All of Kris Merlo Robinson's program development information is delivered
on her web site.
Please visit
www.theposturelady.com
Jeff
Robinson has been in the business of coaching boys and developing gymnastics
programs for recreational and competitive level boys for many years. He began
coaching boys in 1976 and have been teaching and coaching boys exclusively
since 1982. He has experience developing boy's programs from the ground up
and has had several very successful programs at the recreational and competitive
level. Now, he wants to bring some of this valuable experience to your club.
Now more than ever, one of the most difficult tasks for a club owner is to
find the time (and the money) to help develop his instructional staff,
particularly in men's gymnastics. The information supply is very limited.
Until now, finding education for your developmental class instructors involved sending them to clinics, workshops, perhaps a regional or national convention, etc. This can be very expensive and takes your valuable instructional staff out of the gym and away for as much as a week at a time to get the education. Also, many times, the information gathered simply won't work within the environment at the "home club". Now, there is an alternative solution that may benefit your program greatly. Gymnastics University can bring top-notch teaching and coaching methodology right to your gym and for a great deal less out-of-pocket than you would spend sending your staff away to a major clinic or workshop.
Included below is a menu of services and coursework that may greatly benefit your program. Not only will your staff receive the best instruction available, but will also be getting that instruction custom -tailored to the "home" environment. Jeff will work with your staff to be able to maximize the use of their existing resources to develop your boy's program to it's fullest potential. There is also enough flexibility in this menu of services to custom-tailor a visit to meet your current needs without needless waste of time,energy, or money! It is an alternative solution that, to this point, has been unavailable. Take a look at what's available, then get in contact with us to tailor a set of items to best suit your own needs!
Program Evaluation - (Hourly rate applies)
Have you ever wanted someone to come in to your gym and just make suggestions? This is an opportunity for Jeff to come to your gym and be the proverbial "fly-on-the-wall" to make observations and notes to present to the club owner or program director to give direction to the best possible curriculum for helping the program to grow. This is a wonderful tool for customizing our developmental curriculum for your staff.
Private Lessons / Hands-on Clinic (Hourly rate applies)
Do you need someone to do private lessons? Do you have a camp or clinic coming up and are looking for staff members or presenters. If you have an athlete or a small group of athletes that could benefit from directly working with Jeff, you have the ability to schedule him to do just that.
Gymnastics Facility Design and Layout Consultation (Hourly Rate Applies)
Need help with your facility? Is your gym layout helping you to maximize your club's earning potential. Is the layout as safe as it could be? Jeff has a great deal of experience in the design and layout of equipment and teaching stations in a gymnastics facility. He know's what works and how to avoid the typical mistakes! (equipment location, traffic flow etc.)
Introduction to Boy's / Men's Gymnastics (one hour)
This session is a "broad strokes" orientation to the differences in class management, motivational style, pace, rhythm, and discipline for teaching boys in a recreational environment. It is a perfect orientation for the instructor who may have had experience working with girls but not with boys. It will help your staff to understand a bit more clearly "The nature of the beast".
Maximizing Use of Existing Resources (one hour)
This session examines the facility as it is and helps the staff to recognize alternative teaching tools and stations that may already exist and are simply not yet recognized. It's a session dedicated to creativity in presentation options for boy's recreational gymnastics. It also deals with the reality of working with limited time on events and teaching stations shared with the girl's program.
Improvised Training Devices (one hour)
As a caveat, there is liability to be assumed in the creation of any training device…That being said and understood, there is much that can be done with a trip to the local hardware store. Jeff will share with you what has worked for him in the past. These devices are easily improvised and will help you to maximize your number of available work stations at minimal cost.
Boy's / Men's Program Development (one hour)
How are you going to best schedule your classes to maximize the time your instructional staff will spend with each part of the developing program? What will the developmental philosophy be? How are you going to organize your classes? How long should they last? What is the best ratio for kids at each age level? Each of these questions and more will be addressed in this informative session.
