Parents Coaching - What difference does it make?

[GymLife]

Yes, my kid has been tear free and willing to try new things daily as opposed to being scared of everything.
At her old gym coach was very much a Do It or condition until you do it. Did not help my DD who has fears and only ever learned through tears and rope climbs or running until she just couldn't.

3 weeks in a new gym and she is asking to be at practice early and asking to try new things.

 

[GymMom4]

Yes, my kid has been tear free and willing to try new things daily as opposed to being scared of everything.
At her old gym coach was very much a Do It or condition until you do it. Did not help my DD who has fears and only ever learned through tears and rope climbs or running until she just couldn't.

3 weeks in a new gym and she is asking to be at practice early and asking to try new things.

Your experience sounds similar to what we left. Positive coaching (they are tough and have high expectations but are not mean) has made a huge difference to my dd and she has made great strides in the last few months.

 

[NY Dad]

I’m mostly answering from info I’ve learned on CB rather than from personal experience. Most everyone here has more experience that me/my dd.
Hopefully I'm answering your question

In short, the answer is yes but there can be a very talented coach with a very talented athlete but here are a few factors that could impact skill acquisition/development:
- Coach has given up on gymnast
- Gymnast doesn’t trust coach
- Coach doesn’t like gymnast or vice-versa
- Communication problem (either coach not understanding gymnast or vice-versa)
- Style problem the coach’s style doesn’t work well for that particular gymnast (examples)
o How they handle blocks or fear issues
o Overworking the kids causing burnout or injuries
o A coach that isn't able to motivate a gymnast (for whatever reason)/ a gymnast that's not motivated by the coach.
- I’m assuming some coaches that are great at upper level optionals wouldn’t necessarily be right for teaching pre-team or very low level compulsories.
- Goals of the coach not being the same as the gymnast
o Coach that focuses on perfecting skills/form before moving to the next skill with a kid that is motivated by learning new skills
o Coach that wants to rush through compulsories b/c they think a kid will thrive at optionals with a gymnast that’s a perfectionist.

 

[bookworm]

Can coaching really make a big difference in skill acquisition/development? Are some really that much better than others?? Anyone get a new coach and things started clicking in a way that you can really attribute mostly to coaching skill?

I'm kind of confused as to why you ask this....of course coaching makes a big difference. That's you pick a certain gym with a good reputation versus a tumbling class at your local library.

 

[twin2gymmie]

Yes!!!

 

[NY Dad]

I'm kind of confused as to why you ask this....of course coaching makes a big difference. That's you pick a certain gym with a good reputation versus a tumbling class at your local library.

I kind of felt the same way. We need a clarification what the OP is trying to ask.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

A coach makes all the difference. And the coach needs to be the right fit. A great coach for one type of kid, maybe terrible for a different kid.

And it's not strictly about the skills.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Anyone get a new coach and things started clicking in a way that you can really attribute mostly to coaching skill?

Yes and.........
Sometimes just change makes a difference.
Sometimes it's just timing. Things lag then there is big jump. Then a lag then jump. And by lag I mean drills/prep for the next thing

Skill acquisition can be like growth spurts. It seems like not much is going on and then boom a lot happens.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I think it's the coach / athlete relationship that is key.

It's the coach that's great for your kid.

Mine has had a new coach for the last year. Her bestie has quit the group as she doesn't get along with the coach, mine is loving her.

 

[Gymmom0403]

We made a gym switch last year from a coach that has no idea what composition for a level 9 routine was to a very competent and awesome coach. My kid went from doing a tusk pike to a yurchekno layout in less than 6 months. And upped average on same event. I think a huge part is the relationship her coach had with each kid on the team. Even with it being her first year at the gym he knew what worked for her.

Of course we are now in a coach change situation so things are kinda in the air but I'm confident the owner will settle for nothjng but a great coach for the team

 

[4schnoodle]

And it goes both ways. A poor coach can put out the fire in a child, or even worse can cause lifelong injury to the child if their knowledge is not up to par with the work they are teaching.

Exactly this!!

 

[thefellowsmom]

I agree with what everyone has said about fit and relationship and philosophy, but please let us not ignore the technical ability of a coach. It absolutely matters with skill acquisition.

An experienced coach who teaches proper technique (no, not all coaches teach proper technique) is essential to good foundation and basics which are the building blocks of upper level gymnastics.

Couple examples.

I didn't realize how amazing my daughter's foundation was until we were forced to leave her coach and move on. Every coach I have come in contact with in the last year (except the one that I would argue has inferior technical skills) has gushed over her basics and stated openly that they would love to coach her any time.

The gym we ended up at apparently doesn't take upper level gymnasts from other gyms very often (learned this from another team parent that was very surprised we were allowed to join the team), except from out of area of course, as it is very hard to start over and redo things correctly. When we showed up it was more like they were selling us on why she would want to choose their program.

This is true of all the other girls that grew up in our gym. They have all found good homes with great coaches who are grateful and excited to have them because of the quality foundation they came with.

Bars coaches. Great quality technical bars coaches are hard to find. I would argue this is why this event tends to be the weakest one across the board. You can see the difference night and day between a group of gymnasts on bars from a gym with a great bar coach and those from a gym with a normal bar coach. Night and day.

My dd has always struggled with tumbling and vault (her old coach was known for bars, beam and basics - those have always been her strengths). Her new gym has amazing coaches on all events, with a team of coaches rather than one coach for everything. Her vault and floor have exploded since we got there.

