Of course the first responsibility parents have is to choose an appropriate gymnastics program for their child and provide them all the necessary equipment and clothing.  And it is extremely important to make sure they get to all their practices and competitions.

Parents are Not Gymnastics Coaches
 There are also many things a parent cannot do for their gymnast.  Gymnastics is unlike other team sports, like baseball or soccer, where the rules and skills have not changed significantly for many years

Coaching is Specialized
 Gymnastics is a unique sport that requires highly specialized knowledge to coach.  It is different than any other sport that we can think of in this regard.  Even parents who may have been gymnasts in their youth will not likely have kept up with the increases in difficulty, rule changes and new training techniques and equipment.

Rules Change Frequently
 Even coaches have to work and study to keep up with the rule changes and qualification procedures.

Hundreds of Skills and Infinite Combinations
 There are hundreds of skills in each gymnastics event and an infinite number of skill combinations.  The knowledge required to understand the proper safe progression and correct execution techniques is so extensive as to be beyond anyone not involved full-time in the sport.  This, of course, eliminates all parents except those who are themselves coaches, from the expert category.

A Little Knowledge Can Be a Dangerous thing
 As such parents should not be coaching or giving coaching advice.  There are concrete reasons and safety considerations as to why parents should not be giving coaching advice, especially on difficult skills. 

Pointing Toes is Not Always Good Practice Advice
 For example, a parent might think they are doing their gymnast a service by encouraging them to point their toes during some skill, perhaps having heard this advice from coaches at some point and noting that their gymnast is not doing this on some skill.

Continued Next Page 
 
 

GymnasticsZone.com 321 West 13th Street Suite 4 Idaho Falls, ID 83402 (480) 264-1885

Copyright © GymnasticsZone, Inc. 2003 - 2009