WAG Is this normal

[Haismom]

Ok first let me say we have only been in gymnastics a few years have been the 3 gyms in as many states. Here at our new gym I have found something that was not happening in any of the other gyms and just wondered how unique the situation is...
My daughters coach, and several of the other coaches just graduated college, so they are young... And they tend to demonstrate ALOT. I mean throwing BWO, FWO, BHS, demoing the vault, beam, even bars... I have never seen this before, at our old gyms they would use a child who had the skill, or would spot them to demo the skill...
Just wondering pros, cons, thought...

My dd loves it, it makes her realize that her coach really is/was a gymnast...

 

[coach1234]

We try to make sure that our coaches no matter how good of a gymnast they were/are do not demonstrate, the reason for this being you cannot see your own form/shapes meaning you might be doing it wrong and they gymnasts will think it's how your supposed to do it because it's how you did it. We always try to get the coaches to use another gymnast so you can explain shapes and put the gymnast in the correct shape if doing it wrong. They younger coaches that have just finished their gymnastics career or are currently still doing gymnastics say they find it very hard not to demonstrate but they try their hardest to use other gymnasts in the group or around the gym

 

[Flossyduck]

Thank you coach1234 for explaining that. It's interesting.

We have ex-gymnasts coaching at our gym too and I never see them demonstrate, other than dancing through floor routines with the girls sometimes when they are learning them. They use one of the other girls in the group or occasionally call someone across from a higher group to illustrate what drills are aiming at.

I actually never gave it a second thought, or maybe briefly wondered if they ever still do a bit of gym when their group isn't around, but that makes perfect sense.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

My youngest dds coach does the same thing, but the weird thing is her coach is a guy, so he'll just randomly get on beam and show the girls the leaps, or on bars and show the skills in bars, one thing he does all the time is he'll just throw standing tucks in the gym, if could be on floor or even beam. No other competitive coaches do it though, but I do know the rec coaches do demonstrate but most if not all the coaches were or still are competing and dds gym is really big on form even in the rec level. I do now that the girls find it hilarious when he gets up the beam and does one of there routines or bars and does one if there bar routines, one time he actually did one of the girls floor routines.

 

[profmom]

DS's coach usually teaches by actively spotting the skills to get the boys into the correct shapes, but occasionally he will demo something if they all seem to be screwing it up in the same way. If they are not doing something right, he will sometimes show them what they are doing wrong and how they should do it right.

One of the other coaches almost always picks someone to demo a drill, and the one picked feels like a boss. Both he and DS's coach sometimes will haul in one of the older boys from across the gym to show a skill or drill. DS is now at the point where occasionally he's the one who gets hauled over to show something to the L4s.

 

[munchkin3]

We have one Ex circus guy who throws stuff (himself) with the rec groups more to show off and show them what is possible. They do not repeat!

The team coaches never throw skills. Although, the other day one of the coaches did her floor routine AFTER her shift. It was truly amazing, and the girls were in awe.
I think my DD will take her corrections a bit more to heart now.

 

[x98peterson]

It doesn't happen often at our gym that they will do a skill, sometimes they are just joking around and will throw a back tuck, but it isn't to "show" them a skill, more out of being bored or a "dare" from the kids. Then I see them all laughing. But our coaches are older. The younger coaches just out of gymnastics- NEVER. My daughter has a few hr break between gym and cheer and she told me they use her to demo sometimes. She loves it.

 

[gymdog]

Wow, I'm young and I'm way to lazy to do all that. And I would never demonstrate a FWO/BWO because it takes too much warmup. But I'm not naturally hyper mobile, maybe it's different for those people.

Kids demonstrate in my class, the exception being three year old classes because it's too hard to direct that and because it's just a forward roll down the wedge. That said occasionally there are things where it really works better for a small person to demonstrate it so then I have to have a kid do it. Even in 4 year old class the kids show it.

On team if it is new I get an older girl.

Actually a couple months ago I did a front hip circle, but that was in a contest with the kids, not by way of demonstration.

 

[dynamicduo]

Our male coach will usually do handstand holds and press ups with the girls and they love it! Especially when one of my dds holds her handstand longer! He sometimes does standing back tucks when they are working on that skill too, but thats about it! It's fun to see and I know all the girls love it when he is "training" along with them, especially during conditioning!!

