Well, I have been interested in becoming a gymnastics coach. The thing is I am not a gymnast and know very little (only by a friend of mine in gymnastics do I know the very little that I know). Does that mean that because I have never competed in gymnastics or was a gymnast myself that I cannot become a coach? Im 18 and starting college in a week so thats my situation. Thanks for any help! ~~Rob~~

Actually, Bela Karolyi never was a gymnast. I think he was a boxer. But his wife Marta Karolyi had some gymnastics experience. As you probably know, Bela is known for Nadia Comaneci's and Mary Lou Retton's all-around gymnastics gold wins, as well as coaching Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strug, among others. You probably saw Bela on the NBC coverage as a frequent guest commentator - now he runs the Karolyi gymnastics camp with Marta in Texas. He used to be in charge of USA women's gymnastics, but then Marta took over. He is very passionate about gymnastics - passion is important! Gymnastics clubs will hire you and train you from the starting level if you're really interested in coaching gymnastics. Why the sudden interest though? From my experience, the high-level gymnasts and competitive level gymnasts, especially the older ones (meaning 12 years old +), do pretty much rather have coaches that have experienced the gymnast side as well and have had gymnastics experience themselves, but perhaps you can work hard and build that trust. To spot hard skills (and even the easy ones too), you need muscle and coordination, and to know the skill - you don't want your spot to be in the way of the skill. You could also take the teen/adult classes while coaching the little kids, level 1, too - most gyms won't charge you if you're coaching, or will give you a discount. Makes sense not to charge you though, because it is like gymnastics education that will help your coaching. Related: Gymnastics coach with gymnastics experience is the best http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/showthread.php?t=33999 One tip: don't think being strict and harsh is good coaching. They actually tend to be the most inexperieced coaches. Ane every gymnast is different. You can't really make a mold and expect all the gymnasts to follow it and for it to be good for them. You can find a gymnastics club near you using the gym directory: http://gymchat.com/listings . You could even work part-time while studying. Let us know how it goes!

Well, I have been in athletics since I was a child. I have played baseball, soccer (still do) and some martial arts. I was interested in becoming a martial arts trainer but, martial arts is "fighting" even the defensive ones. The thing about Gymnastics is its an art. Im amazed everytime I watch it. I was moping around about how I wished i had become involved when I was very young and my gymnastics friend told me to become a coach. She said "even though you werent in gymnatics, you can help others experience it since gymnastics is still uncommon". My biggest fear is spotting because injuries can occur if I mess up. Maybe I could become an assistant for a while and learn for a few years that way and then become a coach. Im also interested in learning gymnastics myself but I'll probably never become really good because of time and that I never did it as a kid. Also, would I be a coach for both male and females or speicalize on one? See, I love the balance beam but I love still rings just as much. As a coach, will I be able to know all the competitions or specialize on specifically just one?

Sometimes coaches teach the girls and the boys, though it is a lot less common to do so in the higher levels and the elite level. One exceptional exception is Former Russian national head coach for both the women's and men's teams Leonid Arkaev. Interview with Arkaev: [quote]

Do you keep statistics on the number of Olympic, World Championships, and European Championships medals that you, as the coach, have helped win?

[COLOR=#004080]L. A.: I used to have those statistics. I haven't been keeping up with the numbers anymore, but I can say, of course, that about 400 Olympic, World Championships, and European Championships medals have been won under my leadership, about 150 of those gold. As far as the team medals are concerned, every single medal isn't counted, but rather one per team.

With those numbers you are the most successful gymnastics coach of all time, maybe even the most successful coach of all time...

[COLOR=#004080]L. A.: As far as gymnastics goes, I agree, but I haven't really thought about the second part of the question.

[/quote][quote]Is the fact that you never competed in an Olympic Games, World Championships, or European Championships, although you had the skill, the reason that you have become such a succesful coach? [COLOR=#004080]L. A.:I think so. This circumstance motivated me to achieve with my gymnasts what was denied me as an athlete. [/quote]Arkaev (in the picture he is the one on the left) was a very good gymnast, "the captain and the best gymnast of the URSS national team in May 1966 in a friendship competition against the GDR in Schwerin" [quote]

At the 1966 World Championships in Dortmund, 32 year-old Latynina stood on the world gymnastics stage for the last time, where the young gymnast Leonid Arkaev also wanted to be...

