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BOOKS EVERY COACH SHOULD HAVE

November 30, 2011 4 Comments

Books Every Coach Should have.

A few things have come up recently which got me thinking. The first thing leads into the second so bear with me. I have started working with more pre-team and compulsory gymnasts which has put me in contact with a lot more compulsory coaches through out the State and Region. The one thing I have noticed is that by and large they are an incredibly energetic group. They are so eager to learn from anyone. My question is- Are we taking the time to teach them? Are we giving them direction or are we letting them reinvent the wheel? Many people have seen my lecture, COACHES AS EDUCATORS  I am in the process of turning it into a book. The bottom line is that we must continually educate ourselves and those less experienced coaches in our gyms. I know I will revisit these issues and this blog more extensively.

All education starts with a good philosophy. From both the teacher and student. To form your own philosophy you need experience. You need to be willing to make mistakes but also learn from the mistakes of others. Here are a few books where you can learn from the experience of others. Some of these books may be difficult to get but are worthwhile. This is surely an incomplete list. Please e-mail me with your recommendations- CONTACT.

  •  Championship Gymnastics. Gerald George
  • Modern Women’s Gymnastics. Bill Sands.
  • Gymnastics- How to Create Champions.   Leonid Arkaiv, Nikolai Schilin.
  • Sacred Hoops- Phil Jackson.
  • Peak Performance. Charles Garfield, Hal Z. Bennett.
  • The Vision of a Champion.  Anson Dorrance.
  • Zen Lessons- The Art of Leadership- translated by Thomas Clearly.
  • It’s Not About The Bike- Lance Armstrong.
  • Psychology and Gymnastics. The Ultimate Guide for Coaches, Gymnasts and Parents. Drs. Sue and Joseph Massimo (yet to be released- Don’t worry, you will be the first to know when it is out!)
  • And if none of those work I highly recommend: A BARTENDERS GUIDE TO COCKTAILS
Filed Under: Business, General Coaching, Uncategorized, Weekly Momentum Tagged With: ,

Al Fong Trampoline drills for Team Part 1 of 4

November 30, 2011 Leave a Comment

Part 1 of 4 of a Beginning Trampoline Clinic given by Al Fong of GAGE at a recent Region 4 Training camp. (Fall 2011) 

Thanks to Contributor Owen Field from Nebraska for sharing these. Make sure you follow his blog at: Coach Owen Field

There are 2 pieces of equipment that are underused in most team programs and the Trampoline heads the list. The other is the floor bar but you will need to check back to get my video drills for those.

There seems to be a bit of a resurgence in incorporating trampoline into team work outs but I still feel far too many coaches are not comfortable with trampoline and drills.

In part 1 Olympic Coach Al Fong goes over the basic shapes that he uses while teaching skills on trampoline.

 

Filed Under: Competitions / Training Camps Report, Lesson Plans - Men's and Women's, Trampoline, Video Drills Tagged With:

JAEGER VIDEO DRILL

November 29, 2011 2 Comments

Here is a drill that I use for Jaeger to help a gymnast sit up and reach. THIS IS A REPOST- THE VIDEO SHOULD WORK NOW.

Remember You can also become a contributor!

CONTRIBUTE

 

Filed Under: Bars, Video Drills, Videos Tagged With:

A Call to Action for Your Facebook Fans

November 29, 2011 Leave a Comment

Social media provides huge opportunities for gyms, but remember your call to action when building your online community. Don’t just sit and wait for your parents to find your gym’s Facebook page. Give them clear instructions on where they can find you and why they should become a fan.

It took Dina, from Atlantic Gymnastics, and me 15 minutes to create the sign you see in the video (sorry there’s not a more direct shot). Simple direct wording, “Did your child learn a new skill today? Be Proud. Share it,” and a link. This sign does three things, it taps into a parent’s desire to boast about their child, gives them a community to share with, and directs them to your Facebook page. Simple. See my action items below and create your call to action today.

