Quick Guide
Quick Guide
General
Attendance
Consistency is key to getting results.
We recommend an athlete maintains a 90% attendance rating in order to maintain consistency in training.
Attendance below 90% is likely to lead to regression.
We encourage vacations, taking rest to not burn out, and enjoying family time. We ask that you work with us on the timing so that an athlete does not intentionally miss practice during a phase of training that is in high priority.
Hours
We set our max core training hours to 16 hrs a week.
The more hours trained through the week will increase the speed of learning.
4 hours per week for a year = 208 training hours
16 hours a week for a year = 832 training hours
Tuition
We have an all inclusive pricing structure*
The programs budget is built around all the athletes as a group. Tuition is paying to be part of the program as a whole.
What am I paying for?
Coaches wages, certifications, continual education, travel and lodging for competition season.
Team equipment purchases
Competitive attire: leotard, warm ups, backpack etc.
Competition entry fees. Changes every year.
*Additional Fees
Registration with USA Gymnastics to acquire athlete membership number.
State, Regional, Natioanl meet entry fees.
Illness
Illness can negatively impact the entire team very quickly. We collectively must stay vigilant to keep everyone healthy on team. If your athlete shows signs of sickness stay home and recover completely.
To often athletes come with signs of sickness and then multiple athletes are out sick or an athlete is not fully recovered and they come back to soon only to extend the sickness and miss more time.
Lastly when coaches get sick it affects the entire team due to their absence.
Injury
Two types of injuries: Acute, and Overuse
Acute Injury: This is a sudden injury that shows signs of swelling, discoloration, instant pain, etc
For a severe acute injuries will require a doctor note to return back to practice.
For less severe acute injuries we will notify you and present an action plan moving forwards. This may include rest or training modification.
Overuse Injury: Caused from high repetitions often leading to inflammation that requires rest.
An overuse injury is far more common with gymnasts due to their participation in recreational actives plus the demands of the sport.
General rule to identify an overuse injury: If the pain does not stop within 9 days of training modification or rest, then doctor intervention is required.
Training
Eliminate Redundancy
Take the most direct path possible with the smallest allowable margin for error. Perform with the highest possible effort, in order to eliminate needing to do it again later.
Begin Prepared
To close the gap of time between the moment before accomplishment and after accomplishment. The purpose is to increase the confidence and belief in self in the athlete.
Increase Time Efficiency
Only work on what you can achieve in the moment so that it takes the least amount of moments to build into greater achievements. Failure comes from working outside the realm of possibility in the now. What you can do now is all you have.
Elevate Sense of Urgency
Growth requires change which is prompted by an unwavering force. The speed at which change occurs is based upon the need for change. Sense of Urgency is the constant that dictates the rate of growth.
Operate with Intention
To doubt is to denying an opportunity. THEREFORE Intentionality creates the desire and will necessary to achieve your goals to be present.
Perform to WOW!
No matter where the athlete is in their development, their effort should always mirror the futures standard of expectations. A level 1 can produce the effort required that mirrors the effort of a level 10 in that which is achievable.
Athlete Development
Key Point: No matter how small or big the success is, focus on the success of the ahtlete because its the success that we leverage to overcome the obstacles before them. Far to often people tak about getting better instead of focusing on what they did well. Greatness comes from doing really small things well and stacking those wins over time, before you know it you have achieved your goal and more.
Athlete Development
We take a holistic approach to training where we have seen that a deficiency in one area will plateau the development of the other two.
Physical Resilience: A resilient athlete is adaptable and knows how to produce maximum effort.
Mental Perspective: An athlete with perspective understands how to find success and perform in a predictable way.
Emotional Drive: An athlete with drive is connected to their goals, and finds satisfaction in their effort.
If you want to track your athletes growth have conversations around these three concepts and you will soon discover where they are excelling and where they are struggling.
Focus on their success and accomplishments because that is what we use to grow them in their areas of struggle.
Types of Athletes
Every person has a different level of care, this is a helpful way to categorize where an athletes level of care is. As athletes grow and change their levels of care change with them.
The Participant: This athlete enjoys the environment, the people, and the experience. They are not concerned with winning, or improving with a sense of urgency. They are a huge contributor to the culture and at the same time when disgruntled can be a detractor to the group.
The Performer: This athlete loves to have the spot light on them. The athlete who trains poorly when no one is watching but steps up immediately when all eyes are on them falls into this category. They appear to competitive but without accountability they will plateau. They are a catalyst to the group inspiring others through their performance. When disgruntled they require more resources to stay on task.
The Competitor: This athlete wants to win. They train as if every moment matters and they live with an internal sense of urgency to get the most out of their moment. Often times they want more than they are ready for and at the same time have to learn how to pace themselves through learning. They set the standard of the group and are not phased by being held accountable. When disgruntled they lack appreciation for others, they on the obstacle in their way and struggle to pivot causing a distraction for everyone else.
Fear
There are 3 layers to overcoming fear.
The "I am freaked out, and I have no control over my body" fear: This is the fear where if you ask the athlete, "what are you afraid of?" they often will say "I don't know." This fear is overcome by developing confidence in self, doing skills in more controlled environments and on surfaces that are more helpful in learning (soft mats, trampolines etc.)
The "I know what I am doing but I don't want to do it" fear: This fear is derived from an athlete progressing too quickly and not developing their reflexes to respond accordingly. They need more numbers at maximum effort on surfaces that are at the threshold of success.
The "I don't like this but I know its necessary and I will be fine" fear: This is the mature type of fear where the athlete pushes through their anxiety and trusts their body to make the right decisions. Often seen on learning upper level skills on harder surfaces. (double backs, flipping on beam, flipping vault etc.)
It has been proven that fear is the same no matter how big or small the experience appears. From the outside looking in fear can seem silly, but on the inside of the athlete the fear feels like a T-Rex is chasing them and trying to eat them.
Empowerment comes by giving the athletes the confidence to overcome their fear, not by diminishing the fear itself.
Competing
Levels
We compete in two different programs within the same governing body: XCEL and Developmental.
XCEL Levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Sapphire
Developmental Levels: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Levels are not progressive in training development. Example if an athlete started in level 1 in ten years they would not make it to level 10.
A level tells you the type of competitors you will experience. It does not define you abilities.
As a standard we try to have athletes trained beyond the level they are competing.
every level has its own set of "Special Requirements" which determined the skills and type of skills that are allowed to be performed.
Winning
Gymnastics is not like other sports where competition will help you improve directly.
In other sports the more you play the game the better you get. Gymnastics is a skill acquisition sport so winning level 5 does not help you acquire the skills for level 6.
There is indirect correlation but not direct correlation. Athletes who win 1st tend to know what it takes to win and then carry that work ethic with them in training.
Athletes who never win 1st tend to struggle to find the work ethic required to win.
Think of gymnastics more like a baking competition. Don't bring a cake to the cupcake competition and expect to place. Additionally if you are really good at baking cookies, compete against the less experienced bakers so you can win.
This can feel pointless or even silly but its actually necessary to do if you want to find success in a performance sport.
I gaurentee you that your athlete will be competing against other athletes who are trained at a higher level but competing where they can win. This then levels the competition.
This biggest problem all gyms face is athletes wanting to compete at or above their ability and then losing to athletes who are competing below their ability. Not only is winning less likely it almost becomes impossible.