WAG Parent Coach Communication

[cbifoja]

How much communication do you have with your DD coach? Do you get feedback/progress report yearly, quarterly, or monthly??

As much as we want. We can catch them in the lobby, email them, text them, or call. If our kid gets a new skill and we are in the lobby, we are invited into the gym to watch or video. The coaches will seek us out in those types of situations.

As far as feedback/progress reports, we get a formal one once a year and then an informal one anytime we ask. Our coaches are very approachable and very pro-parent. Most of the time, I feel like they respect my role in the triad and they go out of their way to explain things to us if we don't understand.

 

[flippinam]

Communication with coaches is very open at our gym. Our team is tiny (4 optionals total & 4 compulsories total), but we have about 6 coaches that work with the team. So, that's almost a 1:1 ratio. Of course, we don't have all of the coaches at once. Four of them also teach rec classes, so we only have them on certain days & times. Parents can approach coaches before or after practice to talk, along with email, texting, or calling. The coaches are all happy to communicate at pretty much any time about anything that needs to be discussed. I know very few gyms are like this though. Also, one coach in particular is great with talking the gymnasts through gymnastics & non-gymnastics issues. She is like a second mother to me. That's my favorite thing about the gym I'm at. The team is like a family.

 

[flippingtogether]

Our old gym - with a fairly big team - did a nice thing and set up 'triangle' meetings at the end of each season. Right after States, a schedule was distributed and times were assigned for individual meetings. The meeting would include the coaches, parent(s), and each DD. This would take place privately in the gym's office....the discussion would be about the year that just finished and goals for the upcoming year and season, including expected level placement for the following season. The meeting would take place either for the 20 min before the start of practice, or immediately after practice.

The plan for the gymnast might change in the coming months, of course, but it was nice to have an idea of the bigger term picture of where things were going, and to have the opportunity to ask questions.
And while it's great to get updates on skills obtained/day to day progression from a coach at the end of practice, it is really great to get a 'road map' of sorts with some longer term plans and goals.

 

[Faolmor]

We have one-on-one parent-coach meetings (15 minutes long) once per term. DD's is tomorrow. Eeep!

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

So so jealous.

 

[coachmolly]

I try to be available after practice in case parents have questions (I'm teaching rec. before), but tend to get stuck debriefing with the asst. coach. I do tend to go out of my way to talk to a parent if their child is doing really well or has made big improvements, though I tend to shy away if a child is having some behavioral issues in the gym. Those I wait for the parents to ask about. I know it's probably not the best thing, but "Suzy cannot take direction for the life of her" isn't really a pleasant conversation starter . I am much more likely to mention problems to a parent who has made efforts to approach me in the past and who I know will work with me to come up with a solution.
I really appreciate the parents who make time to talk with me- ask how their child is doing or mention things that are going on at home. I had one dad mention that he noticed his daughter was acting out in class- we worked on it at the gym, they worked on it at home- and the turn around has been incredible. She went from being the kid who made me want to pull my hair out to a pleasure to coach. So parent communication can be a wonderful thing!

 

[gymmomtoo]

@coachmolly as a parent who didn't watch practice all that much, I would have liked you to approach me, if my child was acting out as I might not have noticed it! (well, if you were my child's coach ;-) )
I'd much rather a coach pointed out an ongoing issue early than spring it on us at level change time as a reason not to move Suzy up.

 

[suebee]

@coachmolly as a parent who didn't watch practice all that much, I would have liked you to approach me, if my child was acting out as I might not have noticed it! (well, if you were my child's coach ;-) )
I'd much rather a coach pointed out an ongoing issue early than spring it on us at level change time as a reason not to move Suzy up.

Me too. I don't watch much so I wouldn't know if there was an issue unless the coach brought it up to me. And there are so many girls on team and many parents wanting to get a word in with the coach before or after practice, and we're usually in a rush to go home, so I don't approach the coach unless I have a particular concern, which I don't have, other than a general hoping everything is fine. But I have rationalized it, thinking that the coach would approach me if it wasn't fine.

 

[shelovestoflip]

None…unless I ask. Level 9….by this time, I figure if the coach needs me to know something, he/she will find me lol!

That being said, on the rare occasion, I have a question/concern, I will email and ask!

 

[emilykatherine]

I text mine almost everyday about something