For a number of reasons, many parents have difficulty approaching their child’s gymnastics coach.  One of the main reasons is that it is an extremely rare parent who understands enough about the sport to have any opinion at all.  Gymnastics is a complicated sport with obscure and ever changing rules that even coaches have trouble keeping current on.  Parents have little chance to do keep up.

Coaching is Already a Full-Time Job
Coaches rarely have the time to sit down and explain everything they are doing and why.  With practice time and planning time and other coaching management responsibilities, coaching is a more than full-time job with barely time to explain the sport to gymnasts, much less parents. 

Beware the “Phone” Game
Gymnastics team practices are usually too long for all but most compulsive parents to sit through and observe.  Thus parents only hear second hand what is going on in the gym either from gymnasts or parents.  We all know how accurate secondhand information is.

Everyone on the Same Page
The coach should hopefully have discussed their coaching philosophy, goals, methods and training system.  This information should help you understand why your gymnast's coaches are doing what they are doing. Sometimes, however, issues or questions may arise during the year that you might feel have to be addressed by the coach. 

Don’t Try to Argue About the Sport
It is rarely useful, possible or wise for parents to challenge coaches on anything to do with the sport itself.  Parents are not experts in the sport.  Hopefully, the coaches are.  Realistically, parents may not know if coaches really know what they are talking about because coaches will certainly know more than the parents will.

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