Artistic Gymnastics Team Handbook

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 13 Artistic Gymnastics Team Handbook Kids First Gymnastics th Street SW, Suite A Cedar Rapids, Iowa (319) bkittrell@kids1stgym.com

2 Page 2 of 13 Table of Contents Part 1: Introduction To Kids First Gymnastics... 3 Welcome!... 3 Competitive Gymnastics What does it mean?... 3 Positive Coaching... 3 Progression in the Sport... 4 Life Changes to Keep In Mind... 4 Advancement Requirements... 5 Part 2: Program Policies, Guidelines & Expectations... 6 Gymnast s Guidelines & Expectations... 6 Disciplinary Actions... 7 Parent s Guidelines & Expectations... 7 Financial Commitment... 8 Injuries & Overtraining... 8 When injuries occur and there is swelling or just pain... 9 General Treatment for: Severs (occurs during growth spurts) or Shin Splits... 9 For the next 2 weeks do the following every day:... 9 Wrist Support required for yurchenko vault work at level 5 or higher... 9 Part 3: Competition Information Going Into Season Understanding Competition Score Deductions Skill Execution Point Deductions: Form Execution Point Deductions: Other Deductions: Preparing for the Meet Things you will need to have ready and packed before the first meet: Some Guidelines for Parents Feeling Stress Additional Documents Available... 13

3 Part 1: Introduction To Kids First Gymnastics Welcome! For those of you just joining our program, welcome! For the team veterans, welcome back! Kids First Gymnastics would like to welcome your family to our family! Page 3 of 13 If you are reading this team manual, then your daughter has already impressed us with her gymnastics talent and potential. Through this team manual, we hope to give you more insight into how our program operates and answer many of your questions. First, and most important, providing a fantastic gymnastics experience is what this club is all about. We are here for young athletes, many who have hopes and dreams of being the best they can be in life and in this sport. We are here to support them in that dream. To make that dream come alive, the gymnast, parents, and coaches must function as a TEAM. After reading this manual, if you have any questions about any aspect of the program, please ASK! The coaching staff will be happy to provide you with any additional information or clarifications. Once again, welcome to the Kids First Gymnastics family. We are glad to have you as part of our TEAM. Competitive Gymnastics What does it mean? The decision to enter competitive gymnastics is an important and exciting step in the life of your child! You are to be congratulated because you are taking the time to think through the consequences of team membership. Many parents are so thrilled when their child is asked to be on the team, that they do not take the time to assess what the consequences will be on the rest of their lives. We believe that gymnastics is the greatest overall body conditioning activity in which your child could be involved. However, competitive gymnastics is a unique sport requiring the backing and support of the family for any gymnast to be successful. Therefore, when making the selection for team gymnasts, we also look closely at the team parents. Can they make a commitment to the program? This should not be a difficult or demanding task, only one that shows each family is interested in and committed to providing their child with a positive learning experience through the competitive aspect of women s gymnastics. Positive Coaching Positive coaching brings a different atmosphere to the gym. It helps create a fun, energetic, place that our coaches like to be in and want to provide for everyone around us. Benefits I have noticed from positive coaching include: more motivation from athletes and staff, less fears or anxiety within the sport, improved selfconfidence/image from athletes and staff, all which leads to a faster learning environment. There are many ways to approach positive coaching, and it s important to know that positive coaching is not sugar coating things like many believe. Positive coaching may include finding what was done well and giving the athlete something to focus on, or simply telling them what you want to see on the next turn. Many times, pulling the group aside to explain the rules, deductions, or empowering the athletes are very effective methods.

