Part 3: My “Plan”

My “Plan”

At that point in the gymnastics universe, there was very little online content out there to help coaches make the most of their time (or if there was I didn’t know about it). 

There was plenty of online content for technique-driven material and you could go to national or regional congress for more of the “soft-skills” of coaching. 

With the resources I had, I decided that I would do what most coaches do, and that is to make myself a better technician. I would take in all the technique videos I could get my hands on, and make my gymnasts better by making myself better and more knowledgeable. 

Here was the problem, I could watch all the technique videos I wanted to, but at some point, you realize that there is more to gymnastics than training in the gym. There are only so many drills and hours in the gym that my gymnasts could handle before excellent technical knowledge on my part fell short. 

At least by then I knew enough about physical therapy that I began to focus more intently on recovery and rest. I figured out that if we took care of injuries quickly then my gymnasts would improve more consistently and at a faster rate. 

But was this enough? Was there something I was missing? I still did not have enough time to plan and structure practice optimally. And my gymnasts were still getting injured and looking more worn out than they should. 

Find out what I have learned since then. Tomorrow, see the New Me...