boys recreational gymnastics

[gymbabisMom]

I am coaching a boys and girls rec classes. I need some help with the boys. Since I haven't spent a lot of time watching the boys team work out, I find myself not using the pommel horse and rings much because I'm not sure what to do on them. Also I have a vast difference in skill levels and fitness levels in this class. Some of my kids can barely manage a front support while others could probably do any beginning skill I asked of them. I can't really move my good ones up right now cause there's no more room in the next class up. Any other coaches have any suggestions on how to handle this? I don't want to have anyone giving up or getting bored.

[JBS]

BOYS DON'T THINK...THEY JUST DO...so you better be doing something FUN!

What a great subject...everything you just described happens at almost every gym across the whole country.

As far as pommel horse, use it however you want. Do support walks across the top of it, do handstand walks around it with their on top, jump off of it and practice sticking, throw footballs at it. Every beginer hates pommel horse so don't concetrate on it (and my favorite event was pommels). Pommel horse can be perfected when they get moved up. I'm not telling you to ignore it, but 5 min. on it is more than enough. Basic skills on pommel horse are front and rear supports, leg swings, hand walks, and leg cuts. Have your team spend 2 minutes to teach you those. Also, make sure your gym has a bucket to learn circles. If you don't know what a bucket is let me know and I'll tell you how to build one.

Rings is easier than pommel horse, but the same concept. Don't watch the team boys and copy them. Watch them to learn skills and generate ideas for your class. Many of the boys have no real interest in the team. Find out what they are interested in (each one of them will be different). Tommy likes to skateboard...that's an easy one...we're going to spin on a single ring at this station to help you out with your 180's, 360's, 540's. Joey is the football stud...at that station we are going to try to throw a NERF football through a ring...if you miss you have to do 3 pushups. Remember, doing pushups for missing is not a punishment; it's part of the game. Billy wants to be on the team...that's the station where you are teaching your skill of the day. And then there's Johnny...not an athlete at all (or maybe overweight or challenged)...make sure you change every station so he can be successful and make sure you don't draw attention to it. Many boys parents, especially Dad's and single Mom's are looking for discipline and respect. If someone laughs at Johnny, then scold him sternly...bring your class together and explain teamwork...tell them that they are a team and they need to help Johnny so the team will succeed.

How about contests...different skill levels...no problem. Have them compete against themselves from week to week. Joey does 3 pull-ups...next week he has to do 4 to beat his record or 3 to tie. Johnny is doing a bent arm hang as long as he can...he gets 2 seconds...next week he needs three.

I can go on forever so ask me some more questions.

Boys want to flip, so let them. Just remember, to a boy, a front flip onto their butt on a pit mat is the same as a back handspring. Don't chuck them through to much stuff, it'll just give them bad technique later on.

[gracefulone]

Yeah, our boys rec class is always doing races and competitions against themselves.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Pommel horse is both the easiest and hardest event to coach for this simple reason: there are no tricks. There are no tips. There is no secret. The only way to get good at it is to do it a billion times. Anything you can do that involves them supporting their weight on their arms will make them better at pommel horse. Even the simplest f the actual "skills" on pommel horse -- a leg cut -- is quite advanced and takes more strength and coordination than most beginning gymnasts have.

As for rings, that's a bit trickier. Swings on high rings, supports on low ones are always good. I use the level 4 boys routine to train my beginning -- the routine is basic enough that it can be taught to beginners, and is developementally well set up. Often they won't be able to swing high enough to do an inverted hang right off the bat, and for those kids you can just have them do the first half of the level 4 routine, and really focus on the swings.

[gimnastičar]

and floor exersize. Are boys enouhgt flexible? do you force them im split and oversplit? how you doing that? what kind off drills?