Olympic Coach, Rita Brown of Brown's Gymnastics had the vision to team up with leading gymnastics experts and colleagues including M.R. Tech Consulting from Miami Florida a reputable world wide e-business technology solutions provider to provide the Gymnastics community with a state of the art e-Learning (LMS) Learning Management System. Ms. Brown, together with M.R Tech Consulting, Radius Media, Ritestone Technology, and Planet Digital designed this e-Learning Solutions Company. The mother company known as USACERT i.e., USA Coaches Certification, Inc. developed the online e-learning platform called GymCert and CheerCert and offers online education and training for companies who wish to offer beginning and basic information and further educational options to their specific industry.
After almost 23 years of research and development, USACERT has created CERT ENTERPRISE and CERT LITE which are state of the art Modularly designed Web Based Training (WBT's) and certification solutions that utilizes the newest Information Technologies such as: Unix-based systems using PHP, Cold Fusion MX, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX, Macromedia Flash MX, Live Person for support, Windows Media Digital Streaming Video, JavaScript, PHP5.0, PostgreSQL, MySQL, StreamingHand and Dynamic HTML. The CERT Enterprise LMS can be used to educate any type of teaching environment that a sporting industry wishes to teach and test.
Advisory Board Chair
Rita Brown, CEO of USACERT and GymCert
Advisory Board
Ray Snyder, S.I.S. Insurance/AASA
Mike Jacki, USAIGC President Former USAG President
Mel Stevens, Security Finanacial
Patti Komara, Pattis All American Gymnastics
Ernie Valliere, Marketing/Financial Services
Shawn Porter, Regal Studio
Chris Korotky, Inside Gymnastics & Inside Cheer
Kelly Donyes, Safety and Education
Paul McAloon, Education, USAG Coach and National Coach
Chelle Stack, Olympian/FIG Judge/Education
Al Fong, Olympic Coach,
George Hery, Trampoline Expert
Paul Ziert, Intl Gymnast Magazine
Vladimir Artemov, 1988 Olympic Champion
Wayne Kerr, National & International Boys Coach
Link Franzini, Central California Gymnastics Institute
Claudia Kretschmer, Gym America Gymnastics USAG Instructor
Kristie Phillips, KPAC, International USA National Team Member
Rik Feeney, Richardson Publishing, & Gymnastic Training Tips, Author
Rita Brown, CEO of USACert
Rita Brown, owner of several Brown's Gymnastics training centers around the US, had the vision to understand that Gymnastics as a sport needed to support its coaches with better training.
GYMCERT was formed in 2001 to provide a basic, standardized web-based training courses at the introductory levels of gymnastics. Each online course, upon successful completion, enables a person to print a "Certificate of Completion."
From this, some of our objectives are:
- To ensure coaches have an awareness in Safety and Proper gymnastics coaching techniques.
- To provide a safer environment for our athletes by listing basic skill progressions.
- To provide a higher quality of instruction for our athletes.
- To help reduce the insurance industry's risk, thus lowering liability insurance rates for gyms that only use certified coaches.
- To provide accountability of gymnastic coaches and gyms.
- To provide a cost savings to coaches and gym club owners.
Mike Jacki
USAIGC President, Former USA Gymnastics President
"It's about time there is a sound Educational Training Program available for the grass roots of Cheerleading. CHEERCERT is the answer and a big 10.00! I look forward to getting the USAIGC working with the Gymcert & Cheercert Programs and the coaching manuals available for our club members..."
Disclaimer
GymCert courses were written and intended to be used as a guide only. The publisher and authors are not engaged in the profession of rendering any form of legal, technical, or medical advice. If for any reason legal, technical or medical advice is necessary, you should seek out qualified professionals. When in question always seek out the advice of your gymnastics mentor(s).
The purpose of GymCert is to help educate and acquaint individuals with basic gymnastics technique, including conditioning, to obtain the basic gymnastics skills. GymCert does not cover the transitions between skills and other routine elements. Specific changes may be made to the USA Gymnastics compulsory elements from time to time and the reader is advised to confirm the specific skills with a qualified gymnastics coach. Every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information on this subject. Readers of GymCert manuals and courses are strongly advised to obtain complete compulsory routine information for the level specified through USAG (USA Gymnastics) as we offer drills and skills only to help in the process of learning the skills.
The authors, USACC, and GYMCERT shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in GymCert courses or manuals. Reading a book does not qualify you to be a qualified gymnastics instructor. It takes much more than reading to become proficient and knowledgeable. Practice, Time and Experience is important and one should partake in a type of Apprenticeship Program to gain needed experience in the gymnastics work place and to practice your spotting skills and techniques. There are many local, state and regional USA Gymnastics Congresses available and GymCert strongly recommends beginner as well as experienced coaches to continue to better their knowledge base by attending as many as possible.
Special Notice
Any activity in life from taking a bath, to playing baseball, even to having fun on the playground all carry varying degrees of risk for potential injury. A fall from the Jungle Gym, being hit with a bat or ball, or a slip and fall getting out of the bathtub may cause serious injury. In gymnastics, there is also the potential for significant injury, especially so when an instructor is not qualified through lack of knowledge or experience.
The instructor must have the ability to:
- adapt gymnastics technique to the size, weight, and fitness level of each gymnast;
- provide adequate supervision for the activity;
- be capable of spotting the skill;
- supply appropriate lesson plans using effective skill progressions;
- keep adequate records; and,
- be able to adequately warn each gymnast of the dangers inherent in each of the skills she attempts,
- while developing in the gymnast a motivated, positive outlook on skill acquisition.
The key to success for the gymnastics instructor is patience, a desire to learn, and mentoring from another more accomplished coach, which can happen in your gym or at seminars and clinics.
The techniques presented in GymCert courses or manuals are based on one "average" (in size, shape, and fitness level) gymnast. While the techniques presented may work adequately for this fictitious gymnast, they may not work as well for the slightly overweight and less physically fit gymnast. You, the instructor, will have to adapt the technique to safely fit the gymnast.
That being the case, the author and publisher of this book must warn you that responsibility for the use and/or adaptation of these ideas, guidelines, and techniques are the sole responsibility of the instructor employing them to teach a skill.
The materials contained in this reference are to be used to provide a base level of knowledge about gymnastics skills, equipment, and safety training. It is strongly advised that you seek advanced / qualified coaches within your program to mentor you and guide you in developing gymnastics technique, spotting skills, and training methods. When in doubt, always check it out with your mentor first.
