Rick McCharles
This post is for the 14 coaches who spent a weekend with me at Dynamyx in St. Albert at a Level 2 Technical Women’s Artistic coaching course. Here are links to some of the many things we covered:
Themes
Fun, Fitness, Fundamentals – but FUN is most important
have more FUN at Gymnastics – powerpoint video
Fun competition – Mountain Shadows video
We want to keep girls participating in our sport through high school
Gymnastics is the best, easiest way to improve fitness
Gymnastics is not complex
Safety
We spend as much time, money and energy keeping kids SAFE as any sport
Avoid dumb “traumatic” injuries
Be alert to potential “overuse” injuries
Australia 2007 – avoiding overuse injuries (video)
Progressions
There are many ways to learn any skill
We want to use the safest, most enjoyable drills
Use mats and trampoline devices to train “high reps, less stress”
For example, TumblTrak tumbling “Air Floorâ€
Understand -> Teach model
A recommended approach to teaching every skill
Ideal models
Simplified biomechanics (DMPs)
Look at needed body actions when assigning specific conditioning
G.S. George: Amplitude, Segmentation, Closure, Peaking
Physical preparation
Most important are Strength and Flexibility improvement
Use the most effective safe conditioning drills
Overload
Progressive Resistance
Specificity
Recovery
Isometrically train important body “shapes” (i.e. handstand variations)
Most coaches spend too little time on “planche“
Important is “half press”
Keep strength training as FUN as possible
Cross training is great for the psychology of your program
Strength training
Lower body, Core body, Upper body
Individual and Partner conditioning
Personalize the program as much as possible
Change about half the drills each month
Progressively increase resistance
Schedule “Hard” days and “Medium” days
Best are exercises to the point where the muscles are “shaking” (near failure)
Monitor progress closely
Physical Ability testing programs (e.g. LEAP) are excellent, but don’t discourage children with too much emphasis on the results
Plyometric training is excellent
Flexibility training
The two Olympians from Alberta were very inflexible
Flexibility is trainable, but not as easily as strength
Passive and Active exercises
PNF works — but the improvement is short lived
Dynamic stretching is excellent, but be safe
Serious stretching for flexibility improvement is done at the end of the workout
Monitor progress closely (photos are good)
Tumbling
Good handstand is prerequiste
Physical preparation
Basics: Handsprings (fwd & bwd), Round-off, Somersaults (fwd & bwd)
Focus on excellent handsprings and round-off, advanced skills will come easily
Teach forward skills before backward skills
Teach flyspring before handspring
Headspring and Dive roll are good, often neglected drills
By far the most important phase of backward handspring is the “trust fall” before bending the knees
Evaluate backward handspring by looking at the position of the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders on takeoff
Teach backward handspring on a downhill slope
Use a sponge between the feet
Train on trampoline or “springy” mats
Bars
Use many drills not requiring spotting
Use many drills “easy” on the hands (minimize rips)
Use many drills on the floor bar
An excellent set-up is a mini-tramp under a low bar
Beware the most dangerous skill in gymnastics – Squat on jump to high bar
Teach “regrasp†on a bar
Teach kids how to “fall” safely from a bar through games & contests
Two kids of bar skills: 1) swings, 2) releasing the bar from swing
Be very cautious teaching backward flyaway. Minimize the chance of hitting feet on the bars
More information on flyaways
Safety straps are faster, safer and easier for introducing new skills
More information on safety straps
Kip is more difficult than giant, be very patient
Free hip is easy to introduce out of double back hip circle
Sole circle skills are easier than free hip, and have good potential for the future
Straddle up handstand is far easier than straight body
That is just a starting point coaches. Click on the CATEGORY topics in the right hand navigation for more information on Tumbling, or Bars, or Physical Preparation, or Biomechanics ….
OK, you may not want to click on Biomechanics.
: )
Email me via the EMAIL US link the top of any page if you have questions.
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