 

[profmom]

If anyone complains too much about splits on the boys' team, DS's coach will bust his out. They are still all the way down.

Sometimes he challenges them all to do something and if they all do it, he has to do 20 pushups but if they don't, they have to do the pushups. They love this game.

 

[Haismom]

I just wasn't used to seeing, coaching demo-ing BHS and vaults but my DD seems to love it, they were working on swinging and re gripping on the bar over the pit, and my DD has now challenged her coach to see if she can pull a giant, I guess we will see at practice... She told DD she would tell her if she was going to do it if she was on time at practice tonight..

 

[MILgymFAM]

Our coaches will demonstrate for rec occasionally, and will throw skills for the team girls sometimes just to prove they can, in a joking way. They often do the conditioning along with the girls. The gym owner, an elderly woman, can often be heard yelling "no excuses! I am an old lady- if I can do it you can too" during planks and hollow holds. Ha ha. The girls love it. Most of our coaches still compete in the adult category of USAIGC. I don't know much about that, but have seen their routines in exhibitions. Def makes the kids respect their corrections more.

 

[ShesAMonkey]

I don't usually see coaches demonstrating anything. Coach1234's answer is a good one--now I know why our coaches generally don't do it. I guess last week one of the younger coaches challenged the girls to a handstand contest--but that's a little different.

The funniest thing, though, was seeing one of our male coaches doing one of the compulsory girls' floor routines, along with lots of extra flair. lol. It was hilarious--he was totally goofing around and hamming it up.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I had a male coach who could do a better switch split leap than me. I had trouble getting 180 but he had no problem!

 

[htimcj]

Our coaches don't demonstrate themselves either but our HC still competes tumbling at the elite level and practices before or after our practices. The stuff she does is INSANE. The whole gym stops to watch. The girls REALLY REALLY listen when HC gives corrections on tumbling

 

[Aero]

We try to make sure that our coaches no matter how good of a gymnast they were/are do not demonstrate, the reason for this being you cannot see your own form/shapes meaning you might be doing it wrong and they gymnasts will think it's how your supposed to do it because it's how you did it. We always try to get the coaches to use another gymnast so you can explain shapes and put the gymnast in the correct shape if doing it wrong. They younger coaches that have just finished their gymnastics career or are currently still doing gymnastics say they find it very hard not to demonstrate but they try their hardest to use other gymnasts in the group or around the gym

While I can totally see your point and agree with you, I think it is actually a huge benefit if a coach, male or female, can demonstrate a skill if needed, and sometimes, even if it's not needed. As others have stated above me, it makes the girls/boys appreciate their coach on another level. And let's say the coach truly has a paragon example of a standing back tuck, they should demonstrate it if needed. I would say if the coach has a pretty sub par example of an overgrip giant swing, for example, they should not demonstrate it because it may give the athletes the wrong idea. But I think if a coach has some skills mastered, they should demonstrate them. Absolutely.

 

[iwannacoach]

I doubt it does any good, and likely won't ruin a child's chances of progressing if they should see the wrong technique or poor form. Honestly, they've mentally demo-ed any skill they can imagine themselves learning in the next 6-12 months, and no matter what you show them they'll first try the skill their way. Demo until you're blue in the face because you have to them the skill no matter how many times they see it.

As far as showing them skills to prove ability as a coach is concerned..... well they'd probably be happier with a coach who can teach the skill than do the skill. A demo with details is fine as long as the details get their attention.

Lot's of luck, to those who demo, when it comes time to demo a full-in or double layout.....

All in all I'd say a few demo's every few days is a non factor, and doing more is wasting time.

 

[gracyomalley]

I have a just turned 14 year old male gymnast - standing tucks are like hiccups - he can't stop doing them - and yes, its partly to show off...I think the male coaches might not completely grow out of that!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i demo all the time. almost every night in my dreams!

 

[wgagym]

Our coaches demo all our stations at the lower rec level and preschool level for sure if they are able. Occasionally our coaches will through a standing back tuck or a tumbling pass and the kids love it. I think it does remind them and the parents that these coaches were actually gymnasts as well.

I think it helps the younger/ newer students understand what they are suppose to do. I am a visual learner and I teach that way as well.