Amber Fulljames has reputedly left QAS and started training at Brisbane's other WAG powerhouse, Moreton Bay College, under Chloe Sims' former coaches, Sasha and Olga Beloousov.
She is said to be doing light training only, which would seem to indicate that the reports of her being injured were in fact correct.
Good luck, Amber, if this is what you feel is best for you!
"A-scuse me, coachlady and greenlady. I gotsa go make a big exit now."
Wow bombshell!
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be rivalry between those programs right now, Brittany Boffo recently defected from Moreton Bay to QAS.
I wonder if QAS is shutting down as they were reportedly in danger. They still have a couple of nice juniors like Amaya so I hope they don't fade away.
I am glad to see Amber is still serious about her gym career though. Olga and Sasha seem to be pretty good coaches, and certainly aren't afraid of higher difficulty routines, which is what Amber needs to be right up there.
Hopefully Amber will continue on....absolutely love her gymnastics.
ReplyDeleteAnd if not, Amber could definitely have a shining NCAA career :)
The current push (from GA and GQ) is for QAS to have a junior focus and for Morton Bay to focus on the seniors.
ReplyDeleteGiven the number of coaches through QAS over the last few years, perhpas some consistency at Morton Bay would be good for Amber, especially given her current confusion over whether to continue or not.
Don't the girls have to pay big fees to train at MBC whereas QAS is funded?
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is a good idea to keep groups of seniors together, I will admit that. More competition, benefit of someone in the same boat.
I wonder why she'd consider retirement so early, she's only getting started!
Hasn't QAS this year produce state champs in 3A, I5, I6, I8, and junior international AND national champions at I6 and I8?
ReplyDeleteI wish everyone would stop saying the program is going down the tubes!
One of the soul reasons there are state champions in those levels is because QAS were the only competitors. Not taking anything away from the gymnasts. They obviously did a great job to achieve there win. (and I'm not speaking for all levels, obviously there were maybe a couple of other girls from other places)
ReplyDeleteQAS girls at IDP 6 and 8 at nationals were better in many ways to their VIC/WA/NSW counterparts. IIRC in IDP 6 they won gold and silver in the AA. Their technical superiority was obvious, especially on vault and floor.
ReplyDeleteBTW, last night I uploaded a montage you guys might like. It's about the Aussie team 2005-2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4z4ODOeLi8&feature=channel_page
Queensland did win Gold and Silver in the AA in Int 6, BUT do they have 8 ready to go? Or have they spent a lot of time perfecting routines and the skills in 6 only? By the way, I don't know the answer to this question and am genuinely interested if anyone happens to know, perhaps what they were working at the development camp? They certainly had the grumpiest looking coach at the competition and considering the company he was in that's quite something.
ReplyDeleteAs for Amber, wherever she needs to be to continue in the sport is fine. It would be great to see her back in the mix soon.
I am from QLD, Amber is a fantastic kid. In training she has always been the one who does 25 leg lifts every time the coach asks for 20. 100 push ups if the coach asked for 60 and so on. She has always had so much drive. Many years ago she had an injury which put her out for about a year, but it didn't stop her coming back stronger than ever.
ReplyDeleteOlga and Sasha are excellent coaches, and they should do an amazing job with her.
The fee's aren't really very big at all at MBC. MBC run national levels programs for levels 1-10 and cheerleading programs and tumbling classes for dancers and rhythmic gymnastics. They earn enough from their regular classes to charge Extremely cheap fee's for their elite gymnasts. I believe they are currently paying less than $2 an hour. They also offer scholarships and I can bet Amber has a full educational scholarship.
amber is finished with year 12 this november, so it is doubtful she will accept a full scholarship to MBC. if MBC wants to pay for her university, then she might be interested! there was a "proposed" merger for QAS & MBC to save money, but that has fallen through. GQ has financial woes but QAS will remain status quo and MBC will continue to do what they do. it is questionable if she will stay.
ReplyDeleteBlame lies with that new coach at QAS. Hes obviously not very good and how on earth did he get the job in the first place? Hes managed to do no good in the program and its obvius. why let him carry on, i hope gq or qas can sack him and get someone else or its going to get worse-what about the rest of the girls?
ReplyDeleteHe does have a fairly extensive history of lying.
ReplyDeleteWhen he was in both Victoria and NSW he made some fairly huge claims that cannot be substantiated.
I happen to know he is doing a great job under the circumstances at QAS, all the coaches there are. Unfortunately the problems have come from gq management. There are some amazing kids coming through that program let's hope gq will make the right decisions.
ReplyDeleteThey should bring Koryakina up there or something.
ReplyDeletehis name is Darren. it doesnt seem to be the case. even without the word out about qas it seems hes obviusly not helping at all. i mean what has he done except for the fact that amber left, and i hear amaya is moving to mbc too? if hes so good at his job then why are they leaving? proof is on the wall.
ReplyDelete'They should bring Koryakina up there'
ReplyDelete...or maybe Octavian Belu, he has just resigned from his ministry job in Romania ;}
On a serious note though, it is tough to find a top rate coach when a program is struggling to survive financially. A lot of coaches wouldn't want to get into a storm like that. It may be this guy doesn't have adequate experience/technical knowledge to head a whole HPC program, but his appointment is only temporary anyway, isn't it?
hope it is temporary. look at the state of the program. its worse now than ever,those poor girls. as for knowledge or expertise i would ask the same question how an obviusly bad coach like that gets into a position there in the first place. don't ga or peggy have any say. why would she let this carry on? girls are jumping ship all over the place, and its his coaching or program managent that needs addresing
ReplyDeleteCan i ask what specifically makes him a bad or inadequate coach? That is a claim it sees many people are making without any real reason why they dislike him so much. What would be the alternative?
ReplyDeleteI think people need to be careful on their comments. Let's remember we are all ment to be here for the benifit of gymnastics, not to defame people when we don't know the whole story of what is going one.
ReplyDeleteThe definition of defame is:
ReplyDelete"charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone"
No comment made has been false or untrue and Darren would have to have a good name in order for it to be attacked.
so you're saying he does not have a good name then, by that comment? judged and sentenced without jury or defense? not very fair. i agree, people here make a lot of comments without the full information to benefit from. pull your heads in a bit people? and what exactly are the points that make him a bad coach? good question.
ReplyDeleteYou people have no idea. Darren is a brilliant coach who has walked into a program that is already in trouble. The blame is to lie with GQ and Wayne Hill... Maybe take a closer look there.
ReplyDeletemaybe all the girls are leaving due to the uncertainty of the program. Maybe Gq is to blame.
ReplyDeleteDarren has played with the minds of gymnasts at every club he has worked at in the past.
ReplyDeleteHe is childish and ensures that he maintains his own selnse of self by stepping on those around him.
Additionally, he shows no sense of commitment. He flips from one program to another despite contractual arrangements and leaves gymnasts without coaches nor adequate time for the coach to be replaced.
Darren is also unable to tell the truth and has made up numerous stories about his past.
Just ask him about his career. I don't think that even he can remember the truth to tell anymore.
Do you even know him, or are you another one guessing?
ReplyDeleteHey guys. Have shifted this discussion over to the Message Board so feel free to continue it (nicely!) under "QLD Discussion" in the Australian Gymnastics sub-forum here:
ReplyDeletehttp://forums.delphiforums.com/aussiegym/start
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Cheers.