Coach Mike
Coach
- Feb 23, 2014
- 3
- 0
Hello,
My name is Coach Mike. I'm going to warn you that this post is probably going to be long, and for that I apologize. I wanted to get some insight/advice from other coaches. This is my first post here on this site, but not the first time me looking around for advice/information on other matters.
First off, I am 30 years old, and have been coaching since I was 19 in Southern California. I started coaching working with cheerleaders for tumbling, then moved onto kids doing kinder tots, level 1-3, and then eventually moving to the competitive arena. During this time I was going to school and got my MA in education, with a credential in P.E. I was actually looking for a normal P.E. job when I found a school that had gymnastics/circus classes, so I applied and got hired. I would have loved to continue coaching at my previous gym, but with my wife in school full time for nursing, 20 hours a week coaching and privates wasn't going to cut it, since she was unable to work. This school is a middle/high school that emphasizes performing arts, so they have dance, acting, singing, etc. I'm payed a teachers salary with benefits. This isn't a competition atmosphere, they do this as classes and performing.
My experience at this school has overall been fine so far, but I've hit a wall. The space that I'm working in as my "room/gym" is very poor. I'm in the theater room that has a stage with risers (seats). I would say I have about 12 feet wide by 50 feet long of concrete with cruddy carpet over, then I have the stage which is probably another maybe 16 feet wide by 50 feet, made of wood. I have 9 panel mats total, which I use on the bottom ground portion to cover, stretch, and tumble on top of. I also have 3 cheese mats, 2 back handspring rollers (small/big), 2 smaller crash mats, a spotting block, and some cut up squares of roll out cheer floor (I didn't do this).
What I am here to ask is some advice on how to run my class. I feel kind of stumped on what to do now. Each class has about 20 students, ranging from only knowing how to roll and beginning cartwheels, up to students who can do back handsprings and some tucks(cheer backgrounds). It's usually a ratio of 5 extreme beginners, 13 average, 2 advanced in each class. I usually start the class off with warmups then stretching. I'll give you an example of my warmups today. 2 sets of 1 leg box jumps (30 sec each), 15 nadias, 2 sets of 30 tuck opens, 3 sets of 15 dip push ups, 3 sets of 30 sec hollow body holds, 100 toe risers, 100 crunches. I change my warmups everyday for the students concentrating on different areas, then we do our stretching. After that is where I'm sort of lost. I've tried doing stations with the class for the beginning half of the year, separating them into groups of 3-4 depending on class and room. I usually had stations ranging from running tumbling, to rolls on the cheeses, handstand flat backs on crash mats, standing back bends, etc etc. and then I would have them switch after an few minutes. Problem with this was that I had many students (since this is high school and jr. high) that are lazy and don't put forth alot of effort, or are constantly sitting, and not working. Now I've had my share of turds at my gyms, but not like this, since their parents were paying for the classes, I never had this issue. My gymnasts loved me, and worked hard for me most of the time. Teenagers on the other had at a school look at this different, and I just feel disorganized sometimes.
I've also tried having them line up together, and just work on basic tumbling drills for a period of time, but same thing occurs. overall laziness, some people will try to hide in line and not go, or people will start complaining we are doing the same thing over and over, and not doing enough new stuff. Now as a coach, I know that in order to move onto advanced stuff, the basics should be good, if not mastered in order to achieve the harder skills.
I guess I'd like some ideas on how other coaches would run this type of class in the same atmosphere I'm in, with the same limited resources I have. Next year, I can ask for more equipment, but until then, I'm stuck with what I have. I have 4 periods a day, block scheduled, and each class is 1 hour 30 minutes. I usually give about 15 minutes total time for dressing and and getting mats ready, so 1 hour 15 minutes of actual class time with kids age ranged 13-18, with around 20 per class, mostly female.
I've talked to my team coach at my previous gym to get some insight from her, and showed her pictures of my area, and equipment. She was surprised I can work in an area like this and get the kids to do anything lol. But her advice and drills she gave me were similar to what I was already doing. So I wanted to reach out to the coaching community and get some more insight/advice.
Again, anything would be much appreciated on how you would break down this class in terms of time alotment, and drills you would do, and what you would emphasize working on. If you need any other information about me or my environment please don't hesitate to ask. I took some pictures on my phone, and will upload them later tonight when I get home.
