Gym Momentum

Preschool equipment, WINE, and a Great Staff

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Yes, this could be the recipe for success.

More importantly it is how my staff  at Atlantic Gymnastics encourages me to buy new things for the preschool program.

I enjoy my wine and I get a case of delivered every month or so. Recently I was out of the country when I wine was delivered. One of my coaches took a photo to let me know it had arrived.

Your wine has arrived

I responded, “Thanks“.  And Then I received this photo

Followed by:

I love my staff. I will be shopping for a new HOP SCOTCH Mat tomorrow.

Anyone help me out and tell me where to get one?

 

20 Questions to Reflect on Your coaching Year to Make Next Year BETTER

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I don’t know how your competition season is going and/or ‘went’ (depending on when you’re reading this).

Maybe it was amazing. Maybe you think it went amazing and it wasn’t. Maybe you think it went poorly and it was really amazing. Maybe you think it went poorly and it did.

Maybe all of these adjectives aren’t nearly sufficient to evaluate the performance of what is, increasingly, one of the most complex (and often thankless) jobs? 

It is time to reflect on the last year in the gym. Just to get a sense of what GOOD happened and what changes need to be made going into next year.

  1. When were the gymnasts at their best this year? How did the year go, and how do I know?
  2. What did I think was going to go well, but maybe didn’t? What was a complete waste of time? What can I learn from that experience? Should I tweak it and try it again, or just take an idea from that experience and use it in a different way?
  3. If I was watching a time-lapse of me coaching all year–a year-long, fast-motion video–what would I notice myself doing the most? What about the gymnasts? Do these need tweaking? How can I save time as a coach?
  4. What are the characteristics of a highly performing gym? How is mine similar? Different? How should I respond?
  5. What do I tend to underestimate and overestimate as a coach, and how does it affect my effectiveness?
  6. What do I tend to ‘look for’ as a coach, and how does that affect my coaching? What do other more experienced coaches ‘look for’ and what can I learn from that?
  7. What are the indicators of great coaching in your mind? What is your personal coaching philosophy? Is it time to give your philosophy some thought and maybe update it to better serve the gymnasts? 
  8. How are teaching and coaching changing?  and how should I  adapt as a result?
  9. What are three key moments with gymnasts this year that stand out for me more than any others, and why?
  10. What are three key moments with colleagues this year that stand out for me more than any others, and why?
  11. How do I know I’m spending my very-finite time and energy doing the ‘right’ things as a coach? What experiences from this year can help me answer that? How specific and actionable things can I do to improve how I use my time inside and outside the gym?
  12. What is one ‘big idea/thing’ I can focus on this summer to grow as a coach? Or maybe two or three smaller things?
  13. What do I hope the gymnasts will remember from this year next year? In 20 years?
  14. What do I do well, and how can I make the most of it?
  15. Of the things that I don’t do as well, which are most worth my time to improve?
  16. What can I automate in the gym? What are the tools to do so?
  17. How can I empower gymnasts and assistant coaches to make my job easier?
  18. What am I most excited about for next year?
  19. What should I be more grateful for as a coach? and how might that gratitude help me grow? Where do I ‘beat myself up’ as a coach but need to stop? Where do I ‘beat myself up as a coach’ and need to respond and grow?
  20. What do I do that makes coaching fun for me?

4 Questions To Ask Your Gymnastics Educational Mentor

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There is a lot of talk these days about FAKE NEWS. But how about FAKE EDUCATION.  These days anyone with an iPhone can make a video of a drill, post it on youtube and declare themselves an expert.  To become a better coach you need to find someone you trust to mentor you.  Very few of us are blazing a new path in the gymnastics world. Someone has already done it before. You need to find that person who has achieved what you want to achieve and has overcome the challenges you are now facing. Learn from their successes and failures.

