dadheartsacro has moved to Wordpress!!!!

Hi All,

Thanks so much for reading my blog.  Over the last week, I have had so much fun posting about all the things I discover as a dad who has a daughter in Acro gymnastics.

The great news is that I will continue to post!!!

The new news is that I have moved my blog over to Wordpress and will no longer use Blogger.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but I have been doing some homework on the better blog tools to use and Wordpress is better when it comes to being searched.  Blogger and a couple others barely crack the top 10.

So please find my blogging away at my new blog Dad like Acro Gymnastics too! at http://dadheartsacro.wordpress.com

All my original posts are still there along with new content!

Sincerely,

dadheartsacro

West Coast Training Center Medals at Spring Round Up

On Saturday, April 6, 2013, West Coast Training Center hosted the Spring Round Up in Livermore, California.  Athletes from around the state came to compete at all levels.  Participation came from Realis, all the way from Moreno Valley, in Riverside, DEG, IGC, ATA, AAG, Gymbeat, and Edge.

There were a lot of strong performances and the skill was amazing from all athletes.  In the end, our West Coast athletes placed in every category competing.  Here are the following medal count details.

 

 

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th
Level 5 Women's Pair 11 Under			111111111111
Level 6 Women's Group 12-14
Level 7 Women's Group 12-14
Level 8 Women's Group 15-16
Level 10 Women's Group 18 Under

The WCTC team's next meet will be on April 20-21 down in San Jose, hosted by ATA.

Daughter and partner take 1st at local competition!

Well, after a day of competition at the West Coast Training Center Spring Round Up, I have to say that I have extra reason to be proud of my little superstar.  Building upon their stronger performance from the competition at Edge a few weeks ago, Ashley-Nicole and Ruby amassed what I think is a strong score of 23.25.  For those keeping track, like me, that is 4.10 points higher than their last score of 19.15.  Way to go PAIR!

As an amateur in scoring, from what I can tell, the pair hit all their skills and more importantly, raised their execution a couple points.  In prior meets, the two would be in the 4-5 range for execution, but on Saturday, they received over 7 points in that category.

Check out their winning performance on my Facebook page.  Below the winning pair pose for some pics as well as with their coaches, Marie Annonson and Aleks Eydelman.

Congratulations PAIR!

Meet the Dad, Meet the Athlete

So who is behind @dadheartsacro?  Below is a pic of me!  Not the best, but something on hand for you to see who is blogging about my daughter and her Acro feats.

And who is that next to me?  Why it's my Acro daughter!

Acro Cookies

There here!  Acro cookies...okay not really, but they are cookies for the West Coast Training Center Spring Round Up tomorrow (4/6)

Thanks to Karen and her Old Towne Danville Bakery for donating 100 cowboy boot cookies!

Look for them tomorrow, but don't expect them to last long!

The Importance of Having a Good Time

I'll be the first to admit that I am competitive.  Who doesn't love winning?  Who doesn't love being associated with a winning team?  Who doesn't love having or belonging to a team that win a lot?  I like to think of the 2010 and 2012 San Francisco Giants...but I digress.

However, when I first brought my daughter to West Coast Training Center, winning was not the first thing on my mind.  I wanted to expose my child to an environment where learning a new skill would teach her among other things, discipline, commitment, self-confidence, teamwork, and pride.

None of those attributes could flourish if my baby girl wasn't having a good time.  Therefore, it was important to me when selecting a gym, that I watched to see how the teachers interacted with the children.  I looked at the team and asked, "are the girls smiling?"  I wanted to make sure that my daughter would in essence be having a good time.

As much as I had delusions of grandeur that my girl could one day be an elite athlete and possibly represent the United States in the Olympic Games of 2020, I needed to suppress my competitive reflexes and focus on how happy she was with tumbling.  When she joined the team for the 2013 competition season, nothing really changed (more to come on that subtle hint).  Every class that she has ever been to; every practice that she has attended; and every meet (2) she has been to; the only question I ever ask her is, "did you have a good time?"

The answer is always a resounding, "yes!"  Even on days where it got a little hard, the answer still comes back positive.  In fact, yesterday during practice, my baby girl was stretched a little too far by Coach Marie.  Watching from the upstairs window, I could see that something was wrong as tears were welling up in her eyes.  My first reaction was to run down and console her and see if she was okay, but I resisted that temptation, I'm more of a tough love dad.  By the end of the practice, she and her partner were in the car and I asked my usual question, "Did you have fun today?"  The answer of course was yes.  What followed were some details about the practice including getting over-stretched.  However, it didn't monopolize her thoughts during practice which I think was key.

