Dear Members
I have just finished teaching a gymnastics course in Milan Italy and I am on my way to Frosinone to teach another. In the Q and A portion of the course I found myself referring again and again to this journal and the video club when asked about the best places to learn.
In this day and age anyone with an IPhone and a YouTube channel and put up videos and claim to be an expert. All coaches search for information, drills and ideas. We are looking for better ways, technical considerations or even just ways to liven up practices. Listening to some of the drills and ideas that have been shared by “experts” I am concerned that we could be ruining the next generation of coaches and potentially harming the gymnasts. A LONG time ago when I had my first coaching job I was fortunate enough to have some very talented bar workers to work with. I taught a blind full in a week. A Tkatchev in 2, another learned a Gienger and double layout in a month. Of course it was because I was a great coach. Everyone should listen to me. This coaching thing was easy. This same group was NOT the best tumblers or vaulters. It must be them. They were just slow. I had to be creative with drills. I spend a great deal of time paging through the USECA journal and looking at videos. I consulted with judges trying to be a little creative with routine construction. I learned more on tumbling and vaulting in those years than I probably have the rest of my life. After all, there is a lot to learn when you start at zero. The next group of gymnasts I worked with were pretty gifted tumblers and vault was pretty easy for them BUT I was about to pull my hair out at bars. What was wrong with these girls? Why couldn’t they just do what the other group had done. It must be that someone else didn’t give them the basics or that these kids just didn’t care. It certainly couldn’t be me.
Now generations have passed and I have come to realize that I was the smallest part of the equation. It was about their talent and drive. I learned more about coaching, about technique on the events they struggled with. I became more creative and possibly inspirational with the groups of average talent.
If you want to find an expert, look for the coach who has taken gymnasts of average talent and achieved above average results. This journal, this website and the accompanying videos are all the work of experts. We edit so you don’t have to.
The USECA Journal has some big changes ahead and many challenges to face. We will continue to be the journal you can trust.
It was great seeing so many of you at JO Nationals. I am looking forward to seeing you at Classics, Championships and Trials.
Tony
