So THAT'S why russian coaches are so effective

[Geoffrey Taucer]

So, while my guys were at woodward, they got a chance to work with Slava Boiko, a particularly memorable russian coach who now works at Penn State. He did wonders for my boys' form, and yesterday I joked that perhaps I should try coaching in a russian accent.

Well, completely as a joke, I tried it -- AND IT WORKED! I told one of my guys about six times to straighten his legs on his mushroom circles to no avail, then I said it with my best immitation of a russian accent and suddenly his form was flawless. Same results on high bar and rings, even with the kids that didn't go to woodward. I even tried it with a couple of my girls today, and it worked every single time.

So now I am left with one simple question:

huh?

 

[tumblerK]

When you hear the same thing over and over again sometimes they start to tune you out. I had a substitute teacher once who bust out into song at the end of the day about our spelling test because he didn't think anyone was listening. We all remembered to study for the test. Change in accent=listening ears on.

 

[snowbound]

I love the coaches at our gym. of course when it comes to accents, we have two coaches from Romania and one from Ecuador. I crack up when I hear the H/c talk (I always think of Natasha and Boris) also, if you have ever seen NCIS, she has similar language issues to Xiva...she can't get the hang of slang words.

snowbound

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

My mom's ice skating coach is Ecuadoran, and she never listens to me if I give her advice in my American accent...except I can't do a Spanish accent so it always turns out Russian!

My gymnastics coach is also Russian...we taught her a new word yesterday. "Quarry"...that's a hard one!

 

[sportyspice]

My DD has a Russian coach - i think its more the clipped, sharp commanding nature of the accent that gets attention - I sometimes use the same intonation when requesting a bedroom clean up - it works!

 

[I-Heart-Beam]

ROFL, that's awesome! But even wierder- its kinda true!! Although the only Russian coach I have encountered was generally a scary person!!

One of my old coaches was a teutcher (from the Highlands, they have these really daft accents) so he would reduce us all to hysterics with his "ye kens?" and "dinnaes" LMAO.

 

[flippinlolly]

if you have ever seen NCIS, she has similar language issues to Xiva...she can't get the hang of slang words.

snowbound

haha love it!! Ziva cracks me up! I have a coach like her at my gym and whenever she says something wrong i just crack up cos all i think of is Ziva!!!

 

[jasmine196]

I used to use accents all the time. And your right the girls did respond better when I did. It was really effective if a gymnast was having a bad day, it always got a laugh out of them. Why it works, I don't know, but it does and that's all that matters.

 

[T.Gymnastics]

dude! ik we were talking about a clinic and my coach was like hey maybe just someone saying the ame thing with a different accent could help. lol we just laughed... but maybe its true

 

[sobegymchic]

hahahahahahaha! i guess it works but my coach actually speaks in russian in a russian accent and it works even better! maybe you should try that!?!?!!?!?!?! too much extra work i guess!hahahaha! :big:

 

[ebie2005]

we have a russian coach at my club ( but she doesnt teach me) and everyone is terrified of her evan the coaches but she has produced olypians so obviously a good coach.

 

[Itstrueimagymnast]

Can you tell me about this coach? From physical appearance to personality, I might know her, but not by name, me and my friends just called her 'coach' at a meet lol. :big:

 

[All Chalked Up]

I took a re-test on a oral test once, only teacher said it in a Russain accent to me... 100%. It wasn't the same test either... hmm. Something about these accents!

 

[girlygirl]

hahahaa thats so funny because my coach did that and it helped me 2

 

[Dezi]

My dd's coach is Romanian and she will tell my daughter something and when she does not fix it she says it to her in Romanian and my dd fixes it immediately. We joke she know Romanian better then English