WAG Unqualified Coaches?

[coachmolly]

The US system, or lack thereof, is a mess. While they are trying to put something into place, it's only in effect for USAG member clubs and coaches (coaches who want to be on the floor at meets). So the more rec based programs, clubs with affiliations other than USAG (AAU, USAIGC), and coaches who teach at a higher level without USAG membership are off the hook. So while USAG is taking steps in the right direction, there are a scary number of loopholes.
I was working at a solely rec program for a period which was not a USAG member club and many of the assistant coaches were high schoolers whose only personal experience as gymnasts was at a high school level (around level 4/5 minus proper progressions). They were largely self taught themselves and had no instruction on proper skill development or spotting techniques. Add to this that the program tossed kids through skills much too advanced and it was a scary situation. I once was given a high schooler to "assist" me and the intermediate level group I had told me they worked bhs on floor. Well, I could very plainly see these kids couldn't even do handstands so I wasn't about to go there. I told the high school assistant what to work on with the kids to avoid bhs and looked at her group several moments later to see her spotting a bhs and dropping the girl on her head . I know accidents happen from time to time, but when someone specifically tells you a group of kids isn't ready for something?! Yikes! Needless to say I no longer coach at that program. Just too scary.

 

[Dahlia]

In the US at USAG clubs do all the coaches have to be certified or just the competitive coaches? Our previous gym was USAG, but the coaches my daughter had for the preschool class definitely were not very qualified. Most of them had no or little gymnastics experience themselves, and did not teach things like proper form. It's one of the reasons we left. Our new gym is USAG, and even the preschool coaches were better. And now that DD is on the preteam track, her coach is really quite good and she knows her stuff.

 

[BlairBob]

Dahlia, in the US coaches only need to be USAG Professional members if they are on the floor at competitions.

Things are changing though. Clubs can have their coaches get certified or take part in the USA Gymnastics University but it's not required.

GymCert is out there as well.

 

[bogwoppit]

I think here in the UK they are making all sports coaching very similar. Hubbie is Level3/4 rugby coach and the new rugby level 3 is split into (I think) 5 technical modules as well, plus the child protection module in all level 1 sports I think is now a common module.

That is how it is in Canada. Sports coaching in Canada is all regulated and all have levels in common.

In the gyms I have been in in the UK they were very aware of coaching levels etc, never saw any coaching out of level.

 

[qymmom???]

We have a very strict system in Canada. Coaches have to be qualified to teach certain levels of skills. No exclusions ever. I have never heard of a club go against these rules. Their insurance would be gone if they did and had an injury.

Can you direct me to a website that explains what qualifications are needed by the coaches to teach the various levels?

 

[bogwoppit]

Can you direct me to a website that explains what qualifications are needed by the coaches to teach the various levels?

http://www.gymnasticsontario.ca/coaching-requirements/
Look there ^ and then look around on that site. NCCP is the type of certification.

 

[catou]

I started coaching at 14 years old. The training courses Bog is talking about can be taken at 16 years old. So for two years I coached without being certified. The head coach had then coached me for 2 years so he knew I wouldn't teach anything dangerous. You also need a certain level to be able to coach in competitions. Most coaches are level 2. That's enough for provincial levels. We have 3 level 3 coaches at my club, one in training. There are really few level 4 coaches.

At the beginning of each season, each clubs as to send to our federation the list of every gymnasts, their category, and the list of coaches (along with their certification number). The federation can check. I know that in figure skating here, the coaches must show their certification card when they enter the arena. If they don't have it or aren't qualified enough, they can't coach.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I hasten to add I only heard of this at the "old Club", P&F's coach is now taking her level 4 as she wants to "keep up with the girls"

 

[Jenny]

Yes Margo, you can look up the skills matrix for each level on the BG website. They changed about a year ago. Progressions for straddle/pike undershoot, squat on and jump to high bar on bars, flics and handsprings on floor, cartwheel on beam are all level 2. What you can do for the new level 1 is quite basic and doesn't even allow for anything beyond a squat through vault. I think there are a lot of coaches pushing the boundaries because, thinking about it, dd's first coach at our current club was an ex gymnast/level 1 and they were definitely doing way harder skills than I can see on the matrix!

I am sure some of these used to be level 1. Maybe your coaches have the old qualification. Seems a bit weird to go from flic on floor for level 2 to double back preps in level 3. Squat through vault in level 2 and tsuk and yurchenko in level 3. What a huge jump.

