Altius Staff Member Profile: Jenna Renner

Coach Jenna Renner got involved in gymnastics when she was four years old and has been coaching at Altius for six years. She’s an Xcel Team Coach. Jenna likes coaching balance beam best and considers Shawn Johnson and Shannon Miller two awesome female gymnasts. In her spare time, Jenna enjoys scrapbooking (and sometimes, other people pay her to scrabook for them) and watching her favorite TV shows: Grey’s Anatomy and Friends. She also enjoys reading the Harry Potter books and listening to Country music. Some of her favorite foods are pizza, sushi, candy (especially yellow M&Ms) and ice cream. The photo you see here is one Jenna created. It hangs over the office door at Altius and includes Jenna’s favorite saying: Carpe Diem (Seize the day). One thing that not that many people know about Jenna is that she has a sleeping disorder which causes her to fall asleep a lot.

Altius Staff Member Profile: Bryttnie Tarczewski

Bryttnie Tarczewski is a KinderGym Coach and Event Instructor at Altius. She has been involved with gymnastics since she was 6 years old and has worked at Altius for a year and a half. Her favorite gymnastics event to participate in is balance beam but she enjoys coaching floor skills the most. Bryttnie thinks Shawn Johnson is the best Olympic Gymnast of all time. In her spare time she could be found watching the movie Bridesmaids or her favorite TV show, Vampire Diaries. She is also proud to say she can sing like Shakira.The foods she likes best are crepes and cheese curds. Funny people, NYC and food make her smile but people who breathe loudly and people who constantly complain tend bring her down. When it comes to interesting facts about Bryttnie, she reveals, “I’m in love with New York City and speaking Spanish.” It makes sense then that her favorite quote is: “Pura vida y cero estrés” (“Pure life and zero stress”).

Altius Staff Member Profile: Kali Anderson

Coach Kali Anderson has been involved with gymnastics most of her life. She started taking classes when she was 6 years old and ended up competing as part of an Altius Compulsory Team from from ages 8 to 14. Heading to college this fall with a plan to become an elementary teacher, Kali is an Altius kindergym and girls coach and is also one of the Xcel Team coaches. She relates that Shawn Johnson is her all-time favorite Olympic gymnast. Kali enjoys teaching balance beam skills the most but the dance skills of floor routines are also an interest since she loves to dance and choreograph dances.

“I love many things involved with singing and performing, like choir, show choir, solo and ensemble and opera,” Kali reports. “As you can imagine, my favorite TV shows are Dancing with the Stars and Smash.” If you offered Kali any food in the world, she’d pick chocolate-covered strawberries! Her pet peeves are people with hoods turned inside out, unsolved math equations and unpointed toes in gymnastics. A sunny day and seeing her family makes her smile. “I love to be around happy people,” Kali adds. She’s still holding onto her childhood dream of one day becoming a professional singer, so it makes sense that Kali’s favorite quote is this one from Walt Disney: “All of our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Altius Staff Member Profile: Ann Kanelos

Coach Ann Kanelos is an Altius kindergym and girls team coach. She has been with Altius over 20 years but she has been involved in sports most of her life and was even interested in coaching early on. Ann starting taking gymnastics classes as a young child. She relates that some of her earliest memories of gymnastics were seeing Olga Korbut compete on television. She was sidelined for a 9-month stretch in grade school when a fall at Girl Scout camp fractured her arm and it took almost a year for it to heal properly. She bounced back to go to the Junior Olympics in synchronized swimming as a middle schooler and compete as a high school gymnast. Ann took a  job as a teen coaching rec department gymnastics and swimming classes. She has always liked balance beam best, when it comes to participating in the sport and also when teaching her students.

In college, Ann used some of her gymnastics skills to compete in diving. These days, Ann is a busy mom who likes to relax by watching episodes of her favorite TV show, “Grey’s Anatomy”. She especially enjoys Italian food and reports that her son and daughter make her smile. She relates that one of her pet peeves is clutter. “Anyone who knows me knows that I like things structured and organized,” Ann says.