Curriculum Development (two hours)
This session examines the smooth assimilation of the existing pre-school boys into your recreational boy's class program. Discussions will center on tailoring material to fit age-grouping, scheduling for optimal program growth, scheduling to maximize the efficiency of a one-instructor program, inclusion of scheduling variety as the program develops, spiraling the curriculum for maximum retention of concepts and inclusion of new students, development of a means of feedback to students and parents, and use of creative rewards to keep students coming back for more. We will also compare and contrast a variety of program styles and flavors: session vs. month-to-month, rotate to another event at a given time or at diminishing returns, and the advantages and disadvantages of a star-chart vs. routine-based curricula. This is a very beefy session that needs to be tailored to the individual program and could result in some very creative and beneficial change at your club.
Applied Bio-Mechanics (one hour)
This session examines the physical laws of our universe as they apply to the movement of the human body in our sport as well as the physical behavior of the equipment we use. It is a bullet point style presentation, dealing with a few concepts that every instructor needs to understand in order to be effective and efficient. The concepts covered in this presentation are core concepts to any instruction in a physical activity involving the human body.
Applied Physiology (one hour)
This session outlines and digs into several key physiological concepts governing training effect. These understanding of these concepts by an instructor are the keys to developing students in the sport of gymnastics. Preparing the body for our sport is critical to the assimilation of skills in a safe and sound manner. These concepts are not just for the competitive athlete! Every one of your students will benefit from your staff's knowledge of this information.
Applied Psychology (one hour)
This session hits on educational and developmental psychology as they apply to the every-day recreational gymnastics environment. Knowledge of kids and how they grow and develop psychologically is a core teaching area that is critical for your staff to be aware of. This session will give the broad strokes with respect to stimulus-response theory, classical and operant conditioning, hierarchy of needs, stages of development, neuro-linguistics and other concepts that will be add to the instructors knowledge of what makes these kids tick, from a psychological perspective. It is essential for and instructor to have a grip on these concepts to be able to properly deliver the instructional material in a meaningful fashion.
Theory of Motor Learning (one hour)
How do we learn motor skills as opposed to conceptual material? There is a difference and there are some key principles that need to be understood. Motor unit recruitment, retention, acquisition and loss of proficiency, intermittent vs. grouped practice, knowledge of result, immediacy and clarity of feedback. These are but a few of the concepts to be covered in this session.
Injury Prevention (one hour)
There are a number of injuries common to participants in gymnastics. This will cover common injuries in our sport from the ground up and deal specifically with developmentally related syndromes attributed to rapid long bone growth during adolescence. This is one of the keys to keeping adolescent boys involved in the sport during this gymnastically frustrating time of their young lives.
Marketing for Growth (one hour)
There are some great ideas and tools in this session for marketing and growing your program. We will discuss the ones that Jeff has tried in the past and concentrate on the ones that worked…as well as discussing the ones that didn't so you don't have to re-live my mistakes.
Program Diversification - Something for everyone! (one hour)
As your program grows, it will behoove you to diversify somewhat. In this session, Jeff will examine some diversification of program offerings that can be very attractive to new students and keep lots more of your existing boys in the gym! Some examples of such diversification Jeff has to offer are: development of an "in -house" gymnastics competition league, gymnastics day camp for christmas, spring break and summer vacation, etc.
Mission Development (one hour)
Some programs are developing competitive athletes some are not. There is a slightly different flavor to a recreational class that has the competitive end in mind as opposed to a very broad-strokes delivery of gymnastics for the masses. Often this is a matter of philosophy dictated by a club owner. The recreational staff must be in tune with this philosophy in order to avoid frustration and keep the mission of the program clear. This session will help to clarify exactly what your club's mission is and to develop a statement to that end. Then to help to clarify for the staff members of the program exactly how this mission statement converts into day-to-day tasks.
