WAG How to recognize good/safe coaching?

[mommyof1]

It seems like every day there is a new discussion on this site about an unsafe, but common, coaching practice. Some examples:

- Working on bridges/kickovers with very young kids
- Not standing between the bars during tap swings
- Having kids do dive rolls over obstacles
- Using ankle weights
- Not bothering to adjust equipment

The necessity of learning proper form from the very beginning is also frequently mentioned here. But how is a parent with limited gymnastics experience supposed to be able to recognize good and safe coaching, especially when the parent has little or no direct interaction with the child's coaches? Are there any telltale signs of either a good program or a bad one that parents can rely on? And how should parents decide when to speak up about an unsafe practice, and when to just find another gym?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

empirically speaking, there is no way.

 

[mommyof1]

empirically speaking, there is no way.

That is discouraging!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i know.....

 

[billise]

I'm one of those gym mom's with very little knowlege about gymnastics DD just turned 6 and is finishing up her first year on pre-team. I have had the same concerns and really don't know what to look for. One thing that makes me feel really good about our gym is the owner. He works hands on primarily with the optional girls, but he is constantly moving around the gym adjusting mats, straightening equipment and instructing his coaches (the ones that coach the lower levels). He seems to always have his head on a swivel making sure things are safe. I often see him observing the "lower level" classes, working with them for a few minutes to model to the coaches. Most of the time he seems to be fine with what his coaches are doing but is instructing them on things to look for in body position and how to adjust to the individual capabilities of each child. The way he is constantly moving around, my husband and I always say he probably sleeps really well at night

 

[GymBeeMom]

It really is hard to know at first. When you see something you aren't sure about, check here! This CB community will offer their 2 cents...

 

[Aussie_coach]

A coach that does the things that you listed my not be any less safe that a coach that doesn't. Coaching practices change constantly and it takes a lot to keep up with all the latest research.

A safe coach is one who is attentive to your child's class at all times, doesn't go off and chat on the phone while coaching etc. A safe coach is one who will correct your child and give them feedback to improve their skills. A safe coach will be willing to spot if needed and/or set up drills to teach the skills safely. A safe coach will ensure a gymnasts achieves the perquisites of a skill before throwing it.

 

[gymgurl]

Another way to tell how safe a coach appears to be is looking at the number of injuries in a group, if all of them seem to have something wrong chances are something about the coaching practice probably isn't correct. If it's only one or two then they were probably fluke accidents. I also say appears as they all might have done fluke accidents but again that is quite unlikely

 

[gymmommy123]

I think a lot is to trust your gut. We tried a gym once. The first thing they did was sprint the girls (little girls) for 30 minutes, until many looked utterly exhausted. This may be ok for older girls, but not sure I think it's great for a "warm-up" with 5, 6, 7 yr olds. They did stretching, and pushed one girl hard and pulled up her front leg until she yelped out. She grabbed her hip and limped for the rest of the 3 hrs workout. They stuck all girls on the big beams, no real mats underneath (soft floor, but no big thick mats), and worked their skills. When they were walking backward, my daughter tried to peak behind her. They said, don't turn around!!! Told her they'd tell her when she was near the end of the beam. Stopped paying attention to her, so she tumbled straight back off the end flat on her back. She's a tough little cookie, but seeing multiple issues, in just one workout, made me distrust the coaching. *Maybe* they were fine, but I want to feel like I can leave my child, and know she is being well looked after. I didn't feel that there. As moms (and dads) I think we often have a gut feeling if someplace is "safe" with your children. You may not know all about "coaching" but you know when you have a bad feeling...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I think a lot is to trust your gut. We tried a gym once. The first thing they did was sprint the girls (little girls) for 30 minutes, until many looked utterly exhausted. This may be ok for older girls, but not sure I think it's great for a "warm-up" with 5, 6, 7 yr olds. They did stretching, and pushed one girl hard and pulled up her front leg until she yelped out. She grabbed her hip and limped for the rest of the 3 hrs workout. They stuck all girls on the big beams, no real mats underneath (soft floor, but no big thick mats), and worked their skills. When they were walking backward, my daughter tried to peak behind her. They said, don't turn around!!! Told her they'd tell her when she was near the end of the beam. Stopped paying attention to her, so she tumbled straight back off the end flat on her back. She's a tough little cookie, but seeing multiple issues, in just one workout, made me distrust the coaching. *Maybe* they were fine, but I want to feel like I can leave my child, and know she is being well looked after. I didn't feel that there. As moms (and dads) I think we often have a gut feeling if someplace is "safe" with your children. You may not know all about "coaching" but you know when you have a bad feeling...

