Blogs to be posted here
Coach Nick's Blog
Why Gymnastics?
Gymnastics is different than any other activity and it offers unique benefits and learning opportunities that no other sport can offer! To make it simple, we have listed four fantastic reasons to participate in gymnastics with the National Artistic Sports Academy: Fun, Friends, Fitness, and Future It’s Fun! In gymnastics, kids are allowed the freedom […]
Why Compete?
“Should I Encourage My Athlete To Compete In Gymnastics?” An Article from Coach Nick’s Blog, Nicholas.Minney.Net As a former elite gymnast, national level judge, and now USA Gymnastics club owner, I may perhaps be the MOST biased source out there on gymnastics—I think it’s the best sport ever! I have reason for my love for competitive gymnastics, […]
Triangle of Success
In coaching I am always trying to find new ways to teach my athletes lessons that go way beyond a cartwheel and really end up applying to their entire life. For example, I tell my athletes all the time that in order to do a skill successfully, they must possess three main things. First is […]
Trevor Harder Biography
Trevor Harder, age 14, is a Central Virginia native that dreams of competing on the international stage. Harder joined gymnastics at NASA in December of 2013 and fell in love with the trampoline apparatus. Over the course of the next few years, he was able to rack up state, regional, and national championships titles from […]
Starting Small
Starting Small At twelve years old, I started competition gymnastics later than most. I remember being so frustrated seeing kids younger than me more “talented” than me doing amazing skills with multiple flips and twists. Some of those guys started competing at five or six years old! Honestly, there were times where I wished I […]
Positive Progressions
Everyone knows that babies are supposed to learn to crawl before they walk, and to walk before they run. But not everyone realizes when they begin in athletics that they have to go through that same process. They aren’t starting as elite level athletes—they are starting as babies, and they first need to learn how […]
Mental Blocks, Parts 1 & 2
Beat the Block: Overcoming Mental Blocks Part 1, The Plan Mental blocks are a part of every athlete’s career—sometimes they last a day, sometimes they seem to last forever. While these blocks can be frustrating, they also present the perfect opportunity for the athlete to grow into a better gymnast, competitor, and human being! So […]
Life Conditioning
In athletics, coaches use conditioning to help their athlete’s achieve their goals. As I have stated before, my athletes can be the smartest, most confident kids in the world, but unless they have the necessary strength to perform the task before them, then they will fall. And in gymnastics, conditioning is hard. We go way […]
Falling Vs Failing
“Nick, what are you more afraid of: falling, or failing? Because the two are very different things.” If my athlete falls, then did he fail? Some coaches would say yes. It is obvious to them. You failed to do the skill properly. You failed to do exactly as you were told. You failed to exercise […]
Cartwheels and God
I find it so funny when my students tell me I am wrong. Now, I am the first to admit that no one is perfect and I may in fact be wrong sometimes—though I like though think that is rarely the case. But nonetheless, my six-year-old beginning level gymnasts do not know better than I […]
