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Good form doesn't happen overnight, especially when kids do big skills. Some kids it comes naturally, but most it does not and alot of times it is harder to teach form than it is to teach skills. I have a couple different approaches when teaching form, and I am definitely a technique coach more...

FORWARD ROLLS FORWARD ROLLS FORWARD ROLLS! Reiterate the "rolling" action because that is essentially what a front tuck is. A forward roll in the air.

I actually experimented with a new idea for leaps on beam last night and it worked WONDERFULLY! Take bean bags and have the kids put them on their heads. If they drop the bean bag they cannot count that repetition. Then I had them do 7 of each: 1. Step Kick on Toes 2. Dip Kick on Toes 3. Dip...

Visualization can be a huge help in these situations. Some kids will not take it seriously, but if they do it can be a big help. If they can't shut their eyes and envision themselves doing the skill perfectly, then they will run into problems. Mental training takes practice just like physical...

Thanks for all the comments and advice :)

Thanks for your reply! It was definitely helpful. I like that last sentence as that's kind of what I have been trying to avoid. I have a degree in Sports Science and am a Level 9 Rated judge and come from a gym that is more successful (competition wise) so I feel like one of the owners who...

That is always a tough issue, especially when the child is actually overweight. I have had a child ask me that one time and had been teased about it at school. It definitely caught me off guard, I told her that those kids were probably just jealous of all the awesome muscles she has from being...

I have vaguely brought up some of my concerns to the owners but haven't formally brought them up. I have mentioned that I had done things differently but I didn't tell them that I disagree with their ways. I do not want to offend them or act like I am trying to step on their shoes and I feel...

From my experience, if it is a team kid, is to make sure first of all that they are not endangering themselves. If they are not paying attention and it is resulting in them doing very dangerous things then an intervention is necessary, either make them sit out or have a talk with them or make...

Hi Everybody, I having a slight conundrum. I recently relocated for school. The past 5 years I was a head coach of compulsories, but now that I have moved and am at a new gym I no longer hold that role. It is something that I wanted because I needed more time to focus on my schoolwork...

Hi There, I have a level 5 gymnast who is 9 years old, working towards level 6. She was a great level 5, frequently placing top 3 in all-around at competitions. She has been working level 6 skills even through the level 5 meet season and was starting to really understand the concepts...

Hi! I coach levels 5 and 6 at my gym and most of my level 5s are small and younger, but I have 3 level 6's. One is almost 13 and the other two are going to be freshman in high school next year. All 3 have decent clear hips but my ultimate goal for them is handstand and I think they have the...

I don't think anybody has the same views on how to deal with flexibility. I have been coaching for 5 years and have a degree in Sports Science and the most important thing with dealing with flexibility is patience. It can take 6 months to a year to be able to see much of an improvement. I...

Start back at square one. Do some dead cows.. (let go and do a flat black to a soft cheese) with a spot until you are very used to letting go of the bar. You won't have to worry about hitting your feet here because you won't flip. Then move on to doing a backwards roll immediately after you land...

Hi! This is my second year coaching level 5 and 6 and I absolutely love it...but I've had some problems with parents and other coaches even. I just turned 20 years old so I'm very young and I'm also the type of person that tries to make everyone happy and everyone knows it. I've been getting...

Thanks for your suggestions. I will definitely try some of those hints. It would be much easier if I had less than 24 kids! ! ahhh. The hardest part is finding attention for them all. :(

Hi there, I coach level 5 and 6 and I have a girl who is really struggling with a few skills from the transition to level 6. She was my best level 5, the only thing she really struggled with was the front-handspring on floor because her back is not flexible at all. She was able to make it...

A big problem I have seen with teaching my level 5's their dismounts is that they like to wait till the last minute to turn. They should begin the turn directly as they are tapping by using their hips. The hips and core are the center point of the body, if the gymnast can get their hips to turn...

As a head level 5/6 coach I completely agree with you Geoffery. I have had such a hard time transitioning the level 4's to a handspring vault. You need hardly any power to do the level 4 vault so a heel drive is completely foreign concept to them. I have a lot of kids get stuck on top of the...

Hi Everyone! I am the head level 5/6 coach at my gym and this is my first year as head coach. I have almost 20 girls practicing at once and many of them were moved up before they were ready. It was not my decision to move these girls up because they had already been told they were moving up...