Legal Realities of Teaching and Coaching Gymnastics (one hour)
There are certain realities that every instructor of gymnastics should understand. This session examines them. It is not intended to scare the instructor, rather to educate so that there is less fear involved. Once these concepts are digested and internalized, the gymnastics professional is empowered and understands the duties and responsibilities of teaching and coaching from a legal perspective as well as the realities of our legal system in today's litigious society.
Team Handbook Development (one hour)
The development and publication of a team handbook is imperative to any club dedicated to offering a competitive gymnastics program. In this session, the information to be included in the team handbook will be discussed in great detail as well as the proper methods for the introduction and on-going use of this very valuable means of communication with your team athletes and parents.
Ohhh Boy! I've been thrown to the wolves. I have my first recreational boy's class today...What am I going to do with them? These kids are crazy...They're hyper...they don't sit still. This one has to pee all the time...That one just sits there and cries...That one can't keep his hands to himself. I don't want to yell a them, but how do I avoid it? What are we going to do today? I know tumbling...Kinda! Just how much time can we spend on floor? Can we just do floor and trampoline? Maybe a little vault...Oh yeah, I can teach 'em back hip circles on that low bar over there...Hmmmm. What else? I just don't know. Should I take 'em over to beam? We have been doing the same thing for weeks...I'm losing boys...This class is getting smaller and smaller...I'm gonna get fired. What do I do? These questions and feelings go through the head of so many young instructors I have met. They are great questions that deserve answers. As a club owner, please, do everything in your power to provide the answers or your program will suffer. If you haven't got the time to answer these questions for your staff, I do.
The basis of all gymnastics training has its roots in basic tumbling and floor exercises! This is where it all begins! In this course, we will explore how the athlete attaches to the earth, essential body-shapes and positions, locomotor movement patterns, creative movement, static hold positions, balancing, arabesque, headstand, handstand, basic rolling and movement to and from a variety of positions, lunging, leaping, running, hurdling, cartwheeling, etc. It is the basis of all future development of tumbling elements and by extension all gymnastics elements on any event!
One of the most unfamiliar and unstudied events in gymnastics, pommel horse can be as intimidating for instructors, coaches and judges as it is for the athletes themselves. This session will deal with very basic static position and swing development in pendular fashion and a brief description of circle drill and training devices for the circle. The vast majority of time in a recreational pommel horse class will be spent on pendular swing and the drill work that will properly develop the support strength and motor knowledge necessary for the development of a correct circle eventually.
Recreational Still Rings (two hours)
Another of the "big three" unfamiliar events in men's gymnastics, it this session, we will concentrate on the development of the proper hang and basic support on still rings as well as a basic swing. The importance of developing proper teaching stations through creative use of existing resources will be a key element of this session. Rings by its natural association with the strength aspect of gymnastics has a very natural attraction for young boys, but can be very intimidating and run a young boy out of the program if not properly presented in a fashion that allows him to feel success. This will be a key issue in this session.
Recreational Vault (two hours)
Recreational vault will focus on the basics of running, hurdle, takeoff and landing as well as developing the philosophy that whatever is being vaulted over is a tool rather than an obstacle. This is rudimentary for a youngster to understand if he is to become an outstanding vaulter later. The drill work is lively and non-intimidating and uses many of the self same drills the student has already mastered in the well-developed floor-exercise program.
Recreational Parallel Bars (two hours)
Support swing on parallel bars is one of the most mis-understood patterns of swing in men's gymnastics. Its complexity is only rivaled by the complexity of a ring swing. Being that there is really only a loose analogy for support swing in the world of women's gymnastics, it continues to be enigmatic for the masses and still very mis-understood even by those who may have instructed boy's and men's gymnastics for years. It all starts with understanding the attachment to the equipment itself, proper body architechiture of support and the most efficient means of movement between a set of very well-defined starting and ending positions on each end of the swing.
