Aero
Coach
- Jan 1, 2014
- 836
- 2,153
Hello everyone. I've been teaching gymnastics at a recreational level for four years and I've really fallen in love with it. I wanted to really coach a team, as I think it would be the best way to challenge myself and really take my job to the next level. A good number of my rec kids have gone on to team, and I've been thanked on multiple occasions by parents for bringing their kids to a more serious level in the sport, so I know I've got to be doing something right.
Anyways, I talked to the club owner with the idea of starting an Xcel team and he agreed. I'm always studying the sport on my own time, and I have tons and tons of knowledge on drills for skills, biomechanics, progressions, strength and flexibility conditioning, and even a bit of sports psychology. The only thing I don't have is experience coaching a team. I know it's very different from teaching a recreational class, but I think I have everything else on lock. It's the idea of having studied as much as I can, and now all that's left is to take the first real step and actually go through with it.
Here are some things I have questions about:
1. Pricing/costs for the parents
2. How often practices should occur and how long (I'm thinking twice a week, at three hours each)
3. When it comes time to learn routines, would I need a choreographer?
4. How similar are Xcel competitions compared to JO competitions?
5. How do I learn to set the apparatus for each level?
There's also one more big question. Eventually, my ultimate goal is to teach a full USAG Junior Olympic team. When the time comes, can I convert my Xcel team into a JO team. Both programs are part of USAG, so how much mobility is there. Also, is there an official code of points for Xcel?
Any help, advice, or anecdotes from personal experience would be very valued. I figured Xcel would be a great way to get my feet wet in a competitive program without overwhelming myself, and I already have a couple girls who are interested in joining, with others still that I'd like to invite. I've just never went through this process before, so any help would be excellent. Thanks.
Anyways, I talked to the club owner with the idea of starting an Xcel team and he agreed. I'm always studying the sport on my own time, and I have tons and tons of knowledge on drills for skills, biomechanics, progressions, strength and flexibility conditioning, and even a bit of sports psychology. The only thing I don't have is experience coaching a team. I know it's very different from teaching a recreational class, but I think I have everything else on lock. It's the idea of having studied as much as I can, and now all that's left is to take the first real step and actually go through with it.
Here are some things I have questions about:
1. Pricing/costs for the parents
2. How often practices should occur and how long (I'm thinking twice a week, at three hours each)
3. When it comes time to learn routines, would I need a choreographer?
4. How similar are Xcel competitions compared to JO competitions?
5. How do I learn to set the apparatus for each level?
There's also one more big question. Eventually, my ultimate goal is to teach a full USAG Junior Olympic team. When the time comes, can I convert my Xcel team into a JO team. Both programs are part of USAG, so how much mobility is there. Also, is there an official code of points for Xcel?
Any help, advice, or anecdotes from personal experience would be very valued. I figured Xcel would be a great way to get my feet wet in a competitive program without overwhelming myself, and I already have a couple girls who are interested in joining, with others still that I'd like to invite. I've just never went through this process before, so any help would be excellent. Thanks.