Thanks to Mary Lee Tracy from Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy for sharing this drill. And Thank you to the folks at FLIP FEST for sharing this drill with her! [Read more…]
I Have A Problem With My Coach. Part 2
I Have a Problem with my Coach Part 2
Dr. Joe Massimo & Dr. Sue Massimo
Excerpt from Psychology and Gymnastics by Drs. Joe and Sue Massimo.
Over the years, we have received hundreds of letters from gymnasts, coaches and parents concerning issues raised in our articles or other concerns of a “psychological” nature regarding our sport. In the majority of cases we answer these letters one by one and that has proven to be satisfactory. It is always nice to hear from readers and feedback, whether positive or negative, keeps a person on his or her toes.
On several occasions we have received a surprising number of letters, mostly from gymnasts, asking for help with a personal problem or with some special situation in their gym. Although all of our answers are of course confidential, enough letters have come in talking about similar difficulties in the gym of a general kind that we felt some type of larger response might be useful for more readers.
In any setting where people are striving for the kind of creative expression, as required in gymnastics, there are bound to be some problems. Since everyone is unique, with varied backgrounds and genetic dispositions, any given situation will be seen in a different way by each individual. It would be impossible to talk about all the various problems that might arise in a gym, and, because of our uniqueness, even more difficult to make suggestions that would always work for everyone. However, there are some basic issues that have continually been raised in our mail which many gymnasts apparently experience in common (individually or as a group) when it comes to their coaching situation.
In this article, we felt it would be valuable to consider a few of the more often raised issues or problems that gymnasts have written to us about. And yes, we’re talking about “The Coach.”
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COACH. Part 1
The Situation Where the Coach Plays to Favorites
We have never met a coach, who is honest with him or herself, who has not had to struggle with this natural tendency to have favorites. In all human relationships, people form stronger attachments with certain individuals, rather than others. Why should it be any different in the gym? Of course, sometimes coaches pay more attention to the most talented gymnasts. In other cases, it is not always a situation that occurs based on talent but can come about because of some other factors that are not easily identified. Whatever the basis, it makes for a tough situation when a single gymnast or group of gymnasts who are part of a team clearly feel that certain individuals are getting preferred attention on a regular basis. Occasionally, a particular gymnast, because of special skills being attempted or competitive level, must have extra help and time from the coach. Most coaches make this clear beforehand and indicate that this may be the case from time to time, and that each gymnast in their turn, as appropriate, will receive the same special handling. Some coaches may ignore certain gymnasts at particular times—this may not have anything to do with “playing favorites,” but may be intentional to encourage self-motivation and direction. This is perfectly acceptable and is usually temporary.
In the article, “Behavior Change: Part II- Self-Evaluation,” we describe the benefits of having gymnasts work with and encourage each other, rather than always relying on the coach. This is not only good practice, but can reduce the effect of special attention given to a single person (one should also remember that the person receiving the special attention that is overdone is in a spot in their relationships with other kids). If the “playing favorites” condition happens continually with the same one or two gymnasts at the sacrifice of the others, nothing short of confrontation will help. What we mean is that the other members of the group, as a group, must bring this to the coach’s awareness. If your coach is so domineering that he or she is too powerful, in your eyes, to be approached in this regard, then perhaps the only solution is to ask for adult assistance (e.g., parent). This is a suggestion we don’t like to make, since, as we have stated in other articles, such as “My Daughter the Gymnast,” we have strong feelings that parents should stay out of the coaching interaction. On the other hand, the condition we are speaking of is in the extreme, and when it is out of hand, it will be obvious and clearly destructive to all, and must come to an end. We started this discussion by saying we never met a coach who has not had to struggle with this issue—struggle is the key word. Most coaches try very hard to be fair with their time and give equal attention to individual gymnasts as needed. In the majority of cases, they succeed in their efforts. But sometimes, the best intentions go off, and the further it goes, the worse it gets. Group action is the best solution.
