Coaches Starting to coach optional gymnasts

[pihlajat]

Oh wow, I'm still a little bit confused about yesterday. It was my first day coaching optional level gymnasts (the first optional level in here). I have absolutely no experience about that level because I'm new in this gym and earlier I coached (and did gymnastics by myself) in a different gym with no optional gymnasts at all. You may think why on earth the head coach gave me this team. The answer is that there was absolutely no-one else who could have taken them because the coach of that team left abroad after christmas holidays. She will be back in 4-6 months. At first I said NO WAY when I was asked to take that group, then the head coach and another coach kept asking and made me believe I could handle it well... So I finally said yes but I insisted that they must help and educate me if I ask for it.

I also coach rec classes, pre-team and one compulsory team (partly).

Well, I was SO nervous about meeting the optional girls. I thought they would hate me because I'm not as professional as their former coach. But on the contrary they were so nice, understanding and lovely, absolutely great kids! Before meeting them I also worried about how will I handle girls that age (11-15) because I have never coached kids that old, but it kind of came naturally after the first few minutes. We laughed a lot together and I certainly felt I was wanted and approved. I'm pretty sure I will learn a lot from them in 6 months and I hope they'll learn something too

At first I was very unsure to spot and advise them on those higher level skills (back handsprings and front tucks on beam, flyaways and giants on bars...) but they said it's okay and they let me practice spotting as much I liked... So everything went better than I had hoped!

I REALLY wait for meeting them again! This made me to want to educate myself even more.

You all experienced coaches here, do you have any words of wisdom to say to me?

 

[coachcasie]

Fake it til you make it!

 

[gymdog]

I guess it wasn't your choice, but it's unwise for the head coach to put you in the position with no prior experience in the middle of meet season. Will they pay for you to do any of the USAG online courses or go to a clinic?

 

[bogwoppit]

Well congratulations first of all. Best advice is try to find a way to coach with experienced coaches, ones who produce great looking gymnasts. Watch videos, there are some awesome ones on youtube. Read and ask questions often. Focus on learning the body shapes that make great skills and learn about safe spotting.

 

[pihlajat]

Yeah I know it was a bit unwise for the head coach to do that, but like I said there was ABSOLUTELY no one else willing to coach them (mostly because that change happened in the middle of the year and the most experienced coaches already have their hands full of work). The competition season doesn't start until April because of the routines changed (like every fourth year here) just now. So their own coach may be back before their competition season starts. And there is also one another coach who doesn't live here but visits town pretty often on weekends and she also coaches that group maybe 4-6 practices a month. I have participated every single coaching course available in my country except those step II courses that are very expensive and mostly afforded for those very high level coaches. Finland is a small country and there is not too much coaching clinics / courses here.

I do have watched A LOT youtube videos lately and they have educated me more than anything else. Sometimes it's a bit funny that I don't know correct terms for skills in Finnish, only in English!

 

[Valentin]

Best advice i can give you is (by the way boys or girls? )
1- education, there is a lot of info on the internet, youtube especially. And watching, assisting the head coach that usually means self initiative
2- do not be afraid to tell the kids you dont know, but you will find out, and follow through with that.
3- 90% of corrections are keep butt muscles squeezed, shoulders to ears, tight legs, pointed toes, and chest in... do not try to correct every turn, look for patterns to correct, allows you time to understand the problem.

Be patient, do not do what you are uncomfortable with, it will scare you annd the gymnast. Keeo us posted on progress

 

[pihlajat]

Hi again!

A short report:

I have now coached them four sessions and we are doing just fine! I like the girls a lot! I have told them very clearly that I'm still learning and I need to get used to spot those harder skills etc. I have always spotted the smallest 12-year-old girl first until "I get it". The girls have also told me how they were spotted earlier by their former coach and that has been really helpful.

I enjoy coaching them because they are already so mature and they already know how things are supposed to go in gym. I don't have to deal with behavior issues like I have to do with the younger kids etc...

Actually one of the older girls asked me if I'm going to keep coaching them after their own coach returns. I said I don't know yet and she almost begged me to stay with them They have also said that they like the conditioning stuff I make up because it's not boring anymore like it used to be earlier. I have used many hours planning and making those conditioning programs up and I try to do my best making them interesting, fun and effective to this group. I'm so happy they like me and I like them!

 

[Valentin]

Thats fantastic, keep it up