MAG Private lessons

[3riverselite]

At my gym most of the kids have a private at some point during every season. They are usually to work on a specific skill, clean up routines if they are struggling to qualify for States, clean up routines for a big meet.

There are a handful of kids who do them regularly. These kids just seem to need extra time in the gym for whatever reason. Sometimes it is for anxiety issues, or their particular level isn't in many hours (mostly Xcel kids), or they just need more individual attention. I don't think the privates necessarily make them more successful than the kids who only have a few. It comes down to each child.

 

[Popcorn]

I agree with 3riverselite. If kids with private lessons were usually more successful than kids with no private lessons, they would be far more common. Private lessons do not necessarily equal more success. In fact, in our area anyway, the most successful kids (I speak only for MAG) have zero private lessons.

 

[DefiniteMaybe]

It just totally depends. Factors include coaching quality and gymnast talent/desire/ability etc. if the kid wants to do them, and he/she has access to a good coach, I've seen privates be very beneficial over time. If the kid wants to move faster than his/her program is allowing him/her to move, or if he/she just wants some extra time to clean up a skill or routine to get those few extra tenths that will help them place at a meet, why not?

 

[Debbie Liby]

My ds does privates, with a coach that has a full time job that has him traveling quite a bit. The reasoning we have for his privates is he was held back this year on L5 due to the unknown changes coming and for him to be part of a team. Because of that, the coaches found that he was getting bored and decided they needed to work on L6 skills with him. (He already had all the L5 bonuses). It has kept him energized and happy. Otherwise, privates at our gym only if the coach feels the need.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

No privates here, but sometimes when a lot of kids from other training groups, about 1 level higher, have a lot of kids who won't come during holidays , we get invited to train with them. A different coach then my current coach and always fun to work on new things for the next level

 

[CoachTodd]

1. Privates can be helpful
2. I would refrain from doing them every week
3. If a coach approaches the parent to offer a private, I think it should be free. I have a problem with coaches soliciting private lessons.
4. 1 hour is more than long enough to spend working during a private.

May coaches' bread and butter are the private lessons they do under the table. I know of one that would clear 3,4, or even $500 in a week tax free. They would even tell new coaches how much they could make via privates. That is why I have a negative opinion of coaches telling parents their kids need private lesson.

 

[gracyomalley]

first gym DD trained at had privates occ. If coach felt they would be helpful she would suggest and usually offer free or 2 for the price of one. These helped DD when she was working on moving up midseason or stuck on a skill. She did them when she was the only L5 moving up to L6 (old system) mid season and mastered the skills there. She also tried a couple with her next gym when she first moved over because their training system and equipment was so much different - unfortunately in that environment the skills she could/would do in privates didn't translate to the large group, chaotic setting well...but in general they could help with fears of specific issues on skills.

I do think that if an athlete has specific needs that differ from the group enough that it may take time away from the group, that's a good reason for a private - ie future stars training for one kid, needing to work through a difficult personal issue, trying to "score out" of a level so needing 2 sets of routines, etc...

My boys have never needed/had privates - although when my older boy was one of only 2 upper level boys and the gym only offered 16 hours a week, he and the other boy did "privates" occ to just get more time in with coaches full attention. In general their men's coach is able to manage all the boys at once and now address their needs in practice, even with L4-L10 in one setting with one coach (sometimes an assistant for the littles). Of course, its still only max 14 boys...much different from girls.

I will argue, however, that the "top" girls at my boys gym ALL do lots of privates and that is where they get one on one attention with the experienced coaches. Often weekly privates. It really shows...

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I had a post about this awhile back, but I can't seem to find it. Anyway, the best way I can give my thoughts on private lessons is by comparing them to power up items in an RPG video game.

In an RPG, sometimes you conquer a boss or clear a dungeon or obtain an item that quickly and dramatically propels you forward in the game. But sometimes, in order to prepare for such a task, you need to grind for awhile; that is, you battle wave after wave of easy enemies and repeatedly perform easy tasks, just to gain the numbers and experience necessary for the bigger quests.
In conquering major quest objectives, strategic use of the right power-ups can be the difference between success and failure. But if you're just grinding for exp, the effect of these power-ups is negligible.

Gymnastics progress is similar; sometimes you'll do something new that propels you dramatically forward and unlocks new doors on a particular event. Sometimes, however, you just have to grind out a thousand more tap swings, or a thousand more roundoffs, or a thousand more front handsprings.
Private lessons are like power-ups. If you're facing a major threshold, an important new skill, etc, a private lesson or two can make a huge difference. But if you're in a grinding phase, your bang-to-buck ratio for private lessons will be pretty low, and they generally aren't worth it.