4 Page 4 of 13 Progression in the Sport USA Gymnastics provides the Junior Olympic program, competition levels progress from the Compulsory levels (4 5) to the Optional levels (6 10) and then to the Elite level, where Olympic gymnasts are chosen. When the gymnast is old enough, she may have the chance to earn a college scholarship in gymnastics and compete in college. USA Gymnastics also provides an Xcel program. It is a great stepping stone for athletes who are learning to compete. We use the Xcel program to help families and athletes understand what competition is like and ensure it is the way everyone would like to go for less expense. Once the athletes have the skills for level 4, we will transition athletes from Xcel to Junior Olympic level 4 program Compulsory levels include levels 3, 4 and 5. Compulsories are required to do specific skills & pre-determined choreography in their routines. Advancement through these levels is based on the major skills on all the events. The performance of your daughter at these levels doesn t determine how they will do as an optional gymnast. As their confidence and ability to perform higher level skills is achieved, their performance in the level they are competing will improve. Keep in mind that gymnastics is a difficult sport to master. It is like learning four different sports all at once, each of which is hard to learn in its own way. There are thousands of skills to learn for each event and any number of combinations. Other sports don t have as many skills to learn compared to even one gymnastics event. Regardless of what level you are now, you should always be looking forward and working toward becoming a high level optional gymnast, like you see on TV. Every level of gymnastics training and competition is just part of the learning process. We treat all gymnasts as if they are going to make it to the highest level of gymnastics, therefore they continue to improve at high rates. Life Changes to Keep In Mind At the Xcel level, there are no changes that will occur other than a few more hours in the gym. Once your daughter reaches level 4 and above the only thing to be aware of is the changes during the Summer. Level 4 and above transition to morning practices during the Summer and a slightly increased amount of practice because of this. The Summer is a great opportunity to increase the hours and get more from the athletes at they don t have school. Once the number of members on the team increases to a higher level, it is highly possible to expect optional level athletes to need to modify their school schedule to arrive earlier in the day during the school year. This is typical for clubs to do afternoon practices during the school year, even in Iowa. Triad practices from 2:15-6:45pm Monday-Friday. Blackhawk practices from 2:45-5:45pm Monday-Friday. There will be gym meets & exhibitions that consume a number of weekends during the year. Homework will need to be done more efficiently and with better study habits due to shorter periods of time available. (It has been the experience of most coaches that students who are involved in team sports such as gymnastics tend to have good grades and are better at studying because they have learned to budget their time more effectively than their peers.) Time management skills will become a necessity in all areas of your child s life (and yours). Your daughter will have less time at home and less time to spend with friends outside of the sphere of gymnastics influence.

5 Page 5 of 13 Vacations will need to be reduced in length to a maximum of missing 1 week of practice at a time. Anything longer can cause regression of skills. It is encouraged to take these vacations at the beginning of summer or during the spring. Taking time away from the gym at the end of summer or during competition season can cause serious problems for the athlete. Be warned, however, that once a child has developed a taste for the sport of gymnastics, it is an addiction that can grow and become part of your child for life! Advancement Requirements Although our advancement policy is not etched in stone, we do have a fair and consistent method intact. We realize that we can be blindsided by our own ambitions for the athletes and we feel it can be helpful for us to get the view of the parents regarding advancement. With that said, below are our general rules and guidelines we follow when deciding advancement, but as gymnastics professionals we have the final say. We will invite athletes to the team who we believe can achieve the skills for the next given level at the end of each season. This provides enough time for those athletes to train those skills for the upcoming season and time for families to do fundraising for the upcoming season. To view the specific advancement requirements, feel free to request a copy from the coaching staff.

