Developing an effective club

structure

Karl Wharton - British Gymnastics National Coach

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How can you make your
club work effectively?
 Effective planning
 Effective structures
 Clear aims and objectives

 If you have the above your club will

be a success

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Developing your club
structure.
 Before you can establish an effective club
structure I would suggest that you answer the
following questions:
 Why are you involved in gymnastics?
 What are your aims in terms of performance level?
 What are your aims in terms of the coaching level
within your club?
 How much time are you and your coaches /
helpers prepared to give to the club? [Both in and
out of the gym].
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 Are you prepared to make ‘HARD’ decisions
which may upset people, e.g. move gymnasts
between groups, drop gymnasts to a lower level,
etc.
 Where do you see your club fitting in to the
Regional and / or National structure?
Where does
your club fit in?
T
Recreational

Inter club Competitions

I
County Level M
Regional Level
National
E
Level
International Level 4
 Are your aims REALISTIC in terms of
the following restrictions:-

FACILITY
EQUIPMENT

COACHING EXPERTISE
FINANCE
STANDARD OF GYMNASTS

YOUR CLUBS EXPECTATIONS

YOUR GYMNASTS EXPECTATIONS

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Effective Planning and
Organisation
 Workforce
• Coaches: How many? What is their level of
qualification?, how much time are they willing to give
up each week?, are they prepared to be volunteers or
do they expect to be paid or receive reasonable
expenses?
• Judges: Try to get interested parents or ex-performers
involved with judging! Your coaches will be with the
gymnasts!
• Fund raising committee: Willing parents who will take
on this role as the coaches have enough on their plate
running the gym sessions!

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 Facility
• Physical surroundings: Try to make as attractive as
possible, e.g. posters, pictures, club notice board, etc.
• Equipment: Make good use of what is available, utilise all
space and equipment, fund raise for specific items that are
required.
• How clean is your gym? Try to keep your gym as clean and
as tidy as possible! Make sure that the equipment is put
back and stored in its correct place at the end of every
session. There is nothing worse than turning up to coach
your session and everything has been left out or put in the
wrong place. Make sure your gymnasts know the rules for
putting equipment away.

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Resourcing
 Session fees to cover the running
costs of the gym
• Facility hire
• Coaching fees / expenses / wages
• Running costs of building
 Fund raising: for specific events or
equipment
 Grants / Sponsorship
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Use of Other Agencies

 Institute of Sport
 Local Universities, Colleges of FE & HE
 Local Schools - especially Sports Colleges
 Physiotherapists
 Nutritionists
 Local Press

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Standards
 These will depend on the expectations of both the
coaches and performers.
 Remember - if you set low standards then don’t
expect results.
 Simple things like getting your gymnasts to arrive
on time, show good manners and respect, line up
at the end of the session to be dismissed, etc.
 Club identity - club T-shirts, tracksuits, etc.

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Club liaison
 Try to link up with local primary / secondary schools.
Especially useful if you have a Sports College. They
are desperate for coaches and they will pay!!
 Local sports centres and recreation departments.
 Physical Education Inspector.
 Links with other clubs:
• Inter club competitions.
• Help and advice from more established clubs.
• To pass on talented gymnasts if you are unable to take them
further.
• To pass on gymnasts to another discipline.

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Allocation of Time
 Look at the number of hours available in terms of:
• Facility hours
• Coaching hours
 This will determine how many sessions you can
run and the length of these sessions.
 Decide on class size ‘v’ number of coaches.
 Who will coach the different groups?
Training 6.00pm – 6.30pm – 6.50pm – 7.10pm – 7.30 pm –
Time
Group 6.30pm 6.50pm 7.10 pm 7.30 pm 8.00pm
Day
Tuesday Warm Up I Elements Tumbling Trampette Conditioning
Thursday Warm Up Tumbling I Elements Trampette Conditioning
Training 9.00am – 9.30 am –
10.00am – 10.40am
10.40am –
Time 9.30am 10.00am 11.00am

