I need some suggestions for my group of 9-13 year old girls! Theyre our pre-prep-op group, and they have a whole lot of potential... I just feel like they get bored with what we normally do, and as a result most of them dont stick it out until they get to prep-op/team. I'm very new to coaching, less than two years (I'm 18), but I've been a gymnast since i was 9. This is my first real class that ive been put in charge of. Our recreational classes are very cut and dry. i know exactly what to do and when to do it. With this group i have a lot more freedom but i dont know what to do with it! Theyre a great group of kids and i just want to make sure theyre getting the most out of practice and having fun.
What i normally do on every event is stations. It seems to work well since the gym is pretty crowded during the times they practice. For example, each beam is a different skill, usually one beam is an upper level thing that I have to spot, and the rest they can do on their own. they do each station for 3-4 minutes and then switch to the next one. I would loooove to find some other way of getting them to do all the skills we normally do during practice, but not just having to do stations. it just feels like its repetitive and we always end up doing the same things week after week. Does anyone have any fun games/activities i can do with my girls? Also, suggestions for conditioning games? Keep in mind i dont always have a lot of space. Occasionally ill be able to use the whole floor for conditioning, but most days we have a small space underneath the pit bar and a small area beside it. Also, any suggestions or advice for working with that group/age/skill level of kids would be greatly appreciated. I've been coaching them for awhile, but I could always use an outsiders opinion!
What i normally do on every event is stations. It seems to work well since the gym is pretty crowded during the times they practice. For example, each beam is a different skill, usually one beam is an upper level thing that I have to spot, and the rest they can do on their own. they do each station for 3-4 minutes and then switch to the next one. I would loooove to find some other way of getting them to do all the skills we normally do during practice, but not just having to do stations. it just feels like its repetitive and we always end up doing the same things week after week. Does anyone have any fun games/activities i can do with my girls? Also, suggestions for conditioning games? Keep in mind i dont always have a lot of space. Occasionally ill be able to use the whole floor for conditioning, but most days we have a small space underneath the pit bar and a small area beside it. Also, any suggestions or advice for working with that group/age/skill level of kids would be greatly appreciated. I've been coaching them for awhile, but I could always use an outsiders opinion!