Coaches Year Long Plan

[hawaii_gymnast]

I am trying to work to create a year long plan for my competitive group (approximately L4-L6), it's my first time coaching competitive and honestly don't know where exactly to start.
I want to create sort of a timeline of what I should work on: new skills, perfecting skills, half routines, full routines, heavier conditioning and flexibility etc.
The girls train 12 hours a week, 3 times of 4 hours each from September through June, there is some training now but they are with a different coach and I am helping out to get experience.
Competition season is January-May, with the majority of the meets running February-April.
The big meets of the season for these girls is a qualification to provincials (mid-March) and Provincials (mid-April), the rest of the meets are just invitationals.
Any help you have, suggestions of weeks to do each phase or your own yearly plan would be very helpful.
Thanks so much!

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I was going to post about this topic too. I have three competitive teams and I'm starting to make year long plans for them.

The first group goes 6 hours a week (3 times, 2 hours at time) and they are all born in 2005. They have competed one season in level B (could be compared to level 3 in US).

The second group goes 9 hours a week (4 times a week) and they are born in 2001 and 2000. They are going to move up to level D which is comparable to (new) levels 4 and 5 in US.

And the last group consists of girls born 2001-1998 and they are all moving up to optionals. They go 12,5 hours a week (5 x 2,5 hours)

So I have my hands full of work... We have competitions from February to May but only 4-5 total so I find it difficult to separate the year into shorter sections. But I'm planning to break fall season into six three weeks pieces:

1: Conditioning and working on basics
2: Getting the skills needed for the competition level, cleaning them up, conditioning / making up the routines for optionals
3: Learning the choreographies (optionals) and adding dance (compulsories)
4: Intensive routine work and pressure sets, no hard conditioning
5: Keeping up with the routines, also some uptraining
6: Uptraining and some fun stuff, conditioning a lot

I haven't made a plan for the spring yet.

I would also love to hear about other peoples plans!

 

[katvernay]

I literally was JUST about to start a thread to ask about how people plan their lessons for their competitive groups. My (new) level 5s are finally starting to make some significant progress, so it's time for me to start changing up what has been our daily practice routine and do some new things to keep them progressing. I feel like I know so many different drills and progressions, but I'm not so sure how to incorporate them into practice.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Just wanted to share a website I found that breaks down the year into phases and gives lots of information
Annual Training Program

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Three pieces of advice I can give you is plan as a group but coach the individual. (in other words, if a plan hinders a child then break from the plan). Next, Longer bar rotations, 50 minutes to an hour each day. Start every bar rotation with basics, (set bar warm up, set number of drop kips, set number of kip casts). lastly, Strap bar every day. Don't have one? get Two.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Three pieces of advice I can give you is plan as a group but coach the individual. (in other words, if a plan hinders a child then break from the plan). Next, Longer bar rotations, 50 minutes to an hour each day. Start every bar rotation with basics, (set bar warm up, set number of drop kips, set number of kip casts). lastly, Strap bar every day. Don't have one? get Two.

Thanks, however, not all of this is possible. I get 45 minutes of bars each class. And I am planning to do lots of basics as lots of them need form work. A couple don't have their kip and are not strong enough to do it yet so conditioning will be necessary. We have one strap bar and I have 6 girls so it shouldn't be too bad.
Right now I am really trying to plan out phases of the year. How soon to start half routines, start full routines. How many routines per class. That sort of thing as well as when the conditioning should increase, up training during the season or not, etc.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Thanks, however, not all of this is possible. I get 45 minutes of bars each class. And I am planning to do lots of basics as lots of them need form work. A couple don't have their kip and are not strong enough to do it yet so conditioning will be necessary. We have one strap bar and I have 6 girls so it shouldn't be too bad.
Right now I am really trying to plan out phases of the year. How soon to start half routines, start full routines. How many routines per class. That sort of thing as well as when the conditioning should increase, up training during the season or not, etc.

