Archive for Coaching
Catching Up, Tough Decisions and Ditching My SuperMom Cape
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Things have been a little too quiet here for the past few weeks – and by that I mean on SportsGirlsPlay.com – in my own little world there has been a lot going on – some might even say, too much!
Let’s get caught up.
After 26 years of coaching gymnastics, 13 at the same gym, I have decided to take a leave of absence for a while. My own kids sports schedules are getting harder and harder for me to keep up with, and if I could have a clone, all would be great. Add to that my Dad is having both knees replaced this fall, my need to spend more time building up my own websites (like this one), making time for more fitness and golf time for me, and you can see why I just have to take a break. Deciding to step away from coaching was probably the hardest thing I have had to do in many years, but for now, it is the right thing for me to do. The SuperMom cape is off and I will just wear the SportsParent hat for a while.
Here are some “related” links that you will find interesting:
- Speaking of sports parents, I wrote an article for Kellogg’s Snackpicks on Kids Sports Snacks – in other words, what kind of snacks to bring if you happen to be in charge of half-time or post-game snacks for your child’s team. There is also a great snack planning sheet you can download with it!
- Since my Dad is having his knees replaced and my gymnast daughter wants to be a surgeon, we visited one of our favorite sites last night – EdHeads.org – and performed our own virtual knee replacement surgery. Let me tell you, EdHeads is just cool! From a virtual hip replacement to designing the ultimate cell phone to investigating a crash scene, the site really gives kids the opportunity to explore some hi-tech skill sets in an age appropriate setting. Go check it out!
- One of the things I am trying to find more time for in my busy schedule is running. Years ago I ran 3-4 times a week and I just loved the way it made me feel. Then kids happened and I let my own fitness take a back seat to my kids. Now that they are all busy in their own sports I have set a goal – I want to run a 5K race this spring. I have been training since May and while the return to the miles is a little slow, I’m fine with that. One of my friends just introduced me to a site called SeeMommyRun.com which allows you to find other moms in your area who want to get together to train. What at great support resource! Between that, keeping up with my online friends at DailyMile.com and my NikePlus sensor, I think I have all the support I need now to reach my goals!
- The new season of BigBreak has started and it is really getting me excited to play golf at Half Moon Bay in a few weeks! I love the range of ages, body types and personalities the show brings together and hope to pick up a few golf pointers along the way.
Among my goals in the coming months is to increase the frequency of posts here and share even more great girls sports information with you. If you have any topics or sports you would like me to cover, please leave me a comment! And in the meantime, check your balance – and feel free to ditch the SuperMom cape, too.
Coaching Tip: Sandwich Your Corrections
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As the old sayings go, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” and “a little sugar goes a long way!” When coaching, do you keep these concepts in mind? Or do you simply yell out corrections like:
- Don’t bend your legs!
- What was that?
- You are not even trying!
- Ugh, you run slower than my Grandma!
What do those corrections mean to your athlete? Well, nothing really. They just tell her she did something wrong or she thinks you are mad at her. And, if you as a coach don’t have kids of your own, let me tell you that 99% of all kids want to do nothing more than PLEASE their coaches – especially girls.
Corrections like those do not give athletes ACTIONABLE tasks either – in other words, how will your athlete know what you are looking for if you do not specifically say it?
TIME TO SANDWICH YOUR CORRECTIONS
Instead, try making a correction sandwich! In other words, sandwich the actionable correction in between two positive statements. So, next time Susie Q. Gymnast does her vault or Janie B. Swimmer finishes her lap, try this instead:
- PRAISE EFFORT – Tell Susie what she did RIGHT – even if you are just recognizing her for trying. Example: “Wow! I loved how fast you ran down the runway!”
- GIVE SPECIFIC ACTIONABLE CORRECTIONS – Tell Janie what she needs to do next – and why. Example: “Breathe every four strokes, it will help you swim faster.”
- CHALLENGE AND ENCOURAGE – Pump up your athlete. Let her know you have faith in her abilities. Example: “You can do this and I can’t wait to see it.”
I guarantee you will get athletes who are happier, more motivated, and your athletes will master their skills, decrease their times, and work better as a team!! Try it.
P.S. Giving encouragement and actionable tasks with a SMILE on your face also goes a long way.
Making Workouts Fun – One Skittle at a Time
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One of the biggest challenges coaches face, especially when training young athletes, is finding ways to make the repetitive nature of a workout fun. Whether it is swimming laps, perfecting beam routines, practicing free throw drills or doing intervals, every sport has its fundamentals that must be done over and over in order to learn and master the skills needed for success.
I frequently use a variety of techniques for keeping my gymnasts motivated and having fun – like creating a “lemonade lounge” for a reward zone during conditioning, rewarding them with jumps on trampoline for performing a routine successfully, or occasionally letting them take turns being “coach” during conditioning. And sometimes we get out a bag of Skittles, smarties, or other little treat and use those as incentives to master a correction a little quicker.
My daughter’s swim coaches use Skittles in a different way. They use them as a code for what stroke the kids practice next. Each swimmer gets a skittle and then checks the white board for the color coded key. The coaches mix it up each time they play the game – sometimes one color is a dramatically more difficult task than another, but the kids still love it. They quickly eat their skittle, then jump in the water to perform the task assigned to the skittle they just ate. As soon as the task is accomplished, they are back for another one. It is definitely one of my daughter’s favorite training games.
While I have outlined how the swim coaches play the Skittle game, you can certainly adapt this game for ANY sport (or even kids chores around the house for that matter) and make it a fun addition to your athletes’ training.
