Coaches New Rec Coach - How do I learn to spot and in general gain more confidence?

[Rookie Gym Coach]

I want to make sure I don't let a kid fall on their head! That's like my worst nightmare. Besides the basic spotting they're teaching me, I feel like I'm not truly LEARNING HOW to spot.

 

[coachsades]

Hey there!!

The best thing to do is to practice!! Use pillows at home!

Second, if you don’t feel you are getting adequate training, ask to shadow a higher level coach. Ask questions & ask for practice! Sometimes gym owners just assume because it’s “rec” you only need forward roll spotting, but that’s so not true.

Good luck coach <3

 

[Rookie Gym Coach]

Hey there!!

The best thing to do is to practice!! Use pillows at home!

Second, if you don’t feel you are getting adequate training, ask to shadow a higher level coach. Ask questions & ask for practice! Sometimes gym owners just assume because it’s “rec” you only need forward roll spotting, but that’s so not true.

Good luck coach <3

Okay, not even joking, I've been spotting pillows for YEARS. Like probably 5 or 6 now lol.

 

[TravelingCoach]

I’ve got a couple questions to see if I can help you.

1. How much training have you gotten and were you a gymnast before becoming a coach?

2. Does you gym follow a set curriculum for classes? (Eg. Beginner, intermediate, advanced)

3. What skills are you the most worried about?

4. Are you in a gym with high level gymnasts and (if you are alright with saying) what country are you in? I ask the second part of that question because some countries require coaches to go through courses to be given a level and those courses aren’t always relevant, useful, or adequate. Also, some countries do not require courses at all and everything is left to in house training.

 

[34gymcoach]

Talk to your supervisor. I’m sure they would let you come in and shadow and double spot things to learn more. Be willing to spend your own money to attend things like Congress (they have hands in spotting lectures), etc. I love it when my staff asks to learn and improve. You can also use the many, many resources online to just watch gymnastics. That will help your “eye” for sure!

 

[Rookie Gym Coach]

Talk to your supervisor. I’m sure they would let you come in and shadow and double spot things to learn more. Be willing to spend your own money to attend things like Congress (they have hands in spotting lectures), etc. I love it when my staff asks to learn and improve. You can also use the many, many resources online to just watch gymnastics. That will help your “eye” for sure!

OH! I would absolutely love to go to next year's regional or national congress and don't mind spending my own money. How can I qualify though? My manager and another upper-level coach from my gym went this year to regional.

 

[Rookie Gym Coach]

I’ve got a couple questions to see if I can help you.

1. How much training have you gotten and were you a gymnast before becoming a coach?

2. Does you gym follow a set curriculum for classes? (Eg. Beginner, intermediate, advanced)

3. What skills are you the most worried about?

4. Are you in a gym with high level gymnasts and (if you are alright with saying) what country are you in? I ask the second part of that question because some countries require coaches to go through courses to be given a level and those courses aren’t always relevant, useful, or adequate. Also, some countries do not require courses at all and everything is left to in house training.

1. I was a gymnast for years and was kind of on and off. Highest level I did was Xcel Gold but throughout my career I probably trained a mix of platinum and diamond skills. For training, they do it in phases. So, phase 1 is just floating. Phase 2 is leading warm up. Phase 3 is leading warm up and one event, phase four is leading warm up and two events, and phase 5 is leading whole classes as well as coming in on a Saturday to float/train for open gym/birthday parties. I'm currently on phase 3, about to be moved into phase 4.

2. Somewhat. The classes we have are Parent-tot (not allowed for me bc of age), pre-k, mini gymnastics (for kids who age out of pre-k), beginner girls, adv beginner girls, intermediate girls, tramp and tumbling 1/2/3, mini ninja, and ninja gym. For each class they make lesson plans just to give us ideas but we are not required to follow them.

3. Tbh, all of them. Mostly fast-moving ones or just spotting kids who weigh a little heavier (my back has been hurting after spotting kids who weigh more and also don't have the skill at all so I have to do it completely for them).

4. Yes, we have optional team girls, and I think at least one or two lvl 8+. I'm in the US.

 

[TravelingCoach]

Great, so I’ll give you the best advice that I can but take it all with a grain of salt as every situation is different and, although I have been doing this for a long time, I don’t know everything (or anything if you catch me on a bad day).

1. Since you have been a gymnast then you should have a decent understanding of the basics and fundamentals. Remember the basics and fundamentals. This will be important later.

2. Take your time and follow the curriculum. Make sure you are confident with each recreational level that you coach and , if it can be avoided, don’t force yourself into coaching things that you aren’t confident in.

3. For fast moving skills, break them down to learn to spot them. Round off - back handspring can be done from standing start on a panel mat instead of a run, as an example. Tsuk spotting is best learned using a mat setup instead of the table. Most skills can be broken down and it’s easier to learn the correct spotting in a more controlled setting. Also, ask a more experienced coach to double spot or help you learn if they are available. Any coach that doesn’t want to help another coach learn is a dick.

