Coaches L2/3 with short attention spans

[gymmom-n-coach]

I coach training team (level 2/3) as well as our L3 gym team - the girls are all between 4-7 y/o. They practice between 2 and 3 hours at a stretch, with a 15-minute break in between.

We just picked up our new girls in June - and by now, I thought this problem would be solved: they have terrible attention spans! At first, I thought it was just because there was so much more to see - they are in the gym at the same time as the optionals now, and sometimes the cheer team is there stunting - so there's lots of neat things to look at.

However - 8/9 weeks in, they are still giving me only half of their attention... Any suggestions?

 

[10.0]

It's hard for a lot of kids, you didn't say what age the new girls are but 4-7 is a big gap. A 4 year old is not even in kindergarten yet a 7 year old is a 2nd grader. You could try rewards, maybe you earn points for paying attention and get a prize. If you go that route you have to stick to your guns though and if they don't earn it don't give in, they will see the better listeners winning and change. Another idea is I have had girls that level stare off at the optional girls and I make an example, "Susie do you want to be like her one day?" "She was a level 3 just like you, and she paid attention in class and listened to her coach and look what she can do now!" And if all else fails and if the optional coach would allow a few minutes for it let your girls show the optional girls some skill they have learned, clap for them and praise them, instruct them to tell the little ones that they were level 2/3's not too long ago and if they keep up the hard work they can be optional level too. Just some thoughts.

 

[Aussie_coach]

When you coach young children you need to be exciting. You need to be more exciting and interesting than the temptation to play on near by equipment or watch the older girls work out. You need to coach in a high energy way, be active and use lots of different intonations in your voice. Use lots of praise and encouragement when they are focused and working well.

For this age it can help to train more often but for a shorter time. For example if the girls are doing 6 hours a week its better to do 2 x 3 hours classes than 3 x 2 hour classes.

Its also ideal to structure their classes around their attention span. If they are learning new skills or working on an apparatus which they find demanding its better to put this at the beginning of training.

Save the fun things like trampoline time, or conditioning games and races for the end. Things that don't take a lot of focus like overstretching is best done at the end too,

The way you space them in the gym is important, if you need to demonstrate the skills or explain what you want them to do. Line them up in such a way that their backs are to the older kids, or the cheer squads. Try and set up drills where they face the other way and you are stationed in between them and the view of the older girls.

 

[CreateMagic]

First off, I love all your suggestions, AussieCoach.

Also wanted to add that kids at this age really really REALLY want your attention. Try to make it a point to verbally acknowledge good things that are happening. "I like how Susie is looking at me right now." "Wow! Did you all see how straight Anna's arms were! Show us all again!" Often times it works two-fold too, because at this age, kids aren't always aware of their bodies yet and don't always know when they are actually correctly doing what you have asked them to--they may think they are, and they may be trying very hard to do it, but sometimes they just need to be told that yes, what they did was right. Plus, the others will want the praise too, so they will try a little harder. Just be sure to use this when that part of the skill is just how you want it, so as to not reinforce bad habits either. I'm not saying don't use criticism, it is still necessary, but appropriate praise goes a long way.

 

[gymcoach34]

I agree with eevryones good advice! One thing I do every so often w young kids is to talk in a soft voice... that way they have to listen! I will give 95% of the direction in a regular voice, then the last 5% in a soft voice. Then I praise the one who do hear what I said! It only works every so often though! But if they never know when its coming they will listen.

 

[addiegrace]

Give them a number of skills to do. This keeps the busy. ex- 20 HS or HS foward roll to the other side of the floor. Alternativly, set up stations. Bars ex- station 1-10 chin ups, station 2- routine w/ you spotting if needed, station 3- cuts/shoot through or HS at floor bars, station 4- 10 leg/knee raises. Keep em movin'!

 

[gralch1]

It is amazing what a child will do for a sticker. I tell my gymnasts that I am going to "sticker" straight legs (or some other correction). Suddenly everybody has straight legs. I also give stickers for good work when they don't think anybody is looking. At the end of a rotation I will say "Suzie worked very hard during beam, Sally listened very good to instructions, Meghan was a great team player and congratulated her team mate on getting a new skill, etc, I am going to sticker her for that." That way they are able rewarded for specific corrections or for paying good attention or having positive behavior. I do not over sticker or after every rotation but when they truly do something well. I put the stickers on a card for each gymnast and when they earn 10 stickers they get a prize, nothing big, like a pencil.