Mas Watanabe

Now we are done with the competition season evaluation so that the next step is to think about setting new goals for next year.

Immediately after the competition season some of gymnasts are very motivated to learn new skills, because their training was very restricted for a long time due to the competition season. Their training goal during the season was to focus on routines and there was no time for the new skills.

This transitional period between the end of the season and the start of the summer program could be a good time for trying some new skills as well as starting the progression of the next level skills.

All the girls should be in a very good physical shape and it is a fun time to do something new and excited.

Sometimes, they pick up a new skill quickly, but they realize that most of the new skills will take some proper progressive steps to learn well.

So, the main goal for this period is to refine the basics and prepare physically for the next level skills.

The refinement of basics will give the gymnast an opportunity to improve their learned skills as well as prepare them for new skills. Also, a certain type of strength might be essential for a new skill and this is an opportunity to develop that strength. So the strengthening of a specific area of the body is just as important as the proper progression for a skill.

For example, refinement of the flyaway tap swing might be a very crucial area for her to learn a full twisting double back (instead of a pike double) on the bars. Similarly, plyometric power development of the legs is necessary in order for her to pick up the front layout to tuck double front (instead of full twisting front) sequence in tumbling.

Here is the main emphasis for setting a goals for the off-season.
1. Area of basic refinement for all the events
2. Retaining learned skills:
* Maintaining good rhythm and timing
*. Further refining of technique & improving amplitude
3. Selecting new skills to learn:
*. Determining the proper progressions
*. Determining the area of specific strength necessary
4. General & specific areas of strength development
5. Artistry of gymnastics development:
*. Flexibility improvement
*. Improvement of dance and artistic expression

Obviously you may not be coaching all the areas mentioned above, but someone needs to have the overall plan in mind and make sure that all the areas are covered according to the needs for your program.

One other aspect that we cannot forget during this period is maintaining a healthy body. During the course of the season, some nagging injury might have prevented your gymnast from being 100% and sometimes stopped her from reaching a peak performance.

Most of the injuries she managed to handle during the competition season should be healed up during this period. She should train with a healthy body in the summer period and be very productive. This is the best time to take some time off for rehabilitation if she needs to.

Hopefully we can come up with a good plan for the summer soon and the summer program will be very productive for all of us.

Have fun coaching!