I'm telling you guys because my husband has no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to particulars! So after this, he can nod and smile because I got it out elsewhere lol! Needless to say, it will be long!
Everything went really great. Lots of surprises in the way of planning though! I had my 4 hours a week all worked out neatly in 20 minute blocks. Well, they let me know quick things wouldn't work like that! Being almost 5, 5, and 6 I was crazy to think it would work out like that I suppose. 15 minutes is their attention span. During that 15, they are focused and on the ball. A second after and they are the squirrelliest group ever lol. So we drop what we're doing, do something else, and go back if it warrants more effort. It's like a reset button it works so well!
Corrections on form work somewhat, but honestly they don't have a lot of innate care for technicalities. I find I get a lot more out of them by asking them to do the 'prettiest straight leg forward roll ever!' than picking through faults after an attempt. Then explaining as they're doing it or after why it was so pretty and well done. Pretty rules our world! They also are very honest with me and themselves about their best. If I say 'was that really your best?' and it wasn't, they give me sheepish little grins and try again.
I'm really surprised (and grateful!) that they actually take their splits seriously and want work hard at them. Not a peep when we do them, even though they all are about 2 inches off the floor. Most of them have their middles, just left and right to go. They even square their shoulders and hold their arms out with smiles and pretty fingers. They don't wince at conditioning either, I have them do stations in pairs and they have good natured competitions with each other. It's pretty cute. We tried climbing the rope in a straddle today, their heels in my hands and walking their hands up the rope. We spent longer than I wanted to trying it, but they were really into it and it was difficult at first. The record for straight leg straddle attempts was 5 hand walks. I don't know a better word for letting go and grasping the rope higher, so that's what we called it!
We did limbers today, feet elevated on a trapezoid piece and hands on a mat. They were pretty fantastic. They also all got their straight leg forward rolls on the floor today, standing from a pike. We spent awhile learning 'right' and 'left' today. I found they know what leg they hs or cw on, just not if it's left or right lol. They are capable of a lot of basic dance, but they were stumped on that so we played a game to learn it so they could position with confidence rather than guessing. Other than that we did backwards rolls on the beam, straight leg pullovers and casting on bars, handstands and cartwheels. We don't vault yet, still learning how to run, and doing hs flatbacks. They do jump rope backwards on a regulation sized springboard with 3 springs. I also have a station where they jump from a trapezoid piece, springboard, then a straight leg pointed toe straight jump to a mat. They've been very hard workers, I have no complaints!
Speaking of which, I owe Bog for that hard worker star idea. They love it! They also say really nice things to the girl who wins it, it's very sweet. The parents have been fantastic. I did ask them not to do privates for a month while the girls get used to 4 hours a week. After that, they can do what they feel best with whichever coach they want. I know some of them miss their old coach or had long standing privates. I talked to those coaches beforehand and they were totally fine for it, and excited for the girls. So it's been good all around. I did let the parents know that we go all over the gym, and that sometimes it's because the girls are over working on a skill so we go back later. I just didn't want them to think it's a scatterbrained workout rather than not frustrating young gymnasts. They're pumped and understanding, so far so good!
ok my book is done, my husband thanks you I'm sure lol!
Everything went really great. Lots of surprises in the way of planning though! I had my 4 hours a week all worked out neatly in 20 minute blocks. Well, they let me know quick things wouldn't work like that! Being almost 5, 5, and 6 I was crazy to think it would work out like that I suppose. 15 minutes is their attention span. During that 15, they are focused and on the ball. A second after and they are the squirrelliest group ever lol. So we drop what we're doing, do something else, and go back if it warrants more effort. It's like a reset button it works so well!
Corrections on form work somewhat, but honestly they don't have a lot of innate care for technicalities. I find I get a lot more out of them by asking them to do the 'prettiest straight leg forward roll ever!' than picking through faults after an attempt. Then explaining as they're doing it or after why it was so pretty and well done. Pretty rules our world! They also are very honest with me and themselves about their best. If I say 'was that really your best?' and it wasn't, they give me sheepish little grins and try again.
I'm really surprised (and grateful!) that they actually take their splits seriously and want work hard at them. Not a peep when we do them, even though they all are about 2 inches off the floor. Most of them have their middles, just left and right to go. They even square their shoulders and hold their arms out with smiles and pretty fingers. They don't wince at conditioning either, I have them do stations in pairs and they have good natured competitions with each other. It's pretty cute. We tried climbing the rope in a straddle today, their heels in my hands and walking their hands up the rope. We spent longer than I wanted to trying it, but they were really into it and it was difficult at first. The record for straight leg straddle attempts was 5 hand walks. I don't know a better word for letting go and grasping the rope higher, so that's what we called it!
We did limbers today, feet elevated on a trapezoid piece and hands on a mat. They were pretty fantastic. They also all got their straight leg forward rolls on the floor today, standing from a pike. We spent awhile learning 'right' and 'left' today. I found they know what leg they hs or cw on, just not if it's left or right lol. They are capable of a lot of basic dance, but they were stumped on that so we played a game to learn it so they could position with confidence rather than guessing. Other than that we did backwards rolls on the beam, straight leg pullovers and casting on bars, handstands and cartwheels. We don't vault yet, still learning how to run, and doing hs flatbacks. They do jump rope backwards on a regulation sized springboard with 3 springs. I also have a station where they jump from a trapezoid piece, springboard, then a straight leg pointed toe straight jump to a mat. They've been very hard workers, I have no complaints!
Speaking of which, I owe Bog for that hard worker star idea. They love it! They also say really nice things to the girl who wins it, it's very sweet. The parents have been fantastic. I did ask them not to do privates for a month while the girls get used to 4 hours a week. After that, they can do what they feel best with whichever coach they want. I know some of them miss their old coach or had long standing privates. I talked to those coaches beforehand and they were totally fine for it, and excited for the girls. So it's been good all around. I did let the parents know that we go all over the gym, and that sometimes it's because the girls are over working on a skill so we go back later. I just didn't want them to think it's a scatterbrained workout rather than not frustrating young gymnasts. They're pumped and understanding, so far so good!
ok my book is done, my husband thanks you I'm sure lol!