We would be amiss to say that if a gymnast feels he or she is being neglected, they should also carefully think about their own behavior. Few people, not even saintly coaches, can only take a pain in the neck for so long. It is as natural to turn away from obnoxious behavior as it is to be attracted to favorable characteristics. Make sure you don’t, in fact, bring about the so-called “neglect” out of your own “unpleasantness,” before you launch a campaign to change things.
The Negative Coach
There are some coaches that talk a good game, but who just cannot seem to think “positively.” They seem to always be putting the gymnast down with negative and/or sarcastic remarks. Often they yell a lot and even have temper tantrums from time to time. It surely is hard for a young gymnast to have a childish coach! The coach who operates out of a negative view of things often makes his or her gymnasts feel guilty for what they are doing or failing to do. In the worst of such conditions, gyms that have a negative atmosphere are very unhappy places to be. Some gymnasts adjust to it through willpower and personal drive—many, on the other hand, bow out of the sport with a bitter taste in their mouths. Some coaches seem to slip into a more negative mode close to meets when pressure is greatest—that is a different matter, but still a problem. When there are at least some positive things happening, most gymnasts can manage by accepting the negativism as part of the coach’s “style” one has to live with over time. For more on this issue see “Abuses of Anger in the Gym.”
Another method for coping with this type of situation is for the kids to pull together and provide the positive support to one another. Sometimes, this will give the coach a model for change which might rub off. Of course, doing this requires a kind of maturity among the gymnasts themselves and this is sometimes asking a lot. It may work for a few, and at least they will feel better in the setting. We are big believers in group influence and pressure—as in the case of the playing favorites coach, the ultimate action might be for the gymnasts to make a direct approach to the coach with the problem. Sometimes, this works and sometimes it doesn’t. In any event, it will be difficult for the coach to claim he or she was unaware of the problem, once it has come into focus. Coaches can easily dismiss an individual’s complaint, but it is a different matter when a group presents a case. Once this is out in the open, many coaches can alter their behavior. When they do, the results are usually so rewarding that they begin to modify how they operate on a more regular basis.
Summary
For the gymnast bringing these issues to your coach is the first step in resolving them. In these situations we have looked at for openers, there is one other approach that can be made. If you are in a gym with several coaches, it may be possible to bring the message to the “head person” through one of the other coaches who are not part of the problem. Often in multiple-coach gyms, certain youngsters feel more comfortable with one coach than another when it comes to getting at certain problems. It is not disloyal or inappropriate to take advantage of this condition as a possible way to bring about change which will make things better for everyone. As a coach, you must be open to look carefully at your own behavior and the effects it is having on the team or individual gymnasts in your charge. Appropriate behavioral changes must be made to ensure the overall health of your gymnasts.
Doc and Tony. MIT Faculty Club
Works Cited
Massimo, J. &. Massimo, S., (2012). Psychology and Gymnastics. NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “Abuses of Anger in the Gym,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “Behavior Change: Part II- Self-Evaluation,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “Coaching through Goal Setting” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “My Daughter the Gymnast,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “My Goal is to…,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
DRs Joe and Sue Massimo are in the final stages of editing Psychology and Gymnastics and it should be in Print Soon. This is a MUST READ for all coaches.
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY COACH part 1
I Have a Problem with my Coach
Dr. Joe Massimo & Dr. Sue Massimo
Excerpt from Psychology and Gymnastics by Drs. Joe and Sue Massimo.
Over the years, we have received hundreds of letters from gymnasts, coaches and parents concerning issues raised in our articles or other concerns of a “psychological” nature regarding our sport. In the majority of cases we answer these letters one by one and that has proven to be satisfactory. It is always nice to hear from readers and feedback, whether positive or negative, keeps a person on his or her toes.
On several occasions we have received a surprising number of letters, mostly from gymnasts, asking for help with a personal problem or with some special situation in their gym. Although all of our answers are of course confidential, enough letters have come in talking about similar difficulties in the gym of a general kind that we felt some type of larger response might be useful for more readers.