Even as a young person, Ann was not afraid to jump through some hoops...she filled out essays and interviewed to land a  job as a ball girl for the Milwaukee Does professional women’s basketball team and was even a  finalist in a competition to become “Bonnie Brewer”.

Gymnastics 101 - By Coach Jill

What happened to the "Perfect 10?"

If you catch gymnastics on TV, you will notice athletes getting scores like 14.65 & 12.7 - what happened to the "Perfect 10?" You can find a long explanation at the USA-Gymnastics website, but here's the short story:

1. The total score is the sum of two parts: a difficulty score and an execution score.

2. Difficulty score is calculated by adding the difficulty value (set by international rules) of the ten most difficult skills in the routine.

3. Execution score is calculated by subtracting points for errors such as bent knees, steps on landings, and falls. Judges start from a 10.0 and subtract for each error.

4. In theory, the new system rewards gymnasts for both risky skills and perfection. However, many critics say it puts too much emphasis on risky skills and doesn't reward beautiful gymnastics.

5. Only Olympic-level athletes use the new system; collegiate and Junior Olympics use the 10.0 system. Hope that helps de-mystify the scoring system!

Altius Staff Member Profile: Jane Schrimpf
Jane Schrimpf, the Team and Meet Director at Altius, didn’t know what a big part of her life gymnastics would be when she took her 3-year-old daughter to her first gymnastics class years ago. Her daughter thrived in her classes, spent years excelling in the sport and is now Coach Jill at Altius. Jane started working at Altius in 1989. “I love gymnastics because it’s a wonderful combination of athleticism and artistry,” Jane says. She served as the Women's Coordinator for the 2003 USA Gymnastics National Championships held in Milwaukee. She is currently the Competition Chairperson for the USAG (USA Gymnastics) Wisconsin State Board.
 
“I was thrilled to  attend the 1991 World Championship, where I first saw my favorite gymnast of all time -- Kim Zmeskal,” Jane shares. “I was also at the 1996 Olympics, where I saw Kerri Strug’s history-making vault in person, and the 2003 World Championships.”
 
Those that know Jane understand that when it comes to participating in a sport, tennis is her top choice. “I play year-round and on two teams in the summer,” she explains. But that’s not the end of her interest in sports. Jane adds, “Most people would be surprised to hear that I can saddle a horse and ride one.”

Gymnastics 101 - By Coach Jill

Moving Up

Here is a valid and common question our coaches hear from time to time: "My daughter/son has been in Level X for X months, how close is she/he to moving up?" Being promoted to the next level is very tangible validation for all the time and tuition spent on gymnastics classes. From a coaching perspective, this is how we evaluate a child for the next level:
1. Is she/he emotionally and mentally ready for the challenge? Does the child listen to directions and cooperate with the students in his/her current class? If not, then the child will probably
struggle with the more complex directions at the next level.
2. What is this gymnast's personal skill strengths? Is she exceptionally good at bars, but a bit afraid on beam? Generally, bar skill and floor skills are considered first when deciding level promotions because they are more complex.
3. Will the gymnast's physical abilities - strength, flexibility, speed, balance, coordination - allow them to be successful at the next level? Relative strength (ability to lift one's own body) becomes more and more important at higher levels. A gymnast lacking relative strength will struggle to learn new skills, especially on bars.
It is extremely important to remember that every child learns at her or his own rate and that the benefits of gymnastics cannot be measured in level promotions alone.

Gymnastics 101 - By Coach Jill

Advanced Body Shapes - Hollow, Arch and Straight
In Kindergym and classes 1 - 4, we spend a good amount of time teaching students the correct terms and technique for different body shapes - tuck, pike, straddle, etc. A child's ability to change shapes in a technically correct manner often determines how quickly he or she can learn new skills. The shapes that are most important in high-level gymnastics are hollow, arch, and straight. Experienced gymnasts can hold these shapes laying down, standing up, hanging, and in a handstand!
Hollow: Shoulders rounded, abs contracted in, and pelvis tucked under; the back should look rounded and the body forms a "scoop." It takes a lot of ab strength to hold a hollow on the ground!
Arch: The opposite of a hollow, also called a “superman/supergirl” or “banana”; requires lower back and shoulder strength.
Straight: With arms overhead, standing in a straight line from fingertips to toes, with no curve in the shoulders or back. I tell kids to make the seam on the side of their leotard as straight as possible.
Advanced skills like back handsprings and giant swings on bars require gymnasts to quickly change between these three shapes!