Bottom line, my philosophy is that learning occurs best when you are having fun.  Besides, if it's no fun, then it's not really worth doing and pursuing, right?

I'm a little star struck

So I've only started my blog for all of 2 1/2 days now and this afternoon, I actually got a message from Twitter that the Acro Foundation is now following me on Twitter!  Little 'ol me!

In the world of social media, it's a big deal to get followed, especially by prominent figures and organization.  According to Friend or Follow, Justin Bieber has the most followers at 37M+, but only follows ~123k.  That is less than 4 tenths of ONE percent.  Lady Gaga comes in 2nd with almost 36M and follows just over 136k (still not 4 tenths of ONE percent).  By the way, anything socially good, doesn't even crack the top 100.

About the Acro Foundation:  This was the brain child of Kristen Allen who competed under West Coast Training Center.  Kristen to her credit has previously launched the Acrobatic Gymnastics Foundation (aka Kristen Allen Foundation).  To my knowledge one of the main reasons for starting all of these organizations was to promote Acro around the world.

Thanks Acro Foundation!

A Big Shout Out to the Old Towne Danville Bakery!

I just wanted to give a huge shout out the the Old Towne Danville Bakery and thank you Karen for the generous donation for our meet this Saturday!

Karen is the proprietor of this wonderful bakery.  She makes everything from cookies to cakes and you can see samples as well as the plethora of delectables she can make on her website.  She also has a Facebook page which I encourage you to LIKE.  Fans may get treated to specials only available through Facebook.

Of course there is a story behind all of this...

I met Karen at a special Bishop Ranch event for Valentine's day and happened to sample and buy some of her awesome coconut macaroons.  She informed me that she was at the San Ramon Farmer's Market on Thursdays and after visiting her several times, I just find that she is as genuine and kind as you can get. 

Then I find out that she owns the Old Towne Danville Bakery on Hartz Ave in Danville!  Of course I have to go visit!  One weekend she made me a fabulous chocolate raspberry cake for a get together I was going to.  Needless to say, it was a hit!

AND, how can I forget those lemon white chocolate chip cookies with a hint of coconut?!?!?!

In talking with Karen about sponsorships, she asked mer where West Coast Training Center is located.  After mentioning Livermore, that's how I found out that she is a long time resident of Livermore and the city has a special place in her heart.

Thanks again Karen!!!!!

Spring Round Up

Come watch Acro athletes compete at the West Coast Training Center Spring Round Up 

in Livermore, CA 

on Saturday, April 5th.  

Doors open at 8am!  

Athletes from around Region 1 will compete for placement on the road to Nationals in Louisville, KY.

Git ur bun dun!

This post is definitely for all the dads out there who take their girl(s) to Acro. I certainly didn't know how to do a bun let alone know the secrets for doing one that stays. So watch this short clip on bun making by our coach Aleks Eydelman of West Coast Training Center.

Watch Bun Video

I think the big keys are to use multiple hair ties and if you have wispy hair to deal with, buy a net.

Happy Bun Making!!!!

Things to know before joining team

I think every parent has those proud moments and the thoughts of excitement when their child is about to tryout for team (any team). Even more exciting is when they make the team. I don't think it's any different with Acro. However, word to the wise, I've come up with some things to think about before you make that leap. Below I've compiled a list that may not be comprehensive, but it's certainly the things I considered before I let my daughter join the team.

1. Talk with your child and make sure they like it
2. Find out what it's going to cost (all the costs)
3. Determine how long the season is going to be
4. How many practices will your child have to attend per week?
5. Do you have a reliable way to get your child to practice?
6. Understand and internalize the amount of commitment that it is going to take