In any setting where people are striving for the kind of creative expression, as required in gymnastics, there are bound to be some problems. Since everyone is unique, with varied backgrounds and genetic dispositions, any given situation will be seen in a different way by each individual. It would be impossible to talk about all the various problems that might arise in a gym, and, because of our uniqueness, even more difficult to make suggestions that would always work for everyone. However, there are some basic issues that have continually been raised in our mail which many gymnasts apparently experience in common (individually or as a group) when it comes to their coaching situation.In this article, we felt it would be valuable to consider a few of the more often raised issues or problems that gymnasts have written to us about. And yes, we’re talking about “The Coach.”
Super Coach?
First, we need to say something about the notion of the coach as a Superman/Super person, an often assumed and stated myth. Coaches are, as a matter of fact, very human! They are subject to the same stresses and strains of all of us, and very often more so. This might seem like a very obvious and foolish thing to say, but it is amazing how many gymnasts apparently feel that their coach is superhuman in some way. Usually this attitude is found in the youngest gymnasts, older ones with more experience having learned that it is not the case.
Most coaches are dedicated, caring, hardworking people who have your best interest at heart. They love the sport and try to help their gymnasts achieve to the best of their ability. All of these are surely important characteristics. They do, like everyone else, make mistakes from time to time, but they learn and grow as the result of such errors just like you do. If the coach you are currently working with doesn’t seem to have any of these qualities, then you’re probably going to have to look for a new one soon. That is sometimes easy to say, but very hard to do. Maybe the gym you’re working in is the only one to be found and in that case, you are pretty much stuck and will have to make the best of the situation to continue in the sport. Such a bleak situation is not common and fortunately, more options become available every year. In any event, if your coach has some of these characteristics, including the human capacity to make mistakes, you’re most likely okay. Some gymnasts are looking for the ideal, dream world in which to do gymnastics and such athletes are probably going to be unhappy no matter where they are. Basically, it is a matter of finding the best match. Most gymnasts are looking for a setting where they feel pretty good most of the time, where they are learning slowly but surely, and where they have reasonable happy relationships with the other kids. Remember, whatever the combination you find for yourself – coaches are human with all the emotions, faults, and desires that condition implies.
Respect the coach who has earned your trust and confidence, but don’t expect miracles.
With that as a general background, let’s turn to some of the specific situations gymnasts have written about concerning the coaching area:
The Coach Who Insists You Do Something You Don’t Feel You Can Do or Are Ready For.
This is a big one! A real problem here is the question of who is right. Does your feeling of not being ready come out of expected, natural fear only? Is the coach correct but you are not willing to accept his or her judgment? On the other hand, are you quite right realizing that you really do not have a sense of near mastery or mastery, that gaps in your learning of a particularly difficult skill are truly there, and that you are being asked to do the impossible, both physically and mentally? These questions are very hard to answer since they are so very much dependent on the individual circumstances.
What is most important, and everyone can do in such a situation, is to let your coach know how you are feeling. In many cases, it will be apparent—you’ll cringe, shake, cry or whatever. Most coaches will sense your discomfort and respond accordingly. Some gymnasts try to be brave beyond the call of duty, not wanting to betray a mutual trust or appear afraid. For some, that attitude will work, for others it will definitely get in the way of success if it is not you, or not really your style. In other cases, if you are a faker about these things, you might not receive any sympathy and will, depending upon past experience, be pressed very hard at these times. We have to assume that you do not behave in this doubtful way on all skills when the time has come to do them in the past. Therefore, although you have a responsibility to the coach, you also have one towards yourself.
