Category: psychology

NCAA Coaches Well-Being Study

In Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, being a full-time NCAA coach is just about the best job in the world.

KJ Kindler makes about $555,000+ / year, for example.

I doubt she’d leave NCAA coaching for any other job. 😀

A study published January 2023 looks at how NCAA coaches are supporting student-athletes … while also caring for their own mental health.

What impact do changes in recruiting and roster management during the pandemic have on their jobs?

What support is desired by coaches to help them navigate the challenges they and the athletes on their teams face?

Over 6,000 head and assistant coaches across all three NCAA divisions answered a short survey …

2023res_ncaa-coach-well-beingsurveyreportDownload

Kim Bui autobiography

The legend — Kim Bui — represented Germany from 2004 until the 2022 European Championships in Munich. Three Olympics. Six World Championships. Always a fan favourite.

Though reluctant at first to write a career retrospective, she decided to go ahead hoping that sharing her story will help others.

“The hardest chapter to write was the one on eating disorders,” she said. “I had never talked about it until then. …”

Kim Bui on her battle with bulimia: “I want to say that you… are not alone”

teaching kids to be independent

An important post from Wendy Bruce Martin:

As sports parents, we would do anything to protect our athletes. We want to take away their sorrow, we want to give them the answers they need, we want to protect them from pain. We want to ride in our our white horses and be their saviors. We want to fight their battles, remove their enemies, and provide a life a happiness. For if they are happy, then we parents must be doing our jobs.

When we rescue them, what are we really teaching them? If we always come to their rescue when they are hurting, sad, embarrassed, angry, or suffering, we are only teaching them that we will solve their problems, we will save them. We are teaching them they aren’t strong enough to think and fight on their own and we must think and fight for them. …

What happens when we aren’t there? …

You Don’t Need Me…You Got This: Teach your Athlete to Rescue Themselves.

sad gymnast

Beam Queen Bootcamp

Brilliant.

A lot of kids struggle with Beam. SMART coaching strategy is to dedicate a fun Camp to that apparatus.

Details on BeamQueenBootcamp.com.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

British Gymnastics – ‘Leap Without Limits’

Building on their Reform ’25 progress, British Gymnastics wants to put positive experiences for ALL at the heart of the sport.

The Vision at a glance:

  • A significant step towards delivering genuine lasting and positive change in gymnastics
  • Puts positive experiences at the heart of the sport
  • A united approach across all home nations, shaped by the gymnastics community
  • Recognises benefits gymnastics can provide for individuals, communities and society
  • New vision has received backing from within and beyond gymnastics

Details

Teens need motivation ➙ e.g. Sport

I’ve always felt the average teen competitive gymnast is psychologically safer — on average — than their classmates.

Spending 20+ hours a week on a sport or activity has risks. BUT staying home scrolling TikTok and other social media may be even more damaging.

The Gym is one place in a teen’s life where profanity is rare. Structure is clear. Rules in place.

The culture of a Gymnastics club is far healthier — on average — than school or the mall.

Sadly, this is increasingly true in the USA according to a new study.

Of course this is even more true of teens identifying as — or confused about — being LGBQ+. One American political party is targeting those young people for attack.

Bottom line for coaches and all adults is to be patient and supportive of teenagers. It’s a difficult time of life for many.

LOUD NCAA competitions

If you are going to Utah, LSU and some other venues in 2023 — it‘s going to be loud. You might not be able to hear your Floor music, for example.

West Virginia head coach Jason Butts:

“I have this obnoxious crowd noise music. It’s got Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and then I mixed in some smooth jazz just to really get on [the team’s] nerves. We blared it as loud as it could go in the gym to get them ready,” Butts explained …

Carlee Nelson:

… I hate that music, but thank you for doing that to me,” Butts recalled with a laugh. “I think the prep worked.” …

Unconventional Methods Prepared West Virginia for LSU Environment

Carly Dockendorf coaching Beam

Click through for a terrific interview.

Ironically, the first must-have on Utah associate head coach Carly Dockendorf’s checklist of essentials for a Red Rocks beam worker is something she didn’t possess as an athlete herself: a love for the apparatus.

“To be honest, I was terrible at beam as a gymnast,” admitted Dockendorf. “It was my worst event. …

… last season their beam NQS was the highest in the NCAA on any apparatus—a feat they’re in the process of repeating with their 49.670 leading the nation currently. …

Behind the Scenes of Utah’s Beam Dynasty

This photo is from a 2020 post on College Gym News – Dockendorf Brings Unique Experience to Utah and Coaching

Fighting Illini for Mental Health

Team is dedicating the 2023 season to promoting mental health. Some problems can be helped by having some kind of support group.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.