Know a Coach - Marvin Sharp

Marvin Sharp

This one has been a challenge. There is a significant dearth of information available about Sharp outside of his basic coaching background. As in, personal information is scarce. Even still, I won't be deterred, because I have a few hours to kill and I'm lame. Off we go.

According to Marvin Sharp's bio on SharpsGym.com, the coach of current National Champion Bridget Sloan was born in Newport, Oregon "a long time ago..." Search as I have, I was unable to find Sharp's exact birthday, so if anyone can find this for me and provide a source, I'll let them pick the next coach for this feature. I did find out that he graduated from college in 1989, so he's roughly 42. We'll say "early to mid forties."

Despite his questionable age (vampire? immortal?), Sharp began coaching in Oregon in the late eighties at the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics. In 1988, he was put in the position of Junior Elite Head Coach. From there, he gym-hopped for a few years, finally settling in Indiana in 1994 as the head coach at the Indy School of Gymnastics.

For seven years, he remained head coach and at times, gym manager, of the successful program. But when the program began to crumble and it became clear that an earlier agreement that he would eventually take over ownership of the gym would not come to fruition, Sharp packed up and opened Sharp's Gymnastics Academy in 2001. He didn't leave empty handed, however; five coaches and over fifty team members followed him, and the dream was born.

[click here and scroll down for pictures of Sharp's under construction]

Sharp's vision for his new gymnastics school was one of a place that would promote fun, safety and health in all situations. He wanted a facility in which top level athletes could train, but the littlest gymnasts could thrive in a warm environment, too.

"I want SGA to be a positive place to workout, while offering the highest level of gymnastics training available. I believe in a preventative style of training. We use rehabilitation and training exercises to help prevent injuries. We also spend time emphasizing good nutritional habits. I know our athletes are some of the most physically fit in the USA." - Marvin Sharp

Sharp credits much of his philosophy on coaching to his collegiate studies in child psychology and coaching. He believes that the knowledge gained through his college education prepared him to teach without instilling the fear that's become such a stereotype (in many cases, for good reason) in gymnastics. Everything he does circles back to that original mission - safety, fun and health.

A celebrated coach at both the national and international levels, Sharp has only recently stepped into the spotlight in a major way. He's often been overshadowed by some of the more sensational names in gymnastics coaching, but his successes and years of dedication have finally paid off and the accolades are many.

In addition to numerous titles and awards, Sharp holds a Master of Sports Science and is the Education Chairman for USA Gymnastics Indiana. While most noted for his success as coach of 2008 Olympic Team Silver Medalist and current National Champion Bridget Sloan, Sharp has coached athletes who have gone on to compete at UCLA, Utah and Alabama, to name a few. A few months after the Olympics, he also welcomed Sloan's teammate and co-silver medalist from the 2008 Beijing squad, Samantha Peszek, to Sharp's after her long-time coach moved home to China.

On a separate but related note, Sharp also fancies himself a gymnastics photographer, a little known but very cool fact. You can see his work here.


Sources:

http://www.sharpsgym.com/sharp.html

http://www.insidegymnastics.com/content/show/newsarticle.aspx?a=625&z=1&page=2

http://www.sharpsgym.com/story.html

http://www.usolympiccollection.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:bridgetsloan&catid=35:team-rings-news&Itemid=55

http://www.sharpsgym.com/sharpsimages.html

http://www.oregonquarterly.com/summer2009/class_notes.php

http://www.sharpsboosters.org/

Let's do this, bitches.

8:00 - Let's see who we have tonight...it sounds like people don't yet realize their mics are on...come on, somebody PLEASE say something damning...PLEASE...

Nada. Nothin'. Shoot.

AND Nastia fluff...narrated by Trautwig! The Terrible Trio is back!

Nastia has toned her pouf down, but it looks like Sam got herself one of those BumpIts and told it to do its worst.

Now we're verbally licking Valeri's balls...when Elfi says "Valeri Liukin," it sounds like a dirt tongue bath.

Chellsie on beam - she looks solid. 14.1

Bridget on bars. Little shaky on a few of her handstands, but she rocked both release skills, and her double layout dismount. 14.9 - very nice. She wants AA, hard core.

Al makes a bad joke. Ahem.