Make your feelings known if they are not obvious in a non-emotional way and work out with your coach what additional steps need to be taken to get where you both want to be together. You may need to go back to some fundamentals to correct the current situation so see our articles entitled “My Goal is to…” and “Coaching through Goal Setting” for helpful tips and steps. If worse comes to worse and you are really so terrified of a coach’s demands that you are incapable of thinking, you may have to just refuse and pay the consequences, whatever they might be. Talking to an assistant coach should be an option as well. No sane coach wants you to get hurt and promising spotting is usually not the answer to your gut feeling. It will boil down to respect and openness in communication. Up to a point, you should expect this from your coach, especially if you are not a chronic psyche out person.
The coach’s job, in part, is to direct your spirit, not break it. On the other hand, once you have decided to commit yourself to the sport of gymnastics, you have also agreed in principle to allowing and welcoming control from a professional coach. This often means that for much of the time you are not making decisions, but following directions. That is the way it has to be or there would be nothing but chaos in your gym. In the case under discussion here, we are talking about a very strong reaction that is not often felt by you and will get in the way of concentration. You may go ahead out of loyalty and, unfortunately, sometimes out of fear about the coach’s response, but real learning will be hard to maintain under such circumstances. At the very least, you need to be straight with your coach and share your concerns.
Coaches are not always right, but they should strive to always be sensitive.
Part 2 of this article will be posted tomorrow.
Drs Joe and Sue Massimo are in the final stages of editing Psychology for Gymnastics and it should be released very soon.
Massimo, J. &. Massimo, S., (2012). Psychology and Gymnastics. NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “Abuses of Anger in the Gym,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “Behavior Change: Part II- Self-Evaluation,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “Coaching through Goal Setting” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “My Daughter the Gymnast,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Massimo, J. & Massimo, S., (2012). “My Goal is to…,” in Psychology and Gymnastics, NY, NY: Morgan James.
Dr. Joseph "Doc" Massimo and Tony Retrosi. MIT Faculty Club
Fitness and Food Lies We Tell Ourselves
Fitness and Food Lies We Tell Ourselves
It’s March, and that means spring is just around the corner. It’s a popular time to start thinking about spring cleaning our bodies just like we spring clean our homes and our gyms. It is so tempting to lie to ourselves when we are struggling to make healthier choices. This is a humorous look at how crazy our self rationalizations can get. You know you’ve thought at least half of these at one time or another!
1. If I eat it while standing up, it doesn’t count. If no one sees me eat it, it also doesn’t count.
2. If I go to the gym, I deserve a burger and fries because I ‘burned it off.’
3. If it’s a holiday it doesn’t count. If my mom made it, it doesn’t count.
4. Since vodka looks like water it must not have calories.
5. If my kids leave food on their plate I ‘have‘ to finish it so as not to ‘waste‘ it.
6. It’s important to finish the box of cookies if there are only one or two left.
7. If I lean on the handles of the machine at the gym, I can set it to the highest possible speed and the calories burned on the display must be right.
8. Most people need to stretch after every workout, but I’m not like most people.
9. If I go to the gym, even if my mouth gets more exercise than any other part of my body, I ‘worked out.’
10. And the all time favorite, a diet coke consumed along with any fattening food cancel each other out.
Gina Paulhus
President/CEO, Home Bodies
508-633-7749
www.homeexercisecoach.com
Have something you would like to share? Keep the MOMENTUM going!
Bounding Exercise for Tumbling
Leg Extension Exercises
Are We Raising a Generation of Helpless Kids?
Atlanta-based freelance writer Mickey Goodman focuses on social issues, lifestyles, design and travel. Her articles have appeared in Thomson-Reuters, People, Veranda, Southern Living and more. Mickey’s book, Nine Lives of a Marriage – A Curious Journey,”with Holocaust survivor Eva Friedlander, was published in August.
This is an excerpt from a great article I read this morning. Read the entire article HERE
Warning signs
When a college freshman received a C- on her first test, she literally had a meltdown in class. Sobbing, she texted her mother who called back, demanding to talk to the professor immediately (he, of course, declined). Another mother accompanied her child on a job interview, then wondered why he didn’t get the job.
Where did we go wrong?