==
When does your meet season begin? And change the duration of your bar workouts, by having vault either before or after bars, (that way you are with the same group during bars and vault back to back. Then you can shave off 15 minutes of vault and add it onto bars. OR if that is not possible, (not sure why) then when you have them on vault, (whenever they have vault), end vault workout 15 minutes early and go complete your bar warm up and drop kips (no grips needed), leaving you more time to work kip casts and skills during the regular workout.

 

[iwannacoach]

I was never good at planning out any farther than two weeks. The plan went like this..... Work like crazy, see where it got you (from where you started), react to that with a new two week plan of work like crazy, and keep an eye on the calendar so you don't get caught unprepared for competition season.

The only exception was to lean toward extra conditioning and flexibility for the first six weeks of the training year. Skill work?...Sure, but more like intro to drills and exploring skills.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Coachp, the reason I can't change the time of bars rotation is because we are at a small gym and normally have at least 4 classes in at a time, sometimes up to 7. Therefore sticking to a rotation schedule is a must, other groups are coming to the rotation you are on, or there is another group still at your next rotation. I will definitely try to sneak in more bar time depending on the rotation schedule when I get it if there is nobody following me.
Thanks Iwannacoach, that is my concern, that I don't want to leave routines to long. I think I might do bi-weekly plans, plan for 2 weeks then re-evaluate and plan for the next 2.
Meet season beings mid-December, but it's only 1 meet. Majority starts in January. The level to be competed is to be decided in November so all skills must be there by November.

 

[hammy1207]

I'm curious to this as well. This is my second season coaching competitive team and last year was pretty much a wing it year based on my own competitive experience. Now, I'm trying to look at it more in depth. We don't start competing until December (Judges Open) then really competing in January. I'm in charge the the level 3s and 4s (new levels). Here's my general overview of what I'm thinking so far (please, please, please correct and advise me!)...

August/September: Lots of numbers of specific skills and learning routines.
October/November: routine sections and whole routines (adding in conditioning to the routines...ex: Floor with sprints during the tumbling).
December-April: skills, routine sections, and whole routines in numbers. as well as games and such to make the training fun. Such as Round Robin on beam where everyone must stick a skill in a row. As the competitive season progress, I'm planning on implementing some incentives to start practicing/learning new skills (such as 5 quality vaults then you can try half-ons, etc)

Conditioning wise: I think I focus more on extra conditioning now and at the beginning of the season then in moderation through the season. I also integrate conditioning into routine work and stations.

During the season, our workouts are limited to 3 hours a night (Level 3s M-W-F and the Level 4s M-T-Th-F). I try to get all four events in every night, but I only vault the kids 1-2 nights a week (unless it's meet week). I use the extra time that I would spend on vault on bars instead.

 

[CreateMagic]

Coachp, the reason I can't change the time of bars rotation is because we are at a small gym and normally have at least 4 classes in at a time, sometimes up to 7. Therefore sticking to a rotation schedule is a must, other groups are coming to the rotation you are on, or there is another group still at your next rotation. I will definitely try to sneak in more bar time depending on the rotation schedule when I get it if there is nobody following me.
Thanks Iwannacoach, that is my concern, that I don't want to leave routines to long. I think I might do bi-weekly plans, plan for 2 weeks then re-evaluate and plan for the next 2.
Meet season beings mid-December, but it's only 1 meet. Majority starts in January. The level to be competed is to be decided in November so all skills must be there by November.

At the station before bars, try taking the last 10 min to do some conditioning that is bar focused--hollow holds, press handstands... Get some PVC piping and make some very basic "bar" trainers where you can have the girls work on proper cast shaping, leaning over the bars, and some basic bar drills (I used spray paint for plastic and painted mine various colors--the girls love it!). It's not much, but it at least gives you a jump-start for your bar rotation.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

At the station before bars, try taking the last 10 min to do some conditioning that is bar focused--hollow holds, press handstands... Get some PVC piping and make some very basic "bar" trainers where you can have the girls work on proper cast shaping, leaning over the bars, and some basic bar drills (I used spray paint for plastic and painted mine various colors--the girls love it!). It's not much, but it at least gives you a jump-start for your bar rotation.

