Coaches New Level 2’s: Tips please!

[xcelerate]

Hello everyone! Recently I’ve been given the opportunity to work with our new level 2s that just finished level 1. For some background, I’m only 16 and I’m still competing gymnastics, I’m also a certified judge! This is my first group of team girls and I only get to work with them once a week due to my practice schedule. Like I said before, these girls just finished level 1, but their coaches in level one were super soft, did no conditioning, no discipline, etc. Our level 1 team averaged 6’s and 7’s on almost every event last season.

To be quite honest, a lot of these girls have potential but they need technique and strength and I need help figuring out ways to help them build that. These girls are 5 and 6 years old and it’s just me with about 6 of them for 3 hours.

They came to me with most of their skills for level 2 but they are just taught wrong. They turn on the wrong feet, can’t hurdle, and struggle with bars. I would like to work on their basics, strength, and techniques first but I was wondering if anyone had any tips, advice, or drills that I could try.

These girls work really well when things are posed as a game and take corrections well, but have very little body control, which I’m guessing is to be expected at this age. I’m open to any insight that more experienced coaches might have! I love coaching and really want to do well with these girls and my new level 1 team (I start with them in around a month)! Thanks everyone!

 

[Rookie Gym Coach]

I've found that teaching them what hollow and arch is, and conditioning through variations of them (holds, pulses, scissoring feet, flutter kicks, rocks, etc) will not only help tremendously with their core/back muscles, but will also help them know what the heck you mean when you tell them to not arch or something along those lines. At the beginning of coaching, I found myself telling children to stay hollow when they had no clue what I meant! Another great conditioning/thing to teach them, is engaged dead hangs. Knowing the difference/being able to switch or "turn it on" is really great and will also help when you try to tell them to engage their muscles on other events or skills.

BTW, how did you become a certified judge so young????? I'm also 16 and think that would a really fun opportunity for me.

 

[Gymgirl84]

Lots of static shaping (hollow, arch, tuck, pike, front support, back support, candle,...), for me the handstand shape on the floor is an absolute basic that I always do with the youngsters.
A very fun thing for them is to make tree falls/doll in a box/.... tightness challenges, where they have to stay tight lying on the floor on their back or stomach and you try to lift them up to their feet (or hands) and they have to stay tight. You can do games and challenges on all basic shapes, like they have to stay in a tuck sitting on the floor and a teammate tries to pull them out of the tuck, front support and teammates try to knock them down,...

Also the typical conditioning is super useful(chin ups, rope, stalders/L holds, beginning of presses, leg lifts).
Last would be some rebounding/jumping and landing, but that's usually easier to fit in. Basics for running are also very important at that age.