yep, like that idiot in that other thread that has the kids vault with ankle weights on. [Dunno bends elbow and puts down some Sheridan's thinking about that coach]

 

[wallinbl]

Another way to tell how safe a coach appears to be is looking at the number of injuries in a group, if all of them seem to have something wrong chances are something about the coaching practice probably isn't correct. If it's only one or two then they were probably fluke accidents. I also say appears as they all might have done fluke accidents but again that is quite unlikely

Happened to DD's team/level towards the middle of last year. 4 of the 10 girls were in casts, but only 1 of them happened at practice. If you had come to check out that level at that time, you'd probably have left thinking it wasn't safe.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

How about vaulting with your eyes closed??? Does that count as unsafe?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

huh? what?? ^^^

 

[littlegirlsdream]

Yes daughters former coach had her 7 and 8 year old do front handspring vaults with eyes closed and video taped it. Of course she also had them do entire bar routines with ankle weights on their ankles and countless other things that would make sane people cringe.

 

[cbone]

Another way to tell how safe a coach appears to be is looking at the number of injuries in a group, if all of them seem to have something wrong chances are something about the coaching practice probably isn't correct. If it's only one or two then they were probably fluke accidents. I also say appears as they all might have done fluke accidents but again that is quite unlikely

That's a tough one. Last year at our team banquet, half of the Level 10s were in walking boots. That's 2 out of 4, so it's admittedly a small sample size. But using the injury metric, you could draw conclusions about our gym that wouldn't be accurate.

 

[gymgurl]

I know that injuries aren't a definitive way of telling whether it's safe but it's an on top of everything else. I will admit that most of our squad was injured last term so we could have been judged to be unsafe as well. I never meant it as a definitive test but more of an in addition to your gut feeling sort of thing.

 

[gymgal]

First and firmost is to trust your gut. After that, its a matter of educating yourself, asking questions here and finding a knowledgable sports ortho.

I used to think looking at injuries was important but after years in the gym, you realize that you really need context to draw meaningful conclusions on injuries: did they happen during practice, in open gym, or outside the gym; were the gymnasts doing what they were told; has there been a rash of the same type of injuries or have they been occuring on he same event/with the same coach? I have found that injuries run in phases - 3 or 4 girls will get hurt in the same time frame (different injuries) and then we won't see any injuries for months. So you can't just walk in a gym, count the number of injuries and draw accurate conclusions. (well, coaches may be able to but newbie parents would not).

Sent from my ADR6400L using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[gymdog]

Yes daughters former coach had her 7 and 8 year old do front handspring vaults with eyes closed and video taped it. Of course she also had them do entire bar routines with ankle weights on their ankles and countless other things that would make sane people cringe.

Not sure what her rationale was because I can't imagine how this would be a productive use of time, but unless she blindfolded them my guess is they "peeked"

 

[gymgal]

Not sure what her rationale was because I can't imagine how this would be a productive use of time, but unless she blindfolded them my guess is they "peeked"

She wanted them to "use/feel the force, Luke". seriously, that is a scary thought, vaulting with eyes closed

 

[littlegirlsdream]

Not a productive use of time at all. I am guessing they did peak. More to the point a big part of me knew this coach was unsafe well before things like this started happening. I did listen to that voice that was questioning things but it took longer than it should have. When your new and your kid is young and "shows potential" you are told a lot of how things "should be" or "are" run. It's hard to weed through the crazy and find a place that's good for your gymnasts not only in training them as gymnasts but also in treating them as people who are respected and hold them to a higher standard without breaking them to achieve it. If you are worried about safety there is a reason and you need to investigate whatever that is.