WAG Normal coaching or bad instruction??

[Flossyduck]

I have to admit that I have from time to time encouraged my dd to ask her coach about something. When she is getting frustrated with something she tells me about it, of course she does, she's 8 and I'm her mum. I can't help her with the gymnastics, I'm not a coach. I know when her coach tells her to adjust something she will always do it if she understands. I also know that when her coach tells to to do something she doesn't understand she will still nod and not question it. For example (a while back now): she gets in the car and tells me her vault went badly, again. I asked her what her coach told her to do and she said 'drive your heels more'. Do you understand what that means? I asked. 'no idea' was the response. So after a few sessions of this I told her she must tell her coach that she doesn't really know what 'drive your heels' means and could they try and show her or tell her again. She did and got quite a bit of help, which made an immediate improvement. If I had gone wading into the gym and asked the coach myself to explain it, or if I had tried to explain it to her myself, that would have been getting too involved. But to my mind, telling you 8 year old that it's ok to ask the coach to explain something in a different way is fine. I would do the same if she was struggling with something at school. Because my dd was a late starter I sometimes think she's still catching up on terminology and basics coaches might expect her to have because of her skill level.

 

[Kiwi]

My best preschool moment came about when I told a 3yo to put her hands on the floor to get ready to for a forward roll and nothing happened. I gotta say that this went on two days a week for 3 weeks, when she blurts out "I can't... it's all carpet.... all carpet..... so I can't put my hands down. In that moment I learned more about coaching than I had the entire past year, because I really understood that it's not what you say that counts, it what they think you're saying that really counts.

Priceless!

I also know that when her coach tells to to do something she doesn't understand she will still nod and not question it. For example (a while back now): she gets in the car and tells me her vault went badly, again. I asked her what her coach told her to do and she said 'drive your heels more'. Do you understand what that means? I asked. 'no idea' was the response.

This sounds just like my DD, although I think she is slowly getting better about asking.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

Love the stories glad to hear you all have either had gymnasts or kids that also have been in the, I hear your words but still don't know what you are saying, phase I think I have seen the zombie phase too, my daughter looks attentive and nods and can even repeat what was said but than....clearly she didnt understand. She is a good I am getting what your saying faker. I think that throws people. Plus she does get it a lot of the time but not with this skill not this time. There is a ton of importance in getting this skill it's a move up or stay back skill so I hope she can figure this one out. In the mean time I am just the transportation and cheerleader

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Originally Posted by iwannacoach
My best preschool moment came about when I told a 3yo to put her hands on the floor to get ready to for a forward roll and nothing happened. I gotta say that this went on two days a week for 3 weeks, when she blurts out "I can't... it's all carpet.... all carpet..... so I can't put my hands down. In that moment I learned more about coaching than I had the entire past year, because I really understood that it's not what you say that counts, it what they think you're saying that really counts.

Priceless!
This sounds just like my DD, although I think she is slowly getting better about asking.

in the same vein, years ago i had a 4 year old boy in support on a low bar that was lowered all the way down. his elbows were bent. i asked him to straighten his arms...so what does he do?

he raised his arms over his head straight as pins and yelled "ta da" and instantly fell off the bar forward where i panic spotted and lowered him to the crash pad.

suffice, i never again told a child that age to straighten their arms without me having my hands on them.

 

[Flossyduck]

^^^^ that has had me chuckling for about five minutes. It so sounds like my little lad I can see him doing it clear as day. And with a grin wide as you like

 

[iwannacoach]

in the same vein, years ago i had a 4 year old boy in support on a low bar that was lowered all the way down. his elbows were bent. i asked him to straighten his arms...so what does he do?

he raised his arms over his head straight as pins and yelled "ta da" and instantly fell off the bar forward where i panic spotted and lowered him to the crash pad.

suffice, i never again told a child that age to straighten their arms without me having my hands on them.

Be careful for what you wish, as a 4yo just may grant it.