THANK YOU so much for anyone who replies, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
Coach Mike
My name is Coach Mike. I'm going to warn you that this post is probably going to be long, and for that I apologize. I wanted to get some insight/advice from other coaches. This is my first post here on this site, but not the first time me looking around for advice/information on other matters.
First off, I am 30 years old, and have been coaching since I was 19 in Southern California. I started coaching working with cheerleaders for tumbling, then moved onto kids doing kinder tots, level 1-3, and then eventually moving to the competitive arena. During this time I was going to school and got my MA in education, with a credential in P.E. I was actually looking for a normal P.E. job when I found a school that had gymnastics/circus classes, so I applied and got hired. I would have loved to continue coaching at my previous gym, but with my wife in school full time for nursing, 20 hours a week coaching and privates wasn't going to cut it, since she was unable to work. This school is a middle/high school that emphasizes performing arts, so they have dance, acting, singing, etc. I'm payed a teachers salary with benefits. This isn't a competition atmosphere, they do this as classes and performing.
My experience at this school has overall been fine so far, but I've hit a wall. The space that I'm working in as my "room/gym" is very poor. I'm in the theater room that has a stage with risers (seats). I would say I have about 12 feet wide by 50 feet long of concrete with cruddy carpet over, then I have the stage which is probably another maybe 16 feet wide by 50 feet, made of wood. I have 9 panel mats total, which I use on the bottom ground portion to cover, stretch, and tumble on top of. I also have 3 cheese mats, 2 back handspring rollers (small/big), 2 smaller crash mats, a spotting block, and some cut up squares of roll out cheer floor (I didn't do this).
What I am here to ask is some advice on how to run my class. I feel kind of stumped on what to do now. Each class has about 20 students, ranging from only knowing how to roll and beginning cartwheels, up to students who can do back handsprings and some tucks(cheer backgrounds). It's usually a ratio of 5 extreme beginners, 13 average, 2 advanced in each class. I usually start the class off with warmups then stretching. I'll give you an example of my warmups today. 2 sets of 1 leg box jumps (30 sec each), 15 nadias, 2 sets of 30 tuck opens, 3 sets of 15 dip push ups, 3 sets of 30 sec hollow body holds, 100 toe risers, 100 crunches. I change my warmups everyday for the students concentrating on different areas, then we do our stretching. After that is where I'm sort of lost. I've tried doing stations with the class for the beginning half of the year, separating them into groups of 3-4 depending on class and room. I usually had stations ranging from running tumbling, to rolls on the cheeses, handstand flat backs on crash mats, standing back bends, etc etc. and then I would have them switch after an few minutes. Problem with this was that I had many students (since this is high school and jr. high) that are lazy and don't put forth alot of effort, or are constantly sitting, and not working. Now I've had my share of turds at my gyms, but not like this, since their parents were paying for the classes, I never had this issue. My gymnasts loved me, and worked hard for me most of the time. Teenagers on the other had at a school look at this different, and I just feel disorganized sometimes.
I've also tried having them line up together, and just work on basic tumbling drills for a period of time, but same thing occurs. overall laziness, some people will try to hide in line and not go, or people will start complaining we are doing the same thing over and over, and not doing enough new stuff. Now as a coach, I know that in order to move onto advanced stuff, the basics should be good, if not mastered in order to achieve the harder skills.
I guess I'd like some ideas on how other coaches would run this type of class in the same atmosphere I'm in, with the same limited resources I have. Next year, I can ask for more equipment, but until then, I'm stuck with what I have. I have 4 periods a day, block scheduled, and each class is 1 hour 30 minutes. I usually give about 15 minutes total time for dressing and and getting mats ready, so 1 hour 15 minutes of actual class time with kids age ranged 13-18, with around 20 per class, mostly female.
I've talked to my team coach at my previous gym to get some insight from her, and showed her pictures of my area, and equipment. She was surprised I can work in an area like this and get the kids to do anything lol. But her advice and drills she gave me were similar to what I was already doing. So I wanted to reach out to the coaching community and get some more insight/advice.
Again, anything would be much appreciated on how you would break down this class in terms of time alotment, and drills you would do, and what you would emphasize working on. If you need any other information about me or my environment please don't hesitate to ask. I took some pictures on my phone, and will upload them later tonight when I get home.
THANK YOU so much for anyone who replies, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
Coach Mike