 

[Jenny]

hmmm, so if I'm reading it right you have to be level 4 to be teaching Tsuks and Yerchenkos ?

No they are level 3

 

[Jenny]

I wish this was the case in the UK! I believe there are consequences if injuries occur when coaches aren't qualified but many clubs still take the risk..

It is the case in the UK. Insurance is void if coaches are coaching beyond their level.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Its 16 here as well for Level 1 as Big Boy is most upset he has to wait a whole year before taking his course and exam. We are hoping to get him through level 2 before he goes to uni as coaching is more fun and pays more than pulling pints or scrubbing floors.

 

[CreateMagic]

Its 16 here as well for Level 1 as Big Boy is most upset he has to wait a whole year before taking his course and exam. We are hoping to get him through level 2 before he goes to uni as coaching is more fun and pays more than pulling pints or scrubbing floors.

So very true! I coached gymnastics freshman and sophomore year of college and then coached hs cheer my jr and sr years. I started coaching gym at 15 and remember being HUNGRY for all the knowledge I could get my hands on. I had really wished for coaching courses (and usually still seek them out!). It is scary that the U.S. doesn't have any minimum requirements, although they are starting to work on that.

 

[CreateMagic]

And good luck to your son!

 

[coachmolly]

After reading this, it sounds similar to the program used by USA Swimming here in the states. There are levels of coaching- some you achieve by taking an exam while the higher levels are reached only when you have a certain level of success with your athletes (ie. qualifying to a national meet). I find it ironic that a sport with a lesser likelihood of traumatic injuries has a stricter coaching certification program than gymnastics. Though they also face some of the same problems as USAG- YMCA type clubs and school based programs would be exempt unless they also participated in USA Swimming (or had coaches who were on top of certifications).

 

[catou]

The levels here are divided in three: theory, technical course (you get your hands at spotting and drills) and practical (coaching). You can do you theory after or before your technical course. For example, I've done my level 1 technical course in trampoline but not the theory. Once you've done these two, you start counting a the number of hours you coach. Once you've reach the required number of hours, your level is certified. In my case, I'm a level 2 certified in WAG, and have done my level 1 practical course in tramp.

Formations are usually in the week-end (number of week-ends depends of the level), now coaches has to complete a booklet and film themselves coaching.

Level 1 is really for rec classes. I'd say I would be confortable coaching up to new level 7 with my level 2.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I would think that, in an ideal world, the levels are broadly similar across the countries. This would allow free exchange of coaches abroad. I know BG does recognise other countries certification.

 

[Redford]

Dahlia, in the US coaches only need to be USAG Professional members if they are on the floor at competitions.

Same thing around here. There ARE licenses but they're only checked at competitions. Then there are HUGE gaps between C,B and A-license and coaching courses are very good but way to expensive for clubs to have all their coaches participate.
But the biggest problem is, that there are just not enough coaches around. I could do 3 groups per day if I wanted to, there are groups of 20+ with only one coach especially at the rec-classes and lower levels and that's not safly doable. So we have a lot of older gymnasts helping out (experienced and supervised but still no license) because experienced but uncertificated supervision is better than no supervision at all.

Is it legal? No, but what options do we have? Something definitly needs to change about that system.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Interesting Redford, I would have assumed that all European countries would have similar certification to us. I am assuming France has this, my experiences there suggest that there is a "formation" for everything, accompanied by the obligatory certificate.

 

[Faith]

Apparently I'm a level 3 coach and I have no idea what skills are within my remit.

I did my exams back in the day when it was only "assistant coach" and "club coach", about £50 a time and higher level qualifications were fairly new. People did their club coach and then went off and coached.

I haven't coached since, but when I checked with BG recently apparently as a club coach I can just pay my membership, and start coaching as a level 3.

Conversely, my dh has been a hands on coach for over 25 years. He has only just done his level 1, and has been trying to get level 2 for 3 years now (lack of courses, course cancellation, date changes- general admin problems). I would have no issue with him running sessions or coaching higher than his level, as he has the knowledge and experience, just not the paper. However there is the insurance factor to worry about- should there be an accident, doesn't matter he's a "better" coach if he doesn't have the paper.

Is there somewhere you can look up a coaches level?

Level 3 is "club coach"- as in you can run your own club, so I'd expect them to be able to teach most skills. I thought Level 4/ HPC coaches were for coaches capable of producing elite/national standard gymnasts?