In the business world mentorships are commonplace and  corporations  big and small invest in them to help their employees grow. We need to do the same in GYMNASTICS. Right now the gymnastics world is missing true sports scientist and technical masters willing to share their knowledge. Maybe it is the current environment within USA Gymnastics where we seem to bounce from one crisis to another that is keeping some people sidelined.

Most of us work in gyms that  don’t have a formal mentoring program or we work for ourselves. Don’t dismay- there are still many, MANY coaches out there with the EXPERIENCE and knowledge necessary to help you out. It may just take a little bit of work to find them and ask for help. .

At the same time, most of the coaches you WANT to work with are crazy busy, all of us are over-committed and must double down on efforts to block out the noise from frivolous requests that come our way.

To capture the attention of a potential mentor and hold it long enough for him/her to consider mentorship, your message must be highly targeted, clear, and answer these 4 questions.

1: Why Do I Want This Person To Mentor Me?

What specifically about this person attracts you to them?  What have they accomplished? How do they live their life? How have they helped others? How well do you know them? Are you basing your attraction on what you see online, or have you engaged?

2: What Do I Specifically Want To Learn From Them?

 

If you are looking for business advice for your gym, reach out to someone who has been around a while in a similar market. If you are looking to increase the skill level and success of your Level 9/10 program, reach out to someone who has a program you can emulate.

I have seen some business owners in a small to medium market reach out to gym owners in big cities. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN.

3: How Will I Apply What I Learn?

Now you have found a coach to mentor you. To stand beside you and help you out. Someone who has been there before. You have written down exactly what you want to learn from them . How will you implement it? Your mentor should be able to help you with this too.

Assume if you are seeking mentorship from someone you admire. You can bet that others are also asking the same person for advice. How do you move to the top of the list? Show them that you will take what you have learned and use it. When people ask me how much a clinic at their gym costs, I give them 2 prices. One if they listen, learn and implement. The other if they don’t listen and I don’t think they will use the info I give.

4: Why Should Someone Mentor Me?

Why you? There are so many gymnastics professionals looking for help right now you need something that is going to make you stand out.  Talk about your mission in the gym. Talk about how committed you are to learning and seeking mentorship. Talk about what you will do to ensure your mentor is not wasting their time.

 

 

What convinces me to take on someone who wants me to mentor them?

  • I believe that they know where they want to be and are committed to the process
  • I believe that they will listen, ask questions and implement the plan
  • I feel that they will also use their own creativity and problem solve.
  • They bake me cookies.

The idea for this article came while I was reading an article in INC magazine while I was talking on the phone with a colleague. We were both frustrated by the lack or REAL gymnastics education going on right now. I had some notes from the article “Chasing Down a Mentor to Help You Grow”.

Ask Gym Momentum

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This spring and summer I am trying something new.

Gymnastics is such a visual sport often it is very difficult to answer the questions people send me. It is just too difficult to describe the technique, drill or progression. I think this keeps some coaches from asking a question.

This spring and summer, if you e-mail a question, if necessary,  I will video the answer. I will show the drill or progression.

If I do not know the answer or there is simply someone better suited to answer it- I will reach out to one of my many contacts and have them video the answer.

My goal turn around time will be under a week.

What kind of questions can you ask?

  • any technical question, Mens, Women’s, Tramp & Tumbling,  (skills, progressions, technique)
  • Questions on Preschool, recreational classes
  •  Equipment usage (How many different/creative ways to use a mat you already have)
  • Business related (front office, staff management, client management, marketing, planning)
  • Leadership
  • Staff training (safety, risk management, spotting)
  • Mental Training (Blocks, anxiety, PMS (Pre Meet Stress))

What Kind of questions you CAN ask but I probably won’t answer

  • How to FIX USA Gymnastics (I do not think it is entirely broken. AND if I could answer that kind of question I probably wouldn’t be the guy who plows his own gyms after another blizzard)
  • How to solve political issues in the middle east/ Persian Gulf.
  • Why so many Law Students struggle in Contract Law Course.

