Coaching Style: Tough or Negative?

[tiffela74]

Originally Posted by Hopes

You sound like a great coach. I'd like to caution that many coaches aren't like you. Most HATE hearing from parents and often take it out on the kids.

Thank you. I love what I do.

I do think though, that most coaches are more along the lines Im on. Ive been doing this for more than 20yrs, everything from mommy and me, up through high levels of comp. team and the overwhelming majority of coaches Ive known, coached with and coached for would much rather have a parent approach them out of class time, and voice any concerns they have. Coaching might just look like we're out there playing with the kids, or hollering at em sometimes, but theres a LOT to it. And we always have to be on guard not only for helping these kids grow into the best gymnast they can be, but doing it safely. Keeping them from injury best we can, keeping them challenged, interested, but not overwhelmed. And always, having to be aware of how we handle these little girls in leotards. I myself had an upset parent call the police and CSD on me, saying i was abusing his daughter! His reasoning? His daughter was mad at me and also sore the next morning, because she had gotten extra conditioning from me because she chose to ignore me and put herself and one of her teammates in a dangerous position. After I had told her not to do precisly what she did anyhow. So, dad came in, saw his child stomp out of the gym, glaring at me, then heard the earful about how mean and unfair I was, then of course, played up the full hilt of her sore muscles the next morning. So, he called down the forces on me. Believe me, I would rather he had taken the time to come and talk to me.
I know, long story, but i just really want to say from a coaches point of view, and believe me, we talk about stuff like this in everyting from clinics to during meet sessions, most coaches would prefer the parents come to them in a non-hostile way of course, then to have a parent pull a child from the gym, and even more, to start spreading the word as "dont take your child to such and such gym, their coaches are MEAN!" yipes!

[AusParent]

Originally Posted by tiffela74

Thank you. I love what I do.

Assuming you have a student who is earnest, how would you handle it if she/he:

- Struggled
- Sometimes regressed on a skill
- Sometimes was afraid to try a new skill

[tiffela74]

Originally Posted by AusParent

Assuming you have a student who is earnest, how would you handle it if she/he:

- Struggled
- Sometimes regressed on a skill
- Sometimes was afraid to try a new skill

Well, a lot depends on the skill, but whats worked for my girls, has been
lots of positive re-enforcement, tell them what they ARE doing right, if need be, I'll take em back a progression. Or go back to spotting them through it several more times until they get the feel of the move. Often times, a video camera will work wonders. Take a kip for example. Say you have a little gymnast struggling with the kip, take it back to glides first, then to a dip or jump drill, then spotting it. Then get that camera out, video them w/a spot, showing correct technique, and follow through, then, tape them doing it, review it together, showing the gymnast what changes have to be made. Video taping is a great tool!
Kids get scared to try something new. thats where its so important your gymnast trusts you as a coach! When my kiddos are scared, I ask them "Do you trust me to do all I can to keep you safe? ....Do you think I would ask you to do this if I didnt have full confidence that you CAN do it?" Then i point out "this is why we did this drill to lead up to this, can you see how it fits?" have them explain how it does. , spot them until they feel the flow of the skill. and again, progressions, progressions, progressions.
Gymnastics is a roller coaster, kids will regress on skills on occasion. Part of the way to deal with that, is to not make a big deal out of it. Just "Oh, okay, so we need to go back a step, no biggie, lets go over this drill again."
I am all for positive feed back and pointing out personal achievements. The more excited and confident you can get a child, the more improvement you'll see. Dont overdo it to where its ridiculous, but when improvement is made, especially with a kiddo thats struggling, point it out. One thing I love to do, is after a meet, we all sit down, and each gymnast gets to say what they are most proud of from themselves at that meet, and it can NOT be a score. Then I tell them what I thought they made the most improvement on, or point out something they struggled wth that they got right (or closer) this time. (whats awesome, is their teammates always chime in excitedly what they think their teammate did better at too) Kids want to be recognized for what they've done. Who doesnt? Same thing applies all the way back to the rec classes. Tell the child "Oh my gosh! I saw your toes point right up to the ceiling so many times today when you were working on your handstands!, I know it was hard for you to get your feet all the way up. Looks like all the work you did, practicing them against the wall is finally paying off!" Or " You made your bridge kick over today! All those sit ups helped your stomach get so strong to help pull your legs over when you do that great big kick!" stuff like that.
A lot has to do too, with their age. For example, my daughter was 5 when she got her round off backhandsprings. Teaching those to her was a whole different world then when I teach the local high school cheerleaders how to do them. The progressions were the same, the drills basically the same, taped them both, but on actually how I spoke to them, totally different. Star charts and stickers dont work so well on HS kids. lol
point out what they have learned, that they stuggled with before. I do that a lot w/my daughter too. When shes having a hard time w/a new move, we'll reminisce, about a move she struggled with before. "oh...I was just remembering how hard you thought cartwheels were on the high beam when you first were trying them. We had to stay on the lower beams for a lot of cartwheels! But you worked and worked on them, and now you think they're easy! Do you remember being scared of them, and thinking you'd never get them right? I bet you feel just like that now with this move...." that usually leads into a discussion about working towards a goal and the steps we take to get there....
anyhow, Id better close this novel. I hope it helped answer some of your question....if you want some help more specifically, please feel free to PM me. Good luck!

[misstucson]

This explains the difference between teaching and coaching. And it adds some affirmation. There are now two assistant coaches working with DD. She says their style is identical, only "one gets mean". Apparently, the feedback they give is corrective and rarely encouraging or affirmational. So they come across as critical and unfriendly. But they are both new to coaching. They probably don't realize that kids need encouragement. Heck, even big kids like it occasionally.