coaches and the parents (significant others).
In previous articles (which we will publish again in coming editions) I have spoken about the coach and touched on the
position of the parents. In this article I will reflect on the gymnast and the parent(s), particularly in the competitive
environment.
Gymnasts, usually very young (particularly in female gymnastics) strive to acquire the most basic skills, others,
perhaps a level beyond novice status, are trying to have fun in an environment safe enough to mingle with peers and
at the same time improve their skills. The more advanced gymnasts are working on perfecting their skills and routines
that will allow them to compete at points well beyond their chronological age. Mix this cast of individuals together
and what unfolds is the intense drama of a gymnastics competition.
Gone are the days when it was believed that sports prior to age 12 were physically and mentally too strenuous.
Parental attitudes are more positive towards activity and childhood obesity, youth fitness and creating a safe, crime
free environment for children to participate in all forces that motivate participation in gymnastics. IN 1990, a study by
Ewing and Seefeldt, targeting 11 – 18 year olds indicated factors of significance that were predictive of motives for
sport participation were: having fun, skill improvement, socialisation and fitness benefits. Some of the factors for
participation in gymnastics might have shifted. We are dealing however with an amateur sport, so aspects such as “I
want to make a living from my sport” is removed from the realm of the gymnast. The very same factors of enjoyment
and skill acquisition for a higher degree of difficulty, continually step to the fore, when consulting gymnasts during the
period 2006-2008.
Enjoyment, according to Scanlan and Lewthwaite (1986), is linked to parental satisfaction, with a lack of maternal
pressure and negative reactions to performance and positive parent involvement. Yet what I observe at gymnastics
competitions demonstrates little of this enjoyment. I see desperately and gymnasts when they did not win a
competition. The same child, perfectly happy during the previous training session, is now distraught and in tears.
When this is a result of an injury and not meeting own objectives it is understood but when this unhappiness is the
result of parental expectations that are not met I am very worried. I see very dissatisfied parents, criticising judges
and other gymnasts. I too often hear parents instructing their child to go out and beat so and so. It seems that
parental satisfaction is not in the development of their child as a gymnast, but in winning. I too often hear parents
promising gymnasts all kind of material reward if they beat their closest rival and I then question: Who is meeting
whose expectations?
Parents let’s keep motivating our children to reach their goals. Let’s try not to live vicariously through our gymnast
son and daughter. Let’s remain a positive support without placing additional stress on them so that they can truly
enjoy, advance in skill development, socialise and even in competing have fun!!!!
WHAT THE “D&E”
In 2005 the new scoring system in artistic gymnastics was born and confused all the parents in the process. Many feel that
the perfect 10.0 was an integral part of the sport while others worried that the difficulty score is weighed too heavily in the
final score and therefore gymnasts are attempting skills that they may not complete safely. After the change, the difficulty
of the routine and the execution (how well the skills were performed) are combined to create the final score:
The Execution (E) score begins at a 10.0 and the judges deduct for errors in the routine such as a fall or a step on the landing
of a dismount.
The Difficulty (D) score starts at 0.0 and increases with every difficult skill performed. With the new system there is
theoretically no limit to the score a gymnast can achieve. The top performances are receiving scores in the 16s..
You know you’re a gymnast when……
The other kids at Spur never get a chance on the trampoline.
Pavements become imaginary balance beams and railings become instant
parallel bars.
The palms of your hands are tougher than the soles of your feet.
Your wardrobe consists of tracksuits and leotards.
You can beat any boy in your class at arm wrestling.
28 November 2012. Women’s Artistic International participation continued with Lilu Miller (Central Gauteng) and Angela
Maguire (Gauteng North), having competed at the 16th Top Gym Tournament, held at Charleroi Belgium, 24-25 November
2012.
The two South African gymnasts teamed up with 2 Canadian gymnasts in the team competition, namely Shallon Olsen and
Rose-Kalam Woom. This was an excellent pairing for our girls, with the combined Canada/RSA team finishing in 2 place
overall. In addition, the South Africans were able to learn much from the two outstanding Canadian gymnasts, who finished
in 1st and 2nd position respectively in the Individual All-round final.
A performance highlight came from Lilu Miller, who placed 4th in the vault finals, just narrowly missing out on a bronze
medal by a fraction. Lilu and Angela finished in 20th and 21st place in the Individual All-Round Competition respectively.