ASK GYM MOMENTUM

E-MAIL YOUR QUESTION:

Tony@gymmomentum.com

Secrets to High Level Gymnastics Training

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I’m turning 52 this year and I’ve been involved in gymnastics my entire life.  When I was first coaching I was looking for “the secret”.  There must be some secret to achieve gymnastics excellence. If I could only learn that secret from other coaches! Now in the day of social media it seems like every other week there is an “expert” selling Their Secret.

It is always good for a laugh when I see a new article or a post on the unveiling of the latest secret training method.

I will let you in on a little secret – there are no secrets!

There are no secrets; There are no shortcuts to the podium. You can keep looking if you want but you are wasting your time. Know the basics, master the basics repeat them until they are flawless. Every gymnast and group is going to be different.  Individualize the training and adapt the techniques so it fits the athlete.  Stop trying to fit the athlete to the event.

Here is my path.

  • Strength, Speed and Body Shapes come before skill
  • Mastery of basic skills with fairly uniform technique.
  • Mastery of more advanced basics with adaption made to individuals. FOR EXAMPLE- I teach twisting technique the same AT THE BEGINNING for every athlete. BUT, when I see it is not working with one particular gymnast I make adjustments to fit her/him. I do NOT reinvent the wheel with each gymnast or group. I do not change the entire plan based on one gymnast. **
  • REMEMBER – gymnasts change physically and mentally. As a gymnast grows and gains mass you will need to adapt to their new body and mind set. Pay attention and listen to them. They need to be the drivers in these situations.
  • Skills need to be mastered BEFORE they go in routines. Then routines need to mastered before they are competed.
  • You, as the coach, must be as calm and analytical as possible. You do your job. They do their job.
  • All the time in the gym bust be quality time and accounted for.
  • Plan, Plan, Plan.  Then have a back up Plan
  • Each competition needs to have some significance. Sometimes it is just doing their new routines in a comfortable setting.
  • Every practice needs to have some element of competition.
  • Keep it FUN

Practice with purpose and direction and realize that it will take time. A little talent helps, but a little talent can go a long way if it is maximized. There are no secrets!


** I was at a gym and they had a REALLY weird bar setting.  Low bar and High Bar set at as high as they would go.  The spread of the bars relatively close (Not all the way out. Maybe just a little larger than FIG).  I asked why- They said they had one VERY tall gymnast and she needed that setting so she wouldn’t touch the floor and was close enough for her to straddle back. They were making ALL the gymnasts compete on this setting. No one likes to set the bars in workout- but now you have made the exception the rule.

Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

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We talk a lot about having our athletes get out of their comfort zones to move forward and progress. How about us? As coaches we all have our comfort zones too. Some of us are great on certain events. Some of us can prepare an athlete for a State or Regional Meet and then are out of our element when we have to prepare for a National competition. In short we all have our comfort zones.

Step back and do an honest evaluation of where you are as a coach.

What events are you most comfortable with?

Where are you uncomfortable?

Is where you are comfortable holding you and most importantly your athletes back?

I know try to pushing myself to get out of my comfort zone in certain areas.

After 20 years of coaching Level 9,10 and Elite I stepped back and started working with the compulsory gymnasts and the developmental kids. It is tougher  than may think. But it was what needed to be done.

It may be just little things, but a succession of little things could make a big difference. What are you going to do today to get out of your comfort zone to help make your athletes better?

Just getting in hours will not do it. Anyone can go through the motions, huff and puff and look like they are working.

Just doing work is not good enough; you must train with ICE –

Intensity,

Concentration,

Effort.

If you consistently achieve a high ice score eight to ten on a ten-point scale. A score of ten being frigid, ice cold then you will win the workout. If you can consistently win workouts then you give yourself and your gymnasts a chance to perform in competition, remember there are no guarantees. Champions are champions everyday, when there are no crowds, no coaches, and no teammates, just you and them against the clock or the weight or the apparatus.  It is all about the will to prepare.

