Coaches Frustration with kids not making changes/paying attention

[Katrinagymcoach]

I have recently been working with a group of level fours( welll training fours) They are all missing atleast one or two skills and will not be FOurs untill they get all their skills. Here is my problem they seem to not be making changes when told... we can work on one skil For example levering zaction into and out of handstands and they will do it for 20 minutes not making changes they will just stand around untill i tell them to get busy.. Its almost like they don't care and it's very frustarting to me.
They would all be competting three at any other gym but our gym owner wants me to just work with them to get the needed skills then they can move to level four team. I think they would get bored with not moving onto new skills untill they perfect their old ones...but they don't seem to. I am at my witts end with them any advice. I know they know what I am asking them to do they just are not making the changes

 

[bogwoppit]

What has worked well in our gym is each gymmie having a small binder. In it are her goals, written by her. The skills she has well, the skills she has to improve. A page for getting new skills and for big improvements. Also monthly evaluations of strength and conditioning and photos of some of the skills. At the eand of each week one gymmie in the group is given a certificate for working the hardest and at the end of the month a small gift is given to the gymmie of the month.

It really makes the girls want to improve and also gives the caoch and parents a place to see how things are going along. Sometimes some positive reward can make small children more motivated to work on improving skills they already have.

Good luck, it sounds like you have your hands full.

 

[peace.love.gymnast]

I usually write the necessary skills on a piece of poster board with the names of all the students. When they consistently have a skill correctly, they are given a star sticker to put by their name under the accomplished skill. The poster is also hung out in the gym so they can see it anytime they wish. It seems to work because they all see how many stars others have so it's incentive for them to work a little harder. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Katrinagymcoach]

thamks we have a star chart maybe we will try notebooks next ... I also have 9-12 kids on four regular size beams so that is part of the problem...The owner won't make it smaller she says that is the reason she makes money lol

 

[gotgym]

I have 21 level 4s usually split between 2 coaches on 2 different events.
I use a reward certificate and a white dry erase board for beam. Each time one of the girls makes a correction or does something well she puts her name on the board. As the beam rotation continues I yell give yourself a tally point that was great! Each corrections or accomplished move or skill earns a tally. By the end of the rotation we count them up(your name counts as 1) and I give the certicate that says BEAM QUEEN and the date to the one with the most points.. This in itself has encourage them to make corrections and has my older girls higher levels asking if they can play the BEAM QUEEN GAME

 

[lannamavity]

I have recently been working with a group of level fours( welll training fours) They are all missing atleast one or two skills and will not be FOurs untill they get all their skills. Here is my problem they seem to not be making changes when told... we can work on one skil For example levering zaction into and out of handstands and they will do it for 20 minutes not making changes they will just stand around untill i tell them to get busy.. Its almost like they don't care and it's very frustarting to me.
They would all be competting three at any other gym but our gym owner wants me to just work with them to get the needed skills then they can move to level four team. I think they would get bored with not moving onto new skills untill they perfect their old ones...but they don't seem to. I am at my witts end with them any advice. I know they know what I am asking them to do they just are not making the changes

I know where you are coming from. Nothing is more frustrating than a group of kids who say that they want to compete at a specific level, and then show no interest in doing what it takes to compete that level, even if you tell them what they need to do over, and over, and over.

While it's frustrating, sometimes the best thing to do is reduce the difficulty level and raise the expectation. It sounds like you are trying that with the "levering action", but sometimes it has to go back even further to stretching before the lever, or pointing feet while seated. Sometimes treating an athlete with reduced expectations can snap them into the reality that they aren't working up to their level.

The other thing I use...which must be used very carefully...is that the expectation is set out there, and the ones who do it get positive reinforcement, and the ones who don't get encouraged, but don't move on. As long as the expectation is well within everyone's ability, there shouldn't be any complaints about "fairness." I would make the expectation the minimum for a Level 4 to start.

I also subscribe to "all or nothing" coaching at times...especially when the expectation is very reasonable. Things like walking across the floor in releve with arms side-middle. If ONE Level 4 doesn't do it...the whole group goes back and starts over...and I usually don't even have to point out who didn't follow directions...the kids know. As long as you are calm and patient, they will get the point. Obviously, the kid who messes up feels pressure from the other kids to make corrections. I have had parents complain that this is not "fair", but the truth is, that if these kids are going to compete as Level 4s, their teammates and all of the other kids at the meet will be pushing them to make corrections while competeing against them...or they don't get any medals, team or otherwise. It's the same concept, just in a more simple, direct form. It is called competitive gymnastics, and they need to understand that there is a minimum expectation for a Level 4.

Just stick to your expectations, but be as patient and positive as you can be. Smile and say "start over" or "try again", and let them suffer the consequences (never move on/never compete) when they don't make corrections.

Good luck!

 

[catou]

I had this kind of problem, especially with one of my gymnast in the last weeks. She was working, but clearly not to her maximal capacities, as if she was doing it only because I was asking her to do it. It was so frustrating, cause I knew she could do so much better. I talked to her, told her that if she wanted it, she could be really good... Tried mostly the same strategies as the one mentionned earlier... but it didn't help much. So I talked with her parents. They told me the same thing was happening at school. They had also seen some changes at home. They are really nice and also tought that if you come to the gym, it's to give your 100%. They had a good discussion at home with her and what a change the following day... she's working hard again. I usually try to talk to the gymnast first, prefer to talk to the parents only if I can't see a change. I know some parents push their child way too much and I don't really know how my gymnast's parents are, as they can't watch their children at our gym... so I prefer not to encourage that. But sometimes parents can help, they have more information on the current situation outside the gym and if they say to the kid the same thing as you do, it can really help, especially if the problem is with one particular kid.