Coaches Summer plans

[GymRays]

I'm trying to work out plans for the spring/summer lessons. This is the first year I'm taking the wheel on deciding what to do with pre -team. My head is swirling with lots we could do and I'm having a hard time pulling it all together.

This is an Xcel group that trains 6 hours a week of about a dozens kids, 2 coaches, sometimes 3.

First question I have is how many skills per event should I focus up training on? In my head as an example, on bars I'd like to get them doing kips, cast handstands, clear hip and fly always.
Also, Is four skills too many to focus on over the course of about 5 months on one event?
We have touched on all of these throughout the competition season but not been solely focusing on them. Some kids have some of these skills and some don't.

As long as I have been coaching, I'm new with actually being in charge of what a team does.

On top of new skills to work, our conditioning will be taking priority since the last coach that headed the group didn't have a solid conditioning and the other co-coaches have just followed suit.

We will also be adding more kids to the group that will be at all different levels. Right now the majority of the group are golds. Some silvers will be moving up to gold at the start of the summer and some golds will be brought up to the team girls.

How do you structure your summer workouts?

This may seem all over the place. That's how my head is right now. Any help on lesson plans for the given practice hours and time frame would be helpful. Thank you in advance. I'm tankful to have these forums to learn from.

 

[raenndrops]

At the end of the competition season, our HC has all girls list 1-2 skills they want to work on for each event.
Then she creates "clubs" for the different skills... "kip club" "fly away club" "cast handstand club" etc.

You can't be in cast handstand club unless you have your kip, and so those clubs can (and do) meet at the same time. There are clubs on all events and those gymnasts in 2 different clubs meeting at the same time have to pick which one to start with. Once they get their reps in, they can go to the other club if time remains.

If a girl gets one of her chosen skills (has to have it SOLID - no spot - 25 reps - 3 practices in a row), then she gets to mark the skill off and either add another skill or spend more time focusing on the other skills on her list.

I would suggest focusing on 2-3 at a time... if a girl has one that you are focusing on, she can move on to the next... others can practice kips while 1-2 are doing clear hips on their turn... or cast handstands ... that kind of thing.

 

[gymdog]

For those levels and hours I would work on kips, casts, back hip circles, and tap swings. As well as a clean squat on jump to high bar.

I wouldn't even touch clear hips and flyaways - no way. Maybe much later in the season if they can do kip cast squat on, long hang kip, and tap swings connected with straight arms.

 

[GymRays]

For those levels and hours I would work on kips, casts, back hip circles, and tap swings. As well as a clean squat on jump to high bar.

I wouldn't even touch clear hips and flyaways - no way. Maybe much later in the season if they can do kip cast squat on, long hang kip, and tap swings connected with straight arms.

Most of my golds competed pullover, cast horizontal, bhc, squat, tap, counter, flyaway. This past season. They need kips as number one skills to work. Another gold did kip, bhc, squat, long hang kip, cast flyaway. She needs clear hip and cast hs.

My silvers that are moving up will work the first list of skills you mentioned. One of the silvers competed pullover, bhc, squat, tap, counter, 1/2 tap turn dismount.

If the golds get their kips they will probably compete in the fall as platinums if the rest of the events follow suit. Or they will get pulled to team to work on scoring out of 4/5 and move to 6/7.

 

[GymRays]

Raenndrops- I like the idea of clubs. I may use this. This is just bars, I've spoken of. Lol. I am loving this process and the input from others.

 

[raenndrops]

For those levels and hours I would work on kips, casts, back hip circles, and tap swings. As well as a clean squat on jump to high bar.

I wouldn't even touch clear hips and flyaways - no way. Maybe much later in the season if they can do kip cast squat on, long hang kip, and tap swings connected with straight arms.

These are Xcel Gold... they will want to get to Platinum or L6/7 at some point and a Kip and a B skill are required at Platinum.
And, this is for summer training, which is the perfect time to work on higher skills.

 

[GymRays]

Anyone else have a different style than Raenndrops for summer sessions? This is very helpful so far.

 

[All Chalked Up]

This may not be exactly what you're looking for as I could only skim.

For my Hotshot group last summer, I printed out a gymnast picture (which they coloured cause they're little and that's fun) with each event named and two lines underneath. I helped them each find two goal skills they would have SOLID by the end of the summer, training 2h/week.

Something similar may work? They loved seeing the stickers beside the goal once it was attained!

 

[GymRays]

I would have to help them with setting goals. If I have them pick their own goals I could have to have them choose from a set list of skills. If I don't then all of them would be asking to work twist, giants, tsuks, etc. They dream big. Instead of squashing their requests to do such skills I can set more realistic goals and say yes to them. We set goals every meet and I always have to suggest a couple realistic goals since most with have things like "a perfect 10 on vault" instead of "stay on the beam.". Lol

Though, I do like the idea of having them on a printed out so they visibly see their goal get a sticker when achieved.