• We’ve told our kids to dream big – and now any small act seems insignificant. In the great scheme of things, kids can’t instantly change the world. They have to take small, first steps – which seem like no progress at all to them. Nothing short of instant fame is good enough. “It’s time we tell them that doing great things starts with accomplishing small goals,” he says.
• We’ve told our kids that they are special – for no reason, even though they didn’t display excellent character or skill, and now they demand special treatment. The problem is that kids assumed they didn’t have to do anything special in order to be special.
• We gave our kids every comfort – and now they can’t delay gratification. And we heard the message loud and clear. We, too, pace in front of the microwave, become angry when things don’t go our way at work, rage at traffic. “Now it’s time to relay the importance of waiting for the things we want, deferring to the wishes of others and surrendering personal desires in the pursuit of something bigger than ‘me,'” Elmore says.
• We made our kid’s happiness a central goal – and now it’s difficult for them to generate happiness — the by-product of living a meaningful life. “It’s time we tell them that our goal is to enable them to discover their gifts, passions and purposes in life so they can help others. Happiness comes as a result.”
The uncomfortable solutions:
“We need to let our kids fail at 12 – which is far better than at 42,” he says. “We need to tell them the truth (with grace) that the notion of ‘you can do anything you want’ is not necessarily true.”
Kids need to align their dreams with their gifts. Every girl with a lovely voice won’t sing at the Met; every Little League baseball star won’t play for the major leagues.
• Allow them to get into trouble and accept the consequences. It’s okay to make a “C-.” Next time, they’ll try harder to make an “A”.
• Balance autonomy with responsibility. If your son borrows the car, he also has to re-fill the tank.
• Collaborate with the teacher, but don’t do the work for your child. If he fails a test, let him take the consequences.
“We need to become velvet bricks,” Elmore says, “soft on the outside and hard on the inside and allow children to fail while they are young in order to succeed when they are adults.”
Read something recently that you would like to share? Keep the momentum going– SHARE
Choosing A Summer Camp
Gymnastics Camps, love them or hate them, they are a reality and here to stay. Camps can help recapture the love of the sport for gymnasts after a long competition season. They can help the gymnast get themselves set up, get a jump start on next season and they can even help the gymnasts work through a block. I am always amazed when I see a coach at a camp give one of my team gymnasts a correction I have given a million times and the kid makes the correction for them! Another positive attribute about camps is that the gymnasts that have attended camps always seem to be a lot more comfortable in competitions because each meet they see friends from camp.
We all know the down side of camps, over reliance on spotting, teaching “tricks” instead of progressions. So my question is – Why don’t you go to camp with them? And if you can’t go, why not send another coach from your gym. Give them an opportunity to learn.
Finding the right gymnastics camp for your gymnasts is important. After all, they will be attending the camp to learn new skills, have fun, try new things, make friends and hopefully create memories that will last a lifetime.
The first place to begin your task of choosing the right gymnastics camp is to gather as much information as possible about the camps you are considering. Here are some guidelines.
1. Start Early!
Ideally, begin your camp search the fall before your team will attend camp. This provides the time to tour camps, see them in action, and meet camp directors and other staff.3. Consider and List Camp Expectations.
2. Determine what type of camp you will need for your team’s particular situation. Ask yourself, “what does the ideal camp experience include for me and for my team?”:
- Unparalleled fun and learning?
- The opportunity for new experiences?
- To develop new skills?
- List your expectations.Which are non-negotiable and which are preferences?
3. What are the staff’s qualifications?
It’s important to know who will be caring for and coaching the gymnasts. Starting from the top, what are the director’s qualifications and is he/she respected in the gymnastics community? What is the instructor’s caliber of coaching? Do the camps have any Olympic, international, national and/or collegiate coaches on staff? Does the camp staff go through any training in spotting or teaching of the latest gymnastics techniques? Is the camp staff USA Gymnastics Safety Certified? A big mistake coaches make is to take a team to a camp they wants them to experience, not the child. Don’t make your gymnasts miserable by signing them up for something they are not going to enjoy. You may have a brand new group of Level 4s who really want to do gymnastics 6 hours a day. BUT- you may also have a group of gymnasts who can not handle that work load. Make sure you know what you are getting into.