Recreational Horizontal Bar (two hours)
Thumbs around the bar...Some say that this is the only difference between men's work on horizontal bar and women's work on uneven paraallel bars. Although there are many similarities and many of the elements share common names, there are subtle differences because of the dynamics of spring steel as opposed to fiberglas, not to mention the difference in the diameter of the bar itself. The overt similarity is enough to make the entry level instructor who has had experience teaching girls on bars think that there may be nothing left to learn. Whoops...Bad thinking.
Recreational Trampoline (two hours)
This is a presentation of trampoline as a teaching / learning aid for gymnastics skills and dismounts. It is very basic in nature and will only discuss basic jumps, shapes, rhythms and progressions through a forward and backward somersault. That being said, the basics of re-location and air-sense are reiterated constantly in this session, it is geared toward visual perception, strict body shapes and multiple repetitions of elements to develop rhythm and consistency.
Understanding the developmental philosophies behind the USAG compulsory routines is essential to the proper delivery of the conceptual and the drill work necessary for an athlete to really understand "why" he is doing what he is doing as much as simply, "doing what the teacher says". Involving the athlete in this process is essential for him to take ownership in his own progress. It is an element missing from many programs, because of the lack of true understanding of these philosophies by the teacher / coach himself. These routines levels 4 through 7 are as developmentally sound as there have ever been. Although they are used in USAG Competition here in the United States, they are also used in many countries outside our borders as well. They provide a strong base with simple, but important elements that, when learned correctly, provide the foundation for further development in men's gymnastics. Unfortunately, there is not a great deal of the philosophy behind the material included in the compulsory book...Here is where Jeff can help. He was on the committee. He understands the philosophies and can help your staff to do so as well. In these sessions we will go through each routine in philosophical detail as well as digging into the "real world" questions on each event listed below.
USAG Compulsory Floor Exercise (two hours)
What is the importance of a run and hurdle? Are there different varieties that should be learned? Should there be any thought put into a chosen direction for cartwheels and roundoffs? How much time should I spend on individual elements before I assemble the routine? Is there a good time to go back to basics withing the competitive season? These are just a few of the questions to be addressed in this session. We will also compare and contrast several basic elements (Roundoff, Front handspring, Back Handspring) and differing developmental techniques for each as well as how any one be just the right one for any individual athlete.
USAG Compulsory Pommel Horse (two hours)
Is there anything I can do to help these kids like pommel horse more? What can I do to speed up the training and get better results. What are the judges looking for on pendular swing? Just what does a good swing look like? Is there a way to describe it to my boys so that they really understand both pendular and circular swing? Which type of swing should I spend more time working on...and when? How and when should I spend my time trying to turn pendular swing into circular swing? What's the best way to do it? We'll dig into questions like this in this session.
USAG Compulsory Still Rings (two hours)
How much time should I spend on rings? What am I going to do with this really weak kid? What am I going to do with this really strong kid? What about these stiff shoulders? What does a really good ring swing look like. Which type of swing will help my boy's develop into high level athletes if they want to? When should I start teaching a flyaway...and how? Should my boys have dowel grips...if so, then when is the best time for that? How much time should I spend on conditioning vs. routine work? All great quesion that will be addressed in this session.
USAG Compulsory Vault (two hours)
I can never get enough time on vault! What can I do to make my boys better vaulters during the in-between times so that we can maximize results when we can actually get the girl's team to let us have a little bit of time to prepare for the meet? How can I teach my boys to run faster and hit the board better? Is there a good time to start front handsprings? What makes a really great handspring? Are there different types of front handsprings? How much time should I spend on landings? Should we work in the pit or not? We will look for the answers to these questions and more in this session.
USAG Compulsory Parallel Bars (two hours)
One of the most mis-understood swing patterns on the planet, support swing on parallel bars will be discussed at length as well as comparing and contrasting a variety of swing philosophies and their natural developmental strengths and weaknesses. How should I swing? Should I spend much time concentrating on swinging to the handstand. What can I do to maximize work between turns on our one set of parallel bars? Is there a good set-up for my team to get in more turns per unit of time? What are the judges looking for in a swing? Can I work developmentally without suffering in team score? Lots of good questions that deserve answers...Let's work on them!