6 Page 6 of 13 Part 2: Program Policies, Guidelines & Expectations Gymnast s Guidelines & Expectations 1. Safety is an important aspect to the sport to prevent injuries. It is expected that both coaches and gymnasts will fix mats or other hazards to prevent injuries. 2. Each gymnast is required to attend all regularly scheduled workouts at their designated times and days. Be on time to all workouts. Being on time means: in the gym, hair up, leo on, ready to go 5 minutes before your workout starts. If for some reason you will be late or absent, you are required to notify the gym. 3. No cell phones are allowed to be used or in the gym once practice has started. 4. Proper workout attire is a must.* A properly fitting leotard is the only acceptable workout attire. Only spandex shorts are allowed (shorts are optional). Hair should be appropriately put up away from the face so as not to interfere with the workout. No jewelry, other than stud earrings, may be worn during workout. 5. Work hard and try your best. This is all that we will ever ask of you and this is always what you should demand of yourself. You do not need to compare yourself to other gymnasts. You are all different and will advance at different rates. Only concern yourself with things YOU can control- YOUR attitude, YOUR effort YOUR gymnastics! 6. No food or sugary drinks are allowed off tiled area. Snacks must remain put away until break time. No snacking between rotations without permission. Water bottles are to remain to the sides. Only bring snacks for practices over 3 ½ hours in length. 7. Notify the coach if you are ill or injured. Please determine before coming to practice how much your gymnastics will be affected by your illness or injury. If you don t feel up to practicing, it s okay to stay home! We d rather you get plenty of rest and recover than try to overdo it and have to sit out most of practice. 8. Treat your coaches and teammates with respect. Team members must listen to, respect and adhere to the training outline established daily by the coach. Disrespect will not be tolerated and immature attitudes are discouraged. Major conduct violations include poor sportsmanship, poor attitude, disruptive behavior, improper tone of voice or improper body language when addressing teammates, coaches and/or other adults. 9. Be honest. Cheating is a sign of disrespect to the coaches and yourself. Remember that if you cheat, you are only hurting yourself and will be shown in your competition scores or possibly injuries. 10. Maintain a positive attitude in the gym. We understand that gymnastics can be frustrating and demanding. All athletes encounter set-backs, fears, and frustration. Expect these things, learn from them, and overcome them. Achieving your goals is a step-by-step process and some set-backs are to be expected. Keeping a positive attitude will help you reach these goals much faster than beating yourself up over minor defeats along the way. * Proper Attire Leotards may be purchased in the pro shop at the gym. Sports bras must be worn as needed. Deodorant must be used as needed. No two-piece leotards or baggy shorts are permitted. Tight fitting, spandex shorts are allowed in practice but not competition. Hair should be completely put up away from the face. For safety reasons, stud earrings are the only item of jewelry that may be worn. Note: You are welcome to leave extra leotards, shorts, deodorant at the gym in your daughter s locker. We do encourage everyone to lock their lockers. We are not responsible for missing items. If you do want to use a lock, you must provide the combination to the front office. Just in case your daughter forgets their combination.

7 Disciplinary Actions When not meeting the expectations above the use of 3 Strike Policy will be enforced. Page 7 of 13 3 Strike Policy 1. First strike: verbal warning, may include a strength exercise. 2. Second strike: asked to sit down until ready to come back with issue fixed, may include a strength exercise. 3. Third Strike: parents will be called to pick up the athlete, a follow up meeting will be made. Additional disciplinary actions are also possible, but are only used for individual situations. Those include: 4. The gymnast may be scratched from a competition. Please note that if a gymnast is scratched from a meet due to poor attendance, the entry fee is nonrefundable. 5. The gymnast may be asked to leave the program if she does not follow the guidelines set for her as a team member. The final two items on the list are reserved for more serious violations of the guidelines. It isn t fair to let the bad attitude of one gymnast or their parent(s) bring down the spirit, work ethic of the team, and the positive culture of the gym. A good coach/gymnast relationship is important, and we cannot and will not communicate every detail of practice with each parent. However, please don t hesitate to approach a coach following a practice if you have questions or concerns. Just understand that they will not seek you out unless a more serious problem occurs. When you need to speak with a coach, it must be outside of practice time. Please understand why we cannot speak to parents during practice. Instead, parents need ask to schedule an appointment for question(s) that require time to answer appropriately and professionally. It isn t fair to the other gymnasts or families to take time away from their practices. Parent s Guidelines & Expectations We understand that gymnastics falls below family and education as a priority, and we are not unreasonable. However, if you choose to become a member of this program, we assume that you have allowed appropriate time for family functions and school work. Please do not use the above statement as an excuse for missing practices, meets, etc. You have made a commitment to a team. If for any reason you feel you are unable to fulfill this commitment, please let us know and we can place your child in another program that better fits your needs. 1. Make sure your gymnast is at every regularly scheduled workout, meet, and special functions. If your child must miss a workout or be tardy, please notify the gym. a. FREE Team open gyms are provided as often as possible to Rising Stars & above 2. Communicate with the coaches regarding any problems (tell me first)! We are in business to serve you and your child; however, complaining to other parents cannot solve your problem, nor can we solve them if we do not know about them. Our policy is tell me first, which means that parents should approach a coach with any complaints or concerns, not other parents or their gymnasts. 3. Check your & Facebook regularly to stay current with team news and activities. 4. Insure that your child gets enough sleep, proper nutrition, gets to and from the gym on time, and has proper clothing and equipment. 5. Provide unconditional love, encouragement and support for your athlete! Please do not compare your child with other athletes. Each child is different with different strengths and weaknesses. It is unfair to you and your child to compare her to another athlete, and it places unnecessary stress and pressure on your child. Rather, try to look for progress that your child is making in the gym and celebrate it!