Altius Staff Member Profile: Annette Proudian

Coach Annette Proudian has been involved in gymnastics most of her life. She started taking classes when she was 6 years old. “My mom wanted me to take dance, but I had other plans,” Annette relates. That early love of the sport and years of training and competing set her up well for a career at Altius Gymnastics. She has worked here for almost 18 years. Annette coaches all levels of progressive gymnastics and is also a key member of the office staff. Annette enjoys coaching beam the best and her favorite gymnast of all time is Olga Korbut.

When she has a little downtime, Annette might be found enjoying a cozy dinner at home and watching her favorite movie, Sleepless in Seattle. She especially likes Chinese or Italian food or meals made with chicken. Annette says her pet peeve is when people mess with things that don’t belong to them. She gets inspiration from Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

Annette loves working with children and has a big family of her own. She is the proud mother of five kids, including Altius Coaches Maygan and Morgan. She is also the youngest of 6 children. Adds Annette, “When I was young, my parents took us camping for a couple weeks during the summer. We went all over the U.S., and even ventured into Canada. Because of this, I have been in 42 states (and some parts of Canada). Imagine traveling all over the country with a station wagon full of kids!”

Altius Staff Member Profile: Missy Juleen

Missy Juleen is a coach for the Altius Training Squad and has also been involved in the Level 5 and 6 Team program. She’s been in gymnastics in some form for almost 22 years. She says she started taking classes at Altius when she was 7. “I was a baton-twirler and my instructor encouraged me to sign up for gymnastics,” Missy shares. She’s coached at Altius for almost 15 years. “When I was a gymnast, beam my was my favorite event to work on, but now I love coaching my students on the bars,” she says.

When Missy was a gymnast, she admired Ukrainian gymnast Lilia Podkopayeva. “I had posters of her everywhere in my room,” Missy reveals. “But I would say Mary Lou Retton is the best gymnast of all time.”

Missy is a busy first-time mom. Her daughter, Aria, will be 1 in a few months. “I can’t wait to put her in a leotard!” Missy says. She adds that when she has some free time, she enjoys reading Nicholas Sparks books and also looking up recipes for new things she can cook for Aria. Another activity Missy likes is trying to grow different crops in her garden. “I absolutely love pickles,” Missy admits, “especially ones made from home-grown cucumbers.”

Missy is fond of getting away on vacation in warm locations, but even when she’s at the gym, she’s never far from family. Her mom, Nancy Swiderski works in the office at Altius and Missy’s sister, Shelly Schwab, coaches Girls Level 3 Team here, as well. With all that Missy has going on, it’s a good thing her motto in life is, “Never give up!”

Gymnastics 101 - By Coach Jill

What's the Point?
A relatively small number of children in gymnastics actually compete, and only a tiny percentage of those progress to the top levels of the sport. So...what's the point of being in recreational gymnastics classes? I think most kids would simply respond that it's FUN. I hope even Olympians would respond that they do gymnastics because it's fun to defy gravity and push the limits of the human body. From a professional point of view, I feel very strongly that not only is gymnastics fun, but it teaches kids the joy of movement and how to use their bodies--benefits that can last a lifetime.

For example, the gymnast learning to ski for the first time is more comfortable than her peers because of time on the balance beam. Rock climbing instructors have reported that they can always pick out the gymnasts because of their great upper-body strength. Kindergym students learning to swim can be more willing to jump into the pool because of their experience jumping into the foam pit. Gymnasts in many cases are able to pick up golf easier than others because they have learned body awareness and mental focus from their gymnastics training. Another benefit that comes from this sport is knowing how to fall safely, which comes in handy in team sports when you’re sliding into home base or being tackled on the football field.