USAG Compulsory Horizontal Bar (two hours)
Is there a difference in back hip circles? How can I keep my boys from dropping their butts on their underswings? How can I reduce the pain of their hands and make training fun? What is the best set-up for my workouts? How high should the bar be set for our workouts...What about for competition? How much time should I spend in the straps? Should I teach my little boys flyaways...If so then when? What are the consequences of learning a bad flyaway? What harm could it do? Why can't my boys do blind changes without scissoring their legs?
Along with the rote technical development of the optional level athlete in today's world of gymnastics competition, we will dig into many of the following "age old" questions: What is the best path to optional level gymnastics for any individual boy? How can I best position this individual for success? How can I mainstream this late starter into my team program? How can I keep this late bloomer interested enough in the sport to survive puberty? What are the typical sticking points? Is there anything I can do to avoid them. What do I do with this really talented youngster? These are just a few really great questions with real-world ramifications. We will discuss these and more in great detail in these sessions. Remember...It's not just about technical gymnastics!
Optional Floor Exercise (two hours)
OK...The boy's can do relatively good front and back somis and are ready to twist. Where do I begin? What about double backs? When is the right time. How do you teach front tumbling elements. Is it ok to twist one way forward and another backward? How can I get my boys to tumble high enough to do these things? How can I build a floor routine that will score well? What element groups do I need to satisfy first? What's the next step? In this session we'll expore these questions and more. We'll get into the FIG code on floor as well as the national and international philosophy necessary for advancement.
Optional Pommel Horse (two hours)
What are the current trends on pommel horse? I just got a new team member from another club...his circles are not good...how can I fix them? Should I spend a lot of time on scissors at this point? What about flair work? How can I teach a Magyar Travel? How do I begin working on handstand dismount elements? Lots to learn...Lots to do. Let's get started.
Optional Still Rings (two hours)
How can I develop the strength in my athletes to be able to compete on rings? It seems like it will require almost super-human strength. Where do I start? How do I set up the training program to develop this strength? What are the most important positions to acquire and refine? How do I move my boys from inlocates and dislocates to giant swings? What will the next code of points bring? How can I have my boys ready? There is much a coach can do to tailor a routine to fit an individual athlete's giftedness on any event but particularly rings. This session will examine the questions as well as give the experiences that Jeff has had in developing successful athletes through several quadrennia and with several different codes of points.
Optional Vault (two hours)
Ahh Vault! Why haven't we had more international vaulting champions? What can I do to increase air-sense so that my boys can perform upper level vaults? How many days per week should I train my boys on vault? How much sprint training do I need to put into the program? When should we concentrate on running form? Can there be too much emphasis on the front handspring? How can I teach my boys to run more efficiently? Jeff has a few theories he would love to share with you. He has had quite a bit of success training athletes on this event and was his own personal favorite for many years. See what he might have to offer. Most of his suggestions are so simple you have probably just overlooked them.
Optional Parallel Bars (two hours)
How do I begin work on a giant swing? What about double back dismounts? Is it ok to twist a dismount on parallel bars? How do I do that? How should a good parallel bar routine be constructed? What might I need to sacrifice today to streamline my athletes progress tomorrow? The answers might surprise you! It is not unusual for this event to require much more training time than the others...reason...lots of different types of swing and most every concievable static position can contribute to the well-rounded parallel bar routine. The incredible complexity of this event makes it one of Jeff's favorites.
Optional Horizontal Bar (two hours)
OK...My boys can do giants each direction turn to and from each and have a flyaway? What next? How can I best utilize my boy's gifts to meet code requirements for this quadrennium? What about the future? What do I do with this kid who can't learn an Endo? What should be an athlete's first release move? Should I concentrate more on eagles or inverts? What about jamming vs. spinning into the elgrip. How can I work on developing a powerful tap for releases and dismounts? What are the steps? Let's talk about it!
For more information contact Jeff Robinson today!
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