3.5. If it takes more effort to spot a skill than it would take for you to do it yourself then you shouldn’t be spotting it. Spot for safety, shaping, moral support, whatever, but never spot to do the skill for the gymnasts. There are lots of preps and drills that can be done that will help the gymnasts build the strength/confidence they need to do the skill themselves. Always revert to basics and fundamentals if you find yourself working harder than the gymnasts!

4. Watch the higher level coaches spot and ask them for advice or help. Like I said before, any coach that doesn’t want to help another coach learn is a dick. My job as a head coach becomes much easier when all of my coaches are trained and knowledgeable. If they do not want to help you then you need to find another gym.

 

[TravelingCoach]

I forgot to add another point.

5. It’s the gymnasts safety first. I will always put myself in harms way to ensure a gymnasts safety. Obviously the ideal is that everyone walks away unscathed because of proper planning, drilling, prepping, whatever, but ,if something goes wrong, the coach should take the worst of it.

 

[Rookie Gym Coach]

I forgot to add another point.

5. It’s the gymnasts safety first. I will always put myself in harms way to ensure a gymnasts safety. Obviously the ideal is that everyone walks away unscathed because of proper planning, drilling, prepping, whatever, but ,if something goes wrong, the coach should take the worst of it.

Oh absolutely. I already knew that applying for this job.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I forgot to add another point.

5. It’s the gymnasts safety first. I will always put myself in harms way to ensure a gymnasts safety. Obviously the ideal is that everyone walks away unscathed because of proper planning, drilling, prepping, whatever, but ,if something goes wrong, the coach should take the worst of it.

Agreed

BUT

In most cases with safe and patient progressions, you should rarely need to put yourself in harm's way to keep a kid safe.

Like, yeah, if a kid pings off a bar and you have to catch them, you do what you gotta do in the moment, but you also figure out why they pinged off and modify your progressions so it will be less likely to happen to the next kid. If the skill you're teaching requires a risky spot, you step back and figure out how to break it down so you can train it without putting yourself at risk.

 

[TravelingCoach]

Agreed

BUT

In most cases with safe and patient progressions, you should rarely need to put yourself in harm's way to keep a kid safe.

Like, yeah, if a kid pings off a bar and you have to catch them, you do what you gotta do in the moment, but you also figure out why they pinged off and modify your progressions so it will be less likely to happen to the next kid. If the skill you're teaching requires a risky spot, you step back and figure out how to break it down so you can train it without putting yourself at risk.

Absolutely, which is why I put the part about proper planning, drilling , and prepping. It becomes a bigger thing as skills get more advanced and the margin of error gets smaller. Especially if you have younger gymnasts working more advanced skills. But, I’ve also seen a recreational coach jump out of the way of a kid falling off the beam because she was worried the kid might hit her if she went to catch her. It’s the closest I have been to firing someone on the spot.

 

[CoachPow]

I want to make sure I don't let a kid fall on their head! That's like my worst nightmare. Besides the basic spotting they're teaching me, I feel like I'm not truly LEARNING HOW to spot.

This one hits right in my wheelhouse, as I started coaching from scratch, with literally zero gym background. Having been a gymnast, you'll at least be familiar with terminology and the end goal of each skill progression.

1. Communication is number one. You need to make sure you know exactly what the gymnast is going to do. I've even come up with some hand signals when the gym is noisy. Last thing you want to happen is anticipate the kid doing two handsprings before their layout when they are only going to do one.

2. Learn from others. Advice/tips/video/double-spot/etc are very important to your progression. I had a sort-of mentor from a club the next town over that helped some. I also watched some higher-level meets and was invited to work some camps where I learned a ton. Be a "sponge." Find camps where you can go work and learn, or spotting camps- I know we are trying to get more of these going in MN to train in new people!

3. Spot kids that can already do the skill on their own. I credit a huge percentage of my spotting ability to my kids from the first three or so seasons I coached. If you have access to a gymnast that can do a layout full, follow-spot them through a few (my first two years, all of my kids twisted right, so I had to figure out lefties!) Same with many of the big skills like tsuks or bails. This is a great way to learn the positioning and timing in a lower-risk environment.

4. Always be ready for the worst. I always stood by during specific skills, even after my kids had mastered them (double-backs off bars, for instance) because even a tiny loss of focus at the wrong time can be catastrophic. I caught flak for this from time-to-time, but eventually had a couple of grabs that stopped the criticism!

5. Beware of kids asking you to "only touch me if I need it" on a skill. Its will always be easier to catch a gymnast if you are following them through a skill. Once you (and the gymnast) get more comfortable with spotting and with each other, you can just catch at the end.

6. "Do as I say, not as I do" when it comes to more experienced spotters. The smoothness of spotting comes with time and experience. This is the one drawback to learning by watching the higher level spotters. There are basics to spotting that will keep kids safe, and there are more advanced spotting techniques that will help with other aspects of a skill. Learn the basic safety stuff first, and the rest will develop naturally!

 

[trackandfield6]

I want to make sure I don't let a kid fall on their head! That's like my worst nightmare. Besides the basic spotting they're teaching me, I feel like I'm not truly LEARNING HOW to spot.