Video Transcript and Action Items to Do Today

Video Transcript
Hey guys this is Doug Ridley and I’m here at Atlantic Gymnastics in Portsmouth, NH. I’ve been talking with the guys at Atlantic about some very simple ways to increase their fan page interaction on Facebook. Today we create this simple sign we are posting in their parent lounge. What it does is it encourages families to share what their children are learning at the gym today. It’s very simple and it’s something that you can do at your gym as well. If you have any other ideas on ways that you’re increasing your fan page interaction I hope that you’ll share them in the comments below. Have a good one.

Action Items

  1. Calls to action don’t need to be complex. Identify what would connect with your community. Tell people what you want them to do. Make it direct and simple.
  2. Make sure to include your Facebook link.
  3. Make and print your sign. No need to call your graphic designer, this can be done on Word.
  4. Print and hang.
Filed Under: Business, Social Media Tagged With: ,

CRASH OF THE WEEK, Tkatchev

November 28, 2011 Leave a Comment

From a new contributor Samantha! She told me her leg was sore for months. Hope it feels better!

Thanks for sharing!

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Filed Under: Bars, Crash of the Week, Videos Tagged With: ,

SOCIAL MEDIA and the FUTURE of GYMNASTICS

November 28, 2011 Leave a Comment

Social Media and the Impact for the Future of Gymnastics  – By Craig Zappa, Director/Co-Owner, ENA Paramus

Ever wonder how you always hear about a particular gym?

Now, it’s their social media presence.  I myself am now following all the collegiate teams and all the clubs I can find via their twitter or Facebook feeds.  In the past, in order to find out what a club or team was doing was to go to each website and search for information on them.  Now we can see what each team or club is doing on a daily basis.

How can this help my club?
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Filed Under: Business, Social Media Tagged With: , ,

Wit and Wisdom 11/25

November 25, 2011 2 Comments

I have decided to make WIT and WISDOM a weekly Blog. Please contribute your favorite quotes!

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” Novelist Cynthia Ozick

“Life doesn’t run away from nobody. Life runs AT people.” Joe Frazier
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Filed Under: Business, Weekly Momentum, Wit and Wisdom

FIVE iPHONE APPS EVERY COACH SHOULD HAVE

November 25, 2011 Leave a Comment
Five iPhone Apps Every Coach Should Have

Reminders/Calender/Siri (built-in)
The reason why I’m sitting down to write this blog entry is because a few days ago I asked my iPhone to remind me. With the new iPhone 4S, its as easy as pushing down the home button and saying something like, “Remind me to email the Level 4 parents when I get to the gym.” It works like magic. Older iPhones can still take advantage of the new Reminders app and the seamless integration between it and the Calender app. Being a coach is a job that requires you to do hundreds of different tasks, sometimes all at once. The iPhone can easily help you retain at least some of your sanity!

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Filed Under: Business, General Coaching, Product Review, Social Media Tagged With:

Happy Thanksgiving

November 24, 2011 Leave a Comment

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERY ONE!

Last week I walked around the gym asking some of the kids and coaches what they were really thankful for. It was an unexpectedly warm day for a November in New Hampshire so the whole “Thanksgiving thing” hasn’t set in. As an adult there are so many things that I am thankful for.
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Filed Under: Weekly Momentum Tagged With:

Plaid Friday?!

November 23, 2011 Leave a Comment

On the eve of Thanksgiving I want to wish everyone safe travels! The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally the one of the busiest travel days of the year so please be safe.

This year we canceled workout for tonight. We are having a team outing to our local AHL Hockey Game! Team girls will be carrying out the US Flag for the National Anthem and girls will be allowed in the tunnel giving our home team “High 5s” on the way out!  As a hockey fan I hope this becomes tradition!

Why is the day after Thanksgiving in the USA becoming such a CRAZY shopping day? Are the deals that good? I couldn’t tell you- IF I were home (and I am not) I would NOT be getting up at some ungodly hour to try to save  $5 on something from Walmart.  As a gym club owner, I truly believe that we need to support LOCAL business. Don’t make this Friday just another “Black Friday”. Make it a “Plaid Friday”
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Filed Under: Business, Weekly Momentum Tagged With: ,
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