She went from having a 9.7 start value on vault last season to her vault she is working for this season has a 10.1 start value at level 10. She went from a floor routine with minimal difficulty for tumbling to currently moving a double back, 2.5 twist, front 1.5 and full in to comp surfaces this season.

Does the quality of coaching make a difference, you bet it does!!

I would be very interested to hear what the story behind this question is. If you are questioning the quality of your gyms coaching staff and are wondering whether your child would progress more with a better coach at a better gym then the answer is most likely yes, but depends entirely on your specific circumstances. Good luck!

 

[H.J.]

OP here ... Thanks for this and to everyone else who has responded too.

As some have pointed out, it was kind of a dumb question -- I mean, obviously coaching makes a difference. I think thefellowsmom hit on what I was getting at though -- I'm interested more in the technical capacity/training/ability of a coach. I have a hunch that the coaches DD has had until just recently aren't amazing, but I always wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and figured, hey, they go to coaches' training and study/research drills, mean well, etc. so they surely must know what they're doing, right? That's sort of dumb of me to think that way, but I mean, there is a baseline of what coaches should be able to do and teach, right?? I just figured if DD wasn't getting something, it was basically DD's fault. Now she's changing gyms (due to a move, not due to drama or being unhappy or anything like that) though and I'm wondering what we're in for. The new gym is way higher caliber, and I just wonder if that means the coaches are as well. I just keep wondering ... maybe? Maybe she could do better with better coaching. Again, it seems like stating the obvious, I know. Just curious what others' experiences have been.

 

[Seeker]

OP here ... Thanks for this and to everyone else who has responded too.

As some have pointed out, it was kind of a dumb question -- I mean, obviously coaching makes a difference. I think thefellowsmom hit on what I was getting at though -- I'm interested more in the technical capacity/training/ability of a coach. I have a hunch that the coaches DD has had until just recently aren't amazing, but I always wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and figured, hey, they go to coaches' training and study/research drills, mean well, etc. so they surely must know what they're doing, right? That's sort of dumb of me to think that way, but I mean, there is a baseline of what coaches should be able to do and teach, right?? I just figured if DD wasn't getting something, it was basically DD's fault. Now she's changing gyms (due to a move, not due to drama or being unhappy or anything like that) though and I'm wondering what we're in for. The new gym is way higher caliber, and I just wonder if that means the coaches are as well. I just keep wondering ... maybe? Maybe she could do better with better coaching. Again, it seems like stating the obvious, I know. Just curious what others' experiences have been.

Give it a month and see what you think. Successful gyms generally have a well structured program as well as a good number of coaches. Not all of them will be excellent, but they're successful for a reason. I'll be curious to see what you think after she gets settled in.

 

[H.J.]

OP again -- maybe my underlying question really is this:

What accounts for "good coaching?" Not so much in terms of communication and inter/intra personal dynamics or in terms of knowing how to motivate/encourage, but more in terms of what it takes to truly be able to teach a skill? For example, if Coach A and Coach B both have "learned" how to teach giants, what differences might there be that would explain why Coach A seems to be able to help kids learn them better than Coach B? All things being equal regarding getting along with the kid they're coaching, being a good communicator, etc.

 

[gymbeam]

From my experience at two different gyms, I noticed that one crucial characteristic of a great upper level coach is sometimes more than just knowing what to do, but also knowing when.

You know how some people can cook certain dishes really well, but struggle to get everything done at the same time so everything is warm and ready to be served together? (I have that problem but my mother on the other hand is the master of pulling off huge gourmet meals that are timed perfectly.)

Likewise, some coaches don't have the expertise to do that well. They aren't as good as at knowing when to break down skills and uptrain the elements so that when it's time to put it all together and polish a skill it's ready at the right time. The ability of excellent coaches to look into the future, plan training schedules and individualize for each athlete it is a special talent, in my opinion. I feel like that part of it can't always be taught in a workshop. It has to come from experience and just an innate understanding of the sport.

 

[John]

I'd like to touch on the program aspect. DD changed gyms recently. The new coaches are hands on corrections, I like. But where is see the most difference is the program itself. It's a very fine tuned machine. Everyone including the girls and the boys knows exactly how to drill and how to CONDITION. DD is much stronger after a little more than two month's, it's freaky strong. While at then old gym, which did amazing things for her, the entire body was not conditioned. You got stronger only by drilling skills.

Guess the point is will she be a better gymnast when she is three times stronger and more fit than a year ago.?

 

[LJL07]

Can coaching really make a big difference in skill acquisition/development? Are some really that much better than others?? Anyone get a new coach and things started clicking in a way that you can really attribute mostly to coaching skill?

Oh my gosh, yes. We've got some very talented kids around here, but our coaching/gym choices are extremely limited. Huge difference between girls in this state versus girls in other states with experienced coaches/gyms.

 

[Gymmom0824]

Yes absolutely! The coaches at my DD gym are all different and I see a difference in coaching styles and my DD progress. Some are more rigid and some are more fun yet also rigid which makes my DD more comfortable and therefore does better.

 

[Annikins]

Massive difference. In our case dd1 had a coach who was perfectly competent when he was interested in the gymnast, but had gymnasts in his group he literally completely ignored...thus little or no progress made by those gymnasts. Coach's personality and enthusiasm counts for a lot.