Power Corrupts. Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.

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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely is the best known quotation of the 19th century British politician Lord Acton. He borrowed the idea from several other writers who had previously expressed the same thought in different words.

I remember a conversation I had with Doc Massimo decades ago where he spoke about the importance of getting the gymnasts involved in the decisions in the gym. A good coach should be a facilitator and a leader. Not a dictator.

As a coach I am sure you are proud of your team of gymnasts and coaches (or at least you should be!). You have put in countless hours at clinics and training camps to get to where you are. Those fortunate enough to be in the “Head Coach” position should ask themselves a
simple question that will make them look at their team differently:

“Are the gymnasts and coaches in my program proud of their roles, and the club?” 

If you cannot answer immediately, YES, then there is work to be done.

Steven Goldstein points out in INC magazine that it all comes down to CULTURE.

I have worked with many leaders whose teams were fundamentally dispassionate and it affected both their behavior and their performance. This culture affects everyone, regardless of the role. Creating the right culture is a great way to keep your people and guaranteeing you deliver consistent, strong results.

I have used and seen the following three techniques really produce great results:
1. Recognize achievements regularly.
2. Enable them to make decisions.
3. Offer skill development opportunities and resources. (Through Training Camps, Congresses, Clinics and Conferences)

Recognize Achievements
In the gym you expect your gymnasts to work hard because they want to get better. You expect your coaching staff to work hard because the want the gymnasts to improve and for the gym to succeed. With our gymnasts we try to encourage them along the way. Reward their accomplishments and help them learn from their failures. DO WE DO THE SAME WITH OUR COACHES? A bit of encouragement goes a long way. With my staff I have a police of PRAISE publicly, PUNISH privately. I know that sounds harsh but everyone makes mistakes and needs to be reminded what their job in on occasion. When you recognize their accomplishments, both privately and publicly, they feel good about what they do and it motivates them to continue striving to be even better.

At GYM MOMENTUM camp every night we ask each other, “What was the BEST part of your day?” It allows me to give a shout out to each coaches accomplishments that day. The other day at my Portsmouth Gym One of my coaches, Ryleigh, was super animated and engaged with the preschool class that was coming in. When she was done I made sure I told her how much I appreciate her energy and that her attitude is what ATLANTIC is about.

Enable them to make decisions.
In my Coaches as Educators lecture I say, As the head coach you cannot just create the masterpiece, you must also prepare the canvas. One of your core responsibilities is to find and develop talent. Both with gymnasts but also with your coaching staff. Too many coaches refuse to let go of any power and I have seen this be a downfall to many programs. Why did you hire and train these coaches if you are not going to let them make any decisions? This is a sure way to have talented staff leave and go to another gym or undermine you behind your back.
With your gymnasts you also need to give them some power in the decision making process of their workouts. Obviously you need to lead them into making the right choices but they will be more motivated if they have some responsibility in the process.

Offer skill development opportunities and resources. (Through Training Camps, Congresses, Clinics and Conferences)
Education is an ongoing process. It should NEVER end. For your coaching staff they need to have the opportunity to grow. Send them to congresses, send them to training camps. Have a coach in to the gym to work with them. ** Become members of USECA or other organizations that focus in education.

Engaged coaches and gymnasts want to grow. They constantly look for opportunities to learn new skills, improve their performance and move to a higher level or position. It’s your responsibility to present opportunities for personal growth and skill development. The reasons gyms often give for not doing this is that it takes too much time away from their jobs and it costs too much. Education is expensive. Ignorance is too.

 

**I know that my staff doesn’t listen to me all the time. But I can have a different coach in who says the same thing and they listen and take action. Yes- this is a pain in the butt. It is also the reality of the Proximity Paradox- I was looking for a definition to describe the case where because you are too close to the information source you do not believe it. I am sure there is a better phrase that describes it.