Sunday Warm Up I Elements Trampolining Conditioning 12

Class aims and objectives
 Planning for progression.
 Set clear, realistic goals.
 Consider the age and ability of the gymnasts.
 Consider the coaching level and experience of the
staff.
 Have a club development plan that all the coaches
can follow.
• This will identify the clubs aims and objectives.
• What each session should work on.
• Give examples of skills to be worked and related
conditioning.
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Running an effective
coaching session
 Punctuality: both from coach and gymnasts.
 Make sure the children are attentive.
 If you have several activities make sure you have the
correct coach to children ratio.
 Share learning objectives with children and give clear
instructions.
 Use a variety of teaching strategies.
 Develop a coaching environment condusive to learning.
 Ensure that children know what is expected of them and
how to perform successfully, making success criteria
explicit.

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Cont….
 Correct practices and progressive skills are
delivered.
 Make sure correct facilities and equipment are
available and that resources are used effectively and
efficiently.
 Session preparation has been done to underpin
practice
 Evaluate the quality of learning regularly and adapt
practices as and when required.
 Have high expectations of behaviour, attitude, skill
level, etc.
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Use of Planning
 There is nothing worse than getting to a session
and not knowing what to do!
 Make sure you have a structured plan for your
sessions and that the gymnasts know what they
have to do.
 Make use of preparation and / or conditioning
sheets that the gymnasts can get on with without
you - this will free you up to work with other
gymnasts / groups which need support, etc.

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 Tops Rebound Conditioning
1 6
Top bends and
Rebound hurdle
jumps with
jum ps using
correct arm
cones or
action and full
hurdles.
leg extension.
Sets Reps Sets Reps

4 20 20 12

2 7
Top standing on
Landings only -
floor jum ps to
stretch jum p
box top and off
from box top to
again w ith full
land on floor.
extension.

Sets Reps Sets Reps

6 20 30 1

3 8
Squat stretch Landings only -
jum ps X 24m stretch jum p
holding w eight 180' from box
or ball infront of top to land on
chest. floor.

Sets Reps Sets Reps

4 24m 30 1

4 9
Rebound spring
jum ps onto and
off bench w ith Tuck jum p on
alternate leg m at.
extension on
each jum p.
Sets Reps Sets Reps

6 50 6 30

5 10
Rebound jum ps Straight leg
w ith left leg jum ps - keep
split, right leg body straight
split and box and push
split. through ankles.

Sets Reps Sets Reps 17

4 30 6 12m
Base and Middle Conditioning with Top
1 6
Rebound jum ps
Base bench
across floor
press top, lying
and back w ith
dow n free or
top sitting on
w ith support.
shoulders.

Sets Reps Sets Reps

6 Max. 6 24m

2 7
Top standing in Straddle lever /
hands. Base 2 on 1 lever
squats and w alks across
presses to long floor X m ax
arm at w all bar. distance.

Sets Reps Sets Reps

6 Max 6 Max

3 8
Long arm hold -
Short arm
base squats
w alks across
and stands
floor X m ax
back up. At w all
distance.
bars.

Sets Reps Sets Reps

6 Max 6 Max

4 9

One arm long

Long arm w alks
arm holds on
across floor X
alternate arm s.
m ax distance.
At w all bars.

Sets Reps Sets Reps

6 Max 6 Max

5 10
One arm long
arm holds - Bend and jum ps
squat and stand to catch w ith
back up, use full extension of
alternate arm s base and top.
at w all bars.
Sets Reps Sets Reps 18
6 Max 6 Max
 Example of Gymnasts
training file
ELEMENT RECORD SHEET: TEMPO VALUE =

Element:

Repetitions To ta l To ta l
%of
Day Date Notes fo r of
Go o d
S e s s io n Go o d
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

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Remember …….
 If you love the sport there is a
place for you!! Which rung on the
gymnastics ladder you reach will
depend on your answers to all the
questions posed in this
presentation.

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