Gymnastic coach who never took gymnastics needs to learn some drills!

[newbie9]

Too be short, I am a nineteen year old tumbler who, due to a coach shortage at the gym I train at, has been asked to coach a few recreational beginner and intermediate gymnastics classes per week.
I have never taken gymnastics. Nor did I recieve any official or proper training after accepting this new job offer. I did however take it upon myself to observe the team and preteam coaches during their practices, which gave me some sort of basis to go on.

The classes go well for the most part, depending on the events. This is basically the level that these gymnasts are at.


On FLOOR the girls know how to forward roll, straddle roll, bridge, and cartwheel but they have weak handstands and backbend kickovers. I run a lot of drills on the panel mats but I think they are getting bored with them. I want to spice it up.

On BEAM I usually run them through the basic mount and walks such as Releve forwards and backwards, scoopwalks, scoop kicks, high kicks, side walks, and crossing side walks. But thats really all I know about beam for beginners/intermediates.


On BARS I am even less familiar. The girls mostly hold front supports and hollows, roll overs, skin the cats, and they are beginning to learn how to cast.
My knowledge of bars is embarrassing.

On VAULT the girls jump to knee ons or squat ons. But a lot still suffer with their run and jump on the board.

I know I need to be drilling the crap out of these girls, but I just dont know what to do!



I really need a lot of help. Any advice for a gymnastics coach who never took gymnastics?

 

[Bajanswife]

Funny you should post this, because just recently I have been thinking about volunteering to be an assistant rec coach on Saturday mornings (if they'll have me). The gym is so busy then, they always look like they could use an extra hand. Thing is, I have never done gymnastics. I do know quite a bit from watching over the years. I've been wondering if it's possible to coach without ever having done gymnastics myself.

 

[10.0]

Here are a few ideas for drills and even some fun stuff some are not going to work if you don't have the equiptment.

Floor- Handstands against a wall, or have partners take turns holding each others feet and do some hand stand push ups, they will need the arm strenght to do them though so as much as they hate it push up may be a required evil. You can also use a wall or a mat against a wall (make sure soft mat is on the floor) and walk hands down and back up into and out of a bridge. If you have a packman (circle mat with piece missing) you can do "back hand springs" basically a safe way to get used to going back wards. Cartwheels over a panel mat are good and a fun way to learn how to get them straight up and over and you can also introduce round off's. Catwheels on a line are a fun way to get ready for doing them on beam.

Beam- V-sits, roll up on one foot (mount) arabesques, coupes, little hops building to straight jumps then tuck jumps on beam, tuck jumps off the beam (dismount) handstand on a line on the floor of floor level beam as well as cartwheels.

Bars- chin up hold for 10 seconds, leg lifts, straddle glides, swing drop and stick, swing in straddle with feet on bar, pullovers and back hip circles when they are ready to learn them and you when you know how to spot them.

Vault- A good run! (very important) hurdle over something and jump to 2 feet. Make sure you teach an arm circle. I like using a board (regular or aero) and an 8 inch mat rather than the regular vault. They can run, put a square or something to hurdle over, arm circle, 2 feet jump on board then straight jump off and stick, then tuck jump, jump 1/2 turn, forward roll off board onto mat and when they get their handstands hand stand on mat to flat back.

Also a lot of strenght and conditioning but it can be fun, hand stand contests (or head stand if they can't do them) rope climb if you have a rope, hang on back and pull knees into a tuck, shuttle races, crab walk races, wheelbarrow races (partners, one kid holds the others legs while she uses her hands to walk) depending on age little prizes can go a long way to inspire them to want to do stuff such as a sticker for best splits etc.

There are a few to get you going, I borrowed them from my pre-school through intermediate rec. class lesson plans. Good luck and remember don't do anything you don't feel comfortable doing and always ask questions and keep learning.

 

[Bajanswife]

At our gym, one of the most popular conditioning games is a handstand contest of sorts. The girls pair up and the pairs form a circle. One girl in the pair does a handstand, and her partner holds her legs. Every time the coach blows a whistle or shouts "go", the girls holding their partners' legs have to run to the next pair and grab that girl's legs. If a girl falls, that pair is out - so the distance widens between the girls as the game goes on. The winner is the last girl remaining in a handstand and her partner. Then each pair switches so that the other member of the pair gets to handstand.

 

[Galadriel]

^^^^
I like that one!!

 

[coachmolly]

Good for you for looking for some drills, I'm sure the girls will really appreciate your dedication! Some things I like to work with me beginner/intermediate classes:
Vault: Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with new ideas for beginners on vault, so I'm not sure I can be of much help. But hurdles are really important at that level. Practice on the floor, with markers for where the meet go, onto the board, everywhere. Short run, hurdle, jump to stick onto an 8 in. mat. If they can figure the hurdle out well enough, have them do a tight straight jump onto a block. You can gradually add more blocks as they improve. I asked about beginner vault drills a few weeks ago and got some great replies, here is that thread: http://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/coach-forum/31322-favorite-vault-drills-beginners.html

Bars: Pullovers- just spotting them has probably been the most effective method for me, but if you have a portable low bar, you can put it by a wall or stable mat stack and have them put their chin up and walk their feet up the wall and over. Not sure if that description makes sense.
Casts- spotted, or have them stand on block, jump up to the bar with straight arms, and cast.
Spotted back hip circles, hold a hollow push-up shape, have them try to hold a chin up, hold their legs up in a tuck. Since there is only one of me, I usually do one station where I am spotting pullovers, back hip circles, stuff like that and the other stations are things they can do safely themselves.

Beam: I think you have a great start with just walking, that is the bulk of what I do with my beginner girls just to get them confident up on the beam. Some other ideas- jump to front support, swing one leg over to a straddle sit (level 4 mount), you can have them put their feet on the beam behind them and stand up or, for the more advanced girls, have them swing their legs to a push-up shape or squat position. Little straight jumps, my girls love doing jump stick off the beam onto a mat stack as a special treat. Levers on the floor or spotted on a low beam, pivot turns, arabesques (or just balancing on one foot for starters).

Floor: I think you probably have a better grasp on this event with your tumbling background, it's really not too much different in artistic gymnastics. Just work lots on the basics- forward rolls to standing up without using their hands to help them up, backward rolls to feet (on cheese mats, floor), tons of handstands! Walk their toes up a wall to a handstand with their stomach against the wall, make sure they aren't archy, spotted on the floor, stand in a lunge in front of a panel mat or similar sized block and kick up to a handstand with their hands on the block finish in a lunge- it's okay if they don't get their feet together in the air, as long as they start and finish in a lunge. Bridges with their feet up on a panel mat or trapezoid type mat, have them try to lift one foot, working up to kickovers. Straight jumps, tuck jumps, pivot turns.

This is all I can think of off the top of my head right now, sorry if anything is confusing, just let me know if you need further clarification. Good luck and have fun!