All-Star New Skills

[UEAcheerchick]

During this past month, many of the athletes that I am currently coaching have gotten skills that they still refuse to do without a spot. As a coach, it's frustrating to keep spotting skills that I know the athlete can do on their own, they are just too afraid to try, or when they do try, they get scared and change their technique causing them to fall and need a spot again. I've heard of other coaches using a method where they say they will spot but moving out of the way mid skill so that the athlete basically does It on their own without knowing but I can see that going badly. Coaches: how do you get your athletes to do new skills? Athletes: what method has worked for you to help you gain new skills?

 

[shorttpai]

I struggled/struggle with that on my spring, standing and running. I have it without a spot, I just won't throw it. What helped me was privates and doing it three times in a row, but only the first two are spotted. That way I know my body can do the third one and I don't sit and think about it. I think repetition is key to know that your body physically has the skill. Another key thing is making sure the skill is perfected. When I was able to perfect my spring, I would throw it. But the second it got janky, I wouldn't.

Don't ever tell an athlete they are going to be spotted and then halfway take your hand away. That's a big no and I wouldn't trust that coach to ever spot me again.

 

[Hetta]

I'm so glad you said you don't think saying you will spot someone and then moving away is a good idea! I've seen so many people loose trust in the coach, tell others on the team about it and then no one can trust the coach.... Nightmare! I've also seen a girl 'unravel' in the middle of a skill as she said she could see the coach moving away from her and panicked, landed badly and re- injured herself, and was told not to tumble again. I'm not sure anything good can come of it!

 

[tumbleyoda]

Never, ever, EVER tell an athlete you are going to spot them and then pull away! Safety first, last and always! If an athlete is not ready there has got to be a reason you have to address and deal with. Go back a step in the progressions, put them on a different surface, put a mat on the floor so they have to tumble higher but land on a softer surface, walk into the spot so that they have to trust you will be there instead of seeing you there the whole time (this is a mental release technique I use with some athletes and you have to be 100 percent sure of their skill ability and your ability to spot them if they bail to do it) motivate, encourage - but don't ever pull away from a spot.

If you do and they get hurt, technically and legally you are liable. Second they lose trust in you as a man/woman of your word even though all you are trying to do is show them they can do it. Then you fight that battle with every new skill they struggle with. Then as has been said others in the gym see it and automatically internalize that if you did it to Suzie you are going to do it to them as well.

My best strategies besides those I described above are these:

1.) I would rather have them do it 500 times safely than 1 time and be hurt. So I keep them on equipment, tumble track, rod floor, etc until they have done it so much (they don't count but I do) that they essentially tell me they have it.

2.) When they are about to do it by themselves I give them the scenarios, I describe what would be the most likely event if they mess up and even go through how that landing might be. Usually what they are freaking out about is landing on their head, neck, face, or flat on their back. Once they are sure that the worse thing may be landing on their toes pitching forward to hands, hands and knees etc. then they are usually ok with doing it. Now mind if they do what they have been trained to do without change they should land on their feet, but I keep it honest with them.

3.) Make sure that no matter what they do, keep all the lead up skills the same. Don't run faster, hard, extra, anything that will make it feel different than it has been. Do the same thing that they have been trained to do. If the lead up skills are the same (assuming they are correctly done) then there should not be an issue with the last "big trick" skill.

4.) Video and play back for them several times before they attempt it by themselves. Having them see themselves do the skill, even if with a spot is powerful reinforcement in their mind that they can actually do it.

5.) Don't let them end on a "bad" one. The last one of the day always has to be a good one or the best one. That is what they leave you with. Leave them with a positive mental picture of that skill/day and not a negative.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

With teaching a bhs to one of my private lesson kids, what worked for her was doing ten in a row on by herself on the trampoline, five in a row by herself on the tumble track, five in a row by herself on the wedge, then she was ready to do them by herself on the floor.

Don't ever tell a kid you're going to spot them, and then not spot them. At the gym I coach at, we don't start with our hands touching the kid but as soon as they swing/go back/ect we start the spot. I think it helps to ween kids off easier because they aren't used to someone's hands on them so it feels the same to start the skill.

 

[vannahlexis]

What helped me and a lot of my teammates was getting spotted with a whole hand, so 5 fingers, then next with 4, then 3, all the way until there were no fingers left to hold up. Then you would do it by yourself with a spot standing there.

But I'm not a coach or anything so idk. This just worked for us really well.

 

[UEAcheerchick]

With teaching a bhs to one of my private lesson kids, what worked for her was doing ten in a row on by herself on the trampoline, five in a row by herself on the tumble track, five in a row by herself on the wedge, then she was ready to do them by herself on the floor.

Don't ever tell a kid you're going to spot them, and then not spot them. At the gym I coach at, we don't start with our hands touching the kid but as soon as they swing/go back/ect we start the spot. I think it helps to ween kids off easier because they aren't used to someone's hands on them so it feels the same to start the skill.

This is actually a good point, I think I'll try going into the spot after they sit/swing because many of them have the "I just need your hand there" mentally and this sounds like a good way to get rid of that

 

[cheerchicaubrey]

as an athlete, so today was the first day of learning to to a back tuck on the trampoline. I got in within a half hour. what really helped me it that I watched my friend do it alot and how she did it. maybe have another person do it without a spot to show them how easy it is.

when working on the skill, spot them the first couple times and spot lighter and lighter every time. Once they have it with you just touching them, tell them that you are not going to touch them but be there and stand there when they do it. after a couple times they will have it!

encourage! tell them that they are doing great and that they can do by themselves! just motivate them alot until they do it.

take it slow. maybe part of the problem is is that they are feeling rushed and pressured to do it. make it clear that this is not the case.

these are just some things that have helped me extremely and i hope you find this helpful!

 

[seein_starz]

During this past month, many of the athletes that I am currently coaching have gotten skills that they still refuse to do without a spot. As a coach, it's frustrating to keep spotting skills that I know the athlete can do on their own, they are just too afraid to try, or when they do try, they get scared and change their technique causing them to fall and need a spot again. I've heard of other coaches using a method where they say they will spot but moving out of the way mid skill so that the athlete basically does It on their own without knowing but I can see that going badly. Coaches: how do you get your athletes to do new skills? Athletes: what method has worked for you to help you gain new skills?

Have you tried just standing there? That always works with me, I ask the coach to stand there and not touch me then I know I can throw the skill and I do it by myself

 

[cheernerd5678]

This is actually a good point, I think I'll try going into the spot after they sit/swing because many of them have the "I just need your hand there" mentally and this sounds like a good way to get rid of that

That's what I ask my coaches to do when I'm getting close to a skill. It makes it so much less scary when you try to do it yourself, bc it doesn't feel quite as different. And when you do it that way they can tell much better that you're literally just touching them. If my coaches start touching me before I do it, I feel like they do much more. Even though realistically they're doing the same amount of "spotting", it's a mental thing.