South Africa’s participation in the Top Gym competition helps greatly with the development of our junior gymnasts. They
are able to gain valuable international experience, which aids in developing and advancing their international career. One
can look at current top SA senior gymnast, Kirsten Beckett, who also started off at the Top Gym Competition as a junior in
in 2010, and is now moving up in the international senior rankings.
SAGF wishes to congratulate Lilu and Angela for achieving silver trophies, and for representing South African gymnastics
well.
SA senior women’s artistic gymnast, Jennifer Khwela from KwaZulu-Natal, is back on the international gymnastics scene,
having competed at the FIG Challenge Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic, 22-24 November 2012.
Jennifer, a 2010 Commonwealth silver medalist, finished in a very successful 4th position in the Vault Apparatus Final,
amongst a competitive field which included the 2011 World Championship Bronze medalist and current Asian Champion,
Phan Thi Ha Thanh of Vietnam.
This was Jennifer’s first international competition after recovering from a knee injury she suffered late 2011, which resulted
in her not being able to qualify to the London Olympics. Having gone through surgery and several months of rehabilitation,
Jennifer’s road to recovery was not an easy one. However, her resilience and strong will to recover has enabled her to
overcome those trying times, with her now back on track and in full swing.
Jennifer’s successful recovery could not have been possible without the support of her coach Julie Adamson Schürmann
and manager Gail Adamson. SAGF is proud of their success and commends the way they have managed Jennifer’s injury
and her speedy road to recovery.
SAGF wishes Jennifer the very best in the new season to come. With this competition having been the last FIG Challenge
Cup on the International Women’s Artistic Calendar for 2012, there is time to prepare and plan for the 2013 season ahead,
which currently looks to be a promising one to come.
Nutrition to promote
recovery
Cara Humphrey (RD) – Cara Humphrey & Associates – B.Sc Diet (Natal), Graduate Dipl Sports Nutrition
(International Olympic Committee) – Morningside Sports Medicine
Daily recovery
Ideas for recover snacks after training
It is important to ensure that meals and snacks
contain the right type of carbohydrate and include
some protein to help meet daily fuel and nutrient
demands. This is important to help promote
recovery between training sessions especially
when gymnasts are training twice a day.
Recovery snacks for female gymnasts:
600-700ml diluted fruit juice (½ fruit juice + ½ water + 1
“light” cereal bar
600-700ml (7-9% carbohydrate) sports drink or cordial +
1 “light” cereal bar
1 “light” cereal bar + piece of fruit
125ml tub of fat free yoghurt + jam sandwich
250-300ml low fat/fat free flavoured milk / drinking
yoghurt
Approx 6 Provita’s + slice grilled chicken or fat reduced
grated cheese
1 Roll or sandwich with any low fat filling including
peanut butter
1 small tub of fruit salad + 175ml tub of fat free yoghurt
Timing of meals and snacks around training
sessions
Easily digestible carbohydrate rich foods should be
consumed before and after training in order to
maximise gains from training efforts. Female
gymnasts should consume approximately 75-100g
of carbohydrate, 1-2 hours before training and
then again within 30 minutes after completing
training. A small amount of protein (4-5g per 50g
carbohydrate) can be included with carbohydrate
rich snack foods and or beverages after training to
help promote net muscle balance and promote
muscle glycogen replacement. Gymnasts should
always choose foods they are familiar with and
tolerate well.
Cereal bar examples – Bokomo cereal bar or
Kellogg’s All bran bar
Sports bar examples – PVM energy bars, noogy
marathon bar, Safari sport max fruit bars
Meal supplements – Home made smoothies made
with fruit, fat free or low fat yoghurt, skim milk
and ice
Nestle’s – Ensure
Nestle’s – Nutren Active
Energy Dynamics - Fusion
Recovery snacks for male gymnasts
600-700ml diluted fruit juice (½ fruit juice + ½ water + 1
sports bar
600-700ml (7-9% carbohydrate) sports drink or cordial +
1 sports bar
175ml tub of low fat yoghurt + cheese and jam sandwich
250-300ml low fat flavoured milk or drinking yoghurt + 1
cereal bar
1 sandwich + slice grilled chicken + piece of fruit
1 roll + peanut butter + 1-2 pieces of fruit
1 bowl of cereal, fruit salad and low fat yoghurt
Carbohydrate rich liquid meal supplement + banana
1 sports bar + piece of fruit