USA Gymnastics names Kerry J. Perry as new president and CEO

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USA Gymnastics names Kerry J. Perry as new president and CEO

Perry will assume her role in the organization beginning Dec. 1, 2017

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 7, 2017 – The USA Gymnastics Board of Directors announced today the unanimous decision to appoint Kerry J. Perry as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer. Perry assumes this role Dec. 1, 2017, and will be based at the USA Gymnastics headquarters in Indianapolis.

 

Perry was formerly vice president of business development at Learfield Communications, Inc., and president and owner of KP Sports, which was acquired by Learfield. In her various leadership roles, Perry has led many high-performing teams and organizations to great success, most recently in the collegiate sports field.

 

“We are fortunate to have someone as capable and energetic as Kerry step into this leadership role,” said Paul Parilla, chairman of the USA Gymnastics Board of Directors. “Her passion for the sport, commitment to athlete safety, and track record of motivating teams to succeed will help guide our vision for the future.”

 

As CEO of USA Gymnastics, Perry will be responsible for the strategic direction of the organization involving the day-to-day operations of the business to include safety initiatives, athlete and competitive programs, membership, staffing, marketing, event operations, communications and revenue generation. She will also serve as a representative of USA Gymnastics to the United States Olympic Committee, the International Gymnastics Federation and all other affiliated organizations.

 

“I am thrilled to join USA Gymnastics and I look forward to creating a culture of empowerment that encourages our athletes, our members, our families and our staff to have a strong voice as we move this incredible organization to heightened levels of achievement,” said Perry. “As a lifelong fan of the sport, I will be relentless in our pursuit of athlete safety, collaborative with our board, constituents and corporate partners, and supportive of our members, parents and staff on our journey to making USA Gymnastics the pinnacle of success.”

 

In April 2017, the Board approved the formation, composition and purpose of an ad hoc Search Committee tasked with guiding the process of finding a new president and CEO of the organization. Following an exhaustive and thorough national search for qualified candidates, the Board accepted the committee’s recommendation to ask Perry to lead the organization into the future.

 

Commitment to Athlete Safety

In recent months, USA Gymnastics has taken several steps to increase its ability to protect athletes and create an environment of support for members and their families. Recently, the organization hired Toby Stark, who previously directed a child advocacy program, to serve as the director of safe sport. In this role, Stark leads a department focused on athlete protection. Additionally, USA Gymnastics hired Mark Busby to provide support as legal counsel, following a prestigious career handling child abuse and sex crime cases with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. By bringing these professionals to USA Gymnastics, the organization is furthering its commitment to protecting athletes.

 

In late June, the Board adopted the new USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Policy – replacing the previous Participant Welfare Policy – that includes key updates to USA Gymnastics safe sport policies and procedures, including mandatory reporting, defining six types of misconduct, setting standards to prohibit grooming behavior and prevent inappropriate interaction, and establishing accountability. Effective immediately, the policy outlines the scope of the organization’s commitment to promoting a safe environment, requirements and expectations placed on members, and incorporates the authority and jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Additionally, the organization is developing the implementation plan for the recommendations made by a former federal prosecutor who carefully examined the organization’s policies and procedures for handling sexual misconduct.  Both of these are part of the organization’s blueprint for continually strengthening its policies and procedures to better protect athletes.

 

About USA Gymnastics

Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Its mission is to encourage participation and the pursuit of excellence in the sport. Its disciplines include artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics, and group gymnastics (known internationally as Gymnastics for All). For more information, visit www.usagym.org.

 

 

WHY IS GYM MOMENTUM A FREE SITE?

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The other day someone asked me why Gym Momentum was a “free site”. How come I didn’t do memberships or a “pay per view” type business model.

Mostly because of the coaches who influenced me when I began my coaching career. Admittedly I am old. When I first started there were BARELY computers. There certainly was no YOUTUBE and even video playback was a novelty.

