All-Star Coach Training

[Mamarazzi]

Curious how much training All Star coaches receive in particular areas prior to beginning their jobs.

- Is there an assumption that coaches come with other training? (Gymnastic, etc.)

- Is there any anatomical knowledge needed/given in order to be USASF certified?

- Do any programs emphasize proper form - not simply for tumbling, but also for flyer positions, how to properly catch a basket, etc.?

Often we bash rec for having "un-trained" coaches, but I'm wondering if the All Star coach training is relatively any better?

 

[King]

Curious how much training All Star coaches receive in particular areas prior to beginning their jobs.

- Is there an assumption that coaches come with other training? (Gymnastic, etc.)

- Is there any anatomical knowledge needed/given in order to be USASF certified?

- Do any programs emphasize proper form - not simply for tumbling, but also for flyer positions, how to properly catch a basket, etc.?

Often we bash rec for having "un-trained" coaches, but I'm wondering if the All Star coach training is relatively any better?

Coach training is done mostly like an apprenticeship. You go and be a 2nd or 3rd coach and a team while you watch and learn. A lot of it has to be done out of personal motivation and self discovery.

This is actually one of the reasons we started Fierce Connection. We are trying to create an online library of EVERY part of coaching a team, training physical skills, and running a business. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback so far in helping people accomplish this.

 

[Mamarazzi]

Thanks, @King ! Are there areas that currently lack, industry-wide? I guess I'm thinking that a coach would only be as good as the coach before him/her, if it's an apprenticeship thing?
How do we have coaches coaching at this athletic level that know nothing about anatomy and physiology? Should there be medical staff available or on staff for all-star gyms?

 

[luv2cheer92]

Thanks, @King ! Are there areas that currently lack, industry-wide? I guess I'm thinking that a coach would only be as good as the coach before him/her, if it's an apprenticeship thing?
How do we have coaches coaching at this athletic level that know nothing about anatomy and physiology? Should there be medical staff available or on staff for all-star gyms?

Yes, like PT's ;). Sorry, I'm just determined to work in a cheer gym after I graduate haha.

 

[Mamarazzi]

Yes, like PT's ;). Sorry, I'm just determined to work in a cheer gym after I graduate haha.

I think this is a really important idea worth exploring.
I understand that coaches might not receive full medical training, and that's fine, but I think coaches in any elite sport should be thoroughly trained in how to do xy and z and why it's important for long-term athlete health.
Jank fulls don't just look ugly, they can jack an athlete's body from bow to toe if consistently performed incorrectly.

 

[DaniV]

I am probably one of few but I worked for UCA staff before working at an all-star gym so we have a extended weekend intensive training camp that we attend how to teach stunts with proper form. When I started coaching all-star I was partnered with another senior coach and was her assistant for two years. After that I started head coaching my own teams. As a gym we attend clinics and seminars during the summer. I personally have a job with a lot of down time so I utilize the internet a lot to research and use for personal growth as a coach. The gymnastics magazine Technique always has lots of great articles for injury prevention. I think I use more gymnastics related training materials than I do ones that are specifically related to cheer. I would love to be a member of Fierce Connection, but it wasn't in my gym's budget.

Getting USASF certified requires you to pass a test online and also a verbal/demonstration test with a proctor. It was extremely easy and I do not feel that it helped me learn how to coach any better than if I had not taken those tests although it did demonstrate that I have some basic knowledge of all 5 levels on proper technique and what is legal/illegal.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I learned the most through school coach training and being a camp staffer in undergrad. I trained a lot under a gymnastics coach (in addition to USASF credentialing) and that did wonders for me as far as technique and teaching it.

Many will say "oh I cheered in college" when asked about training. So did I and let me tell you that a great cheerleader does not an effective coach make. Coaching and being an athlete are vastly different. Coming out of college, I thought coaching and teaching skills would be cake. So not. The skill set is different.

 

[yojaehs]

I think a great coach is made through great experience. Far too few now put in the extra time needed to be a GREAT coach. There is so much amazing information out that new & old coaches can learn from. Hands on training is priceless and far too few coaches ask for help to learn. Just because you were a great tumbler/stunter doesn't automatically mean you will be a great coach. Putting in the time to learn and accept others know more than you and work hard to learn from those that are.


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android

 

[Hodiestoe]

One of the things I love about cheer in the UK is that we have a number of EPs that provide coach training. The best coach training by Future Cheer is really good. My gym will not allow anyone to be a coach without proper training. They start off as assistant coaches and after about 6 months the gym pays for them to do the courses. None of the courses are as in depth as British Gymnastics courses so I'm going to bump up my tumbling with a BG tumbling course, but the FC course is very good (I don't know about the rest but they don't seem as comprehensive as FC).


The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android

 

[King]

Thanks, @King ! Are there areas that currently lack, industry-wide? I guess I'm thinking that a coach would only be as good as the coach before him/her, if it's an apprenticeship thing?
How do we have coaches coaching at this athletic level that know nothing about anatomy and physiology? Should there be medical staff available or on staff for all-star gyms?

Yes, like PT's ;). Sorry, I'm just determined to work in a cheer gym after I graduate haha.

It honestly comes down to

I am probably one of few but I worked for UCA staff before working at an all-star gym so we have a extended weekend intensive training camp that we attend how to teach stunts with proper form. When I started coaching all-star I was partnered with another senior coach and was her assistant for two years. After that I started head coaching my own teams. As a gym we attend clinics and seminars during the summer. I personally have a job with a lot of down time so I utilize the internet a lot to research and use for personal growth as a coach. The gymnastics magazine Technique always has lots of great articles for injury prevention. I think I use more gymnastics related training materials than I do ones that are specifically related to cheer. I would love to be a member of Fierce Connection, but it wasn't in my gym's budget.