Hey dunno, I'm just wondering if you remember, to this day, that kids name. I still remember my 3yo's name, and that was 28 years ago. Just imagine, she's about 31 years old as we speak, and just possibly has a 3yo of her own confounding her this very moment!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes, Steve was his name. and he went on to great fame in our sport.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I remember going to my dd's parent teacher conferences expecting them to be great, as she had had a wonderful 3rd grade year. Imagine my surprise when her teachers said "your dd has the unique ability to completely look like she knows exactly what to do, how to do it, etc - yet really not have a clue." So yes, even at age 12 now I have to help her find the right words sometimes to say to her coach so they know exactly what she needs help with.

 

[wallflower]

If she is a little one, telling her what she is doing may be of limited value. This is why you basically have to "shape" them by hand spotting.

Their eyes may just glaze over when you say some things.

I wish more coaches understood this. My DD is very much the type that understands very little by being told HOW to do something, but she picks up on things very quick when she is spotted a few times. She is 8 and training level 8 so most of the kids are older than her. It may partly be her learning style, but I think it is mostly her age. She understands so little of what they say. Especially when they use words she doesn't know. I'll never forget last year when her new coach was getting so frustrated with her because he wanted her to cast to "vertical". He kept saying no that was 45, cast to vertical. No you aren't listening, was that vertical? She had no clue what 45 or vertical meant, but was too shy to ask. I had to tell her vertical is handstand. She was like why didn't he just say handstand?

This is an ongoing problem with her. She just needs a few touches sometimes and less words.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I have to admit that I have from time to time encouraged my dd to ask her coach about something. When she is getting frustrated with something she tells me about it, of course she does, she's 8 and I'm her mum. I can't help her with the gymnastics, I'm not a coach. I know when her coach tells her to adjust something she will always do it if she understands. I also know that when her coach tells to to do something she doesn't understand she will still nod and not question it. For example (a while back now): she gets in the car and tells me her vault went badly, again. I asked her what her coach told her to do and she said 'drive your heels more'. Do you understand what that means? I asked. 'no idea' was the response. So after a few sessions of this I told her she must tell her coach that she doesn't really know what 'drive your heels' means and could they try and show her or tell her again. She did and got quite a bit of help, which made an immediate improvement. If I had gone wading into the gym and asked the coach myself to explain it, or if I had tried to explain it to her myself, that would have been getting too involved. But to my mind, telling you 8 year old that it's ok to ask the coach to explain something in a different way is fine. I would do the same if she was struggling with something at school. Because my dd was a late starter I sometimes think she's still catching up on terminology and basics coaches might expect her to have because of her skill level.

Yes! Parents, one of the best ways you can help your child's gymnastics journey is to teach them to speak up and ask questions when they don't understand. The old saying "give a man a fish you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime" comes to mind. If you help your kid interpret the corrections their coach has given them on a skill, you only help your child with that particular skill on that particular day. If you help your kid learn to speak up and ask the coach when they don't understand a correction, you will help your child establish a line of communication with their coach that will benefit both gymnast and coach throughout their journey in gymnastics.

 

[Squirt'sDad]

Their eyes may just glaze over when you say some things.

Ain't that the truth!!!

I saw that in my DD a lot. She is better now about speaking up if she does not understand.

 

[level9mom]

Do the coaches use the "Coaches Eye" app for IPad? Ours use it and its helpful for the gymnast to see their movements in slow motion.


Every awful story begins with "we were on beam and..."

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

in the same vein, years ago i had a 4 year old boy in support on a low bar that was lowered all the way down. his elbows were bent. i asked him to straighten his arms...so what does he do?

he raised his arms over his head straight as pins and yelled "ta da" and instantly fell off the bar forward where i panic spotted and lowered him to the crash pad.

This seems to be very common with little kids. Nick Blanton had a really neat little video on 'effective communication' and this was the demonstration he used. I can't find it anymore