Coaches Body tension and other issues

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Redford

Coach
Gymnast
Judge
Hello fellow coaches,
last year I created a group of 5-7 year olds. I started them from the very beginning and it immediatley clicked. They came in eager to learn, progressed fast and in the process learned how to listen, take corrections and how to behave in a group. They knew how to hollow, to arch, to do a push up position, a landing position... All in all we had a great time.
Fast forward to the beginning of this school year. This group still exsists but I'm suddenly standing in front of 20 kids and it's a disaster. Most have never done any sort of gymnastics and literally can't walk backwards. They cannot do a forward roll, cannot support their own weight and have no body tension whatsoever. So I'm back to the beginning. The kids that were on this group last year are of course starting to get bored. They get distracted as soon as I turn my back on them, start chatting and stop putting effort into what they do. Last years sharp looking pullover is now sloppy and has bent legs. The new kids on the other hand are happily picking up bad habbits, behaviour and form. It's all falling apart and it is very frustrating to see.
How do you deal with big groups like that? Stations are what worked best to keep them all occupied but are mostly done wrong if I'm not standing right next to them.
How do you deal with big diversity in your groups? How do you keep things interesting for the advanced?
And last but not least I'm looking for games and simple exercises to increase coordination and body tension.
Btw, Unfortunatly it is not an option to divide the group. We are lacking coaches and capacities. That's the situation and I have to make the best out of it.

Thank you for your input!
 
What kind of group is this? Rec? How often does it meet? I understand not having another coach to make two groups but can you open another class time for another level and move up the kids who have passed the current skill requirements?
 
We do a lot of work at your own level. Like if you've showed a coach your pullover really well, you get to work on back hip circles or back hip circle drills. If you can't pass pullover, you work on pullovers and pullover drills.
It's often enough to motivate the kids who are able to pass to show you really great form so they can move on.
Lots of stations is great, especially stations that can work for multiple things like a block next to the bar that can be an aid for pullovers or a block to stand on and jump to the bar, cast, land on the block or a block to do stem rises.
Little things sometimes motivate the younger kids like a stuffed animal under the bar for glide swings somehow makes it so much more exciting than just glide swings, which sometimes I overlook and can reignite a group.
It is hard to not supervise every station. Strength stations with a partner counting/coaching can be helpful.
 
@gymdog: Rec, they meet once a week for 90 minutes. Last years group did compete and placed really well, I don't see it happen this year though.
I can't do that but thinking about it, I might be able to move the more advanced up to train with the older gymnasts.

@Nicole: Thank you. I actually tried a bar circuit last week but as I said they just don't put any effort into what they do. They don't seem to want to progress anymore.
I think it's a group thing and once some kids are starting to show motivation and get rewarded for it, the rest of the group will do so as well. I just don't know how to get them back on track. I will try stuffed aninmals and funny pictures next week. :)
 
Ugh I wrote a long post but it suddenly disappeared.

Here are some of my favorite ways to mix it up and keep it interesting and challenging:

1. Cartwheel between two blocks. If they can do this without touching the wall they get to draw a smily face on the floor/mat/block with chalk! They have three tries. If this is too hard for the beginners, set up another station for them with blocks wider apart.

2. Handstand against a wall. Put some chalk on the wall (use duck tape). If they get close enough the wall to touch the piece of chalk with their noses they get white nose! How fun! Put a mirror next to that station so they can chek it themselves! If this is too hard for the beginners, put a little block or something against the wall and and duck tape another piece of chalk there so they are basically doing a 3/4 handstand.

3. BHS jumping game. Draw three different lines on the mat they are jumping. If their toes pass line number one, they get 1 point. If they pass line 2, then 2 points etc. If they are too little to do multiple sum ups, let them draw smiley faces or stars or anything on floor (or on paper if you are out of chalk by this drill :D) so you can do the math after the rotation is over.

4. Stick it contests. If some of the parents are staying during the class you can ask them to help with this. Set up a station where they can do tuck jumps, staight jumps, straddle jumps, full turning jumps etc from a spring board. After three stuck landings of each skills they get to move up to the next hardest skill. If you can't ask parents to help with this one you can pair the gymnasts to supervise each other. The winners of this game is the gymnast who gets to the hardest skill (full turn jump). You can also make those gymnast compete against each after the rotation is over. The first one to get 3 stucked landings is the winner!

5. Kick over "level jumping game". Put at least three different height mats on floor next to each other. All the gymnasts start from the level 1 which is the highest mat. When they can kick over from there with staight legs they get to move up to the next level. The last level is the kickover on the floor without mats. This motivates them to try harder.

5. Backward roll "level jumping game". The idea is same with the kick over game but you can use wedge mats. The first level: backward roll from big wedge mat without knees touching the mat. The second level: backward roll from a smaller wedge mat. The third level: backward roll on floor. Then the fourth level: backward roll to push up position on the big wedge mat....

6. On bars put a stuffed animal between their feet. At first they have to perform a forward roll from the front support without dropping the stuffed animal. If they can do this then 3 casts with it, landing the last cast on a block. If they can to this also then pullover with it.

7. Pull ups with thera bands tied to the bar. They count their reps and tell their reps to you after they are done.
 
Wow! Most things will be too difficult for the beginners but I'm sure I find a way to modify it.
Lots of great, new ideas I might also be able to use for older groups. Thank you very much for the long post!
 
Redford, unfortunately, you must stay on top of the gymnasts you coach. very few can independently work.

i empathize with your lack of coaches. too bad your original group is not mature. :)
 

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