Jana Bieger on bars. She didn't fall, so there's that. Her form sucks and her handstands are bad. That is all. 14.5

Ivana Hong on bars. She and her beautiful form look great - even her dismount is good, with a near flawless stick. Good for her. 14.6

Rebecca Bross on bars. Abusing the chalk, probably to calm her nerves. I do this to my pool cue when I have a tough shot coming up. And she is OFF the bar. She almost peeled off the high bar after her jaeger, but then she fell on her Pak Salto. Nailed the landing. Bless her heart, and I mean that. 13.35. Fucking ouch.

Tim Dagget is making a bad joke about how she should have done only four routines in warm ups instead of five. Bite me, Tim.

Kytra Hunter on floor. Almost OOB on her DLO, but she saved it. Nailed the landing on her last pass, after hopping on the first three. It was good. Not phenomenal - but good. It was either a 14.25 or 14.5 - I missed it.

Ew - it's a break, and Al and Elfi sound like they're talking dirty to each other. That is FOUL, people.

8:25 - Second rotation. They didn't show Kayla Williams on the floor, but I saw her a bit during the break, while Elfi and Al were caressing each other, and as bored as I am with her, I will give her props for consistency. She always hits.

The Trio keep talking during breaks, and I'm DESPERATE For one of them to say something inappropriate. Elfi is now humming along with Lady Gaga's "Just Dance." That is so incredibly disturbing.

Even in Ivana's little mini-warm up on the floor by the beam, her form is impeccable. I love that about her.

8:32 - Andrea Joyce is interviewing Shawn Johnson. Wonder what AJ will say to Shawn to make her feel like a piece of shit? That is, in fact, her forte.

Sam Peszek on beam. What is she hiding in that pouf? She looks solid as a friggin' rock. She hit every element, and even smiled a little. Great double pike dismount. She's awesome. 15.1

Elfi is complaining during the break about how dry the room is because of the chalk. Elfi ALMOST said something negative about Jana on beam during the break, but she held back. She said, "She's just..." Then at the end, she said, "Well, she had a better - sorry." They didn't show Jana - this was during the break. 14.3 for her on beam.

8:39 - Kytra Hunter on vault. I missed it. Sorry. 15.0

Nastia on beam. She still looks a tad nervous, but it's FAR better tongiht than on Thursday. Nice landing with a small step, but no bobbles. Good on her. 14.7

Mackenzie Caquatto on vault. Nice DTY, good form, nice landing.

Ivana Hong on beam. Several little tiny balance checks, but a great routine with a solid dismount. 15.2. Nice.

Rebecca Bross on beam. Her medal position is slipping through her fingers. She had several balance checks, one which was big and nearly sent her to the floor, and almost dropped the dismount landing again. Not great - not great at all. Her face says it all. 14.7

I need more wine.

The Trio is talking about what an agonizing wait this is (during the break), and Elfi and Tim agreed that for someone they failed to name, this is "impossible." Ouch. Ivana, the current leader, is hugging Bross. I think that's nice. Ivana has a heart.

8:57 - Bridget on beam. It was conservative, but she stayed on, and she pretty much hit. Her form was beautiful in her double pike dismount. Nicely done. 14.9

Third rotation. Unless Ivana falls on her vault or blows her floor and Bridget nails both, the title is hers. She's ahead by half a point. This is truthfully a really good meet. Lots of tension - I love it.

9:04 - Andrea Joyce is interviewing Alicia Sacramone. PUNCH HER, ALICIA! After what she did to you following the team final in Beijing, you deserve this chance! DECK THAT HOE!!!

Oh, look - another break.

9:10 - Ivana Hong on floor. She did exactly what she needed to do - she hit, stayed in bounds and on her feet, and no more. It was very nice.

Kytra Hunter on bars. She was fine. And really, that's all. No falls, no disasters. Nothing special.

FUCK. I accidentally hit "refresh." DAMN IT!!!

I got it back - in the middle of Bross' floor routine. Well, what I saw looked really nice. Smells like a little redemption, anyway. 14.7

Another break...Brooke Parker is on floor. They have not shown a single routine of hers during the live coverage. They're probably afraid she'll forget where she is and wander off the podium. She is the only person I've ever heard whose voice is more grating than Keri Strug's.

Bridget on floor - need a 14.5 or better to pass Ivana. She looked FANTASTIC. I'm blown away. There was one screenshot where she was in the corner, preparing for a pass, and Ivana and Rebecca were right behind her, looking on. Wish I'd grabbed it. 15.05!!!

Bridget is in the lead! By over half a point! Bridget might be National Champ! Hit the vault! HIT THE VAULT!!!!!

