For Coaches Best Coaching Resources

[coachmolly]

I was a gymnast for years and have lived and breathed gymnastics for over 12 years. I did not have the opportunity to begin coaching until about October and currently coach beginners up to level 5 and occasionally help out with some level 7/8s. I've gained quite a bit of hands on experience to combine with what I knew from my days as a gymnast, but I feel that I have plenty of room to improve. So I was wondering, are there any really good coaching resources out there that you would highly recommend? Any websites, books, videos, articles, etc. would be great. I really want to be the best coach possible for the girls I work with and be able to take them up to higher levels, eventually being able to focus on option levels. I'm finishing up my semester in a few days and would like to spend the summer reading up on drills, skill progressions, conditioning programs, and all of that fun stuff so I would really appreciate any input. Thanks so much!

 

[Valentin]

Hi coachmolly

Your gymnasts are lucky to have a coach like yourself. The internet has heaps! of information on what you are looking for the problem is that its not in one place, thus I dont think i can say there is any one best resource.

I personally also want/wanted to find such resources so i have spent considerable time collecting them through various means, in the process i started a gymnastics website called
The Gym Press, which publishes at the moment a gymnastics coaching journal aimed at provide such a resource. Go to Gym Coach Journal Archive
From there i would say go visit Gym Smarts. There you will find lots of good coaching videos some are not so good, however most are pretty decent.

I have to go now, but i will come back to add more to the post.

 

[Valentin]

Continuing from above, there are also some other great coaching resources sites
If you are from the US (also if you are not but it costs way to much) go to USECA and check out their video club. There you will find a mountain of great coaching videos. (if you are a current or past member of the video club, please contact me if you are interested in trading videos). Sadly if you are not a member it costs a bit to join, however 75% of the material there is worth the money.

Of course there is a heaps of great information on these forums
Drills&Skills
GymWorld
OlympicBodies
Here

If you are in Britain you should have access to the British Gymnastics Coaching Library however if you are not you can register an account for $75 pound (which is just as expensive as the USECA video club memebership, well for me it is). They have some good literature on the site. If anything i recommed that you got to Gymnastics Express and check out their ABGC Training Materials. I highly recommend getting the all the booklets, they are reallllllly worth the money.

I am near future i hope to also offer coaching videos from clinics and such that i have attended (and hopefully from others) on TheGymPress.net but i am still working on that.

I hope that is helpfull.

 

[eeyoretumbles]

Hello! I suggest you go to this website :Insight Gymnastics

It's one of my old coaches. He has all videos up, and he breaks down the basics in short clips [not long and boring] with good tips. They definetly work, he came to coach me and I instantly improved. He's my favorite coach, and the videos really help show posistions and everything!

 

[marie83]

ditto everything that valentin said... the ABGC training materials have been invaluable for me!
Also I rent DVDs from lovefilm.com and in the past have rented various gymnastics coaching DVDs like this one Beginning Gymnastics For Girls - Skills And Progressions DVD: Amazon.co.uk: Beginning Gymnastics for Girls: DVD Some of them are good, others aren't so good, but they all have something valuable to say.
There are also 3 DVDs that British gymnastics sell by Charles Minster - Gymnastics Skills with Christine Still, Key Skills in Advanced Gymnastics with Paul Hall and Dance for Gymnastics with Daniela Nanova. VERY good if you can afford them at £101 for all 3!