From November 7-11, 2019, the USA Gymnastics Rhythmic Program held the inaugural National Team High Performance Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. This unique camp was ten years in the making as the rhythmic program developed an incredible sport performance team of athletic trainers, physical therapists, doctors, sports psychologists, and dance teachers over the last decade. These specialists have been dedicated to studying rhythmic gymnastics and finding ways to help the athletes stay healthy and reach their highest potential.
This camp carved out three days to provide a hands-on learning environment to support both gymnasts and coaches in understanding how to create an effective high-performance training model with physical and mental health and wellness and the top priority.
This camp devoted time to a variety of aspects of elite sport performance with our knowledgeable staff working on movement testing, strengthening exercises, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), utilizing dance as conditioning, physical recovery, mental skill sets, and the broader aspects of health including nutrition, hydration, and sleep. A main goal of the camp was to learn how to take care of oneself/one’s athletes and strengthen themselves deliberately!
Camp staff included Beth Darling, Jenna Tegtmeyer, Gloria Balague, Cynthia LaBella, Christina Brown, Tracy Halloran, Janet Parcel-Mitchell, Lynn Hibbard, and Galina Burns. Click here for bios. This talented and dedicated group of staff collaborated sharing experiences and expertise to discuss, analyze, and refine their material for coaches and gymnasts to offer the most useful, needed, informed content to our coaches and athletes.
Gymnasts and coaches also enjoyed an excursion that included team building activities a ropes course, and s’mores! This time well-spent reminded everyone that it is a great support to know others around you are working on the same things, sharing similar experiences, and loving the process of improving. The more athletes can support and encourage each other, the more inspiration and positive energy exists to raise our country higher!
The rhythmic program looks forward further developing the High Performance and Wellness Camp in the years to come.