- A gymnast uses or takes advantage of a prohibited technique.
- A gymnast admits to having used or taken advantage of a prohibited technique or substance.
- A gymnast fails to provide a specimen of urine.
- A gymnast fails to provide a large enough quantity of urine for sample.
- A person assists or incites others, or admits having assisted or inciting others to use prohibited substances or prohibited techniques”.
Where the review of evidence finds that there is a prima facie evidence that a doping offence has been committed the sports council may suspend / terminate any or all sports council funding directly to or via governing bodies for athletes. In such circumstances the sports council will normally suspend funding to the athlete pending the final outcome of a full disciplinary hearing. Payments during this period of suspension will be paid in to a suspension account. In the event of an athlete being found to have committed no doping offence payments will be forwarded in full.
Equal Opportunities
Racial Equality Charter for Sport
The charter is a public pledge, signed by the leaders of sport, committing them to use their influence to create a world of sport in which all people can take part without facing racial discrimination of any kind.
Signatories pledge to:
- challenge and remove racial discrimination in sport
- encourage people from all communities to become involved in sport
- welcome employees and spectators from all communities, and protect all employees and spectators from racial abuse and harassment
- encourage skilled and talented individuals from all communities to become involved in all levels of sports administration, management and coaching
- develop the best possible racial equality policies and practices that are subject to regular review and update
- celebrate cultural diversity in sport
The British gymnastics association is one of the many governing bodies in sport which has signed its name to this pledge.
Coaching Awards and Development
The BGA have introduced a Regulation which states that for a person to coach gymnastics they must first achieve a coaching award to a certain level dependent upon what level of gymnastics they wish to coach. The coaching awards are listed below:
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Assistant Coach (AC) – Foundation coaching
This is the first level of award and only qualifies the coach to teach under the supervision of a more highly qualified coach.
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Club Coach (CC) – Participation / Development coaching
This level of coach is capable of assuming charge of a club. British gymnastics requires a coach holding this level of award in each of its registered clubs for each discipline practiced. These coaches
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Senior club coach (SCC) – Performance level Coaching
These coaches are working at higher levels in the sport and are generally involved in higher level training usually in the main competitive disciplines.
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High Performance Coach (HPC) – National Level Coaching
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International Performance Coach (IPC) – International Coaching
This procedure was put in place by the BGA in an attempt to improve the level of coaching in the UK and therefore raising the standard of gymnastics on a whole.
Performance Portfolio – Performance Pyramid
The performance pyramid contains all the levels through which you must progress to reach the top of the pyramid and sporting excellence. Following bellow is the performance pyramid in relation to the sport of gymnastics. My current position on the pyramid would be at world class start level. I have already progressed through the mass participation stage, local clubs and the talent development programme. At the moment I’m competing at World class start level for the junior Great Britain team. As I progress higher up the pyramid the level of competition gets harder and more elitist.
My Progression up the Performance Pyramid
At the level of Mass Participation I was playing gymnastics just on grass with my friends, this is were my interest for the sport began. To progress beyond this level I had to get involved with my school’s extra curricular club. To do this I would need a higher level of commitment to the sport as I would have to attend the club regularly, this takes the spontaneity out of the game making it more organised. This would take me to the second level of the performance pyramid which is schools.
Performance Pyramid Cont’
To progress further I would have to join a local amateur club in my area and start attending their training sessions and competitions. As I progress
further up the pyramid I will need to keep a growing interest and passion in the sport as well as commitment to continue attending each week.
To progress to the next level I would need to be improving my skills through training constantly. This is the first time it is my skills and Performance which are needed to make the movement to the next level and not me. I will have to be seen by local development officers and begin to win competitions to move on up the performance pyramid.
Once I have been recognised for my abilities and accepted on to the Talent Development Programme I will have to begin attending the TDP training camps as well as my regular training to ensure that I continue to improve my skills. This will be happening between the ages of 11 and 16. For this I can begin to receive financial funding.
To progress on to the World Class start level I would have to be competing greater difficulty elements and winning larger scale competitions such as the British tournament, as it is these sorts of titles which gain attention from regional coaches. From here I will have to continue to compete well, gain more and more titles and continue to improve. This will be around ages 12 to 18. For this I can begin to receive greater financial funding and a place on a junior international team.
