Women Q for the French in the room

[coach4life]

So, I'm going to be moving to France for a year of overseas university studies beginning late this fall. While I am extremely excited about the opportunity, I am very much NOT looking forward to being away from my gymnasts here in the States for that long. I was looking to make the most of my experience over there and was therefore wondering if any of you that either a) live in France or b) have experience with the French gymnastics programs had any insight as to how French teams/coaches feel about outsiders observing their workouts.

I am not looking to intrude upon anyone or try to get involved in any team programs while abroad, but I did think it would be a very neat learning experience to simply observe (as in, silently, from the bleachers) how another country trains their young gymnastics teams and maybe even learn a few new things to bring home with my by watching how others coach. However, the last thing I want to do is offend or intimidate people by intruding upon their practices. Therefore, I am asking, in your experiences, do you think this would generally be frowned upon culturally? It would not be a regular event (though that would be awesome!), but rather just a time or two if I have the time/accessibility. I would be in the eastern part of France, if that helps.

Merci beaucoup! Thank you for any and all insight! Feel free to be completely honest.

 

[Faith]

@GymMumInFrance
@Natalia

Might be of help .

Tbh though I think the same rules will apply as anywhere else. Contact gyms and ask! Some gyms will be more than happy, others not so much. Many clubs would be happy to have an extra coach if you wanted to be hands on too, even if just with the lower levels.

Depends how much you want to do. Smaller, lower level clubs will probably let you muck right in, elite clubs will probably want you to shadow or work with another coach rather than risk letting you loose before they know you and your coaching methods.

 

[Redford]

I'm currently working overseas and had to leave my gymnasts in another coaches hand. Was not pleased to do that but over all I didn't want to spend such a long time without entering a gym. So I just contacted a few gyms in the area and asked about possibilities. Two answered and said they are happy for any helping hand and very excited to get to know another countriys coaching methods. One of them resulted to be in an unsafe area but I am now helping out at the other one at a regular schedule and even allowed to train myself without any further cost.
Most gyms will be happy about a helping hand especially since you also get the kids a little international experience and probably don't expect to be paid.

 

[Sari]

It's so hard leaving your gymnasts, isn't it? I moved to another city last year and had to leave my beloved team behind, but I also contacted a gym in my new city and they welcomed me with open hands. I started working there last October and as of January, I had my first own group. So what I take from that is the fact that many gyms are in need of coaches.

Now I've only been to France twice, and never for more than a week, but I assume there is gonna be a similar issue. You may not get to coach the next Olympians but especially smaller gyms or clubs (not sure what their system is like) will gladly accept your help and experience. You should be pretty good at speaking French though. In my experience, foreign languages aren't a priority at French schools and most French people expect you to talk to them in their mother tongue. Especially the kids you end up coaching are more than likely not going to speak any English.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

You should be pretty good at speaking French though. In my experience, foreign languages aren't a priority at French schools and most French people expect you to talk to them in their mother tongue.

When we visited a club last year every adult and child spoke some English and tried very hard to speak to P&F in English. They certainly do much more foreign language learning, much earlier than we do in the UK. That being said, of course they would expect all the lessons to be conducted in French, its France.

There is a big volunteer community in France, however everyone tends to have a "diplome" (dipolma) of some sort, or be working towards one, qualifications are very important.

If you look on the French federation site you can search for clubs via area, then I would contact them (in French) and ask if there are any opportunities.

 

[coach4life]

Thanks for the prompt advice, everyone! If anyone else has input, feel free to chime in. I'll have to see about actually trying to coach while over there, with full-time school studies and all (plus all the paperwork and insurance that might go into that). Since I'm aiming for full French language fluency (only partially fluent now), I may wait until my second semester to even try to observe or get involved at a local club. Though, using the French federation site (thanks, Iwannabemargo!) I have already found two gyms, a seemingly very large successful one and a much smaller one, in the city I'll be living in, so that's a plus!

I figure it will likely be nice to at least have a gym I can duck into for a spell when I begin to feel painfully chalk-deprived or just really need to watch a few glide kips and double backs, even if I can't be on the floor with my own team girls.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

there are some on-line translations of terms, Kip is (I think) Bascule, beam Poutre etc which I found useful

 

[coach4life]

Iwannabemargo, thanks for the advice on terms. Do you happen to know of any useful online gymnastics-related translation locations in particular? Because something tells me just google-translating things like "Double full" and "Stick your landing!" may result in nothing more than immense entertainment for whatever French coaches I may someday end up working beside.

