Hi GymBeat Family,
Welcome to our September newsletter! This month, as fall is in full swing, our main focus is connecting what our athletes learn here at Gymnastics beat, to the real world. Remember, most people don't become professional gymnasts, so we're not just here to help you improve as an athlete, but also improve as a person. As you read though this month's newsletter, think about connecting the dots to real life experiences.
Coach of the Month
Jill Nolen
Jill started with us almost 10 years ago and has proven to be one of our most popular tumbling coaches at our gym. All of her classes are full with a waiting list of kids of all ages! She was even recruited from the Kingsburg Dance Co to help improve the dancer’s tumbling skills! So once a week, Jill drives all the way from the foothills to Kingsburg to help her other students! Speaking of foothills, Jill wants everyone to know that she appreciates the kind gestures and outreach of support during the still burning Creek Fire near her area. Her family’s house was spared but she still had to evacuate for 1 week.
After this pandemic is near over, Jill would like to fly to Hawaii for a badly needed vacation (maybe taking her pet calico cat named Ika and her tabby named Fred). Other than her main work with Clovis Unified, Jill’s hobbies include scrapbooking, collecting succulents, driving, visiting family, indulging in Starbucks, Pokiland, and tumbling at GymBeat!
Athletes of the Month
Gabrielle Cummings
Gabrielle or known by her friends as Gabby, has been with our gym since she was 2 years old back in 2013 (at our old location!). She enjoyed all of her classes so much, she decided to join the Xcel gymnastics team almost 3 years ago and is currently on the Gold level. Her favorite event is floor exercise, so naturally, doing a round-off back-handspring back tuck is no problem! Gabby’s in 4th grade and loves math! Ok, what is 1/3 + 2/3 + 2/6 – 4/3? (See answer at bottom of newsletter). Besides loving gymnastics, Gabby is also into skateboarding. (Watch out Lizzie Armanto!).
Demi Gonzales
Demi is 9 years old and is currently in 4th grade. She started with us 5 years ago when she was 4 and has loved gymnastics ever since. Her favorite role model is Olympic great Simone Biles. Demi is so awe-struck by Simone’s powerful high-level skills and release-moves, she likens it to actual flying! Demi is currently on the Xcel gymnastics team (Gold level) and her favorite piece of equipment is the bars, while her favorite skill is back handspring-back layout. With enough time outside of the gym to enjoy swimming, Demi also loves art and plays a lot with her pet dog named Penny. That’s the picture of a perfectly balanced life!
Sam's Corner
First and foremost, I wish to say thank you to my wife Diana of 25 years of marriage this month of September! The journey has only begun! Thank you for always supporting me, our family, and our dreams! How about another 25? Second, my birthday greetings to my neighbor and friend Harry, who I’ve known for 25 years living in our Liddell neighborhood! Happy 101st birthday Harry! I fully appreciate your energy and wit! When this pandemic is finally over, I will be more than glad to visit you often! Third, without hesitation, is to keep our mental and physical health sharp and ever-expanding! For the past 6 months, when our gym first closed down, none of us were prepared for what was to come.
We thought we could open, then we closed down again, we opened, then we closed down for two weeks due to the fires. Now that we have opened again outdoors and indoors (approved by State and Fresno county) since late September, we’re seeing many of our students return with so much anxiety of being cooped up at home, they very much appreciate and love running, stretching, jumping, tumbling, climbing, rolling and best of all….trying to get back to normal! We all do! So, what I have been tooting the past few months while in this lockdown, is keep up the physical exercise, maintain good eating habits, drink plenty of water, meditate, read books, or self-improvement literature to keep your mind growing and most of all-appreciate what we have! Our gym is still here thanks to all of you who support youth activities, competition, and especially our wonderful staff and excellent coaches! Please remember to continue following safety protocol, wearing masks, sanitizing, washing hands, etc…
Recipe of the Month
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Recipe by Cookie and Kate
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 -3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, plus more for sprinkling on top
Optional: 2 teaspoons turbinado (raw) sugar for a sweet crunch
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (165 degrees Celsius). If necessary, grease all 12 cups of your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup or honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs, and beat well. Add the pumpkin purée, milk, pumpkin spice blend, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
Add the flour and oats to the bowl and mix with a large spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). If you’d like to add any additional mix-ins, like nuts, chocolate or dried fruit, fold them in now.
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with about a tablespoon of oats, followed by a light sprinkle of raw sugar and/or pumpkin spice blend if you’d like. Bake muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. These muffins are delicate until they cool down. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan.
These muffins taste even better after they have rested for a couple of hours! They’ll keep at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They keep well in the freezer in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months (just defrost individual muffins as needed).
That's it for this month's newsletter. We hope that you were able to use this to reflect on the skills you've developed at GymBeat and adapt it to your everyday life. So, our question for you is what is one skill that you've adapted at GymBeat that you notice you use most in your everyday life? Let us know!
Signing off for now!
-The Gymnastics Beat Team
P.s. The answer to the math equation is 0