Coaches Goals

[flipflopcrystal]

Generally our goals are to produce overall good gymnasts who are on the right track to receive college scholarships....or if that isn't their path, then to allow them opportunites to do the best they can do.

So when a Pre-Team/Level 4 parent tells me they are looking for a team that produces Olympic athletes...

i think to myself.... 5 girls every 4 years out of thousands...

reality is.......

lets set more realistic goals FIRST, short term goals.... like "a positive competitive expereince that produces opportunities"

let's get back to reality....PLEASE.

coaches do you agree? or am i just crazy....

maybe both

 

[iwannacoach]

Totally! The odds aren't even that good for super talented girls training in the top, oh lets say 20, gym programs in the country. Looking at the logistics alone, it adds up as 20 gyms x 4 girls each olympic cycle = approximately a 8.5 % chance. That's just an accounting of the top kids in their prime years. Add in all of the talented kids in the country with olmpic dreams, and the odds are simply staggering.......

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's 1 in 4.5 million births to produce ONE olympic athlete. there are 5200 gyms in the US. less than 2% of those gyms are producing the highest level athletes. it is estimated that there are 2 million kids doing gymnastics in the US in all programs not just clubs. now do the math...

 

[flipflopcrystal]

i mean what do you say to a parent who moving to your city and is looking for a new gym, but is specific enough to say "looking for a gym that produces Olympic gymnasts"? I know we produce quality gymnastics, but how do we get past the "my child will be an olympian" glaze that some parents have? Its all about the childs mental and physical capabilities....in my opinion, and going to a gym with dedication can give every child an opportunity, like how hard is your child willing to work.....but the Olympics? How does one reason with these parents, nicely?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

we'll cross that bridge IF we get to it...

 

[Aussie_coach]

Long term goals don't have to be realistic, they serve a different purpose to short term goals. Lots of parents and teachers coo with pride when a kids says "I want to be the president of the united states" and I think the odds of that are even lower than making the Olympics. But we don't shatter those dreams.

If a kid has an awesome (but unlikely) long term goal it still serves a purpose for the, it helps them comit to years of training and gives them a purpose to work hard. At the end of the day, they will achieve more from the sport than if they did not have solid long term goals. The odds are they won't make the Olympics or even elite but we know that it will provide them with endless benefits in their lives whether they achieve that goal or not.

Many gymnasts believe that the Olympics is a step they are working towards, I never discourage it. If they tell me I say great goal!