I have always believed in a few cliches
Actions speak louder than words
Lead by action
When I was teaching in an elementary school I told the kids to BE A VERB.
A very clever student said asked if “delinquent” was a verb.
I said NO, it was an adjective. But, I pointed out, that “detention” could be used as a verb.
The moral is that we need to be active in our coaching. Our gymnasts do not want us to just talk and talk. Drs Joe and Sue Massimo point out that one of the things our athletes want out of us is MINIMAL VERBIAGE. I do not know if it is an AMERICAN thing or just a coaching thing but we seem to believe that why should we say something in 5 words when we can use 50?
So for New Years- Try Being a TWITTER COACH.
Twitter Coaching:
As you know the goal of Twitter is get your message across in 140 characters or less. Over the years some of the best coaches I have seen are what I now call Twitter Coaches. Great coaches are great teachers. They get their message across in a very succinct on point manner. Seldom do great coaches speak in paragraphs, they speak in sentences that are very direct and intended to elicit a specific behavior.
– Tell your gymnasts what correction they need to make without a lengthy speech.
– Give them a correction NOT an observation.
example: A professional says “you need to squeeze your left knee”.
v.
A parent says “Your leg was bent”
– Keep your corrections to a minimum- A GOOD gymnast will only be able to make 1 correction in a routine.
-A GREAT gymnast may possibly be able to make 2.
If you give more, they probably won’t make ANY or each one a little.
As a rule, take your gymnasts AGE and realize you have you have that in SECONDS to make your correction. A 12 year old has about 12 seconds of attention to make a correction. A 5 year old has about 5 seconds. (ALL BOYS are 5!)
Be a twitter coach and improve your coaching effectiveness. By the way follow me on Twitter @gym_momentum and @tretrosi.