Getting USASF certified requires you to pass a test online and also a verbal/demonstration test with a proctor. It was extremely easy and I do not feel that it helped me learn how to coach any better than if I had not taken those tests although it did demonstrate that I have some basic knowledge of all 5 levels on proper technique and what is legal/illegal.

Have your gym consider Fierce Connection again because it ends up being cheaper than a lot of other education resources. If your gym sends one person to a coaches conference then FC is affordable. We are similarly cost effective and no matter how big a gym is, 5 or 80 people, it is the same price. We just signed up Stingrays as customers and I didn't even bring this to them because I had assumed they wouldn't be interested. But being able to watch videos on their phones anywhere was really interesting to them.

We have a tumbling catalog of which we are adding videos from many different instructors on the same topics. @yojaehs helped us with the first videos and now we are adding videos from UK, Stingrays, and a couple gyms we've planed are also Worlds winning gyms. We are doing a stunt catalog for level 1-5 on how to teach the main skills in each level with progressions. We have a basket video from TG on how they teach their baskets (it is a solid hour on how they teach) with questions on how to trouble shoot. (I think that is one of the things that separates our catalog from perfect demo videos is the athletes have mistakes and you get to see how trouble shooting works). And last is the new section we are working on which I think will help a lot. A bunch of coaching situation questions with 3-5 minute answers from coaches all over the industry. Questions like: How do you gain athletes respect? How do you deal with having to make a flyer a base? How do you handle an athlete talking back or disrespecting at practice? How to handle sickness and injury?

 

[King]

Thanks, @King ! Are there areas that currently lack, industry-wide? I guess I'm thinking that a coach would only be as good as the coach before him/her, if it's an apprenticeship thing?
How do we have coaches coaching at this athletic level that know nothing about anatomy and physiology? Should there be medical staff available or on staff for all-star gyms?

I don't think cheer is very different from other sports in the whole 'apprentice' style of teaching coaches. The issue is that when you have a bad football coach as your 'master teacher' you lose. When you have a bad cheer coach you can have injuries and learn bad technique. So going out and creating a video library for everyone seems like the best way to help from my perspective.

 

[SarahS]

It honestly comes down to


Have your gym consider Fierce Connection again because it ends up being cheaper than a lot of other education resources. If your gym sends one person to a coaches conference then FC is affordable. We are similarly cost effective and no matter how big a gym is, 5 or 80 people, it is the same price. We just signed up Stingrays as customers and I didn't even bring this to them because I had assumed they wouldn't be interested. But being able to watch videos on their phones anywhere was really interesting to them.

We have a tumbling catalog of which we are adding videos from many different instructors on the same topics. @yojaehs helped us with the first videos and now we are adding videos from UK, Stingrays, and a couple gyms we've planed are also Worlds winning gyms. We are doing a stunt catalog for level 1-5 on how to teach the main skills in each level with progressions. We have a basket video from TG on how they teach their baskets (it is a solid hour on how they teach) with questions on how to trouble shoot. (I think that is one of the things that separates our catalog from perfect demo videos is the athletes have mistakes and you get to see how trouble shooting works). And last is the new section we are working on which I think will help a lot. A bunch of coaching situation questions with 3-5 minute answers from coaches all over the industry. Questions like: How do you gain athletes respect? How do you deal with having to make a flyer a base? How do you handle an athlete talking back or disrespecting at practice? How to handle sickness and injury?

Please tell me you're considering an individual coach subscription to FC - I've done the walkthrough with Lark and recognize the value but I can't justify the expense when I have negative revenue coming into the program (rec program on a military base). I go to coaches conferences (I basically just have to pay my registration fee and gas, then get hands on training) but currently FC is very prohibitive for a rec coach that is paid nada. I have ideas for how you could group individual coaches and bring in revenue for FC but you've probably already considered them... Anyway, just hoping that it is in the works.

The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android

 

[King]

Please tell me you're considering an individual coach subscription to FC - I've done the walkthrough with Lark and recognize the value but I can't justify the expense when I have negative revenue coming into the program (rec program on a military base). I go to coaches conferences (I basically just have to pay my registration fee and gas, then get hands on training) but currently FC is very prohibitive for a rec coach that is paid nada. I have ideas for how you could group individual coaches and bring in revenue for FC but you've probably already considered them... Anyway, just hoping that it is in the works.

The Fierce Board App! || iPhone || Android

We are looking at ways to expand to the high school and rec market. We need to find a way that is fair for the rec/high school coaches yet also fair for the allstar coaches. So, in short, yes we are doing what we can!

 

[Ally13]

I don't have a membership, but Gymnastike Gold has a lot of technique videos for coaches that could probably be really helpful for teaching tumbling.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

Curious how much training All Star coaches receive in particular areas prior to beginning their jobs.

- Is there an assumption that coaches come with other training? (Gymnastic, etc.)

- Is there any anatomical knowledge needed/given in order to be USASF certified?

- Do any programs emphasize proper form - not simply for tumbling, but also for flyer positions, how to properly catch a basket, etc.?

Often we bash rec for having "un-trained" coaches, but I'm wondering if the All Star coach training is relatively any better?

Unfortunately I think being USASF certified is really a joke for the most part. Just bc someone used to cheer in AS doesn't make them a great coach. From personal experience, I've seen some cringe worthy things with regards to safety from former AS cheerleaders who are handed a bunch of mini aged kids to coach w/o the supervision of an experienced coach.
Improper/poor and a general lack of basing technique was a big issue for the aforementioned safety concerns.