Let’s take a look first at what our long-term job as a coach is and what our goals are. We are primarily talking about programs whose main goal is to provide every gymnast with the opportunity to fully reach their gymnastics potential. That, of course, includes large metropolitan gymnastics training centers but also includes small gyms that want to be able to provide training for the local prodigy.
Recruit All the Talent Available in Your Area
The first job is to locate and recruit all of the potential gymnastics talent in your area. By recruit we don’t mean recruit from neighboring gyms, we mean find raw potential talent and introduce them and their parents to the benefits and advantages to training in gymnastics and your program.
Provide a National/Elite Development and Training Program
Our program goal is to provide the training necessary to reach the National or Elite level in a three to five year training program.
Physically Prepare Your Gymnasts
The first necessity is to develop sufficient strength and flexibility in your gymnasts to be able to successfully learn and perform high level gymnastics skills. Don’t waste time trying to teach gymnasts skills they are not yet strong enough or flexible enough to do. Eventually, your gymnasts need to reach the press and planche level. Flexibility-wise you are looking for 190° + active and passive splits and front and back limber beam shoulder and back flexibility.
Plan Your Program for the Future
You need to train your gymnasts for what you anticipate it will take to have 10.0 difficulty routines and to make Elite 4 – 5 years from now. Basically, your gymnasts will need two Elite level vaults and 10 – 12 skills on each of the other events. Each routine will need to include enough “G,” ”F,” “E,” “D,” and “C” level skills and combinations to create enough bonus points for a 10.0 difficulty routine.
Make Sure Your Gymnasts Can Dance
In addition, your gymnasts will need to be prepared to pass the Elite dance testing. This means your gymnasts will need very competent in the area of dance, particularly ballet. There are also Elite strength and skill tests but if you have done your work on the above items, they should be prepared for that.
Have Long-Term Goals and Run Your Program to Meet Them
This is essentially what your task as a coach is. You should have these goals in mind every day when you plan and run practice. It is very easy to lose sight of these important long-term goals in the pursuit of low level meet short-term goals. There can be considerable pressure from both parents and even gymnasts for more emphasis on short-term (read that short-sighted) concentration on things like compulsory routines.
Elite is the Best
Essentially, however, a good Elite developmental program will be equally, if not more successful, even in the short-term than a compulsory based program. A good Elite developmental program will certainly be more successful in the long run for developing high level gymnasts.
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