If a coach had a cool video they wanted to share they would put it on a VHS and stick it in the mail.  The question is, “How did we learn?”.

I spent a great deal of time, effort and energy taking my gymnasts to more experienced coaches gyms. Did the coaches ever charge me or the gymnasts? NO. Not even once. As many times as not the gymnasts stayed with families and I stayed with the coach. I learned by watching , listening, taking notes and asking questions. I learned by listening to the correction the coach gave my gymnasts. I never pretended to my gymnasts that I had all the answers. And I still don’t.

As an aside- The longer I coach, the less I feel I know.

These coaches took a great deal of time with me. Now that I own gyms and have had a reasonably successful career I feel that I am giving back. I am just inviting you into my brain.

Thanks to my first group of gymnasts. You thought me a LOT.

Thanks to the coaches who helped me along.

 

Why This Second Grade Handout Should Be Your New Creative Manifesto for Gymnastics Coaches

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Last week, I was listening to some parents who had attended curriculum night at their daughter’s school. Then that Friday night I spoke to a group of teachers in Wisconsin and was listening to their thoughts on the open house that they had just held. While both of these conversations were playing in my brain I came across the above handout that was given to children in 2nd grade.

My first thought was, what an amazing thing to give a bunch of 6 and 7 year olds. My second thought was, what an amazing thing to waste on a bunch of kids. After all, when was the last time they’ve been asked to “revisit”  a lesson plan or progression after two or three weeks of horrible practices?

And so, I am sharing it with you. I feel like this is as good a guideline for any creative coach as any second grade handout or anything else I have written or spoken about.

Instead of It’s good enough, try thinking, Is this really my best work? 

We’ve all heard the clichés about good enough not being enough. But really, what does that mean when it comes down to actually doing the work? It feels very vague. But by internalizing this notion and making it relevant in a personal way, it will be easier to know if you’re there yet with the work.

We’re all our own worst critics, and that can be hard at times. But just by being honest with yourself and not stopping until you are completely satisfied with your work, you will inevitably make the work better and your work life more fulfilling. What makes me CRAZY is when coaches try to just be “good” instead of GREAT.  If you shoot for GREAT and miss- you will atlas be Good.  If you shoot for GOOD and miss- where does that leave you?

Instead of saying, I can’t make this any better, try thinking, I can always improve.

Somewhat related to the previous thought, this mindset is really helpful when it comes to feedback. Ours is an industry well fed by feedback. When a judge evaluates an athletes routine – that is feedback. It’s a job requirement that you understand and can gracefully deal with the fact that your work is going to be evaluated and changed.

Instead of immediately fighting it and picking up inquiry forms and telling everyone that “it’s not fair!” , pause and think for a minute, “Maybe they’re right, where are the holes I didn’t see?” It’s turning a setback into a springboard.

Instead of saying, I made a mistake, try thinking, Mistakes help me learn. 

Creative gyms should be safe zones for scary ideas. Mistakes will happen. The key is to learn from them, and also learn not to be afraid of them. This is a good reminder to never let a spectacular failure go to waste.

via GIPHY

Instead of Plan A didn’t work, try thinking, There’s always Plan B. 

The best coaches I know don’t get overly-attached to one idea because they know they’ll have more. This is a business where things  change very fast.  It’s always hard when it happens. But with ideas, as with goldfish, the best way to get over it when one dies, is to go get another one.

All the thoughts on the second grade chart are great and all are very relevant to a creative department. The main themes uniting them are perspective and framing.

Coaching and Teaching  can be a frustrating  at times. Keeping these guidelines in mind will help those creative coaches turn frustrating moments into growth opportunities. By putting this growth mindset to use, not only will the whole gym’s work get better, there will be less crying in your car on the way home

Inspiration: Why This Second Grade Handout Should Be Your New Creative Manifesto – Adweek

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