All-Star Does Your Gym Track Skill Progress?

[Matt Faherty]

I am trying to figure out how (if at all) all-star programs track the individual progress of individual athletes. If your gym does, tell me about it!

• How is your progress assessed?
• How often are you assessed?
• How is the progress recorded?
• What is recorded? ex. just if you have skills, or how well a skill is competed.
• If there any reward for progress made?
• Do you feel that tracking progress motivates you or discourages you?
• Any other details, and comments on the subject.

I would like to hear both cheerleaders and coaches points of view on the subject!

Let the discussion begin!

 

[Hi-Phlyer21]

We do report cards (from USASF) for the kids. We go over them with each athlete and their parent so everyone is on the same page and this way no one misunderstands anything lost in translation. I can't really say how often we do them since this is the first year we've done them. Outside of that I like to try and do a skills check at random(every two weeks or so) it keeps the kids on their toes because they don't k ow hen its coming and I make it very clear to them that I can affect their team placement or spot on the current team.

Part of the assessment is co plenty in I skill sets and to what level of proficiency. And comments are left so that they are fully aware of ht needs to be specifically worked on.

I feel like whether it is motivational or discouraging depends on the attitude of the athlete, their rate of progression and their understanding of it all. Some may not see that they are improving while others are duly aware and as a result feel discouraged, but that part is where the coaches come in.
As an athlete I feel motivated to keep up my skills because, I mean, basically there's no room for slacking and I want to stay where I'm at. And honestly I do better under stress or in situations where I feel like I don't have too much of an option. But I've never really had to worry about any of that. I imagine those who slide by doing the minimum would feel as though they need to try harder.
I'll admit skills checks initially always made me second guess myself, but then I realized I wasn't one of those people the skills check was out in place for.

So reception from the athletes again I feel is all in their state of mind.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I took tumbling at an all star gym for a few years and peroidically throught the weeks if the class we would have skill assement days. They had a checklist of skills in order of increasing difficulty and you had to perform them to get them checked off. I think we did they in the middle of the session and then at the end of the session so they could tell you what level class to take next time.

Some people hate that day, but honestly I loved it. It sounds bad, but I was one of the better tumblers in my class (all made up of girls from my high school varsity team and our JV) and it felt good to be one of the last few people left doing jumps to tuck or whatever. And they clearly showed who worked hard and who didn't.

 

[kristenthegreat]

When I was a gymnast, they had the skill requirements for each event and broke them down into bits (handstand on beam, jump combo, dismount). When you completed them, you'd get a star in the box next to the skill. It was easy to see why someone could move up based on their stars. It makes it easier if you've got parents who want their kid to move up but don't get the whole 'progressions' thing..

 

[dawgshow]

And they clearly showed who worked hard and who didn't.

I'd be careful of that attitude. Just because skills are difficult for some people doesn't mean that they are slackers. Likewise, just because skills come easily doesn't mean that someone is working hard.

 

[cupieqt]

I took tumbling at an all star gym for a few years and peroidically throught the weeks if the class we would have skill assement days. They had a checklist of skills in order of increasing difficulty and you had to perform them to get them checked off. I think we did they in the middle of the session and then at the end of the session so they could tell you what level class to take next time.

Some people hate that day, but honestly I loved it. It sounds bad, but I was one of the better tumblers in my class (all made up of girls from my high school varsity team and our JV) and it felt good to be one of the last few people left doing jumps to tuck or whatever. And they clearly showed who worked hard and who didn't.

We do this in our gym. Testing day!

 

[catlady]

My daughter's coach gave each athlete a goal sheet for tumbling at the beginning of the season this year. As the girls get a new skill, they have someone record it and send it to the coach and he does a shout out on the team Twitter (it has to be executed well). I would say about 2/3 of the team has responded really well to having the goals and have a friendly competition going. The coach said in years past he didn't change tumbling/passes that much throughout the season but, this has helped him keep track of what his team is capable of at any given time.

Added benefit...I'm pretty sure we have fewer "Suzie" parents now that we are all aware of the coaches goals and expectations. We were told under no circumstances would the girls be allowed to move onto the next level until they can complete their list.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I'd be careful of that attitude. Just because skills are difficult for some people doesn't mean that they are slackers. Likewise, just because skills come easily doesn't mean that someone is working hard.

I know, but a few girls in the class choose to spend their time working on skills on the tumble track that they weren't even close to with a spot on the floor. And by that I mean never attempted with a spot on the floor. Like deciding to do fulls on the tumble track when you can't 100% land your round off back hand tuck during competitions isn't working hard during class in my opinion.

 

[mollymags]

We do report cards (from USASF) for the kids.

Is this something that's pre-made by them? Where do you find it?

 

[Hi-Phlyer21]

Is this something that's pre-made by them? Where do you find it?

I'm not totally sure where to find them. They were given to all the coaches by the owner, but I can find out.

 

[mollymags]

I'm not totally sure where to find them. They were given to all the coaches by the owner, but I can find out.

If you find out, please post! Sounds very useful!

 

[kickdblcj]

We are a fairly small gym (3 teams) and so we track all of our kids progress on edge of the mirrors. We have lists like bwo, bhs, tuck, etc and then the kids are put under the corresponding list according to skill. If they are working the skill we put a little star next to their name and a check mark if they have it solid.

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

I remember someone posting on here once that they handed out skill bows...
You get your backhandspring you get a backhandspring bow. Same for tuck, layouts, fulls... Etc
I think its a great idea.
My high school coach used to randomly test us on our skills maybe once or twice a month. She would rate us 1-5 on jumps, standing tumbling (standing handspring got a 1-5, standing tuck got a 1-5) and running. It helped us keep our skills because if we didn't have them we could get moved.

 

[gofriars610]

I remember someone posting on here once that they handed out skill bows...
You get your backhandspring you get a backhandspring bow. Same for tuck, layouts, fulls... Etc
I think its a great idea.

Was literally just about to post that haha I think it's so cute!

 

[AllHeartxo3]

I've never been tracked but I love this idea!

My friend is a swimmer and their governing body (a better USASF) has the time from every meet that you've been to under them. She can see the time she had in her 100 free from when she was 10 years old til now. It's crazy to see how she's progressed through the years. I wish we would have something like that. It would motivate me even more to push and not give up