Altius Staff Member Profile: Jill Schrimpf

Coach Jill Schrimpf started gymnastics at age 2-1/2 when Altius Owner Mike Robb was coaching out of Franklin High School and she’s been involved in the sport ever since. Jill started coaching at Altius in 1995 when she was in high school. While attending UW-Madison where she majored in History and Marketing, Jill worked at a local gym. She came back to Altius after graduating from college and a brief stint working for Wells Fargo.

“My favorite events as a gymnast were vault and beam, but by the end of my career I could pick out skills on each event that I really enjoyed practicing and performing,” Jill says. “I currently coach mostly beam and floor. I can't choose a top event--it would be like picking your favorite child. I like them equally for different reasons!”

Over the years, Jill has had an opportunity to see some exciting gymnastics competitions and see some star national gymnasts achieve glory. “I went to the 1991 World Championships in Indianapolis with my family and a friend when I was 10 years old,” Jill reports. “I will always remember seeing Kim Zemeskal win the all-around gold medal with her signature 3 whip back to double back tumbling pass.” This Altius Director also attended the 1994 National Championships in Nashville where Dominique Dawes swept the gold medals on every event and the all-around.

Her most memorable gymnastics competition moment was the 1996 Atlanta Olympics gymnastics team final. Her seats were in the last row of the Georgia Dome. “Kerri Strug's final gold medal winning vault was amazing,” Jill recalls. “The energy in that building was indescribable!”

At home, Coach Jill hangs out with her cat, named Jack Nicholson. She considers herself an avid, but slow, runner, as well as an avid, but inconsistent, golfer. “I also like to water ski, wakeboard, and downhill ski when I get the chance,” she adds. “I have also been skydiving and surfing.” Jill enjoys eating raspberries, Kopp's turtle sundaes and Ricardo's cheeseburger pizza. Her pet peeve is narrowmindedness.

Says Jill, “After hearing that I was a gymnast, many people are surprised to discover that I cannot touch my toes. That’s my 2012 New Year’s Resolution.” At last check, she was still working on that goal...just 3 months to go!

Gymnastics 101 - By Coach Jill

The Relationship Between Gymnastics and Academics

Many activities in gymnastics classes prepare children for early success in the classroom. Listed below are just a few of the relationships between gym activities and behaviors in school.

Activities requiring deep pressure to the joints as in mat and bar work provide joint sensation adequate for correct pencil grip, and the pencil tension needed to form letters properly.

Listening to a coach and processing multi-step directions for gymnastics skills including sequences and complex motor patterns gives children practice in listening to a teachers instructions, following multi-step directions in school assignments and understanding complex math patterns.

Gymnastics students that enjoy warm-up routines with music and keep a steady beat/rhythm with ease are better at understanding the rhythmic nature of reading and speech, leading to strong fluency skills.

Students that learn directional terms at the gym including over, under, next to, and between are better at distinguishing between the letters b/d/p/q and writing with no reversals.

Altius Staff Member Profile: Natalie Lipka

Natalie Lipka is a girls coach at Altius has been involved in gymnastics for 22 years--since she was four years old. She coached at Altius from 2003 to 2009 and then took a break to begin her teaching career. She now teaches 6th grade. “This past winter I realized how much I missed coaching gymnastics so in January 2012, I came back to Altius,” says Natalie. Her favorite part of the sport is working on skills for floor routine and the Olympic gymnast she most admires is Kerri Strug. Natalie is married and has a black lab named Jett. She enjoys watching the movie The Wizard of Oz and any Mexican or Italian foods. Her pet peeve is loud noises. Coach Natalie is strong in lots of ways, especially when it comes to bouncing back from injury. She has dislocated both her right elbow and her left ankle, had surgery on her right hip and also tore a major ligament in her knee by flipping her ATV!

Members of the U.S. Men's and Women's Olympic Teams

Get to know these dynamic athletes and watch them compete for the US at the London Olympics.
 

