One of the easiest traps to fall into as a gymnastics coach is chasing skills. We see the skill an athlete needs, we know what they need to compete or move up a level, and naturally, we want to spend as much time as possible working on it. More reps, more drills, more attempts. But sometimes the fastest way to get the skill isn't to spend more time doing the skill. Sometimes, we need to take a step back and build the athlete first. Skills Are the Result, Not the Starting Point Gymnastics...

Conditioning is easy to turn into a numbers game. How many reps? How long? How many rounds? But as gymnastics coaches, we should be paying attention to much more than whether an athlete finishes the set. Quality Comes Before Quantity The goal of conditioning isn't simply to get athletes tired. It is to build the physical qualities they need for gymnastics. That means the quality of the movement matters. If an athlete starts with great body position but gradually loses their shape, starts...

When we talk about a “coachable” athlete, it can be easy to think that means an athlete who listens and doesn't argue. But coachability is about much more than that. A truly coachable athlete is someone who is willing to learn, adjust, and keep working even when things don't come easily. They don't have to be the most talented athlete in the gym or get everything right the first time. In fact, some of the most coachable athletes are the ones who are willing to keep learning through the...