All-Star Bounding Passes Going Away Soon?

[fiercerando88]

I have a question. Does anyone know how gymnastics coaches become certified or credentialed? For instance, do they have to go sit through a course, take a test, and BAM they're certified? Or do they have to have so many hours teaching so many skills before they can move up? Do they have to have X amount of kids compete the skill successfully at a USAG event? I'm really not sure, so any insight would be appreciated! Reading posts on here (not only in this thread) it is clear that people feel that gymnastics has a better progression system, a better conditioning system, etc. I agree with that, but how did they get that way? My cousin is a coach at a small mom-and-pop gymnastics center in the middle of NH, and I know she hasn't gone through any rigorous training through USAG or anything like that. Granted she teaches the wee little kids, so there are certainly no bounding skills, but still. She was a high school gymnast and knew the owner, so walked in one day and they hired her. Don't get me wrong, I love that my cousin is able to continue her passion for gymnastics, but when she told me she was coaching, I was honestly surprised that she didn't need to take any sort of test. I feel like a lot of smaller cheer gyms are the same way, in the sense that former athletes become coaches, and then work on getting credentialed if they so choose. In a way, I feel like you should be credentialed before being allowed to coach, but that's just me. I really agree with @Mclovin 's post in regards to this, and I feel like I'm going on and on, but I guess my point is this: how are the gymnastics coaches trained and credentialed, and if it seems to be working, is it possible for all-stars to follow suit? Sorry for rambling!

 

[imrichhowboutu]

I know there are a lot of certifications and courses that gymnastics coaches can take.

I have to go to a hands on course that is a whole day long for USAG (don't know that much about it though)

 

[laughAlittle]

I find it ironic that people want to take round off tucks out of HS cheer, but keep double doubles in Allstar.

 

[kkinsley]

I personally don't think the argument that small gyms don't have the money to hire tumbling coaches is a good enough one. I started coaching at a very small gym and now have joined with a larger gym in the same town that has all disciplines of gymnastics and cheer. I have spent the time working hard and attending numerous courses so that my level of coaching is now amount the top of anyone else in my country, so why can't the coaches in these other small gyms do the same?
If it is such a small gym that can't afford to hire coaches who already have the required skill to teach bounding passes correctly who did the manage to get a team that was at a level to compete these skills? If they aren't being taught correctly from the very basic stages of tumbling why would a coach assume they are ready?
After working long and hard and training my tumblers with correct progressions and conditioning I feel confident that I could prove safe practice to anyone if they asked to check. Tonight we had a group of 9 year olds working whip tucks into a pitted landing area and 11/12 year old boys on full in back outs in the same area, they are all properly progressed and conditioned and unless there is a freak accident they will all still be in safe and learn the skills in the correct manner.

 

[GeorgiaCheerleader]

omg noo, kelseys double double on stars gives me life.

 

[Jay<3Rays]

Angel wouldnt have anything to do....

 

[CGAcheer]

I know there are a lot of certifications and courses that gymnastics coaches can take.

I have to go to a hands on course that is a whole day long for USAG (don't know that much about it though)

I became usag safety certified after a few hours on the computer learning how to avoid getting sued

 

[bluecat20]

Kiara not doing multiple bounce back passes in the routine???

 

[socratesofcheer]

Angel wouldnt have anything to do....

Kiara not doing multiple bounce back passes in the routine???

I believe both of these athletes can do double backs. Should that skill be legal for everyone?

 

[imrichhowboutu]

I became usag safety certified after a few hours on the computer learning how to avoid getting sued

Maybe the gym i work at just has a mandatory hands on USAG course. I can't say i pay that much attention to the gymnastics side of things.

 

[yojaehs]

Alright so there are a few things that are getting talked in circles and people are attacking different parts of the circle without hitting reality. The reality is, as an INDUSTRY there is no BASIC requirement when training skills, NONE. We are all 100% aware that the USASF certification is a JOKE and means nothing more than "yes, you can go backstage at World's" HOWEVER, at least it's SOMETHING and I believe that it's a step, gotta start somewhere. I truly believe that the truly IGNORANT coaches are the minority ( I might be alone on that thought but let me finish ) even though they might be the minority they produce or are responsible for the majority of major injuries.

And to address @socratesofcheer YES, only qualified coaches should be training athletes on dangerous skills. In my gym not everyone is allowed to coach every skill, you must EARN yes EARN the knowledge as a coach to train skills. If you don't know what your doing then you shouldn't just "wing it". I truly believe that if EVERY coach in the country that wanted to have a level 5/6 team was REQUIRED to take a 2-3 day course on spotting, progressions etc. you would see more skills ADDED (yes, even double backs) as opposed to removal of skills. But here is the thing, until it is REQUIRED no one will do it. Annoying.