Sam on floor. She looks mostly good, though not as good as on night one. She went OOB on her last pass. She's not really here to for the big wins, though - she's here as a stop on the way to Worlds.

Final rotation. Ivana and Bridget have the same vault, a DTY. If they both hit, Bridget should still win. It's her title to lose.

I just noticed that Jana is still there. Why?

Andrea Joyce in interviewing Nastia. I wonder if AJ will grab her by the ponytail and ram her face into her knee repeatedly?

Oh, look - a break. I'm stunned.

Al just said, "I can't say the gymnastics has been AWESOME, but..." LOL

9:40 - Ivana Hong on vault. BEAUTIFUL. She nailed it - landing and all, almost a perfect stick. She and Bridget are hugging enthusiastically. 15.25

Tim just called Bross "Rebecca Sloan."

Rebecca Bross on vault. She absolutely NAILED IT. She did not budge on the landing. She looked great. 15.3. WOW.

Bridget needs a 14.7 or better to win. She got a 14.9 on night one. She CAN do this.

Bridget Sloan on vault. (breathe, Jen, breathe...) Tiny hop on the landing, beautiful vault, and the score is...(I didn't realize how badly I wanted this for her until right now)...IT'S A 15.0!!! BRIDGET WON!!!!!!!!



BRIDGET SLOAN IS THE 2009 NATIONAL CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Mackenzie Caquatto on beam (this is so anticlimactic). She looked good...until she fell of the beam. Ouch. She needs a few years, but she's adorable.

After the break, Andrea Joyce is going to batter and abuse Bridget Sloan.

AJ hates to let people finish their sentences. I hate her.

Final thoughts on night one on the senior women's competition

Okay. Here goes.

I am bored to tears with Kayla Williams. She's like a Furby, or a viral video - she's growing tiresome. I know she's a powerhouse, and she truly does have some sick tumbling. But she has not changed or grown one iota since the video of her floor routine first hit the internet. I do not think Martha will make room for her at Worlds.

Bridget had a rough night, but with Rebecca Bross' similar mistakes and Ivana not being known for her consistency, she might still be a contender for the title on Saturday. But truthfully, I would be thrilled for any of the three of them.

Ivana looked MILES better than she did at Classic, but she still makes me nervous. Her beam mount didn't look quite as shaky as it did three weeks ago, but it still looks like she is fighting for it. I love her form, and I'm ready for her tkatchev to go away.

Rebecca Bross did a fine job in her senior debut - as I do not count Classic as her debut, since she was hurt and only competed a watered down bars routine. She had some nerves and mistakes, but she is a force to be reckoned with, and I can't wait to see how she grows this quad.

Nastia is not back yet. She looked tentative and nervous. But she's still a superstar, and I cannot fathom her not being on the Worlds team when she has two months to clean her routines back up. I do not think, after tonight, that she will be all around ready. Fortunately, she and Valeri are smart and will likely limit her to beam and bars. But she's got some work to do if she really wants to beat Shannon Miller's World medal record.

Sam Peszek gets better all the time. She oozes confidence and self-possession. Her skills are spot on. I still hate her form on her layout stepouts on beam, but that is honestly my one complaint. Love her, love her, love her.

Chellsie - what can I say? She looks cleaner to me, actually, though her form will never be great. She's past that point now. My real question with her is simply, what do you want from this? Is she in the hunt for more World medals and titles, or is gymnastics really just such a habit and a pleasure for her that she sticks around, even though there may not be any real hardware in her future? Is she still capable of winning medals? It's foolish to doubt Chellsie Memmel, as she has proven time and again, but at some point, life takes over and the ink stops flowing.

Jana is only getting worse, and there is no sign that this will change any time. I've said it before and I'll say it again - her silver all around medal at 2006 Worlds only means that she was slightly less good than the girl who fell on beam. It was a fucking fluke, just like Ferrari's win, and Jana's entire career. Martha despises her. No one wants to watch her. Is it bad that I was GRATEFUL not to have to watch her beam routine tonight? Also, the commentators mentioned that she said she was still taking antibiotics. For her bout with the flu. Which is a virus.

For now, those are my thoughts. Obviously there were many more gifted athletes, but I need to wait for them to make an impression on me before I start shooting off at the keyboard. I hope you all enjoyed the performances tonight, and are as excited about Saturday as I am. I hope to blog live then, too, but I make no guarantees.

Until then - sleep tight!