U.S. Men's Gymnastics Team

Jonathan Horton is a two-time National All-Around Champion and won a silver medal for high bar at the 2008 Olympics. At that time, he was part of the bronze medal Olympic team. As a member of the US Men’s Olympic Gymnastics Team heading to London, he hopes to grab the team gold! At 26 years old, he’s the oldest on the team and brings a real veteran’s perspective to the group. Jonathan has a blast when he’s competing and it’s winning spirit and determination that kept his career from ended abruptly in Oct. of 2011 when he broke two bones and tore a ligament in his foot coming off the vault. He powered back and hopes to do better than ever in London. Go Jonathan! For more on Jonathan, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=jonathan-horton/index.html

When US Men’s Olympic Gymnastics Team member Jake Dalton was younger he had to choose between his two loves: gymnastics and baseball. Lucky for us and the rest of the US, he chose gymnastics! Born in Reno, NV, Jake lives in Norman, OK, and attends the University of Oklahoma and is on the men’s gymnastics team there. This dedicated athlete practices two hours a day six days a week plus works in extra strength training sessions as well. When he wants to relax, he kicks back and watches a good movie. For more about Jake, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=jake-dalton/index.html

Danell Leyva was born in Cuba but came to the United States when he was a year old. Now he calls Miami, FL, his home. Danell is the 2011 US National All-Around Gold Medalist and the 2011 World Champion on parallel bars. He considers making the 2012 US Olympic Team a dream come true. When he’s not practicing, he can be found hanging out with his pet tarantula! For more on Danell, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=danell-leyva/index.html

Sam Mikulak started in gymnastics when he was 2 (both his parents were gymnasts) and as a 19-year-old he was the 2012 US Parallel Bars Silver Medalist and the All-Around Bronze Medalist. He’s from Corona Del Mar, CA, but is attending the University of Michigan. Pommel Horse is the apparatus he likes best. Sam enjoys working on the computer in his spare time and crab legs are his favorite food. For more on Sam, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=sam-mikulak/index.html

John Orozco is the 2012 Visa National Champion. He’s 19 years old and from Bronx, NY, but currently lives and trains in Colorado Springs, CO. When John was 7 he was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. His dad noticed how strong he was and that he could do flips and splits, so he got him into gymnastics. He loves sailing through the air on the high bar. This Olympian enjoys reading the Harry Potter series and was famous even before his recent athletic success: he was an extra in three episodes of the TV show Law & Order! For more on John, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=john-orozco/index.html

U.S. Women's Gymnastics Team

Gabby Douglas, member of the US Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team, is 16 years old and from Virginia Beach, VA. She won the all-around title at the Olympic trials in San Jose, CA, which gave her the lone automatic spot on the Olympic team. Her dad, Timothy Douglas, is in the US Air Force serving in Afghanistan. Gabby was nicknamed "The Flying Squirrel" by Martha Karolyi for the incredible height on her release moves on the bars. For more about Gabby, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=gabrielle-douglas/index.html

Which US Women’s Olympic Team member can stick the Yurchenko two-and-a-half vault in competition? It’s McKayla Maroney! This 16-year-old from Laguna Niguel, CA, gained international acclaim for nailing that very difficult vault. She’s the 2011 Vault World Champion. McKayla was 7th All-Around at the Olympic trials but her exceptional high-degree-of-difficulty vaults convinced the committee to give her a spot on the Olympic team. At home, she likes to relax and hang out with the family’s chocolate lab, Tia Maria. For more on McKayla, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=mckayla-maroney/index.html

Catch Wieber Fever! Jordyn Wieber (who turns 17 today! Happy B-Day, Jordyn) is the 2011 All-Around World Champion and a member of the US Olympic Gymnastics Team competing in London. Nicknamed “Jo”, Jordyn is from DeWitt, MI and has been part of the USA National Team since ’06. She is known for her laser focus. Her coaches say she rarely gets distracted when she’s practicing. She’s a natural athlete and was born to perform. Jordyn hopes to one day meet her favorite singer, Justin Bieber! London Olympics are just 15 days away. For more on Jordyn, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=jordyn-wieber/index.html

