Okay, let me start by saying… if you ever get the chance to take on 15 pre-team kids at once, don’t. But seriously—when the first group of athletes I coached reached Level 8–10, it was time to start fresh with a new group. We had moved gyms and finally had the staff and space to build something from the ground up. My first thought? The more, the merrier!  So, we held a big team tryout and selected 15 little gymnasts who were eager to join our newest pre-team group. Looking ba

As coaches, we often find ourselves focused on perfecting our athletes' techniques. We drill, correct, and encourage skill refinement. However, a critical aspect that is sometimes overlooked is whether athletes have the necessary strength to implement technical corrections effectively. This post explores the importance of strength and technique in gymnastics and offers practical solutions for coaches to create a more holistic training approach. The Challenge of Strength and

Parent communication can be tricky. There are usually only a handful of coaches, a lot of kids, and even more parent questions. One of the biggest things that has helped me is having systems in place to ensure clear communication and expectations—so everyone stays on the same page. A system I’ve used for years is what I call our Stoplight Sheets . One of the most common (and often controversial) topics every season is deciding which athletes are ready to move up a level and w