I think the best way to learn it is by doing it. Of course that may be easier for some than for others because of their particular gym environment, and/or background. I've been spotting since I was a kid, more seriously starting at age 14, and I am now old, 67...lol. I had three younger sisters though, that all did gymnastics, so they were my 'guinea pigs' poor things.... they survived it. The best way, I believe, is to start with classes. It takes a long time, I think, to feel comfortable with it. Start with spotting the basics. If no one will teach you get to a gym, where they will. You can watch U tubes, but its a whole different ball game actually doing it. The more you do it, the more comfortable you will get. I like passing on my knowledge of spotting to the younger generation. I always enjoyed it, and I will never spot a child if I do not think I can do it successfully, and safely. There is also quite a bit of needed agility to spot tumbling, as you often need to do a bit of quick movements to be in the right spot at the right time. I am also a small person, and leverage was/is key. There are a few really great spotters on instagram.... watching them won't hurt. These are guys though with probably years of experience. Some people, like anything in life, just have a knack for it. BTW I have broken my nose once, by getting punched in the face, on a round off full off of beam, and have gotten hit in the face other times, enough to where I am wary of that. Also have dislocated both thumbs while spotting side aerials. It's not without its down sides. If I remember the really good spotter on instagram I'll come back and write that in. Hope this helps! Spotting is an art!Its a very underrated but important skill! Keep at it!

 

[coach j]

1. I was a gymnast for years and was kind of on and off. Highest level I did was Xcel Gold but throughout my career I probably trained a mix of platinum and diamond skills. For training, they do it in phases. So, phase 1 is just floating. Phase 2 is leading warm up. Phase 3 is leading warm up and one event, phase four is leading warm up and two events, and phase 5 is leading whole classes as well as coming in on a Saturday to float/train for open gym/birthday parties. I'm currently on phase 3, about to be moved into phase 4.

2. Somewhat. The classes we have are Parent-tot (not allowed for me bc of age), pre-k, mini gymnastics (for kids who age out of pre-k), beginner girls, adv beginner girls, intermediate girls, tramp and tumbling 1/2/3, mini ninja, and ninja gym. For each class they make lesson plans just to give us ideas but we are not required to follow them.

3. Tbh, all of them. Mostly fast-moving ones or just spotting kids who weigh a little heavier (my back has been hurting after spotting kids who weigh more and also don't have the skill at all so I have to do it completely for them).

4. Yes, we have optional team girls, and I think at least one or two lvl 8+. I'm in the US.

1. I was a gymnast for years and was kind of on and off. Highest level I did was Xcel Gold but throughout my career I probably trained a mix of platinum and diamond skills. For training, they do it in phases. So, phase 1 is just floating. Phase 2 is leading warm up. Phase 3 is leading warm up and one event, phase four is leading warm up and two events, and phase 5 is leading whole classes as well as coming in on a Saturday to float/train for open gym/birthday parties. I'm currently on phase 3, about to be moved into phase 4.

2. Somewhat. The classes we have are Parent-tot (not allowed for me bc of age), pre-k, mini gymnastics (for kids who age out of pre-k), beginner girls, adv beginner girls, intermediate girls, tramp and tumbling 1/2/3, mini ninja, and ninja gym. For each class they make lesson plans just to give us ideas but we are not required to follow them.

3. Tbh, all of them. Mostly fast-moving ones or just spotting kids who weigh a little heavier (my back has been hurting after spotting kids who weigh more and also don't have the skill at all so I have to do it completely for them).

4. Yes, we have optional team girls, and I think at least one or two lvl 8+. I'm in the US.

On the point of heavier kids, if they are ready to do it with a spot but bail (which is bound to happen), make sure you’re spotting with proper technique too. I don’t know if you lift in the gym or not outside of work, but basically keep a flat back, lift with your legs, and don’t hinge at your hips. That’ll make things safer for the kid you’re spotting, and it’ll cause less back pain and less chance of injury to you too. It also makes spotting easier in my opinion since you’re in an optimal lifting position. My best advice for spotting kids that weigh more than you is to get into the gym and work out. Like actually move weight not a 5 pound dumbbell.

 

[CoachPow]

On the point of heavier kids, if they are ready to do it with a spot but bail (which is bound to happen), make sure you’re spotting with proper technique too. I don’t know if you lift in the gym or not outside of work, but basically keep a flat back, lift with your legs, and don’t hinge at your hips. That’ll make things safer for the kid you’re spotting, and it’ll cause less back pain and less chance of injury to you too. It also makes spotting easier in my opinion since you’re in an optimal lifting position. My best advice for spotting kids that weigh more than you is to get into the gym and work out. Like actually move weight not a 5 pound dumbbell.

Agreed! Work on your strength, and work on your footwork. Being in the correct position makes everything easier, and you will have to move your feet to get underneath them. That is a big part of practicing by spotting kids that can already do the skill-just get into position and lightly tap them on the back as they go by to work on your timing.