[COLOR=#004080]L. A.: I was too weak in Dortmund, and was for that reason only the alternate, but that made a big impression on me. I understood that because of my not-so-good behavior, I hadn't made it to world-class sport. Because of that I try to make sure that the young gymnasts I coach behave otherwise.

[/quote]Arkaev is not known to have an overbearing harsh coaching style though; for example with Elena Produnova they said it was like a father-daughter relationship, and he didn't try to control her strong personlity. The best is to treat each gymnast differently and not try to fit them in a mold. Know how to work with the gymnast: [quote]

Was Dimitri Bilozerchev the most complicated situation to you?

[COLOR=#004080]L. A.: No. You could work with him. He enjoyed doing everything, with a little convincing, but you could also convince him to stick to a certain training regime. It was no problem for him to stick to certain rules, and it was pleasant coaching him.

[/quote]Gym Media

Does that mean that realistically I should choose which events I like the most overall and teach based on that? Also, will being a gymnastics coach allow me to hold a regular job? I mean, I know if I was ever to get really serious about gymnastics (internationial competitions, etc) that it wouldnt be the case but until then will I be able to have a job and still be able to coach? Thanks for all the help!

For girls the events are: floor, uneven bars, balance beam, vault. For guys the events are: floor, high bar, pommel horse, still rings, parallel bars, vault For the women's team, usually the male coaches are the ones doing bars and vault, and the tumbling on floor and beam. But, all the coaches know all aspects of all the events for their team/group. So if you decide to coach in the boys program, though you might be known as the rings/pommel horse coach, for example, you really would need to know about all the events. If you have no experience in gymnastics at all, the gym should put you in a group where there is an experienced coach and you would be the assistant, even in the case it would be coaching preschool. They shouldn't put you in a position where you would have to spot and not know what you're doing. There is also a certification process, and a training process. Coaching hours for the recreational and team classes are after school during the fall/winter/spring schoo times, so from about 3pm-9pm there are classes going on. Before that, the gym probably has the younger preschool kid programs going on, where they pretty much work on balance, coordination, and the very basics. Just ask for part-time hours if you want to do another job on the side. There aren't competitions until level 3 at the earliest, and usually it isn't until level 5 (depends on the gym and program). Taking gymnastics classes yourself is a good idea if you want to coach and have no gymnastics experience. Related: Gymnastics classes for adults http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/showthread.php?p=80803#post80803 Adults Taking Up Gymnastics To Stay In Shape (KMGH 7 Denver),Adults Find Health Benefits In Gymnastics http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/showthread.php?p=80802#post80802 Who said competitive gym is just for kids?! http://gymchat.com/messageboards/showthread.php?t=61723

so, how long does it take to go up a level? I know it depnds on so many factors but, maybe a rough average estimate? Yea, I better learn all aspects huh. Thanks for all the help because I know very little about the sport, just on stuff I have watched, read and what my friend tells me.

[quote=SoccerRob;81262]so, how long does it take to go up a level? I know it depnds on so many factors but, maybe a rough average estimate? Yea, I better learn all aspects huh.[/quote] Do you mean how long does it take to go up a level as a gymnast? In the teens/adult classes, pretty much it is more loose on the structure that what skills you can learn is based on what level you are - it goes more by what skills you are ready for on which events. So, for example, on floor you may be doing level 5 skills while on p-bars you might be doing level 2 skills. The skills do build up on each other, but not necessarily between the events. Also, for example, perhaps on floor you are better at front tumbling and can work on a front handpring front tuck (level 6) before you do a back handspring (level 3/4). You'll probably start as a level 2 (level 1 is like forward roll, backwards roll, basic handstand, basic balance/strength/flexibility etc.). To go through the levels and learn the skills faster, work on flexibility and conditioning/strength. Don't rush it though - you need a good base. The handstand helps the front handspring and cartwheel which helps the round-off. It is important to have proper technique also, so good coaching is important. It will really help you to take gymnastics classes if you want to do gymnastics coaching. Just being in the gym and listening to the coach's instruction and tips, feeling first hand the technique is a big plus. Plus, you said that you would like to do gymnastics. Did you check out the clubs near you yet? Make sure they accept 18+ years old students; some don't for insurance reasons. Also some clubs are only girls or only boys programs.

Some of the older gymnasts sometimes start teaching the younger kids' classes and even are approached by the gym's owners to do so, because as a gymnast you do have that background and experience, and can remember and re-teach the techniques you are taught. A part-time thing, you know, like before or after your own training, after school, etc.