Four young gymnasts attend their weekly gymnastics class with their beloved Coach Wendy. When they meet class visitor, Sammy, they instantly adore him. It doesn't take long for them, however, to see how silly he is! Will Silly Sammy ever learn what these smart children already know about being a good gymnast?
Nadia Comaneci was a feisty and fearless little girl who went from climbing trees in the forests of Romania to swinging into history at the 1976 Olympic Games, where she received an unprecedented seven perfect scores in gymnastics. But as readers will see in this first-ever illustrated picture book about Nadia’s journey to Olympic gold, the road from small-town girl to world-class athlete was full of many imperfect moments. Expert illustrations that capture the energy and fluidity of Nadia's exuberant gymnastic routines and referential back matter round out this inspirational story of determination and overcoming adversity. A perfect 10.
The true story of the 1986 U.S. National Gymnastics champion whose lifelong dream was to compete in the Olympics, until anorexia, injuries, and coaching abuses nearly destroyed her Fanciful dreams of gold medals and Nadia Comaneci led Jennifer Sey to become a gymnast at the age of six. She was a natural at the sport, and her early success propelled her family to sacrifice everything to help her become, by age eleven, one of America’s elite,competing at prestigious events worldwide alongside such future gymnastics’ luminaries as Mary Lou Retton. But as she set her sights higher and higher—the senior national team, the World Championships, the 1988 Olympics—Sey began to change, putting her needs, her health, and her well-being aside in the name of winning. And the adults in her life refused to notice her downward spiral. In Chalked Up Sey reveals the tarnish behind her gold medals. A powerful portrait of intensity and drive, eating disorders and stage parents, abusive coaches and manipulative businessmen, denial and the seduction of success, it is the story of a young girl whose dreams would become eclipsed by the adults around her. As she recounts her experiences, Sey sheds light on the destructiveness of our winning-is-everything culture where underage and underweight girls are celebrated and on the need for balance in children’s lives.
This book answers in detail the many unanswered questions relating to high performance. Written by the world's leading gymnastics coach and his scientific advisor it explains the essential components for planning and preparation for high level results.
Gymnastics offers readers an exciting look into the world of gymnastics. The text introduces readers to gymnastics apparatuses, safety, and top gymnastics events. Alongside detailed infographics and photos, readers will learn about iconic gymnasts and teams. Features include a glossary, additional resources, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Early Encyclopedias is an imprint of Abdo Reference, a division of ABDO.
Combining strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance, and grace, gymnastics has evolved from ancient Greek exercises into a popular modern recreational and competitive sport with participants from two years old to world class athletes. Artistic gymnastics captivates viewers of the Summer Olympics worldwide. Providing an overview of the sport's origins and evolution, this book presents the scientific principles and concepts relevant to gymnastics, the biomechanics and physiology involved, and the elements of sports medicine uniquely associated with gymnasts.
In order to execute amazing tumbling passes and stick the perfect landing, gymnasts need proper training and a lot of practice. They also need to understand the science behind what they’re doing on the mat and in the air. Readers are introduced to the areas of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math—that help gymnasts perform at their best, including the ways engineers have created safer equipment and the ways technology is being used to reduce injury. Eye-catching fact boxes, detailed sidebars, and full-color photographs provide readers with an inside look at the science behind this popular sport.