Next Call: Live this week
The Coaching Trick That Built Champions on a Concrete Floor
with Coach Al Fong
Join us this Week for live gymnastics training with Coach Al Fong.
🩶 GAGE’s Blind Man Beam
The Coaching Trick That Built Champions on a Concrete Floor
In 1979, Al Fong opened a half-finished 5,000 sq. ft. warehouse and called it The Great American Gymnastic Express (GAGE).
There was no equipment — just a concrete floor and a group of determined gymnasts.
So Al got creative. He had his girls perform beam basics blindfolded on the floor, teaching them to feel balance instead of seeing it. That’s how Blind Man Beam was born.
Months later, that same team won the 1980 Class 3 Missouri State Championships — proof that success isn’t about what you have, but what you do with what you have.
Today, Blind Man Beam still trains gymnasts to trust their body, improve balance, and build confidence.
Tip: Practice only on the floor, never on a high beam, and always make sure gymnasts know how to fall safely.
ALL WELCOME
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4th, 2025, @ 10 AM CST
PLEASE BE EARLY
Start Your Gymnastics Right!
A Comprehensive Guide for Gymnastics Coaches
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Osmosis in action: how training side by side with Dragons eliminates fear.
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The GAGE Way: drills, setups, and progressions that stick.
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Transformation you can see: Belgium gymnasts who arrived timid and left bold.
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Coach ROI: what you can bring back home to uplevel your entire program.
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Presented by
Coach Al Fong
LEARN TO BE A BETTER
At GAGE we like to take a 3-year approach when teaching advanced skills.
"Always train for tomorrow."
Some kids learn faster. Some slower.
It doesn’t matter.
Using this approach allows for
a healthy, nurturing culture where
gymnastics thrives and difficult skills become easier to learn over time.
The biggest challenges young coaches deal with are:
1. How to transition from a compulsory mindset to an optional mindset
2. Keeping kids healthy physically and mentally
3. Not killing the spirit while pushing the kids to excel in gymnastics
4. Trying to navigate through the noise of good coaching advice
and bad coaching advice.
On Tuesday I hope to help you on your coaching journey by sharing the things we have learned over 40 years of teaching and sharing the best methods to teach kids how to learn more advanced skills. Great for coaches who are currently coaching optional level gymnastics and coaches whom one day aspire to coach at the higher levels!
Teaching gymnasts high-level skills can sometimes feel like a daunting task. On Tuesday I will cover the way we teach and create an environment that endorses safety, more accessible progressions and ultimately helping the gymnast and coach find success.
Don't Miss it!