WAG What do you think makes a good coach?

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It seems like there is a lot of negative talk about coaches in gymnastics. This made me wonder what qualities do you think make a good gymnastics coach? If you wanted to get to the Olympics what would you look for in a coach?
 
I don't know about getting to the Olympics, but I do have thoughts about what makes a good coach. Some things I feel are important:

  • Focusing on the needs of the athlete, rather than their own ego. Taking time to develop the gymnast without trying to rush through levels because it looks impressive.
  • Willingness to continue learning and developing as a coach. IMO a good coach doesn't rely on old methods just because, "This was the way I was coached, so it must be right!". I think an open mind and willingness to learn new methods are crucial.
  • The awareness that not every kid learns the same way or is motivated by the same things. The ability to try and reach kids through different techniques.
  • Solid, technical coaching skills, and an understanding of athletic training principles.
  • The ability to keep it fun. No matter how lofty the athlete's goals are the sport should be a positive part of the gymnast's life. A good coach builds kids up rather than breaking them down.
 
So I just asked my daughter this question and she added a few of her thoughts:

  • Giving challenging but achievable assignments. She thinks a good coach knows the right number of skills to assign and doesn't overwhelm the gymnast so that it becomes about quantity over quality.
  • Having high standards and pushing gymnasts to be their best. She wants a coach who is paying attention and encouraging everyone to work their hardest, while staying positive.
 
I think good athletes rarely become good coaches. All of my former coach's girls became successful gymnasts (one of them was even a European champion). I mean she saw everything, calculated everything, so she became a very strong coach who helped and insured us. Without a coach, it was really scary to fall on your head:)
 
A good coach is a leader... they will have the ability to coach / lead more than just gymnastics. I have always liked this quote...

Screen Shot 2021-07-18 at 4.21.43 PM.png


This does not mean that I am a huge Steve Jobs fan... it means
that I really think this is a good quote that applies to coaching.

A good coach is not a manager... they are a leader.
 
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It is also important to be able to inspire with your own or other example. Our coach told us that at competitions in the late 80th, she had a cracked callus. And not just a callus, but the skin in the palm of her hand. She quickly bandaged her palm and put on the grips. Then she again went to the bars and made her program. So after this she became a real hero for me!!! :)
 
Two main things:

-Perspective. A coach should be able to keep in mind that these are not just athletes, they're people. They're kids. They're learning, and gymnastics is (or at least should be) but one small part of their lives. Helping them to become stronger, happier, healthier people is of paramount importance; helping them to win meets is of negligible importance.

-Stage presence. Coaching, before all else, is theater. The first thing that a coach needs to do is engage their audience; only THEN can they actually teach them anything.

-(I guess after this comes all the unimportant stuff like technical knowledge, spotting ability, experience, blah blah blah. All this stuff is fascinating on an academic level, but trivial compared to the first two points)
 
Everyone has such great stuff! Just to add something I haven't seen:

Good coaches can differentiate their success as a coach from the gymnast's success. They don't have their personal feelings of esteem and worth wrapped up in their athletes achieving certain results. Coaches who can't differentiate like that tend to heap on the praise when everything's going well (which feels great) but then shut down and take away all positivity when things don't go as planned. That can create a kid who thinks their worth as a person is tied to their scores which makes it hard to have a sense of self outside of gymnastics. Not to say coaches can't feel good about a job well done, but they shouldn't give or withhold attention or affection based on scores
 
Great topic

Great coaches have high expectations coupled with 100% faith that their athletes can achieve them.

Great coaches give lots of corrections and feedback coupled with lots of genuine praise and encouragement.

Great coaches have an eye fur detail and a willingness to do what it takes to make it happen.

Great coaches set lofty goals together with their athletes and make ambitious plans to help them achieve their goals.

Great coaches are creative and imaginative and can find ways to turn the boring and mundane into the new and exciting.

Great coaches realise there are as many different ways to learn a skill, understand a concept or achieve a goal as there are athletes.

Great coaches value each individual, know their names, passions, strength, challenges and aspirations. Giving them each a special place on the team so they feel how strongly they are valued.

Great coaches fill the room with so much passion, energy and fire that every students inner spark is ignited.

Great coaches continue to develop their own skills constantly.

Great coaches strive to make every moment of every class count. Never wasting a chance to help someone learn something new, grow and build their confidence.
 
Great coaches have high expectations coupled with 100% faith that their athletes can achieve them.
And they need to be able to communicate that faith to the athlete as well! I know sometimes my DD is surprised to hear how much faith her coach has in her. The communication is critical because if you have the high expectations without the faith it just feels like failure to the perfectionist type which so many gymnasts are.
 
My DD has had 6 competitive seasons under her belt. Her ideas:
A coach should not play favorites. There are lots of athletes on a team and they are all different, but they should all be coached, not just the favorites (this was a huge issue at her former gym, so I am not surprised she said this).
A good coach should tell the gymnasts when they are proud of them. Compliments are important because gymnasts work so hard.
A good coach shouldn't tell you to fix something without showing you how to fix it. If they just keep telling you to fix it, they should also tell you HOW to fix it.
A good coach should know how to do the skills they want you to learn. Why is a level 7 former gymnast coaching level 10s?

I tried to keep these as close to her words as possible (taking out the ums and you know what I mean?)
 

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