At this point I would have to be seriously considering my options as once I am accepted in to the world class potential I will need to have a much larger amount of commitment to attend training of up to 23 hours a week. I will need to improve my skills further and be competing elements of increased difficulty to gain a place on a senior international team. At this level financial funding is quite substantial and the sport can be considered a career.
Professional gymnastics is the right choice of career; I have committed to succeed at this level. To progress to the next level of the pyramid I will need to be training at a constantly exceptional standard to be selected for the world class performance Level. I would need to win a tournament and then be selected from a group of the elite finalists to represent my country in a senior world championships event. This would require all of my time and so an enormous commitment is needed.
To reach the final level of sporting excellence I must have gained world wide recognition for my performances and have performed and won on the world scene e.g. a world championships. I must be the most skilled and committed to become part of the elite group of athletes.
To progress to up the pyramid I would need to be continually training and improving. Most of all I will need to have enjoyment in the sport.
Performance Portfolio – Acquisition of Skill
A Straddle up to handstand in gymnastics
A straddle up has several sub routines which make up the whole sequence of the straddle up, these sub-routines are important as they are what makes the skill perfect. If one sub routine is altered or affected by something this will affect the performance of the whole skill. There is little margin for error in this skill because it can be quite dangerous and a mistake could result in injury, a wrong technique can often put a gymnast in danger. I will now describe the main coaching points of a straddle up on blocks and the necessary practices to improve to improve that skill.
Classification of the Skill
There are many continuums that this skill can be classified on, I will classify it on the open and closed skill continuum.
Straddle up is here
Open ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Closed
I would place this skill here on the continuum because a straddle up on blocks is only ever done in training, therefore there is very little pressure on the performer, no audience watching. A failed attempt would not give a negative result. I would also label this skill as discrete because it has a definite beginning and end. The beginning is mounting the blocks and the end is lowering back down from the handstand in to straddle. The skill can also be classed as self paced because there are no outside stimulus affecting the performance.
The Main Coaching Points of a Straddle Up On Blocks in Gymnastics
- A strong grip with the fingers wide and index and middle fingers at the front provides a better base to balance from
- Arms approximately shoulder width apart to provide a stable foundation to balance on
- Extension of arms to give a strong body shape, this makes holding the position easier.
- Extension of legs and plantar flexion to make the skill aesthetically pleasing.
- Move the legs wide when passing up to the handstand as this shortens the angle you have to hold making it easier to hold.
- Shoulders pressed and looking at fingers, this makes it easier to feel were the distribution of weight is and adjust to the best position
- A slow, steady movement make it easier to control the skill and reduces the chance of falling.
Acquisition of skill
To practice this skill I would use one practice and then gradually increase its level of difficulty, this is called progression. I would be aiming these exercises at a novice who had already been taught and mastered the basic skills of general gymnastics.
Sub routine Practice 1:
Set out as follows
1) Sit the performer on the floor in a straddle position, legs slightly under 90° and hands about level with the knees. Then the performer lifts the legs approx 10 cm above the floor and holds for 10 seconds. Once the performer can hold the position easily for 10 seconds increase the time gradually by 10 seconds a go until the gymnast can hold the position for a minute. Now increase the difficulty by adding ankle weights, gradually build up the difficulty and time held for as before. This practice will increase the strength of the performer making it easier for them to complete the skill as a whole.
Sub Routine Practice Two;
2) The next progression for this skill would be to elephant lift against a wall. This is when the gymnast stands with their legs very wide facing a wall, bends down and levers themselves up to handstand using the wall as support. This increases the strength of the performer and builds up their experience of a straddle up (as this is a very similar exercise it is a good skill for comparison). I would do this with additional support from the coach to begin with but as the performer becomes stronger with less and less support to increase the difficulty. Once this exercise can be done easily without assistance the difficulty can be increased again by adding ankle weights.
Acquisition of Skill Cont’
Sub Routine Practice Three:
3) I would now have the performer attempt a straddle up on the blocks, firstly with support to build the gymnasts confidence and then gradually increase the difficulty by providing less and less support until this skill is done independently.