Alexandra Raisman from Needham, MA, finished third at the Olympic trials with the highest scores on beam and floor. That performance won her a spot on the US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. Known as “Aly” to those close to her, she is the oldest of the four kids in her family and loves to compete. She also enjoys shopping and hanging with friends. We can’t wait to see this talented 18-year-old her and her teammates go for the gold in London. For more on Alexandra, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=aly-raisman/index.html

Kyla Ross, at 15 years old, is the youngest member of the US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team competing in London. She earned her nickname “Mighty Mouse” by always being strong and full of energy...even as a baby. Her parents say she was climbing on things and holding on before she could even walk. She was plenty mighty when she came in 5th in the all-around at the Olympic trials and placed first on bars. She was born in Honolulu Hawaii but resides in Aliso Viejo, CA. For more about Kyla, go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=kyla-ross/index.html

Altius Staff Member Profile: Bill Wall

Coach Bill is an upper-level team coach at Altius and has worked here for 8 years. Back when man first landed on the moon, Bill became involved in formal gymnastics. “If you were to count my youthful years of climbing from tree to tree in the backyard and flipping into the haystacks in the hay mow you would have to go all the way back to when our president was named Kennedy,” he says. Growing up with 10 brothers and sisters, Bill reports that his favorite food was “whatever was in front of me.” When it comes to the top gymnasts of all time, he rates Vladimir Artemov most artistic and Mitch Gaylord most exciting and innovative.

When he has some free time, Coach Bill favors exciting outdoor activities. “Although I don't get out as much as I used to I still love sailing, windsurfing, whitewater rafting and skiing (downhill and x-country),” he says. “Also, I am now very interested in permaculture and sustainable living which conflicts a bit with other interests so that keeps life interesting!” One of Bill’s favorite books is Nelson Mandela's “A Long Walk to Freedom.” When at the gym working with his students, Bill doesn’t favor any particular apparatus. The best moments, he shares, are the ones when big challenges are finally achieved. That makes sense since Bill’s favorite quote, from Vince Lombardi, is: "If you will not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives."

Altius Staff Member Profile: Maygan Mills

Maygan Mills has worked at Altius for 2-1/2 years as a coach and special event staff member. Gymnastics seems to get into people’s blood and Maygan is no exception. She’s been involved in the sport since she was 4 years old and recently celebrated her 18th birthday. When she was competing, she enjoyed working on the beam the best. “My favorite skill that I can do would be either a flyaway off of bars or a back full on the floor/tramp,” she says. Like so many of us, Maygan has been a fan of following world-class gymnasts. “I loved watching Tasha Schwikert and Courtney Kupets the most,” she says. And she adds that she admires Nadia Comaneci since she looked so elegant as she performed her routines.


Maygan, who graduated from high school when she was 17, is an avid reader, especially of the classics. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee tops her list. She also enjoys many of the Disney animated movies and the TV show she never misses is Criminal Minds. Maygan brings a sweet smile and a helping hand to Altius and if you’re trying to move a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, she can definitely help you out since they’re her all-time favorite thing to eat. Maygan’s motto was actually coined by D. L. Moody - "Let God have your life; He can do more with it than you can."

Altius Staff Member Profile: Brandon Robb

A popular presence at Altius is Brandon Robb, the dynamic head of the boys’ program and coordinator of special events and parties. He’s involved in some accounting for the business as well. He graduated with a degree in Accounting from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in December 2011. 


This big fan of the movie Die Hard says he’s been in gymnastics since he was born and considers the Pommel Horse his favorite event to compete in. He’s officially worked at Altius for 8 years and enjoys coaching Floor the best. Brandon is looking forward to this summer’s Olympic Games and believes Morgan Hamm is a great Olympic athlete. When he’s not at the gym, Brandon could be found eating pizza--his favorite food--watching the TV show How I Met Your Mother or playing what he describes as “way too many video games”. Brandon has a lot of fun with the kids he teaches, but everyone had better work hard because his biggest pet peeve is “lack of effort”.