4. What is the budget for camp tuition for your average family?
Many camps offer team discounts, tuition assistance, and programs where the coach can come and stay free
5. Determine if the program is American Camping Association ACA accredited or state licensed.
Camps are unique worlds unto themselves, created especially for children and full of fun and learning. Not all states require camps to be licensed. This is very important information to know about the summer camp you as there are different standards that must be met in order to be state licensed or ACA accredited.
If the camp is ACA accredited, this means their program has undergone a thorough review and met up to 300 standards in terms of staff qualifications and training to emergency management. Furthermore, their standards exceed state licensing requirements. ACA accreditation is excellent evidence that a camp is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment. Look for the ACA-accredited camp logo on a camp’s website, in their literature or displayed on a sign posted at camp; this is the most important logo a summer camp can show.
6. Use All the Resources Available
Ask for recommendations from friends or look for feedback or reviews on the web for the program your child is interested in. If you can find someone who has been to a particular summer camp that you find interesting, it would be wise to try and get some feedback as to what their experience was to aid in making an informed decision with your team.
Many camp marketing materials are easy to review online; others are easily requested. Look carefully at the ways camps present themselves online and in print.
Some very important questions to ask:
What is the cost and what are you getting for your money?
How many Hours a day of training?
What are the facilities?
Coach to Gymnast Ratio?
Does the camp have campers set weekly skill goals and evaluate their progress?
What other activities are there?
What type of supervision will the gymnasts be getting? Find out what amount of interaction your child will have with his/her camp counselor. Will the counselor be living in the cabin with your child and staying throughout the night? Will the counselor eat meals with your child? How accessible will the counselor be if your child has a question or gets homesick?
What type of medical staff exists at the camp? Are there doctors, nurses and/or athletic trainers?
Do you have a summer camp (good or bad) you want to share? Keep the momentum going. CONTACT
Keep in mind what is important
Tony, "Just what I needed"
Ivan "you need to keep in mind what is really important"
This is just a friendly reminder to all coaches out there that some of the most important things going on in your life have NOTHING to do with your gym or gymnastics. Last week I had a typical 80+ hour work week. Between Coaching, owning 2 gyms, writing and posting for Gym Momentum and getting things ready for my summer camp and the Gym Momentum Training Camp (more on that later) my brain was about to explode. I decided to take a 1/2 a day yesterday and go skiing with my good friend Ivan Ivanov. He too was feeling the stress of a busy competition schedule, gym ownership and his responsibilities to USAG with developmental camps. In what has become an annual event for us, we both escape from our gyms one morning and spend some time skiing.
The time out of the gym, out of the office and out on the slopes was just what was needed to refocus and refresh things. Every trip up on the chairlift was nearly as enjoyable as each run down the slopes. We shared business ideas, coaching ideas and drills, thoughts on philosophy and education and on raising children.
Please take the time to get away with friends and family, even for just a few hours. The 4 hours away is not going to have negative impact on your business or coaching and could really help.
Ivan, Mike, Chase, Tony. Gunstock mtn 2012
Planning Balance Beam Workouts During Competitive Season
Cori Cunningham. Cori is the Team Coordinator at Atlantic Gymnastics Training Center in Portsmouth, NH. She is a former competitor and Grad assistant at The University of New Hampshire.
During my own competitive gymnastics career I used to dread going to beam every day knowing that we would be expected to do huge numbers of stuck routines. I would also dread meet day because even though I had numbers of stuck routines tucked under my belt I was still not confident in my ability to hit a routine under pressure. As a coach I vowed to make an effort to get my gymnasts to look forward to coming to beam. My other goal is for them to present as confident and competent beam workers on meet day. [Read more…]
