Coaches coach goals

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J

JenFen

Hi everyone,

We all as coaches have a reason why we coach. I cach because gymnastics has been a huge part of my life since I was weeny, and I just love the sport. It is running in my viens its the air I breath. I love helping kids achieve things and reach their potential. The feeling you get when one of the kids gets something new and smiles at you, makes you feel just wow. Also on top of that I have my own personal goals just like a gymnast has.
At times I have a confidence breakdown so to speak and think that I'm not doing well enough to get to where I want to be. You can try and try and try to get something but then I think there comes a point where its time to look at something else.
I started coaching when I was 15 with anoth coach, had a couple of years off and returned. I have been coaching for 8yrs. I have coached from our pre-comp team to helping with the senior squad.
I think I am a good coach, who knows my stuff and if I don't will find it somehow somewhere, always looking at building my knowledge in anyway possible.
I'm not quite sure on where to head and how to get to where I want to go.
I coach in new Zealand, and eventually would like to coach senior gymnasts and take them to nationals. I would also like to do my High Performace coaching course even if I didn't use it. I want to be head coach of our gym in the future, things have ticked over with coaching high performance, bt is not one of the coachs, but to do the course is. Probably my other coach would be to take represent NZ as a coach and take a team overseas.
I am currently a L2 qualified coach and am part way through my L3 (senior) quals.
I see going to nationals as a coach as one of my next steps and while my name has been nominated have not yet got this. In NZ we have had a change in qualify systems which ment some coaches have been messsed around, this year they didn't need a third one as not many going so I have has stuff stacked against me. I have wanted to take a Nationals team for so long, I put so much effort into mygymnastics work, planning, gymnasts, sessions everything, and see I am not stepping a head to get to where I want to go.
I know this takes a long process the goals that I want and am prepared for that, but I don't really know how to get there.
I don't know if this explains it well, and if anyone can be of help as NZ and other places are probably quite different, but if anyone has anything to say it would be great, or just anyone that has felt similar with some aspects it would be great to hear from you
 
My advice would be to get whatever certifications you need to get. I don't know what certs are available in NZ, but I'm sure you do. If you haven't already, make friends with the coaches who coach the level above yours. Ask them how they teach skills, explain that you want to make things consistent for any of your girls who might move up. After you do those things, make friends with the coaches who teach at the level you want to someday. With your certs in hand, and a teaching style that promotes consistency in the gym, most of the groundwork is done for you. Any mention of coaching at higher levels is more likely to be taken seriously when you take the initiative in those areas.

Try to talk to them when they aren't actively coaching, maybe in the office and such. Get their opinions on what it takes to coach at their level, and offer to come in and watch a workout! In time if you nurture that relationship you may end up helping with stretching or conditioning as you learn about the other events. You won't make a sudden and huge jump in coaching levels, but it's a great way to show your upward ambition and work ethic if a job closer to the level your striving for opens up.
 
Hi, I am from Australia and I know that our training systems are very similar. We use the same code of points. Definatly getting your level 3 coaching certificitate is a great step. Get out there and attend as many courses and seminars as possible, get involved in the management side of things.

A good idea too would be to take the judges course, if you know exactly what judges look for in competition then you will be better able to get your kids to the highest competitive level.
 
Hi JenFen

I am not sure i quite understand your situation, however i feel that i do understand some of your frustrations. From what i do understand it is that you maybe feel under appreciated, at your club, or you would like to be recognized for your contributions to the club, and eventually to NZ gymnastics. Correct me if i am wrong.

RE being a High Performance Coach, one thing you can look forward to is that there is no longer any course. You are accredited HP Coach status when you produce gymnasts of a certain level. High Performance in NZ is such a subjective term haha. What people call HP in most cases is really too little too late. As far as i know CSG, North Harbor, and that other club in Christchurch actually run HP programs. Having senior gymnasts does not mean you have HP program (just in cases there was any confusion).

If you want to be the best coach you can possibly be than i have to be brutally honest, but it is not going to happen where you are at the moment. More importantly you need to be honest with yourself and really examine your situation and what you are willing to do be the best. Your first step is to really examine what you said yourself

"I'm not quite sure on where to head and how to get to where I want to go".

That to me suggests that you don't even know what you are after, you have no direction/purpose. Your really need to get one first. As Marva Collins said " Success doesn't come to you…you go to it.". No one gets to the top without making sacrifices, and at the moment in NZ there are 3 places where one can go develop into a HP coach (the 3 clubs i listed above). That means moving out of your comfort zone, not an easy thing to do, but it is the first step to success in anything i believe. This would be a start.

I am in a similar situation as you, in that i want to get to somewhere with my coaching, the difference between me and you however seems to be that i know how and what i am willing to do to get there. Like in that quote i quoted before...i am trying to go towards my success. Let me give you a run down of my road map to my goals
Goal 1 - Attend the FIG coaching academy L1 or L2 -- status: GSNZ has approved me to go if i can fund my way (small sacrfice to pay.. No money to do anything!!! and i mean anything!!! for the next 2 years, no surprise here though I am gym coach haha, in the same boat as most). Waiting on Marcus Leslie to hear from FIG regarding details of courses so that they can sign me up. I will wait till end of next year if need be (since course is scheduled for November 2009). If nothing comes of this i will not waste more time on this..and will put it off as something to do down the line.
Goal 2- in the mean time while waiting on Goal 1 I will help HCG (the fundraising committee for my club) start up a new gym. This will give me a position where i have total control over my program, and will allow me to potentially start a HP program, more money, and create better facilities. Status -- Waiting to hear on the sale and purchase of the current business, and on purchase of new building. I will know if this is going to happen by end of the year.
Goal 3- After i know what will happen with Goals 1-2 i will be able to assess this. However i want to go and coach in Canada, UK, AUS, and possibly again back in the US. -- Status --- in mean time I want to make contacts and friends in these countries. establish contacts and networks. So far i am sorted and pretty confident that i will find work easy as in any of these countries. In the mean time i have to try and develop my practical skills as much as possible as well. Learn everything, and relearn it again and again.

I know exactly what i am after and where i stand, my only downfall is that i have to wait for others, and you can only ever move as fast as they are, which is usually much to slow.
You may ask what kind of sacrifices have I made.. well for one i put my relationship with my girl friend for 3 years+ wayyyy down on the list of priorities, so much that she broke up with me because of it, i have left my family in the US, and potentially have lost my greencard as a result, and i have chosen to stay with a job that pays poorly, because it gives me more freedom to develop as coach in exchange.
This might sound a tad sad to some, but personally i feel that i have 1 lifetime to achieve my goals, everything else is bonus. I would say that i am quite fanatical about this. Why should I do what others feel is the norm just because they can’t understand my point of view.

If you want to be a Nationals coach, find a way to start a group of girls and coach them to L4 (you and you alone, so that no one else can claim the credit). Get to know and get on the good sides of everyone with the power to select you as the Nationals coach. Get to know all the coaches around the region, and play the political game, be on everyone side, and get to know them and their gymnasts. Remember that as a Junior or Senior coach you are not going out there with only your gymnasts you are there with everyone elses as well. If you have 1 gymnast on a team and another coach has like 2-3 spread out between levels than I am sorry but there is no good reason to have you go instead of them (unless you are clearly a better coach). Give them a reason to choose you, aside from just because you are keen and willing, and now qualified.
 
Hey Guys,
Thanks for the replys.... think I have a lot to think about and work out\

Thanks once again
Jen
 

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