Today on the podcast, we are wrapping up the Q&A podcast series, answering people’s questions directly from the community.
Man, if I got a dollar for every question I get about motivation, burnout, coaching culture, frustrations with parents, and building a good culture in gyms I’d be a millionaire.
But I am very happy to answer them, so I wanted to collect all these types of questions and try to answer the best ones.
I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs with cultural stuff myself and I know how hard it is as a coach to feel frustrated, burnt out, and not happy with your job.
I discuss dealing with tough parents, and parents who may be overwhelming, or a little bit helicopter, talking about dealing with athletes who are unmotivated, giving attitudes of practice and how do you discipline them in a healthy way, that’s not going to be problematic.
We talk a lot about getting younger junior staff to be motivated, and the underlying cultural problems that cause this.
What I think is really important to change in terms of education, and making sure our values are aligned with why we are coaching so that people are happy moving forward in the sport.
The cumulation of this podcast series has been very popular and I thank everyone for their support and the questions submitted for the cultural things that we can work on to make everyone happier working in gymnastics.
Coach Gymnastics interview questions
Which coaching strategies could successfully address non-commitment?
Discerns the ability to mentor non-compliant athletes.
How would you coach athletes to master complex tumbling techniques?
Highlights instructional capacities.
Interview Questions for Tumbling Coaches:
Indicates thoughtfulness about the tumblers preparedness and safety.
I had to update this a mere 7 hours after I posted it because Jason Mortimer had a number of additions that he posted on the Gym Momentum FB page.
#27: “Is it ever appropriate, necessary, or wise, to teach a recreational class kid a “cheat” in technique just to get her to be able to complete a skill by herself? What if they have otherwise been struggling with the skill for many months or sessions?” (27a: if yes, give me an example of a skill and the “cheat” you would advise the girl to make.)
16. What is the age group you most prefer to teach? Can you be silly? You’ve got to be silly to teach kids.
8. Finish these sentences: What children want most from a class is… What parents want most from a class is… The best way for a child to learn is … I would discipline a child by…
18. What would you do if you smelled alcohol on a coach’s breath and knew they had been drinking before class?
The cumulation of this podcast series has been very popular and I thank everyone for their support and the questions submitted for the cultural things that we can work on to make everyone happier working in gymnastics.
But I am very happy to answer them, so I wanted to collect all these types of questions and try to answer the best ones.
What I think is really important to change in terms of education, and making sure our values are aligned with why we are coaching so that people are happy moving forward in the sport.
Today on the podcast, we are wrapping up the Q&A podcast series, answering people’s questions directly from the community.
I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs with cultural stuff myself and I know how hard it is as a coach to feel frustrated, burnt out, and not happy with your job.
In Gym Gab, a gymnastics blog for parents, gymnastics coaches/moms Makenna and Jessie provide 25 questions that will provide 
some conversation variety for parents and athletes after practice.
“Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.” ― Catherine M. Wallace
20. What made today better than yesterday?
21. Who inspired you at the gym today?
“How was practice today?” is a question most parents ask their gymnast on the car ride home from Emeth. Unfortunately the conversation tends to stall when this open-ended question is answered with one word – fine.
FAQ
What are good questions to ask a gymnast?
- What were you most proud of at gym today?
- What was the hardest thing you did today?
- What correction do you remember the most today? …
- What compliment do you remember most today?
- What muscles do you think worked the hardest today?
- Were you proud of any of your teammates today?
What are the qualities of a gymnast?
- Discipline. Discipline is taught very early within the sport of gymnastics. …
- Toughness. Many gymnasts experience injuries throughout their career. …
- Balance. …
- Determination. …
- Consistency. …
- Nutritional Values. …
- Respect. …
- Dedication.
What do you wear to a gymnastics coach interview?
What physical qualities make a good gymnast?