8 Page 8 of Please do not coach your child. That is what the coaches get trained and paid to do. Your comments detract from what the coach is doing by giving the gymnast yet another thing to think about, and it interferes with the development of a good coach/athlete relationship which is important for success. 7. Please stay in the designated waiting area while waiting for your child. Again, if you need to speak with a coach, please do so before or after practice, as they are busy coaching your child while they are in the gym. 8. Please let a coach know before practice if you think your child s practice might be affected by an illness, medication, or injury. Financial Commitment Your child s involvement in gymnastics will cost you time, money and effort. The athletes train in a large and well equipped gym under the direction of an educated, experienced and professional staff. The overhead incurred in running a large gymnastics club includes: rent, utilities, insurance, taxes, and supplies, in addition to wages and equipment. The coaches spend an enormous amount of time planning, training, traveling and supporting the gymnasts in addition to the time they spend actively coaching. Further, the coaches meet with parents and gymnasts, return phone calls, set up competitions, work to maintain and improve the facility and organize and administer the competitive program. It is impossible and unreasonable to think that this facility and the staff who train the gymnasts can operate without adequate funding. 1. Year round financial commitment a. There are no make-ups, discounts, or prorated accounts due to absences of any nature. The competitive program is already greatly discounted in comparison to other class programs and is in fact subsidized by the class programs. b. 30 Day Notice: Written notice is required if your child decides to retire from the program. Many times during this 30 day period, the gymnast, with the coaching staff, are able to find a resolution to any concerns. Payments are required for the following month if notice is not given. 2. Monthly Tuition: Due the 1 st of the month a. Alternative payment dates & times must may be set up through the office. 3. Late Payments: Tuition not paid by the 8 th of the month are assessed a $20 late fee a. Athletes may not train if outstanding tuition is greater than $ Injured gymnasts are expected to participate in practice and gym activities to the extent possible. It is often possible to work around injuries and to turn a difficult time into something positive by increased work on flexibility, strength, specific events or skills. There is no reduction in tuition until the total amount of time missed exceeds one month and then only if the gymnast cannot participate in workouts in any way. At that time, the tuition may be adjusted depending on the circumstances. a. We will contact you for any hard landings, injures that occur, or injuries that last for 3 consistent days in the gym. 5. Other Expenses: See schedule of fees Injuries & Overtraining Remember that gymnastics is a full body sport. We will train every part of the body every day. Combining the strength and sport specific exercises, it is highly discouraged to do additional: running, biking, or weight lifting outside of the gym due to the potential of over-use injuries. Examples include: shin splints, runners knee, shoulder injuries. When injuries do occur, we take them seriously. If there is anything going on in practice that is preventing your child from participating fully for 3 consecutive practices, we require you to take them to see a physician before they are allowed back to practice. We do require a clear from a physician to allow your child to participate in practice.

