New gymnasts

[JES]

hiya all, i was just wondering where everyone gets new squad gymnsasts from.

At my club we take kids with potential out of rec and in to development groups which then leads in to squad. But we hav no set way of choosing gymnasts, if a coach notices someone with potential then they are reffered to the relevant coach (eg artistic or team gym). A problem with this is that some kids are overlooked, and do not get moved in to squad so do not fulfill their potential, also we have three main squads, artistic, acro and team gym and we all compete to get the nice gymnasts, so say a nice kid is noticed by a teamgym coach then they will ask them to be in teamgym as opposed to saying actually this kid could be a good artistic gymnast...which doesnt really work best for anyone in the end.
SO yer. WHere do u get your gymnasts from and how do you keep them, at one point a few years back we had a squad of about five really good artistic gymnasts, aged around seven, but one by one they all moved to another club (which i wont name!!!).
be intrested to see how other clubs function, thanx.

[BritCheer]

Hey Jes,
Its seems like your gymnastics coaching problems need to be assessed, one of the main priorities of gym coaching is have the interests of the gymnasts as heart, not 'who gets the nicest gymnasts', although that can be fun for the coach, i know, i've done it! But, in my team, my gymnasts are all really nice, because i do a lot of team building work, and they all trust each other! (sorta like an extended family). Getting gymnasts to stay is easy for me, i reward them and i'm very enthusiastic about good work, i don't necissarily need more members, but when they come, they are placed on to the team that they score best in, (i have novice, intermediate and advanced teams in all divisions) so it works pretty well, but thats just my team!

[Matte Hart]

I think my club works somewhere inbetween the two. There are several Club Coaches and most have an elite squad. They're all at different levels so if a new gymnast with experience comes to us there's a place for her.

We do often spot kids in the rec classes and offer them a squad place. This happens when we're creating a new squad for a coach that has the time for one (because of older girls quitting, group sizes diminishing etc). But I think it is fair to say that some are overlooked because there is no set way of spotting / promoting gymnasts.

The way that problem is overcome is through the excellent relationships and "family style" in which the coaching team operates. Spotted gymnasts are placed fairly and anyone can spot a gymnast and propose they're looked at for a particular group etc. We have regular meetings when such things are discussed too.

When I first started coaching my own groups I sometimes found I lost gymnasts who had potential and I enjoyed working with. I think that, more than anything, this was due to my lack of confidence. I have some great groups now of gymnasts that really love working together. I've managed to create a balance of getting the teaching across along with the fun and encouraging atmosphere.

I think gymnast / coach relationships are really important. It's about trust, respect and about having fun. I learned that if the gymnast isn't having fun with me, they're not going to give 100% or stay long.

[BritCheer]

Thats exactly what I found, gymnast/coach relationship is so special, my kids call me coach, (on their own accord), and i call them by their nicknames, (if they have them) and it creates a great atmostphere, but is professional and sucessful also. Spotting kids is easy for me, i have try-outs! So they come to me, lol! Sounds like your gym runs a pretty tight shift when it comes to teams, i'm impressed. Its all about coach preference, i know that if one of my kids is having trouble in their lives, they come to me cos' they knw i can deal with it, and they can trust me... thats special! Looks like we're onto winners Matte! LOL

[BritCheer]

Hey, i have a try-out process, i have potentials come into the gym and showcase their ability. Sometimes their from other gyms, and sometimes not, i have pre-comp squads, and comp squads and a pick them according to score. I'm kinda lucky, i publisise the try-out at nearly everywhere in the area. My last try-out i held saw 134 people trying out. It works to get the best, and you can make it lots of fun too! LOL! Thats how i do it! (Internally, i hold try-outs too for the world competition). xxx