So let me elaborate on some of these. First of all, make sure your child is really into it. The last thing you need is to throw a ton of money at something that he or she will not even enjoy. This is also a reminder not to live vicariously through your kid.
Determine what all the costs are. This sport can be expensive. You need tuition money to pay for the gym. You need to buy practice leotards (from here on out referred to as "leos"). You will need hair ties...LOTS OF HAIR TIES!!!!!!! All hair needs to be in a bun for practice and competition. You will need some warm clothes for the winter. Depending on what gym you subscribe to, it can get cold in the winter and being in just a leo generally doesn't suffice. You will need to consider the cost for entry fees to the meets. Typically, you also pay a portion of the coaches time and travel to meets. Travel expenses...not all meets are local. Competition leos cost money too. Whether your child is in a pair or trio, the group will have between 1 and 3 leos depending on level. Also as your child progresses, you might find yourself needing to pay for some private sessions with coaches (aka privates). This helps your child get over the hump on certain skills or gives them the special 1 on 1 attention to internalize a skill and make progress by leaps and bounds.
Ensure that you have a way to get your child to practice. This can be tough when you work and not everyone has really flexible work schedules. Get to know the other parents on the team first. Ask them questions. Many are open to talking about Acro and what it is like. If you end up joining the team, figure out if there are any families that live near you and see if a mutual transportation arrangement can be worked out.
Understand the commitment it will take. The Acro season doesn't start until about February and goes to about the end of July. However, right after July, coaches are starting to see who will be returning and begin determining who they will have to pair or group. This will take you into September and October and then you have to start figuring out routine(s) which the the pair/group will do for the upcoming season. You have to be ready to sacrifice some of the time you might usually take to go on vacations or weekends away. Furthermore, you have to be flexible enough to work with other families since in a pair or group, when one athlete is away, the rest have more difficulty in practicing the routine. Going to meets is a commitment as well. As a parent, you'll want to see your child perform, but you also become invested in the pair/group and quickly enough you will become invested in the whole team.
Lastly, going in with an open mind is the best advice. As a first year parent, especially a dad in a predominantly female sport (at least around here), if you soak in what's available, your eyes will be opened to a world of artistry, creativity, and beauty.

Hello Gymnastics World!

Just over a year ago, I introduced my 2nd daughter to the world of gymnastics. I wanted to give her the same opportunities that I had given my older daughter. So I researched in my area the local gyms. I found the traditional gyms (think Gabby Douglas) and they seemed to fit the bill. However, I happened to stumble upon a small gym in Livermore, CA called West Coast Training Center, WCTC. At first, it seemed like it was your average gym offering tumbling classes, because after all, my little one was 4 years old and that's what you need to even get started. What drew me in was the willingness of the owner, Marie Annonson, to describe her program and her focus on the kids. So my 4 year old started tumbling classes once a week on a Saturday and life was good. Forward a few months to the beginning of summer and I started to realize something was different about this gym. It should have dawned upon me something was different when I didn't see any uneven bars, balance beam, or pommels. There was essentially just a floor which I had regularly seen people do tumbling passes on. One day, we just happened to be at the gym and practice was starting after my daughter's class. I stayed a few moments and began to see these girls do amazing things with each other. No one was using equipment to do their skills, they were using each other! What was more amazing was the power, flexibility, and grace these girls possessed to be able to accomplish their skills. This is when I began to learn about acro-gymnastics. You're like, "What?" Acro as it's called by USAG or USA Gymnastics, is one of several variations of gymnastics with the most notable being Artistic (think Gabby Douglas again). Acro does combine gymnastic elements of tumbling, strength, flexibility, balance, and stamina just like Artistic does. However, in this sport, you as an athlete must rely on 1 or more other athletes to complete your skills during competition. Check out this video of Michael Rodrigues and Kristen Allen who are products of West Coast Training Center. So why am I blogging about this? Well, towards the end of the competition year, my daughter had completed several months of tumbling and the team was conducting tryouts. I asked my daughter if she was interested in trying out for team (after trying to explain to a 4-yr old what that means) and checking with Coach Marie to see if she could. Many people seemed to think my little one had potential and I thought it was a great atmosphere to be a part of. From what I had seen, the team was a close knit, well-mannered, mentally mature set of people that a parent would want for their kid. As a team, we are now well into the 2013 competition season and I now feel compelled to share my story as a dad nurturing and guiding his daughter through this sport. My hope is that I will educate dads about what it's like to support daughters through life events. I also hope to expose more people to the world of Acro and the journey that I take as a parent as well as share many light-hearted moments that bring a smile to my face. In future posts, I look to cover topics and experience such as...

• - Leotards and bling
• - Butt glue (what?!)
• - Hair and makeup (yes I do it!)
• - Choreography
• - Travel
• - Parent's Club
• - and many more!