… in order to go fast in the development of a gymnast, we need to go SLOW. Coaches need to make the athletes and parents understand that Gymnastics is a long term sport, especially if seeking to reach a high level of competition. Strong basics and fundamentals are key to the success of any athlete in any sport.
The tap swings(on Uneven Bars) are a perfect example of something we need to take a LONG time on. It doesn’t matter if a gymnast already has the correct body shape in the transfer between the hollow-arch-hollow….. it needs to be repeated many times so it can be strengthen and “recorded” in the brain. …
In Canada we have a mandatory 4 stage coach education system imposed by the Coaching Association of Canada:
Level 1 = Recreational
Level 2 = Competitive Basics
Level 3 = National Competitive
Level 4 = International Competitive
The Level 4 in Artistic Gymnastics is a 4-week program running over 2-years. Coaches must qualify to be invited. It costs money and time out of the gym.
Despite minor flaws, I much prefer what we have in Canada as compared with the hodge-podge of coaching education options in the USA.
Here’s the basic curriculum:
Required Courses:
Diploma Practicum
NCI coaches work within the high performance stream with athletes on a regular basis.
Energy Systems
Physical Preparation
Nutrition
Recovery and Regeneration
Mental Preparation for Coaches
Mental Preparation for Athletes
Program Design
The systematic integration and sequencing of training and competition activities within a comprehensive sport program; planning and periodization models; major and minor peaks to produce optimal athletic performance; volume and intensity of training; recovery.
Athlete Long-Term Development
Leadership and Ethics
Course work is also required in the following areas:
* Coach Effectiveness
* Coaching Philosophy
* New Technologies
Optional Courses
Sport-Specific Performance Factors
Environmental Factors and Performance
Biomechanical Analysis of Advanced Skills
The Business of Coaching
Canadian Sport System
Develop an understanding of the Canadian sport system and the role of the coach within that system.
Yup. It’s best English language gymnastics book available, in my opinion, succinctly explaining the movement pattern approach of principle author Keith Russell.
The 3-ring binder format allows you to add your own coaching resources.
The Coaching Level 2 and 3 manuals are also recommended though they have weak chapters and have not been revised in many years.
E-mail Gymnastics Canada for current prices as their website shop is “under development”. (Actually it’s been under development for months. Or years. … Don’t hold your breath.)
Far more than 100,000 copies of the Canadian Level 1 have been published making it, I believe, the biggest selling gymnastics coaching manual of all-time. You may find a copy in your local library.
Ruschkin Publishing is currently working on a major revision. I’ve seen drafts. It looks great.
Level 1 = Recreational