 

[Mclovin]

In my personal experience, hands on training has been the BEST certification I have ever had. I didn't start out teaching fulls and double fulls. I started out teaching back walkovers and handstands and cartwheels. Over the years I have studied and absorbed the knowledge of the qualified coaches around me, asked for help in learning to teach and spot the next level of skills. I have studied videos and worked hard to gain the knowledge I have today. I am now at the point to where I can verbally teach/explain and safely spot tumbling skills up to a full. However, I also know my limitations. I am a 5'2", 37 year old female. If someone comes to me asking for a spot on a skill that is bigger in size than I feel I can safely spot in case of a "freak out" moment, I tell them to go find a male coach. I also do not try and teach and/or spot bounding skills to anyone because that is above my level of mastery. So, if I were to open my own gym, unless I were able to hire coaches with more experience than myself, we would not be teaching anything beyond a full. If I had an athlete that was ready to move past that, I would humble myself enough to advise they seek training at a more qualified gym. To me, if I don't want to lose those athletes, then I need to hire truly experienced, qualified coaches that know what the heck they're doing and put the safety of the athlete above their own selfish pride.

 

[yojaehs]

In my personal experience, hands on training has been the BEST certification I have ever had. I didn't start out teaching fulls and double fulls. I started out teaching back walkovers and handstands and cartwheels. Over the years I have studied and absorbed the knowledge of the qualified coaches around me, asked for help in learning to teach and spot the next level of skills. I have studied videos and worked hard to gain the knowledge I have today. I am now at the point to where I can verbally teach/explain and safely spot tumbling skills up to a full. However, I also know my limitations. I am a 5'2", 37 year old female. If someone comes to me asking for a spot on a skill that is bigger in size than I feel I can safely spot in case of a "freak out" moment, I tell them to go find a male coach. I also do not try and teach and/or spot bounding skills to anyone because that is above my level of mastery. So, if I were to open my own gym, unless I were able to hire coaches with more experience than myself, we would not be teaching anything beyond a full. If I had an athlete that was ready to move past that, I would humble myself enough to advise they seek training at a more qualified gym. To me, if I don't want to lose those athletes, then I need to hire truly experienced, qualified coaches that know what the heck they're doing and put the safety of the athlete above their own selfish pride.

Can I get an "AMEN"!?

 

[tumbleyoda]

In my personal experience, hands on training has been the BEST certification I have ever had. I didn't start out teaching fulls and double fulls. I started out teaching back walkovers and handstands and cartwheels. Over the years I have studied and absorbed the knowledge of the qualified coaches around me, asked for help in learning to teach and spot the next level of skills. I have studied videos and worked hard to gain the knowledge I have today. I am now at the point to where I can verbally teach/explain and safely spot tumbling skills up to a full. However, I also know my limitations. I am a 5'2", 37 year old female. If someone comes to me asking for a spot on a skill that is bigger in size than I feel I can safely spot in case of a "freak out" moment, I tell them to go find a male coach. I also do not try and teach and/or spot bounding skills to anyone because that is above my level of mastery. So, if I were to open my own gym, unless I were able to hire coaches with more experience than myself, we would not be teaching anything beyond a full. If I had an athlete that was ready to move past that, I would humble myself enough to advise they seek training at a more qualified gym. To me, if I don't want to lose those athletes, then I need to hire truly experienced, qualified coaches that know what the heck they're doing and put the safety of the athlete above their own selfish pride.

Our experience is the same with the only difference for me it was reading books at the Library....lol. Today I still read and watch videos everyday to see what I can do better. I observe anyone spotting or coaching tumbling and see what I can pick up. I ask questions. I learned to spot both sides of every skill so that the athlete would be comfortable. I wanted to be more than that guy who could tumble real high and good but didn't know nothing of value to say when an athlete was struggling. I practiced with athletes that could do the skill first and was grilled by my boss on what they did right or wrong. He would often tell them to do something funky (not unsafe) like run slower or don't block/set to see if I could identify what they did wrong and why it mattered.

When I started as a coach in 1979 I worked until 1982 as a volunteer in order to workout for free. When I got my first paying job I was an overenthusiastic spotter. I wanted to spot everything to prove to others that I could do it and therefore I could be trusted to work with that athlete. I wanted the parents to trust that I knew what I was doing. My coach/boss way back then busted my bubble real good when he told me that if you are really good you can teach a gymnast to do any skill you need them to do with minimal or no spotting. He never allowed me to answer with just spin faster, tuck tighter, swing more, etc. Which is why that irritates me I guess when that is what I hear being offered as the primary reason why someone is not able to do a skill correctly. A critical difference to me is that you do not use spotting to teach an athlete how to do a skill. You spot to assist them in being safe while attempting the skill that you have taught them through various drills, conditioning, etc.

Currently most of my spotting is on Level 1 and 2 skills, and when I am working with the rec program, middle school, high school and college programs. Most of the Level 3, 4 and 5 skills I teach without spotting. Which includes the fulls, double fulls, and bounding skills. Which means I am very patient with them learning the skills and put their safety over putting another full on the floor.

 

[socratesofcheer]

@yojaehs @Mclovin @tumbleyoda
The problem with your statements is that you are making them using your experiences and logic. The vast majority of the cheerleading population has neither of those. These people are the ones who scream the loudest at meetings and crying foul for things because they are "not fair"

Everyone feels that they are ENTITLED to open a gym, have level 5 teams, win, and compete at worlds. All of the aforementioned items come from experience. The general population doesn't feel they need to wait for experience.