A guest post from Kath Maguire. Kath is the parent of one of our club’s gymnasts. She asked about doing some volunteering a couple of months ago and whether there was a course she could do. Here are her reflections from the day. Kath (right) with Brent and Chris “I’ve been thinking about volunteering for a while now but as it’s been a long time (30 years!) since I formally coached children and young people, I was curious to know how things have changed in that time and also a little apprehensive about being so out of touch to be neither of use nor ornament! So, it was with some trepidation tha ..read more

In our Freestyle Gymnastics classes, the young gymnasts spend the first ten minutes of each class working on their favourite skills. Some of them do so with a laser-like focus, repeating the same skill as often as they can, while others drift from skill to skill, using different pieces of apparatus for a few repetitions each. I watch and interject with advice if I think I have something useful to add. Before that, I ask, ‘What are you working on?’ It is strange that sometimes the gymnast says, ‘I don’t know.’ Other times they say a skill like Cartwheel, and I then ask, ‘What part of the cartwh ..read more

Last week, a Primary School teacher told me of their experience teaching tag rugby to year 3s (7-8-year-olds), ‘We practised passing down the line a lot but, when it came to the game, they didn’t know what to do.’ Compare that to the advice given by the Department of Education and Science: ‘At about nine years of age, they may be ready to play many simple games, with three or four a side, with the object of scoring points and goals.’ (1972). Developing spatial awareness through educational games Have children developed a greater sense of gameplay in the last 50 years? Can they be put into comp ..read more

Parents are keen to get healthy Keeping active with your family In the last month, I have been asked by three different parents of young athletes ‘what is the best way to lose weight and get fit?’ Excelsior Athletic Development Club was set up to help young people develop their athleticism and skills but adults wanting to get fit have different requirements. Earlier in my career, I was a manager at three health clubs where 90% of the members wanted to lose weight or get fit. I shall give some ideas to help you get started below. I am approaching this from what will work for you. I am not selli ..read more

How did people get good at sports before the existence of pathways and ‘talent’ academies? Training for health, training to compete: why do NGBs focus on the latter? Both are human beings. If you read biographies of a previous generation of sporting superstars there is usually a mention of a dedicated p.e. teacher or coach at a local sports club. Children discovered their love for the sport locally and affordably. They might have had a keen parent, like Tim Henman or Seb Coe, but most stumbled into the sport through normal p.e. and games or by going with a friend to a local club. The sport was ..read more

Tough to choose just one book Some good ones that didn’t make the top 5 It’s that time of year (or slightly early as I am trying to help those looking to Buy Cheap Alprazolam buy books before Christmas) to review and recommend what I have read. I started listing back in 2013 so that I didn’t read the same books by mistake. I have split the top 5 into fiction and non-fiction and they are listed as I remember them, rather than as winners. If you are wondering if my choices are worth reading (they are just my recommendations) then consider that I have read 80 books this year: you are not hearing ..read more

Rugby players using gymnastics movements Gymnastics for sport Over the past 5 or so years, I have been running Movement workshops for sports coaches and p.e. teachers. The participants have enjoyed learning how to teach movement and basic gymnastics that they can then share with their players and pupils. Players who are stronger, more agile and more adaptable can pick up their sport’s technical skills a lot more easily than those who are weak, uncoordinated and over-drilled. I have put together three tutorials that consolidate the workshops that I have run in person and they are now availabl ..read more

Getting stronger with a broomstick Muscle-strengthening exercises such as bodyweight exercises, exercise bands, and dumbbell, barbell and machine resistance training exercises have been shown to impact a variety of health outcomes including: · Improved muscular strength. · Bone mineral density (stronger bones). · A decrease in all-cause mortality (the chances of dying from health-related diseases). · Improvements in cardio-metabolic health (such as Diabetes, and obesity). · Improvements in mental health. However, only 10-30% of adults are meeting the recommended guidelines for muscle-strengthe ..read more

Three things I had in mind to help the weightlifters Will holding Stanley Bear (club mascot) Last weekend I coached three of our club weightlifters at the Wild Boar Tier 3 even https://websiteuplift.com/lacsi2i t: Gabby, Will and https://www.athirstforgod.com/ojd9pvt Chris. This was their first competition outside of the club. Whilst every ‘S&C coach’ does ‘Olympic Lifts’ they do not coach the lifts in competition. There are big differences between training in the gym and competing. Coaching at a competition requires a different skill set and this needs to be practised and improved.   ..read more

It’s that time of year: schools are breaking up, annual holidays are planned and the thought of sitting down with a good book comes to the minds of many people. My summer reading recommendations are taken from the 44 books I’ve read, so far, this year. Unread and waiting: my current Tsundoku The reason I say the number is that I rarely take recommendations from people who read 1 or 2 books a year: how can they tell what is good or not? It is too easy to be swayed by the zeitgeist. If I recommend a book, it is because I think it will be worth your time. I have read some crackers and some duds ..read more