Parents Discipline in the gym

[Deleted member 10727]

How does your coach handle discipline of team kids? What are common "punishments"? How old is/are your kid(s)?

 

[sglemon]

If they are acting up, not behaving, they will set them out, sometimes, they have to sit in the lobby. If it is bad enough, we will be called to pick them up. You really don't see it much, not that my dd is in Level 5, you see it more with the younger kids on preteam. You don't see it at all with the older kids. If a child is not listening well, the coach will call the mom in for a conference. I have seen girls dismissed from practice for being mean to team mates, but I hate to see that because most of the time there are 2 sides to a story, and one usually gets punished.

Some minor thing, they may have to run or do 10 pushups, etc..

 

[Aussie_coach]

In most cases prevention is the form of discipline used. Keep the kids busy, active and engaged all the time eliminate a lot of waiting and idle times.

Seperating kids who distract each other, making sure everyone is achieving and learning new things but has realistic goals to stay motivated. Keeping training a little varied and interesting and not doing the same thing day in and day out, always a few new, fun drills.

If all else fails, a warning, sitting out for a few minutes. Or longer if necessary.

 

[skschlag]

My son's coach will use pushups, arm circles, or V-ups for some things, usually not listening or trying to do corrections. They may have to sit out and watch for a minute if still having trouble. The last step is to get booted for hte rest of practice. They aren't asked to call home, just to sit in the lobby and wait (way more torture ) Usually one boot is good enough for a kid. mine was booted one day, now a warning is all it takes. If it is pervasive, the coach will have a meeting with the parents. (My son has had all of these! LOL! When you ahve 15-20 boys from 6-10, there will be some issues.)

 

[Amusibus]

My daughter is 6 on pre team. Discipline has been lots of yelling, also rope climbing and other conditioning stuff. Why do you ask?

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Mine is 5 on pre-team. So far the only punishments I've seen are taking a few minute break, and doing conditioning (v-ups). The v-ups were only because the girls got dismissed to get popsicles, and 2 of the girls got a little excited and took off running to the front. Unfortunately it was right across the floor area where the older girls were tumbling. Big mistake and they definitely knew better. The older girls on team get conditioning, doesn't happen very often but just minor kid things.

 

[BlairBob]

For boys, I like what my dad calls the "Front leaning position." Basically a pushup position. They are not allowed to move or look anywhere from the floor. I've also done the "stair at a wall". But most of the time, I just sit them aside for the 1st infraction and in the stands for the 2nd. 3rd time means they are excused from practice.

For girls, I give them wallsits if they are too chatty-kathys but pretty much the same protocol as above.

With my boys, we used to have a few others:

Swing around equipment such as sticks or ropes or throw them carelessly = 50 or 100 burpees/squat thrusts.

Walk/run on a landing mat = 50/100 burpees. Or run across an event.

I used to also implement burpees in 10-20-40-80-160 fashion. This is if they were talking when I was, screwing around, etc but nothing very dire. They could sit out instead or just pay the burpee penalty and get back to practice.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

Rope climbs are a popular punishment at dd's gym. Also pushups. There is a little bit of yelling, but that is usually when the coach notices something on the other side of the gym and it's a necessity.

Crying or a serious infraction means go out and sit in the lobby/changeroom.

 

[Bajanswife]

The girls will get quarrelled with (not usually yelling, but with a louder, angrier tone than usual) and occasionally a timeout sitting on the side.

Yesterday while I was waiting for DD to finish I saw a boy from the team in punishment - he was upside down against the wall in a handstand. Might as well increase their strength while in punishment, right?

 

[skschlag]

LOL! One day our coach sat my son out for about 15 minutes. After workout, I asked D why the coach didn't have him doing pushups or something. D replied "XXX said that he is tired of his naughty gymnasts being his strongest gymnasts all the time so he sat me out." I was ROFL!

 

[dmytv]

I really don't like to call it discipline but rather behavior correction. They all know the rules going into practice. I make sure of this with a big talk once in a while before practice. I try to explain the importance of making each practice count and how it will help their score and goals. Rules are though, No talking during class unless it is a question related to practice. You are not allowed to be late. No goofing around on equipment. No gum! If you violate these rules, laps and push ups are given. Also we have a 50 push up rule if they fall off beam during comp season. I also use Positive reinforcement tecniques by having a crown for best beam, a sash for best bars, poofiy bracets for floor, and a flower necklace for floor. Each Friday the best of each, get to take them home for the weekend. It is sometimes not the best routine, but maybe the most improved, or hardest worker. Positive feedback goes along way on keeping a chek on behavior correction.

 

[NYG]

Not to hijack the thread, but I often feel my daughter isn't disciplined enough. Some days she just goofs off and distracts her teamates and the coach just doesn't notice or doesn't know how to deal with it. Our lvl 5 coach left a month ago, then the replacement left two weeks ago, now we have another green coach who seems to be learning as she goes. I obviously want to be patient for her, but I also don't want my DD distracting the team and not working hard during practice.

 

[marie83]

I'm with those who say prevention is better.
We don't ever give conditioning as punishment - we want our gymnasts to have a positive approach to it (as much as poss anyway! And connotations with punishment won't help that!) If a gymnast falls off beam, they get back on and have another go - conditioning won't help fear/poor technique of a skill!
Our rules are explained on joining and reinforced every so often. Gymnasts know that if they do anything which breaks those rules, they will be sat out the first time and their parents will be told. The second time they will be sent home and if it happens again they may be suspended from the gym - depending on the severity of the behaviour.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

No talking during class wouldn't work in our practice. When the coach is talking, you listen obviously, you don't distract your teammates by being chatty Cathy's, but they are allowed to talk. It would feel odd to be in silent gym.

And I would not be amused if my DD got fifty push-ups for falling off the beam. She's learning, that's why it's called practice. I cannot think of one better way to insure she'd hate beam for life then to punish her every time she fell off.

 

[skschlag]

I agree. If my kiddo got pushups for things like falling off the pommel, I would be upset. Most of what the boys get disciplined for involves things that are safety related, skipping stations, LYING about skipping stations, Not making corrections (A big one for my son!) My son got a ton of pushups one day for putting his hands on the ground when over rotating back handsprings, and more when the coach was trying to teach them how to fall out of handstand on Pbars safely. I was fine with that!! and if he is mouthy or argumentative, go right ahead! LOL!