9 Page 9 of 13 Utilize the Sports Medicine Clinic at the University of Iowa. You may sign a medical release to allow us to directly contact the physician and/or physical therapist to ensure your daughter is getting a holistic approach. The reason to go here over your normal physician is they treat gymnasts all the time and have a lot of experience. Due to this, these are our expectations when dealing with physicians and their recommendations: 1. See the physician and if needed get an x-ray 2. If x-ray is inconclusive, get an MRI. Do not wait to see if it heals. 3. If the injury is not bone, tendon or ligament related, the physician will not be able to find anything wrong. 4. If that is the case, it is suggested to seek alternative medicine: a. Chiropractors to check the alignment of the bones, possibly releasing pressure from a pinched nerve b. Message Therapy to release pressure from the knots created from the sport & strength training Note: Any time a physician suggests to wait and see and then set something up, set up that appointment right away! It is easier to cancel then to wait another few weeks to get in. When injuries occur and there is swelling or just pain 1. Rest: if needed take a day off practice but do come to practice for the other events. If your daughters knee hurts, we can do double rotations on bars and flexibility 2. Ice: when a joint hurts, icing it 2-3 times a day would be ideal. 20 minutes of ice or 5-10 minutes in an ice bucket. 3. Compress: purchase an ace bandage or support to be worn at school and at the gym for a temporary basis while it heals. This not only provides support but helps reduce swelling. Swelling causes more pain. 4. Elevate: if there is swelling keep the extremity above the heart to let gravity help reduce the swelling General Treatment for: Severs (occurs during growth spurts) or Shin Splits To ensure nothing else is going on, you will need an MRI. Xray will not show soft tissues, it will only show bones. For the next 2 weeks do the following every day: 1. NSAID (anti-inflammatory reduce swelling): take twice a day 2. Ice or ice bucket (reduce swelling): 3 times a day morning, before & after practice 3. Heel Padding (reduce impact): 2 pairs one for at school, one left at the gym a. For gymnastics Tuli s Chetahs (for severe cases, using heel cups at the gym may be beneficial) b. For school Gel Heel cups (can also be used at gym but requires athletic tape) i. This can provide more padding/cushion than most gymnastics heel cups 4. X Brace (provide arch support to reduce impact): 1-2 pairs one for school and one at the gym a. This is to provide arch support. This can also be achieved by taping the arches but this can get more expensive than buying the brace b Stretching (release tension) goal should be minutes a day a. Achilles stretches b. Calf stretches & massage c. Write ABC s and circles both directions with ankles Wrist Support required for yurchenko vault work at level 5 or higher To help prevent wrist injuries, due to the nature of this still I require all athletes to wear wrist supports while learning this skill. They can be purchased at:

10 Page 10 of 13 I do not encourage the athletes to use them on all apparatuses because then the body starts to depend on the support from the brace instead of learning to support itself.

11 Page 11 of 13 Part 3: Competition Information Going Into Season The coaches will decide which meets the team will attend, and it is required that all gymnasts attend every meet. You will be allowed to miss one meet for a valid reason; however, please understand that meet fees are nonrefundable. Season meet schedules are subject to change competitions may be added, dropped or changed. The last practice before any meet is mandatory to be able to compete in the upcoming meet. Please notify the coach for any situations when your daughter must miss this practice. In extreme circumstances (illness, death in the family, etc) contact the coach and your daughter may still compete if they are mentally and physically ready. The coaches will get all meet information to the parents as soon as it is available. Often times, however, final meet information is not made available until a few weeks before the meet, so please be patient. It is also a good idea to clear the whole weekend of a meet, on the chance that last minute changes conflict with your previous plans. Until final information is sent out, there is no way of knowing or guaranteeing which day your child will compete. Some meets run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This requires some girls to leave school early or even miss that Friday of school. The average meet can take as little as 3 hours or as long as 5 or 6. We suggest that you bring something to pass the time while waiting for your gymnast to warm-up, rotate events, or compete. Parents are not allowed to be on the competition floor or to speak with any judges at any time. It is not required for the parents to be present at any of the meets, but we do encourage you to support your daughters. When possible, we encourage to make competitions to be weekend trips to make the whole experience more fun and exciting for everyone! When possible, the team will set up fun activities to do together. An added bonus of meet weekends is the lifelong memories made with teammates. It is not acceptable to spend the night swimming or in the hot tub if you compete the next day! Xcel attends 3 competitions. J.O. girls will attend are 5 regular season meets and 1 state competition. Athletes must attain a 32 all-around score to qualify for the state competition. At the optional level, girls can qualify for State, Regional, and National meets. All meets beyond state are additional fees paid for by the family. Understanding Competition Score Deductions This is a topic that can be very in depth. To give you a basic idea of how things are scored. There are values for each of the elements (skills), skill amplitude (how big/high) and form deductions. This is not a fully list of deductions, but the most common ones you will see. Understand that learning the skills with perfect form takes time. Think of watching babies learn to walk, it takes time before it is smooth, graceful, and they are able to do it without thinking. Gymnastics is the same. Skill Execution Point Deductions: Forgetting a major element = value x2 (up to 1.6) Incomplete major element = value of element (up to 0.8) Failure to kick/swing leg to horizontal or above 0.1 each time Extra Kicks/Swings 0.3 each time Extra Steps 0.1 each one (max 0.4 each element/landing) Spotting value of element (up to 0.8) = max 1.3 Form Execution Point Deductions: Incorrect foot (flexed or sickled) 0.05 each foot, each time Leg separation up to 0.2 each time

