Coaches Team vs. Rec drama

[Cocoslc17]

Hello coaches!
Just wondering if anyone has/ is experiencing this issue. Our gym has grown significantly in the last couple years, and we are finding ourselves having to share spaces more often. Not a big deal, except it seems there is conflict between the team side of the gym and the rec side. Basically, the team side does not like to share lol. The team coaches will make rude gestures at times (roll eyes, through hands up, etc) if they have to share space or mats with a rec coach. I'm the only coach at the gym who coaches both team and rec, so I see both sides of the frustration. However, I side with the rec coaches most of the time. The team coaches/kids can be quite rude when it comes to taking space/ mats. For example they will just walk over and take a mat when another group is clearly using it without asking first. Or theyll tell their group of gymnasts to go take mats without asking, etc. This kind of behavior is creating tension between the 2 sides of the gym. Does anyone else have this issue and how do you deal with it?

 

[Aussie_coach]

In an organised gym this shouldn’t have to happen. Gyms need a stringent apparatus schedule, not just to ensure this doesn’t happen but to ensure each gymnast gets the time needed.

If an area needs to be shared they need a clear definition of which part of the area each group gets.

Equipment can be scheduled like apparatus.

But the bigger issue may be the energy between team and rec, they are the same gym and should be on the same team.

This can be remedied by arranging activities in the gym that rec and team kids do together. They can have buddies in rec and comp, you can do gym wide challenges where rec and team kids mix together for a team.

Team building events with both groups are great too.

 

[Cocoslc17]

I agree. I guess I just wish there was more teamwork because you're right, we are all on the same team!

 

[Aussie_coach]

As a coach you are in a position to help. Why not out some ideas together and chat to the owner.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Tram coaches need to grow up and behave like professionals

 

[Flipsrus]

Every gym I have ever worked at is like this. I'm the gym manager and coach JO level 4 and up. Recreational classes are the money makers. Can't have team if rec isn't making money. Talk to your owner about this. Everyone needs to follow a schedule for rotations and stick to it. It was a process at my current gym, but team needs to know what's expected of them.

 

[Cocoslc17]

Every gym I have ever worked at is like this. I'm the gym manager and coach JO level 4 and up. Recreational classes are the money makers. Can't have team if rec isn't making money. Talk to your owner about this. Everyone needs to follow a schedule for rotations and stick to it. It was a process at my current gym, but team needs to know what's expected of them.

Glad its not just us lol. I completely agree, at past gyms I've worked at rec was always priority but the coaches here dont seem to have that mind set. A few of us are on the same page so we will definitely try to work it out.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Every gym I have ever worked at is like this. I'm the gym manager and coach JO level 4 and up. Recreational classes are the money makers. Can't have team if rec isn't making money. Talk to your owner about this. Everyone needs to follow a schedule for rotations and stick to it. It was a process at my current gym, but team needs to know what's expected of them.

Really! I am shocked to hear this!

We were always taught that rec gets first priority over team, both as team gymnasts and as coaches.

Because rec have far fewer hours in the gym, so they need 1st access to equipment.

I’m a gym owner and I don’t even use the word rec in my gym. We don’t make a distinction between one group of gymnasts being different.

We have “rec” kids who are level 8/9, because we make sure they get the same quality of training.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

We have “rec” kids who are level 8/9, because we make sure they get the same quality of training.

Just curious.. do they train lower hours than the team level 8/9 gymnastics because their in rec?

 

[Aussie_coach]

Just curious.. do they train lower hours than the team level 8/9 gymnastics because their in rec?

Yes, they train much lower hours. But we have kids on 4 hours a week doing good quality skills like double twists on floor, front fills in floor, flipping Yurchenko vaults, back tucks on beam, aerials in beam. Most C skills on bars etc.

Because we allow rec kids to hit higher levels. Most gyms do have kids who could do this, but few offer them the opportunity because it’s hard to manage.

We discovered that when we allowed rec lids to work towards higher levels, they often progressed faster than team kids in a fraction of the hours.

There are a few reasons for this.

1. No need to train routines. Rec can to skill development and strength all session, they don’t have to spend hours learning, practicing and perfecting routines.

2. No competition season. Which means they can do upskilling 52 weeks a year. Imagine how good your gymnasts could be if they could do their in between season upskilling all year. Well rec kids can.

3. No need to spend time on unprogressive skills. Team kids have to perfect each flair and dance move, if they don’t they will lose points. Rec kids can just focus on progressive skills.

4. Not being held back by a season. We all have those kids who are say level 4, and halfway through the season they are ready for level 5. But they have to finish states etc before they move up. In rec they can just move up when they are ready. Which can save months every year.

5. No need to be held back by an apparatus. Team kids have to reach a certain level on every apparatus to move up. You could have a dynamo tumbler who can’t kip, so they are stuck in level 3. In rec you can keep them in level 3 on bars, but let them move up on floor. So they keep progressing and learning where they can.

6. You can take advantage of windows of opportunity. When a gymnast is ready to learn a skill it’s the best time to learn it.

In Team it’s not that flexible. They need to learn certain skills for that level or that season. A rec kid can learn skills based on when they are ready not these other factors.

7. Less hours can be an advantage. Gymnasts in the gym 20 hours a week don’t have that same sense of urgency to do things. Their coaches also feel like they have time to waste.

A gymnast on low hours and a coach with low hour kids knows they don’t have a lot of time. They are often very driven to get as much done as possible in the few hours they have.

8. No pressure, it’s fun. Rec gymnasts don’t need to master skills by a certain date to compete or move up. They don’t have that same pressure, so they can focus on having fun.

And we discovered, gymnasts who feel like they are having fun learn skills at a RAPID rate.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

That makes a lot of sense. Wouldn't have thought that on my own... I really like the australian system!

 

[Aussie_coach]

That makes a lot of sense. Wouldn't have thought that on my own... I really like the australian system!

Not really an Australian thing. Very few gyms in Australia do it this way, most gyms in Australia only offer rec level gym to lower levels and of you want to do anything more advanced you have to do team.

But team doesn’t work for everyone.

When we first started doing it this way, we never expected to get the incredible result that we did. We were really surprised to see how fast the red kids progressed once we gave them the opportunity.

In hindsight we realised why it worked so well.

 

[Kolabola29]

Not really an Australian thing. Very few gyms in Australia do it this way, most gyms in Australia only offer rec level gym to lower levels and of you want to do anything more advanced you have to do team.

But team doesn’t work for everyone.

When we first started doing it this way, we never expected to get the incredible result that we did. We were really surprised to see how fast the red kids progressed once we gave them the opportunity.

In hindsight we realised why it worked so well.

I have often wondered whether gyms should go to an “every other year” competition season for this very reason. Compete one year, spend the next on skill development (do score out meets right before comp season if you’ve progressed several levels). But then a lot of the kids love meets the most…

 

[Aussie_coach]

I have often wondered whether gyms should go to an “every other year” competition season for this very reason. Compete one year, spend the next on skill development (do score out meets right before comp season if you’ve progressed several levels). But then a lot of the kids love meets the most…

Attending special events like competitions and winning medals is the icing on the cake for team gymnasts. It gives them a goal to strive for, to keep them motivated in their training.

Most kids feel they need that icing, to keep them motivated long term. So if you take away competitions, they still need an icing. Something to aim for, Strice for, something to drive them.

The competitions are not required, but the icing is. They key is coming up with other ways to create the goals.

But as gymnastics coaches website creative people. Every day we need to come up with creative and interesting ways to teach drills, correct skills etc.