Coaches Should USAG have standardized technical training?

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Random thought:

USAG already requires coaches to undergo training for first aid/CPR, concussion safety, and safesport certification. And all these are, on the whole, good things (even if they do feel like an inconvenience sometimes).

But there is no such standardized training for technical side. And while every coach does things differently, there are some underlying principles that every coach should know, and not every coach does. For example, a basic understanding of conservation of angular momentum, and the laws of motion in general as applied to gymnastics, is something that could be distilled into a simple course for coaches to take, and that knowledge is an incredibly powerful coaching tool. A basic understanding of how the musculoskeletal system works, a basic understanding of sports psychology, etc; we don't need full-blown college courses to learn enough to apply it to gymnastics, but a bit of basic understanding of these can go a really long way, and at present there's not really an obvious centralized resource for coaches to learn about these.

What do y'all think?

 

[Gymgirl84]

In my country coaches have to pass coaching courses where those kind of topics are more or less covered, also you are taught some fundamental progressions for the basic skills, physical preparation,... Still at the gyms some older gymnasts or staff that helps with beginner rec and the like have not yet gone through the coaching courses. But to be at a competition floor you need them.

 

[Coach Kate]

I think it's a good idea. I took a preschool training course from someone with advanced education in childhood development and it really helped me so much. I think better training would benefit everyone.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

In my country coaches have to pass coaching courses where those kind of topics are more or less covered, also you are taught some fundamental progressions for the basic skills, physical preparation,... Still at the gyms some older gymnasts or staff that helps with beginner rec and the like have not yet gone through the coaching courses. But to be at a competition floor you need them.

This makes sense to me. I wish USAG would implement something like this. Even if it's not mandatory, just having a primer, having the learning resources available and endorsed by USAG. Some sort of certification, even if it's optional, would be beneficial.

 

[JessSyd]

I actually find it crazy that they don’t!

Here (Aus) there are five levels of coach training, ranging from fundamentals, to high performance. Unless a highly trained coach is moving from another country, coaches do each level of training until they stop at a level they are comfortable with (because obviously it gets harder as you keep going up). Each level has its own training plan, but they’re generally a combination of workshops and in-gym training - a bit like the theory classes followed by an apprenticeship followed by a final theory class. And the in-gym training is systematic - there are workbooks the prospective coach has to work through and skills they need to get signed off on before they can be accredited to do them independently.

And these levels are non negotiable. Coaches are not allowed to coach above their accredited level - from an insurance point of view or an ongoing accreditation point of view. The only time a coach who isn’t accredited to teach flight skills, for example, should help with back handsprings, is under the supervision of a coach educator while in the process of training for that level of accreditation. And coaches can only go on the competition floor if they are accredited for the level competing.

And each club (or at least most clubs - some small clubs can’t really train their own coaches), has a Coach Educator (often the head coach) who has done a course that accredits them to supervise the ‘apprenticeship’ part of the course.