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How to Coach Gymnastics

Three Parts:Becoming a gymnastics instructorConnecting with the gymnastsTeaching a classCommunity Q&A

Becoming a gymnastics coach is a great way to stay fit, interact with kids, and earn money at the same time. It's a complicated process, but can be approached by breaking it down to address the basics, learning how to connect well with your pupils and understanding the necessary teaching skills. Each area is explained in the following article.

Part 1
Becoming a gymnastics instructor

  1. 1
    Learn about gymnastics. The first step in becoming a gymnastics instructor is to learn about gymnastics. The same way you can't be a soccer/football (European) ref if you don't know the rules, you can't be a gymnastics coach if you don't know the rules and ropes of gymnastics. Learn about:
    • The apparatuses. Learn how to set the bars, how to set the vault, how to set a springboard, how to set a beam, and the rules about matting underneath.
    • How to spot. You may think there is only one way to spot, but spotting is different in almost every event.
    • The rules of competition. What's the white line of floor for? How far can you start back on the vault runway? Learn the complicated rules of gymnastics.
    • The way judges judge. Learn what the can take deductions off of, what they can't and what you can do to improve
    • How to do a handstand. The most important skill in gymnastics, you can't teach kids how to do a handstand if you can't! You don't need to know how to do all the skills you teach, but you should know how to do a handstand.
  2. 2
    Find a gym. Find a gym to become a coach at. Look for these qualities in the gym:
    • Location. Is it close enough that you don't have to drive more than 15 minutes to get to? You may think you can drive 40 minutes every day, but just try it for a few days and see if it really works for you.
    • Equipment. Are the mats falling apart? Is there fuzz everywhere? Does the pit have clean, whole blocks? You also want to look at the apparatuses. Are they in a safe location, away from any kids who could go flying on to them?
    • Banners. Looks on the wall for any banners, such as "First; Level 5; 2014 states". This shows not only does the gym have talented gymnasts, it has talented coaches. Look not only for quality, nor quantity. Find a good middle ground between the two.
    • Children. Are the kids laughing and having fun? Or are they crying, grimacing, or flopping down? This is an important factor.
  3. 3
    Become a Certified Gymnastics Instructor. You cannot legally become a gymnastics coach without becoming certified. This is a very important step..

Part 2
Connecting with the gymnasts

  1. 1
    Find out what level you are teaching, and the age group. You can't have one without the other. If you know you teach level 4, but don't know you teach 6 year olds, you can't plan to drive them like 10 year olds!
  2. 2
    Learn the kids' names. The kids will love you if you know all their names! Look at the attendance sheet; learning the names from the start, even if you don't know to whom the names belong just yet, can help you a lot with remembering the names to the faces.
  3. 3
    Find out what the kids' favorite events are. A fun way to do this is to have the kids stand up, while the other kids watch, and mime doing that event. This can be a great idea for younger kids, but it's not the best idea for older kids. You can also:
    • Ask their ages
    • Ask where they go to school
    • Ask about their siblings
    • Have them demonstrate a skill from floor, such as a roll, or split.
  4. 4
    Introduce yourself. If you know how, you can also do an "amazing skill" such as Round-off, back handspring (to impress them) though this may only work on kids who are at a low level.

Part 3
Teaching a class

  1. 1
    Find out which event(s) you are going to. Check the schedule.
  2. 2
    If you are teaching a preschool class, read the following guides:
  3. 3
    If you teach an older class, you can run the event in this format: Warmup ---> Stations ---> Showoff (you have each kid show either a routine, or a series of skills).
  4. 4
    Spot each kid on a skill of your/their choice. This will give added thrill to the gymnastics lesson.
  5. 5
    Have some time to goof off! Let the students fluff the pit sometimes, or offer a prize for the most leg lifts. Having them climb the rope then jump into the pit (if possible) is one of the most fun things to do.
  6. 6
    Contact the parents regularly to update on progress. Did little Suzie fall off the beam today? Or did Betty rip her leotard? Did Brian have a great day? Is there a meet coming up? Anything that merits an email should be emailed.
    • Make sure you have all the parents' emails and keep the list up-to-date.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question
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    • Goof off sometimes and make the kids laugh!


    • Watch the kids at all times. If one of them seriously hurts themselves, you will get the blame because you are responsible.

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    Categories: Gymnastics

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