 

[All Chalked Up]

If I have them pick their own goals I have to have them choose from a set list of skills. If I don't then all of them would be asking to work twist, giants, tsuks, etc. They dream big. Instead of squashing their requests to do such skills I can set more realistic goals and say yes to them. We set goals every meet and I always have to suggest a couple realistic goals since most with have things like "a perfect 10 on vault" instead of "stay on the beam.". Lol

Though, I do like the idea of having them on a printed out so they visibly see their goal get a sticker when achieved.

That sounds great- I'll probably use that tweak for my older group! Forgot to mention that I had them set two strength goals and two flexibility goals also, maybe you'll want to include that.

 

[GymRays]

From what I gather so far, having 2 set skill goals per event is appropriate for up training over the summer and can add more if those 2 have been met.

 

[gymdog]

These are Xcel Gold... they will want to get to Platinum or L6/7 at some point and a Kip and a B skill are required at Platinum.
And, this is for summer training, which is the perfect time to work on higher skills.

That's great, I answered the question which is what I would do. If they don't have good tap swings and circling skills, there is no point in attempting to teach flyaways and clear hips. It's a waste of time. But people are free to believe otherwise. Even if they already have flyaways, I would spend the bulk of the time on basics if they don't have kips (I would never teach a flyaway before a kip either). I don't coach Xcel but all Golds have a kip at my gym.

 

[GymRays]

Any info given is great. Like I said I'm here to learn from others. I agree with gym dog that if taps and circles are weak, not to move on and this does apply to a couple kids. All gym situations are unique to others and we don't have to agree. I'm more looking to pick brains of those more experienced at lesson planning to help pull mine together for what will work for us.

 

[raenndrops]

From what I gather so far, having 2 set skill goals per event is appropriate for up training over the summer and can add more if those 2 have been met.

Yes... start with 2 per and move on when accomplished.
Remember that there are progressions - walk before you run and all, so those girls who would set the very lofty goals on their own (giants, twisting, etc) need goal skills that lead up to these skills (like the tap swings and cast handstands before giants ... a solid layout before twisting, etc.).
You could always ask them to write down their skill goals, however big they may be... and use that as a teachable moment. "You want to do giants. Right now you are 'here' ... You can do a cast to xº (or horizontal, below, or above). Your tap swings are xxº from horizontal. To do a giant, you need to have a cast handstand... THAT could be a goal for now (or cast to 45º or something attainable that can be changed as it is reached). You also need tap swings that are above the bar. Lets set a goal of getting your tap swing to horizontal for now."
In this way, they will see what leads up to what they WANT to do AND they will have REASONABLE goals

 

[GymRays]

Yes... start with 2 per and move on when accomplished.
Remember that there are progressions - walk before you run and all, so those girls who would set the very lofty goals on their own (giants, twisting, etc) need goal skills that lead up to these skills (like the tap swings and cast handstands before giants ... a solid layout before twisting, etc.).
You could always ask them to write down their skill goals, however big they may be... and use that as a teachable moment. "You want to do giants. Right now you are 'here' ... You can do a cast to xº (or horizontal, below, or above). Your tap swings are xxº from horizontal. To do a giant, you need to have a cast handstand... THAT could be a goal for now (or cast to 45º or something attainable that can be changed as it is reached). You also need tap swings that are above the bar. Lets set a goal of getting your tap swing to horizontal for now."
In this way, they will see what leads up to what they WANT to do AND they will have REASONABLE goals

Agreed.

 

[raenndrops]

Agreed.

Lol, it's the teacher in me Ages 3 - grade 12 ... plus tutoring up through college students. I'm glad my 13 years of college could do some good,

 

[gymdog]

To answer your question, you have extremely low hours for Gold and Platinum. Most gyms here practice 9-12 hours at these levels. Something will have to give. At least half the hours should be physical preparation with what little you have.

I don't believe in strictly skill based teaching. I believe in building physical abilities and then watching the skills come 1,2,3. So to answer your question about what I would do, I would work backward from what you want to accomplish. What is the team currently weak on? Core strength, active flexibility. My themes for this summer are active flex and body shaping. Create a 15 minute complex on each event to address these themes (other ideas: ankle strength, upper body, plyo, running, dance). Teach the kids the complex and have them complete it each day, as well as a 15 minute warm up that combines cardio and strength training. Then on each event move into a sequential progression based format. I would give one assignment which they will complete before moving to the next I.e. "Make five running kips and then show me the sixth". Some kids will do this in one minute flat. Then they move on to glide, glide kip, etc. The kids who have strong kips, casts, and swings the. Might move to more advanced progressions. Others might not have a kip and stay on kip drill number one.

Floor I would do the complex basics and then start a circuit of tumbling stations that allow concentrating on shapes, they can add on per station if they're doing well (I.e. Two BHS instead of one). Vault would be the same. Beam would be more like bars format.