 

[bogwoppit]

I can write a list of French terms we use here. @catou is a French coach in Quebec. But our French is definitely not French from France.

 

[ollieblueeyes]

This is too funny! I am 1/2 French Canadian and would try my school taught Parisian French on my Pepe. He would shake his head and say that is not French!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I learned mine in Toulouse, I wondered round with a dictionary and when they said things I didn't understand, out would come my little dictionary, to which my friends would say "you wont find THAT word in the dictionary"

 

[ollieblueeyes]

Now you are describing the German my sister tried on the Rugby playing bartender we had while visiting Germany. Poor thing blushed to the tips of his ears and whispered to her never to use that phrase again! Thanks Dad!6

 

[Dr Maleficent]

Feel free to pm me - happy to help and ask questions of coaches and admins in our gym!

 

[bogwoppit]

This is too funny! I am 1/2 French Canadian and would try my school taught Parisian French on my Pepe. He would shake his head and say that is not French!

The fact that you have a Pepe, makes you French Canadian!

 

[bogwoppit]

Kip. -Bascule
Giant -Soleil
Front giant - lune
Sole circle- peanut
Squat on- petite bonhomme
Vault- cheval
Hand spring- saut de mains
Flyaway- sortie back
Beam- poutre
Handstand - equilibre
Cartwheel - roue
Back tuck - salto
Floor- sol

 

[Natalia]

How did I miss this ?

In the est? You found a big shinny club?That would be Gym Union Haguenau.I will not hog this board with drama but I will find the thread descibing my experience with this "Great "Club.My DD was Elite tracked at that place.

They will welcome you,their top coach left,so you will not be able to see any great coaching.You will be able to see what public funds can build :Incredibly beautiful gym,great propaganda videos

You will not hear the silence of the girls who have been bullied into silence.

I will not try and retain any anonimity,I have nothing to loose so I will be blunt:

You have nothing to learn from the outdated hyper centralized french system.The rot that goes all the way to the very top will only be evident once you are an integral part of the mechanism.

You will be welcomed in nearly all clubs.Some are small friendly clubs that do their best despite the system.Others are huge points producing machines that use the system for their own ambitions.

The Head coach of Gym Union haguenau has a wonderfull villa and a couple of luxury cars-All coaches are equal here but some are more equal then others.

 

[Natalia]

Here,have fun :http://chalkbucket.com/forums/threads/how-would-you-feel.45630/

 

[Natalia]

Forgot to mention that alot of scenes in the video were actually shot in Quebec,where the top coach is now working.This video is used to draw talent to Gym Union Haguenau.However ,they fail to explain that the top skills and the better coach is actually across the Atlantic.

Imagine a mid sized average cub decided to use footage of a BIG U.S gym in their advertising campaign without clarifying that a lot of what you see is actually not avalaible at the average club.That would be lying.

Pretty typical of Gym Union Haguenau.

 

[Dr Maleficent]

I won't comment on girl's training in France as my daughter is only in rec. All I will say is that I have been extremely impressed with the training programme my son is in. He was picked out of rec when he started it at 8, put into a special programme where they pay 75% of his school fees at a private school near the gym, pick him up an hour before the end of school and train him. They do loads of extra things in the holidays, including lots of fun activities, the coach is great and the costs are extremely low. I am very happy! I don't know anything about the standard of coaching in France relative to the rest of the world, but for me the aim isn't that my son gets to the olympics but that he has a great time and develops as a person, and I am really thankful that his gym here is helping him to achieve that.

 

[Sari]

Kip. -Bascule
Giant -Soleil
Front giant - lune
Sole circle- peanut
Squat on- petite bonhomme
Vault- cheval
Hand spring- saut de mains
Flyaway- sortie back
Beam- poutre
Handstand - equilibre
Cartwheel - roue
Back tuck - salto
Floor- sol

I love those terms, haha! I took French at school for seven years but we never learned any gymnastics terms. Calling a giant "sun" is so poetical yet strangely accurate! Thanks for broadening my horizon!