The Season for Giving

It's been said that winter is the season for giving. I thought that I could take this time to call your attention to a few good causes that you can donate your time, money or even kind words to this Holiday Season.

(Property of Larry Nassar) 

After being blessed with his own autistic daughter, Caroline, National Team doctor Larry Nassar started the "Gymnastics Doctor Autism Foundation". Their admirable mantra: "Autism is not a problem to be solved but a potential to be realized," has encouraged many in the gymnastics community, including World Champion Team Coach John Geddert to support the cause. This year Geddert's Twistars and numerous college teams are hosting invitationals for the cause which also accepts donations.

With a mission to "offset the costs of gymnastics training by offering funding to funding to underprivileged children," Flip 4 It has earned the support of gymnastics stars like Dominique Dawes. You can help a gymnast like 11 year old Deja Chambliss who describes gymnastics as "the greatest sport anyone can ever do," and sees herself on the 2016 Olympic Podium.

Likely the most well known sports non-profit is the Special Olympics. The primary goal of the Special Olympics is to "provide year-round sports training and athletic competition ... for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.  Their website encourages visitors to "get involved" in their local Special Olympic events. In my experience, just giving an afternoon can significantly influence a child's life.

There are a number of charities both related and unrelated to gymnastics. From the Children's Miracle Network fundraiser held every year by USAG to the Pink Invitational held each year, there are plenty of ways to support positive movements while strengthening the wonderful sport of gymnastics. Whether it be in or out of the sport, I truly encourage you to reach out this holiday season.

10 Things your Favorite Gymnasts (may) be doing this Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

 

If you're not from The USA, this is the day when we celebrate killing hundreds of indigenous people... Okay, not really, but that's how it originated. We typically just eat a ton of turkey, get together with family and give thanks for the things that we have.

Here are 10 things that I think some of our favorite gymnasts may be doing this Thanksgiving: 

10. Miss Val & Rhonda Faehn give thanks for the fact that they won't even have to recruit soon; gymnasts will just come running to their teams.

9. Nastia Liukin makes a "handprint turkey" with no paint; she uses the blood from her newly formed rips.

8. Chris Burdette and Kim Zmeskal Burdette spend their day feeding an entire school of 150 displaced children. How nice! Oh wait, that's just their elite group.

(Property of Karolyi Camp Website) 

7. National Team Doctor Larry Nassar gives thanks that he won't have to set any broken bones until the next Training Camp in Early 2012.

6. Chellsie Memmel cheats her meal plan (as she stated on HBO) and eats Turkey and Fruit. 

5. Jordyn Wieber gives thanks for her spot on the 2012 Olympic Team. 

4. When Anna Liukin asks Valeri to pass the Mashed Potatoes, he becomes oddly overly protective of them and exclaims, "THESE ARE MY POTATOES, I MAKE WORLD CHAMPION POTATOES, DO NOT TAKE MY POTATOES LIKE BITCH TATIANA SCHEGOLKOVA!" 

3. Bela Karolyi attempts to "fit in with the American Traditions" and serves a thanksgiving dinner to Marta & Andrea. Bela says he never knew that stuffing paired so well with roasted camel. 

2. Jen Sey gives a press conference on how Elite Gymnastics caused Indian Turmoil, and how if the Parkettes Coaches weren't so mean, the pilgrims wouldn't have had to move to North America. 

1. Mustafina, Yao,  Komova, Iordache, Qiushang, Afanasyeva, Mitchell, Whelan, Ferrari & Grishina train, while the Americans eat turkey and stuffing!  

Of course these are jokes, thus the "(may)" disclaimer in the title. Don't take anything to heart. It's all good Thanksgiving fun.