==
Yes, think OUTSIDE of the box. If you don't have time in a rotation then MAKE time somewhere else and stick to it. Again, use 10 to 15 minutes of vault time to get drop kips and warm up done each day for bars. If you don't have a bar warm up then PM me and I will give you a set warm up to do every day.

 

[Jenny]

==
Yes, think OUTSIDE of the box. If you don't have time in a rotation then MAKE time somewhere else and stick to it. Again, use 10 to 15 minutes of vault time to get drop kips and warm up done each day for bars. If you don't have a bar warm up then PM me and I will give you a set warm up to do every day.

The problem for most people is they don't have the luxury of extra bar time outside their rotation time because another group will be on bars. It is a great idea though to do bar relevant conditioning somewhere else.

You are very fortunate if you have unused bars at any time during practise.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

The problem for most people is they don't have the luxury of extra bar time outside their rotation time because another group will be on bars. It is a great idea though to do bar relevant conditioning somewhere else.

You are very fortunate if you have unused bars at any time during practise.

==
We use the boys P bars and H bars for warmups and bar strength, because we are at capacity.

 

[Jenny]

We do that too ! When there are no boys on them of course! Some good ideas keep them coming.

 

[Nico]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and this is my first reply to a thread.
I'm going to apologize for my poor English for this once, I'm from Belgium.
I hope my English will improve as my coaching will due to this forum

I work a bit like Hammy1207 does.
I divide the season in three phases: physical prep/skill phase, combination phase and competition phase.
Asses the major events for the year and plan your phases around these events.
Only use minor events if they fit the plan, but never compromise for them.

This is what we train in the different phases:
Physical prep/skill phase:
- Essential basics and new skills
- Heavy general conditioning
- Low intensity of elements trained during the season

Combination Phase:
- Work more elements in combinations
- Build up to 1/3 and ½ routines (Some coaches start building from the dismount)
- Increased number of elements per sessions
- More specific strength training
- Train dismounts and landings

Competition phase:
- ½ to full routines
- High number of elements per session
- Very specific strength training based on elements in the routines
- Recovery between sessions!
- Plan mini-competitions at your own gym during (competition training)

This is how we plan our season.
Ask me if you have any questions on this, and let me know how you think about it…

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

Nico, thanks so much.
How many weeks would you say you spend in each phase?
How soon do you start to work full routines before competitions start?

 

[Nico]

I think everything depends on the competition period(s), and thus, on the major events you plan to compeet.
I also think it's possible to have multiple competition phases per year, when the major events aren't close to one another.
I think you should at least train 1 - 2 weeks of 1/2 to full routines, followed by 1 - 2 weeks of routine trainings combined with control competitions at the gym. For big competitions you should try to have a 6 week competition phase, with the competition being the last week of this phase. In this period you could plan a control competition quite early. This focusses the mind of the gymnasts and makes them more realistic about the routine.
Last week or two weeks before the competition, emphasis should be on quality work. Light but very specific, well planned sessions.
After the last competition period there is always some decompression , followed by physical preparation to prepare for next season (typically during summer here). The remaining time would be 'skill phase'.

Input of other trainers would be helpfull, I don't know if this way of planning the year is ideal?

 

[Nicole19]

I plan backwards. Think about when they will move up to the next level (at my gym it is in April). What skills should they have in April? If they should have a back layout in April, what should you work on in March to get that back layout? Same for all the months prior. I do this for every skill or strength requirement they should have.
I start with tons of conditioning and basics and have little easy drills built in so that when we start actually doing harder skills, the girls already are prepared in terms of body shape, muscle memory, etc.