Category: planning

“Sport Education and Consulting”

This week Ken Miller and his wife Bertina Hsu-Miller stopped by Bermuda Gymnastics Association to give staff a quick introduction to their mission:

We do not teach the sport: rather we teach children how to do the sport.

The passion of Sport Education and Consulting is to teach and inspire coaches by improving their delivery skills and knowledge so they can maximize their positive impact on children’s lives.

Ken and Bertina reviewed pedagogy. Teaching and learning. We all agreed that talking at kids is not the most effective way to communicate. 😀

To learn more check their website:

totalgamesource.com

The Millers were on holiday, actually. Thanks for making the time to visit. 

parent run Gymnastics clubs

At the 50th anniversary party for my Gymnastics club in Canada I gave a short speech / slideshow. I’d spent 23 seasons at the Gym, some of my happiest years.

At the end — wanting to see another 50 years of success — I recommended the Parents Board of Directors sell the program to an owner. In general, non-profit parent run clubs are less effectively managed than by owners.

On the other hand, non-profit clubs rarely go out of business. They have proven revenue. Existing customers. They should be able to cut costs and return to a break even budget.

Sadly, parent run Stampede City Gymnastics in Calgary, Canada just locked their doors. An attempt to sell the club fell through.

This was the Gym that produced 2004 Olympian Kylie Stone.

Watch a TV news report on the closing. They weren’t able to pay their bills.

Some of the parents are still trying to save the club.

advice for Gymnastics coaches

… as a coach, I strive to have a lighthearted training environment that is serious when needed.

Time for bars? The athlete should think hard about their turn right before they go, as they execute skills, and concentrate to the best of their abilities. Between turns, it’s okay to have a laugh at the chalk bucket, especially if their next turn isn’t coming for a little while.

I also continually stress to my kids quality over quantity — the deal is, we do fewer routines and less conditioning if what they do is executed well. If not, we continue to stay on those skills or continue conditioning until it is done properly.

Not only does this kind of mindset build respect in the athlete-coach relationship, but it also gives the kids some empowerment …

A Letter To Gymnastics Coaches

Nick Ruddock interview

Amanda Turner:

Ruddock served as junior national coach for the British women’s team from 2010-14. In the team competition at the Junior European championships, the British women rose from fifth in 2010, to fourth in 2012 and then to second in 2014, placing behind gold medalist Russia and ahead of Romania. The team also won five more individual medals that year in historic success: the all-around bronze and vault gold for Ellie Downie, floor exercise gold for Catherine Lyons, floor silver and vault bronze for Amy Tinkler.

He then spent a year as personal coach to Durham’s Amy Tinkler, the 2015 British national champion who helped Britain win a team bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and then captured the bronze medal on floor at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

IG: You’ve said that most coaches focus too much on the technical side, instead of what you have called the big picture of “happy/healthy/hungry to learn.” How did this idea come to you?

NR: … Coaches now have access to every single drill and exercise ever used, so these no longer form part of a competitive advantage for people. It’s now the application of this knowledge, the standards and crucially; the delivery of the content that is the “difference that makes the difference.”

Soft skills such as communication, emotional intelligence and relationship management should be at the core of a coach’s skill set, but I don’t know too many coaches who sign up for online courses or workshops in these areas. They’re not as glamorous, but will have a far greater effect on their performance.

NR: … I sought the very best mentors early on in my coaching whom I owe an awful lot to, notably Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong, and Valeri Liukin, who all took me under their wing, and continue to guide me. The Fongs have created a truly remarkable environment, one which I have never seen emulated elsewhere …

read more …

IG Online Interview: Nick Ruddock (Great Britain)

Nick just launched a coaching group called his Inner Circle. Those who sign up will have personal access for resources and advice.

related – GymCon 2018 – June 24th in the UK

Uchimura training in Australia

After his injury at Worlds, Kohei was feeling down.

But scenery and warm weather in Australia helped him get training effectively again.

Here’s a rare insight into how the GOAT thinks, plans and trains. Kohei feels he needs more difficulty. He’s shown training Richards on P Bars and (scary) Bretschneider.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.