I think it might be time for a few 'Tidebits', to borrow the PBA's expression, before I lapse into my summer doldrum. Here are some gymnastics related - and not-so-related - items that have caught my attention since the season's end, followed by a, well, I guess 'philosophical' discussion:

• This is the official 'Hot-stove League' time for gymnastics, with early commitments and rumors of early commitments swirling around. As of this writing, two gymnasts are reported to have made early, verbal commitments to join the GymTide for the 2007 season.
• Bama signee and incoming freshman, Melanie Banville, continues to dominate 'High Performance' or 'elite' gymnastics in Canada, having won gold in the all-around, floor exercise, and vault and having tied for silver in both the uneven bars and balance beam at the recent Canadian National Championships. After competing very well for Team Canada in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Melanie has remained firmly ensconced in her spot at the top of Canadian women's gymnastics.
• Speaking of elite gymnastics, the International Gymnastics Federation, known as the 'FIG', has decided to change the scoring system for top level gymnastics by making the "perfect 10' a thing of the past...well, sort of, kinda. Luckily, for the time being at least, college gymnastics will continue to follow the 'Junior Olympic' rules, which retain the 10.0 standard. Will changing the scoring system for elite gymnastics solve the problems facing the sport, especially concerns about fairness and objectivity in the judging? In a opinion piece found on International Gymnast.com, University of Minnesota assistant gymnastics coach, Russ Fystrom, is not so sure.
• "Why do we glorify natural athletes when hard workers, conscientious practitioners of their craft, are so much more admirable as men? Because in their untutored excellence these fortunate few seem to be touched with the divine, the mysterious gift of the gods-a spirit of play akin to the inexplicable animating force of art. " - Baseball writer John Thorn in a Mr. Baseball.com article concerning Hall of Fame pitcher and free spirit, George Edward "Rube" Waddell.
• Quite naturally, we tend to focus on women's gymnastics here. Recently, however, I saw a remarkable article concerning Mark Williams, the head coach of the 2005 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Champion Oklahoma Sooners. Well, to be more precise, the article is actually about the head football coach at Oklahoma who, despite what you might think from reading the article, did not have as good a year as Coach Williams.
• As some of you may know, I've spent quite a good deal of time looking through pictures taken during this past gymnastics season. In the process, I found several that were especially funny, interesting, poignant, etc. Here are just a few:
  • Ashley and Jeana receive their national champion rings at halftime of a football game (get ready, Terin!).
  • Kaitlin, Mari, and Jessie react to their moms taking over for the YMCA dads during the 1st annual 'Think Pink' meet.
  • Speaking of the 'Think Pink' meet, how about this photo of Shannon Hrozek being interviewed for GymTide radio after Bama's victory over the Auburn PinkTigers?
  • Even though it is technically from 2004, there is one picture that is of special significance to us here at Gymtide.com for the 2005 season. Our desire to make a prominent display of this tremendous picture of Michelle Reeser waiting to warm-up on balance beam was no small part of the inspiration for many of the changes that have taken place on this website over the last few months.
  • The irrepressible, unsinkable, sunny, flexible, really flexible, even-smiles-on-the-balance-beam, photogenic, athletic, imp Mari-Christine Bayer. They broke the mold after they made this one, fans. And, she's a rising senior - what will we do without her (and her classmates) after next season?
  • While it's true that the GymTide came in 2nd in the country, it's also true that they are the reigning champions of Clarke County, Georgia. Here's the picture of their celebration.
  • The powerful, pretty, peerless Ashley Miles, who draws cheers even from the fans of the most bitter rivals - and who can put an entire team on her back and score 10's when only perfection will serve.
  • Give me an 'A'!
  • Ms. Personality, Alexis Brion.
  • Next is a great picture taken at the awards banquet of co-captain and senior Shannon Hrozek and her classmates, Alexis Brion and Michele Reeser, as well as Shannon's co-captain, Ashley Miles. The first photo I highlighted above was of Ashley and Jeana receiving their 2004 individual National Championship rings. Question: How many championship rings do the gymnasts in this picture have?*
  • Finally, two of my very favorite photos from the 2005 season feature the same gymnast, another rising senior, Dana Filetti.
• New York, London, Madrid, Moscow, and (the prohibitive favorite) Paris are currently vying for the chance to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. The winner will be chosen by a vote of the International Olympic Committee (the IOC) on July 7, 2005. Soon thereafter, the IOC will have a simple, majority-rule, up-or-down vote on each of the 28 categories of Olympic sports to decide which to keep. Experts expect the 'gymnastics category', which includes artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, and trampolining, to be retained.
• 2005 NCAA Uneven Bars Champion, Terin Humphrey, discussing what it was like to win the title: "It was awesome," Humphrey said excitedly in a phone interview from college. "It wasn't quite like winning two silver medals, but it was close. I really wanted to do well for the team and the school, and I was very pleased to win the uneven bars." - Terin terrific: Humphrey adds NCAA title to Olympic silver (registration required), by Bill Althaus, The (Blue Springs, Mo.)Examiner

One of the real bonuses for avid college gymnastics fans (especially for Bama fans who are in the Medalist Club - hint, hint!) is that we often get to meet - and even get to know, a little - the families of the gymnasts. You don't have to talk to these fine folks for very long to develop an appreciation for all the time they have spent - and all the sacrifices they have made - to help their daughters reach for their hopes and dreams. However, there is another group of people we rarely get to know much about, whom, if you ask the gymnasts themselves, they will tell you also played a vital role in their gymnastics development, not to mention their development as people.

I'm referring, of course, to the gymnasts' club coaches. In many cases, a gymnast and her coaches have been together for so long that the gymnast can't even remember when they weren't. Not surprisingly, these relationships are often deep, demanding, and complex; made up in equal parts, seemingly, of respect, petulance, love, devotion, and ambition - from both sides. It's just an unhappy coincidence that the competitive season for NCAA gymnastics and that of upper-level club gymnastics overlap, making it difficult for club coaches to attend college meets. And, of course, for a team like Alabama, the gymnasts come to college from every direction and distance.

Every now and then, however, we can get a glimpse at the special rapport the gymnasts have with these dedicated people. A good example occurred during the run-up to the 2004 Olympics when, through the medium of television, Tide fans got a rare inside look at just such a relationship - namely that between Terin Humphrey and her coaches from GAGE, Al and Armine Barutyan Fong.

Recently, in some of my ramblings through the internet looking for gymnastics related items, I ran across a story that also yields some insight into the unique world of gymnasts and their coaches. In this instance, it's an inspirational article about the retirement of Lori Ierullo, one of incoming Tide freshman Melanie Banville's coaches (be sure to scroll down and read the story in the purple box).

Truth be told, if you are around gyms long enough, or if you go about looking for information concerning gymnastics coaches - concerning gymnastics, in general - on the internet, you're going to see and hear a lot of stories, not all of them flattering. Frankly, it is easier than I am happy to admit to come across tales that are, in many ways, rather disappointing. The next time I do, however, I'm going to hearken back to the article about Coach Ierullo.

Now, there's no need to panic, but as I write this article there are much less than two months left before the gymnasts all report back to campus for the beginning of the fall semester. Not long after that will be the first day of 'official practice'. Although I have been sworn to secrecy concerning the details, I can tell you than plots are already being hatched...er, I mean...plans are already underway to commemorate that day. I can't wait!

Roll Tide!!!

* I say it's ten: four team 2003 SEC Championship rings (one for each gymnast), three 2002 National Championship rings (one for each senior), and three individual National Championship rings for Ashley.