Coaches New Coach.. Any tips?

[Brandon]

So I'm a 16 year old guy, and I've been doing recreational gymnastics for the past 6 years. Recently I got a job offer from my gym. They want me to start 'shadowing' the current coaches this summer and eventually start teaching some of the littler (mom and me, maybe 4-5 year olds) kids. I'm super excited but.. Even more nervous! I tend to be a little socially 'quiet', so I'll need to work on that. But other than that, do you veteran coaches have any advice for a scared coach-to-be?

 

[herrmannt]

My advise would be to be confidant around the kids. If they feel like you don't know what your doing then they and their parents will not respect you. Also if you ever have any questions or don't know what to do ask your boss or another good coach in your gym. Have fun and good luck! Coaching is a very rewarding experience!

 

[GymCoachR2]

As much as you possibly can stay positive. Positive reinforcement works WONDERS especially with kids in littler classes. Praise the one who is sitting quietly waiting for directions, give the one who is working hard a high five etc. I know this sounds small, but it changes the atmosphere of the entire class. Have fun, learn as much as you can from your fellow coaches, always ask questions, and enjoy your time coaching!

 

[tweez94]

I think for rec classes and younger kids it is all about the energy you bring, dead serious you can show up with the most energy a human can possibly have with almost zero coaching ability and still run a successful rec class. At this level it's all about fun, make them laugh, work them hard, and don't do too much explaining just get them rolling. If you and the kids aren't drenched by the end of the hour (or however long) you did something wrong. This is especially true for boys rec classes. In terms of discipline, if you're energy level is high enough the kids spend more time trying to keep up and don't have time to fool around and goof off, however if it is necessary just great them like dogs quite literally (a mean face, stern voice, and when you need to raise it do it quick and move on) then instantly get back to high energy happy coach, you have to almost have no memory, however remember the second you let someone do something the rest are bound to follow, sorry for the huge rant but you'll do fine man

 

[catou]

Welcome in this wonderful world! I think the others summarized it pretty well! So here are my suggestions:
- be confident, or at least look like you are
- don't be shy to ask questions
- Get them as active as possible
- get your hands at spotting... you might spot a cartwheel the wrong side as I did the first time (Good way to tell if the gymnast has stinky feet...). But the more you try, the better you become! You'll have the chance to coach littles ones, so it's easier.
- Talk to the parents. Everybody likes communication
- Be involved, praise, correct, encourage, do high fives, don't be shy to be ridiculous (by that I mean, dance with them, do the chicken as a warm-up with them...). You will soon have a bunch of drawings, school pictures and handmade cards as souvenirs... as well as parents telling you their kid just took the couch as a vaulting table the week-end before.

- Have fun and enjoy it... and in no time you'll see that the coaching monster has alienated your spirit and you just can't escape it. You'll think about drills, ideas, etc. while you're driving, dreaming, showering, eating, studying...

 

[Kiwi]

Congratulations! I am definitely not a veteran coach but I totally understand how you feel! I am also a quiet kind of person, but you don't need to be loud to coach. Be kind and encouraging, give lots of praise, do some fun activities with them and enjoy your relationship with the kids (and the parents if they are there too). Be firm when you need to (I found this hard at first). I must admit at first I was nervous and felt like I didn't know what I was doing! But once you are doing it and you need to sink or swim, you'll get used to it really quickly and it will get a lot easier. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[tweez94]

Agreed completely, you learn real fast when you're face to face with 10 5-7 year old boys roaring and ready to go

 

[GymCoachR2]

Oh, I'm going to add one more thing. When you're looking for stuff to do with kids (when you're shadowing), try finding what gets you the most bang for your buck, so to speak. That is, if you're watching coaches, try to find the drills that make the most drastic impact on a kids gymnastics that are easy to set up. Building a drill repertoire is a life long process, but finding even just a few that work REALLY WELL can be a great goal at first.

 

[Brandon]

Thanks guys, I'll keep all this in mind when I start this summer.

 

[BlairBob]

Before I coached gymnastics, I was very much an introvert. Still am.

But I had to become extroverted for rec and the little kids and it's important to talk to parents.

So I'm an extrovert in regards to the kids and parents but an introvert to most of the coaches, especially if I don't feel like talking to them.

Speech class in college helped too. I did Drama club in HighSchool but was by no means a good actor.

With rec, you have to bring that energy. Not so much for team.

With some boys classes, especially if it's your first or a new group; set the tone. Be the alpha. Drill Sergeant. Especially with those 5-7 year old age groups. By 8 or 9 not so much, but you may have to flash Drill Sergeant if one gets out of line. Especially when you start working with knucklhead young guys from 12-17.

Most girls will love their male coaches, especially in rec. However, some girls from 2-4 are very skiddish around males they don't know. This is like 1 out of every 20 or 50 girls. They will run back to momma, cry and keep their distance until they are about 4 or 5. And there is basically nothing you can do but pawn them off to a female.

One of my mentors, MatthewMiscisin was my boss at Trick's. He really did the goofy and fun but stern coach well (he was also the gym manager). Gymnasticsman.com is his website. His book is great for gymnastics games (which I used a lot more with boys than girls).