Women How often do you talk w/ the coach?

[LizzieLac]

At our gym, you certainly can ask for a meeting or even grab a coach for a quick question. Coaches will only approach you if there is an issue to discuss or something about level placement.

However, most parents tend to refrain from approaching the coaches with questions or asking for status unless the child is struggling or something unique/out of the ordinary is going on (like potential mid-season level change).

I personally, would like to have an occasional "hey, your kid is doing really well learning her tsuk," for example. But that just doesn't happen that often.

 

[iwannacoach]

Just curious what the norm is? My daughter is on team now (started in Jan) and I am not sure what long term "vision" they have for her, etc................ I receive no progress reports- ie- written, on her skills and such. I don't really even know what level they plan to compete her in? I assume level 3- old 4?

The long term vision is easy to figure out. Look at the top 11-12 year old kids in the gym and then at your daughter. Now add four to five years to your child and look at the top kids again. That's the long term vision for now.

Progress reports do little to nothing to help a child progress through the levels. They don't predict the future, take time to produce, and often create give rise to more questions as well as provide fuel to cgm's who compare their child's progress (report) to other kids in the group. Your child is likely the best and only progress report you need. If she's happy, excited, and tells you she's learned a new skill every few weeks.

The level she'll compete at??? If the team program includes a group that competes level 3 she'll probably start there. Level 4 is an option if the coach feels starting there is best for her.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

Lots. Two formal meetings a year, and given the circumstances of this year, I think it ended up being four for our family.

After practice, if something went particularly badly or really well, it'll often get mentioned as they walk by me waiting to pick up my child. Likewise if I had an issue to bring to them that would affect the upcoming practice, it was done the same way at drop off

They're available by email, phone, etc.

However, I try very hard not to abuse the availability, lest it be taken away as a result of overwhelming the coaches as were certainly not the only family in the gym afforded this access. It has taken a couple of years to get to this place where the gym staff feel that open and honest is better, and I very much like the change

 

[x98peterson]

Awesome advice every one, thank you!

 

[Gymnasticstar]

I'm 14 and my parents talk to coach after almost every session check my question?

 

[Haismom]

I speak to coach about skills only during private lesson times, or if I was present at practice only if I noticed a problem , (ie, she was not doing something, bathroom break during a harder skill, that went unnoticed by coach) other than that I let them come to me

 

[profmom]

Only at their initiative unless there's something going on that I feel I need to discuss. When those occasions have arisen, they've been very forthcoming for the most part.

What this means in practice is that I almost never talk to the girls' coaches but have talked to the boys' coaches pretty frequently. On the boys' side, much of this has come from the coaches volunteering information, but some of it has come from me, mostly around questions about Future Stars and questions about long range planning/development. I feel like both of my gymnasts are progressing appropriately, but I am also aware that I know very little about appropriate progression in comparison with our coaches.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

I talk to daughters coach when her coach tells me she needs to talk to me (which is rare) or if I have a specific question about the business end of gymnastics ie money, times or ill child missing practice. We either meet (very rare) or talk via phone .
My daughter is now 10 and she has a coach that really wants the kids to come to her themselves. So that's what DD does. I don't really feel I need to know exactly where or what my daughter is doing in terms of progression or skills unless there is a problem I need to know about.
As far as level placement, that happens at the end of the summer and I just wait to hear Bottom line for me is, sometimes the less I see or hear about the daily or weekly progress (or lack there of) the better off we all are. I know she is safe, she tells me she is happy, I trust her coaches and so communication is only when needed
I don't know if that is what would work best for all families and gymnasts but it seems to work for us.

 

[profmom]

That's an important point -- I encourage my kids strongly to talk to their coaches and let them know important things or ask questions. At this point, they no longer ask me to be an intermediary most of the time (save one episode within the last year when DD really needed me to talk to a coach about a fear issue). Being able to communicate effectively about things that might be affecting one's performance with one's supervisor/superior/coach is a critically important life skill and yet another of the many wonderful lessons gymnastics can teach!

 

[Granny Smith]

My dd drives herself to practice, so unless I get an email, I really don't have any communication at all. If I need to know something, I make dd ask at the front desk, but my kid is older than most of yours here so you can see why the relationship would be different.

 

[profmom]

In just one short year, my oldest can start driving his sibs to practice as the cost of getting to borrow the car -- I can't wait!

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

I normally talk to my younger dds coach at least every couple weeks as she has ADHD and I like to know how her coach feels her behaviour since there's good days and there's really bad days. I talk to my older dds coach once a month and it may not even have to do with her gym but just chit chat. At the end of last month I went go pick up odd from gym, and I was sitting the car and she ask me to come in because her coach wanted to talk to me. So I do know if something that really need to be talked about her coach isn't afraid to approach me, or vise versa.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

I normally talk to my younger dds coach at least every couple weeks as she has ADHD and I like to know how her coach feels her behaviour since there's good days and there's really bad days. I talk to my older dds coach once a month and it may not even have to do with her gym but just chit chat. At the end of last month I went go pick up odd from gym, and I was sitting the car and she ask me to come in because her coach wanted to talk to me. So I do know if something that really need to be talked about her coach isn't afraid to approach me, or vise versa.