12 Bent Arms up to 0.3 each time Bent Legs up to 0.3 each time Incorrect body alignment, position, posture on major elements 0.2 each time Balance errors (wobbles) up to 0.3 each time Falls off or on apparatus 0.5 each time Failure to show straight line from fingers to toes in skills 0.1 each time Page 12 of 13 Other Deductions: Overtime 0.1 Lack of presentation before/after 0.1 each time Coach/Teammate giving verbal cues 0.2 Not with floor music up to 0.2 Lack of continuity between directly connected elements 0.2 each time Reposition hands on bars 0.1 each time Preparing for the Meet 1. The last practice before the meet is mandatory. 2. Remove all nail polish from fingers and toes 3. No makeup, dangling earrings, or jewelry is allowed in competition. 4. Pack up the night before the meet in the gym bag: a. Team Leotard, Team Warm-ups, Tape, Grips, Wrist bands (for grips), Extra hair bands/ties, Hair Clips (NOT bobby pins) Flip flops or slip on shoes, Water bottle, undergarments, possible spending money, Tuff-Skin 5. The night before eat a high carbohydrate (pasta or spaghetti) dinner for energy the next day 6. When eating the day of the meet only eat foods that are easily digested due to stomach upset from the nerves. Examples: a. Lean meats: grilled chicken, broiled fish, eggs b. Fruit c. High carbohydrates: whole grain breads, pasta, potatoes 7. Foods to avoid night before and day of competition: a. Soda b. Spicy foods c. Greasy foods: fries, fried chicken, fast food, gravies Things you will need to have ready and packed before the first meet: 1. Slippers/socks for feet 2. Water bottle for water (no sugary drinks allowed at competition) 3. Undergarments that are not visible with the team leotard (No stringed underwear is allowed) 4. Backpack to keep everything in (grips, warm-ups, water bottle) 5. Girls are not allowed to know their scores until the end of competition a. This can be mentally distracting until your daughters learn how to compete 6. Girls are not allowed to leave the competition area except to use the bathroom or to get hair fixed Some Guidelines for Parents Feeling Stress We know that you are excited about your child s participation in gymnastics and want her to be successful, but as a parent you actually have the least amount of control over your gymnast s performance. This combination of high emotional stake in the performance with little or no direct control over the outcome can produce stress and can lead to some bizarre behavior.

13 Page 13 of 13 Watch out for the danger signs below. If you recognize yourself in these descriptions, you probably need to re-evaluate your actions, your role, and your attitudes. Wanting to observe every practice intently. Praising or punishing your child for what you see during observations of workout. Finding your sense of worth and happiness dependent on the success of your gymnast. Constantly comparing your child and her progress to others in the group, on the team or in competition. Verbally abusing the gym, the coaches, and the program while still placing your child under their control. Inappropriate Comments 1. You finally beat Sally 2. How many (current difficult skill) did you make today? 3. I'll give you $20 if you win today. 4. That judge always scores you low. 5. I cannot believe they moved Sally up and not you! Appropriate Comments 1. You scored your highest yet! 2. How was practice? 3. Do you best and have fun. 4. Work hard and next time you'll do better. 5. As long as you are happy, safe, and progressing, I'm happy. Additional Documents Available Parent Agreement Letter Level Advancement Requirements (on request) Competition Schedule Summer & Fall Schedule & Prices Uniform Expenses