Coaches Ramping up to States

[BarCoach]

We've got two months and 3 meets left. It's been a great season but we still have room to improve. Just want to peak at the best time. What things do you think get the most out of your athletes and routines?

 

[BarCoach]

Anyone? Hoping to find something new to light a little spark under them.

 

[iwannacoach]

Give em a short motivational speech at the first practice of each week. Maybe start with your goal and hope of helping them prepare well enough that they ready to compete and to feel good while marching in, competing, and marching out.

I'd include both of these.....

Put together another speech about the futility of doing almost enough, and the benefits that come from doing more than enough. I've done that speech standing in front of an empty pitcher sitting on a saucer, a bowl of water, and a 4 oz. measuring cup. I busy myself, while speeching it up, by transferring 4 oz of water into the pitcher while delivering the concept of doing enough vs. almost enough. I make my efforts to add to the pitcher more obvious towards the end, and then present them with a question...... If my goal is to fill the saucer the pitcher is resting on, would it make sense to tire and stop now after all that work to get the pitcher ready to realize my goal? It's that moment I add the last 1/4 cup that spills enough water over the edge to fill the saucer. It may be hard to add that extra bit of work, but it's neccesary to do so all the work before that has meaning.

The last speech happens at the beginning of the week prior to meet week to give them 11 or 12 days to chew, swallow, and digest. That's when I tell them that the meet itself may as well be over because their past training will be what's on display for the judges The rest is formality because you'll walk out at the end of the meet with every bit pride you carried with you on your way in.

Nothing, one way or the other, can change that.

The end.......

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Well,,, mix it up, pressure sets, games, points, etc... I have three games that I play with the kids, one of them is ongoing for years.

 

[BeachGym]

Our teams usually work out extremely hard three weeks before we are headed into State. Then the last week we usually let them have a free day (nothing new at this point). But we do let the girls pick what they work on. Then the rest of the week we do pressure sets with every child on every event at each practice. This has worked well for us in the past. We also play team games during the pressure sets. For example, your "team" can only have 1 fall or 3 wobbles on beam etc. I mix the teams up and have prizes for the winning teams. Sometimes I even pair a set of level 4s with a level 9. I like this change because the girls are warming up with kids they do not usually practice with, as well as, having to be accountable to each other.

 

[txgymfan]

I love the idea of the 4's and 9's together. How fun for both of them and a great idea to get them to impress each other.

 

[BeachGym]

It works really well. Depending on how many kids are present at practice, then your "team" could be made up of a level 2, a level 4, a level 7, and a level 9 or whatever combination. It really pulls us together as a whole team. I like that camaraderie. Often times I have parents purchase hotel rooms for nights they do not need in order to support our other level gymnasts. Its exciting to watch the level 9s show up and support our 1s, 2s, and 3s as well as vise versa.

 

[iwannacoach]

It works really well. Depending on how many kids are present at practice, then your "team" could be made up of a level 2, a level 4, a level 7, and a level 9 or whatever combination. It really pulls us together as a whole team. I like that camaraderie. Often times I have parents purchase hotel rooms for nights they do not need in order to support our other level gymnasts. Its exciting to watch the level 9s show up and support our 1s, 2s, and 3s as well as vise versa.

Great idea. It seems like a great way to promote and maintain a team community, and I really like the potential it shows for keeping the few late season kids from getting isolated while training for west/easterns and JO's.

 

[BarCoach]

Thanks!!