Stoica was elected FIG Men’s
Technical Committee President in
2000, defeating incumbent Hardy
Fink of Canada by two votes.
gymnasts assume at times too
much technical risk, losing at the
same time precious points for not
perfectly mastered skills. If we add
to that a judge’s over-reaction, the
result is unfortunately predictable.
You are the president of both the FIG-MTC and the Romanian
Federation. How do you remain neutral at world and Olympic
competitions? My FIG positions during the years helped me become
more objective also in my position as Romanian Federation President.
Without impartiality, integrity and professionalism, you can be neither a
good coach, judge, national federation president, nor a trustworthy person in an organization such as the FIG.
Furthermore, I believe in the honesty and expert skills of the
Technical Committee members responsible for guiding the competitions, in the judges’ knowledge and self-respect, and in mutual respect
among people involved in gymnastics around the world.
Do you miss just being a judge? A simple and direct question, but
not so easy to answer. In fact, during competitions I am acting also as a
judge, but indeed without immediate or direct impact on gymnasts’
scores. However, after the competitions I am also judging … the judges,
an activity based on the same gymnastics judging knowledge and abilities. So, in a way, I consider I am still a judge.
Are there any changes scheduled for the men’s Code? The MTC’s
aim is to keep the Code unchanged as much as possible until after the
2012 Olympics. After the Olympics, minor changes will eventually be
introduced in order to keep up to date with the realities and evolution
of gymnastics. We plan to commence this work at the end of this year.
With your experience, you would
be a logical candidate to succeed Bruno Grandi as FIG president. Does that position interest
you? Becoming president of an
international federation represents
the highest professional and political
dignity a person can hope for in his
career in our line of business. A
decision to run for such a position
must be taken by all candidates only
after a very honest self-evaluation. It
is not just a matter of someone
being interested, but more important is to believe whether one is able
to fulfill all duties and responsibilities
related to the position.
To me it would be the first time when I consider the candidacy for
such a position, even though this opportunity has been presented to me
various times in my FIG career. I believe that … after 12 years [as] president of the MTC, I [will] feel ready for this job. I always felt the passion
and dedication but now I feel I also have the right skills….
Yes, I will candidate for the position of FIG President, and if the
world of gymnastics community will confer me their trust and support, I
will act in my best possible [manner] to preserve what gymnastics
achieved in its history and to further develop it, together with all FIG
specific bodies as well as athletes, coaches, national federations, and
continental unions, in a way that will guarantee to keep gymnastics
among the elite world and Olympic sports.
“Of course, I
would like to see
10.0 points for
execution, but
I’m afraid the
present Code
paradigm does
not allow for
this dream.”
Edited by Dwight Normile
the
Readiness to perform is perhaps the single most important consid- eration for success in any endeavor, and gymnastics is no excep- tion. Time and effort must be expended to ensure the prospective
performer is adequately prepared to participate in the gymnastics activity
from the outset. Otherwise, the training experience will become inherently
problematic, resulting in slow, ineffective learning with limited potential
for advancement. In fact, ineffective learning environments, failures, and
injuries can almost always be traced back to a lack of performer readiness relative to the task at hand. Readiness to perform the given task
should be continuously verified as part of ongoing training throughout
the life cycle of the gymnast.
In the beginning stages, the bulk of a participant’s experience should
center on gross body movements typically observed in calisthenic exercises—general gymnastics activities including dance, rhythms, and
expressive movement. Once the performer can properly control and regulate these gross movements consistently, the training program should
expand to incorporate gymnastics-specific exercises designed to improve
body shaping, strength, power, and flexibility. In addition, exercise protocols for enhancing sprint speed and
muscular and cardiovascular
endurance should continue throughout the life cycle of the performer.
Task mastery of essential, core
skills is the single most important
criterion for predicting future success. How many coaches and performers, in blind aspiration for short-lived success, misuse this well-known yet seldom-followed guideline?
Too often, they mistakenly employ task-complexity techniques rather than
task-execution techniques in search of the spectacular. Difficulty levels
are prematurely advanced at the expense of proper execution, natural
mechanical progression, and a well-rounded experience in fundamental
movement patterns and sequences.
The term “mastery” implies far more than mere successful execution.
It involves the ability to perform skills consistently at a level of at least
near-perfection in technique. The gymnast should be able to demonstrate
task mastery of basic skills to the point that the execution of each movement pattern is as natural as “a walk in the park”! However, one must
appreciate that basic skills, which serve as building blocks for more
advanced skills, are actually much harder to master than advanced skills.
If maximum performance potential is to be achieved, the lion’s share of
the gymnast’s entire career must be devoted to basic movement training.
Failure to truly master
the basics will, as
Shakespeare once said,
“return to plague the
inventor.”
Adapted from “Championship Gymnastics” by Gerald S. George, Ph.D. For more
information, visit www.winninggymnastics.com.
What Makes a Good Coach?
THIS could be the subject of a very long book. Good coaches are tech- nically knowledgeable about skills and technique. They are excellent
communicators who know how to teach to the developmental level of
their gymnasts. They love the sport and share this love with their students. They are positive role models who Honor the Sport and teach students to do the same. And on an on.
Here I want to highlight a single defining characteristic of a good
youth coach. If you have this in your child’s coach, I think you can overlook many other deficiencies. What is this critical aspect? The ability to
maintain, and even increase, a child’s love for the sport.
Adapted from “The Double-Goal Coach” by Jim Thompson, founder and executive
director of Positive Coaching Alliance ( www.positivecoach.org).
