Introduction
My name is Emily Parsons. I started gymnastics when I was 2 years old and it has been in my blood ever since. I went to the University of Nebraska on a full athletic scholarship. During my career at Nebraska I earned 11 NCAA All American accolades. Gymnastics is my passion and I am happy to share my knowledge with all of you.
The purpose of this blog is to give parents more knowledge about gymnastics and how to keep motivating and supporting their children. During class the gymnasts will be learning a new word each month. I will correlate the word of the month with the blog. This will give parents a better understanding of what their child is learning in class. When your child comes home from class talking about the word of the month you will know what they are talking about. This method helps create a more effective lesson. For the month of January we have selected goal setting.
Learning to Set “SMART” Goals
“Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement” (Brian Tracy).
As we embark on a New Year, we reflect on the previous year and we reevaluate our future goals. We think about what we accomplished and what we still wish to achieve. We set new GOALS for ourselves and our future success. As we create a new plan for ourselves, we also want to teach our children how to set their own goals. Using the SMART method is a very effective way to set and maintain goals.
A Goal Should be Specific:
In gymnastics it’s very important to set Specific obtainable goals. As soon as a child steps foot in Discover Gymnastics they have specific lesson plans. They will work on learning specific body shapes such as tuck, pike, straddle, straight and hollow body, and how they correlate with their gymnastics skills. For example, if they know how to do a pike sit they will be able to understand how to do a backward pike roll. In their first few semesters of gymnastics mastering and understanding how to physically apply each shape to a skill will help tremendously. They will also hear things such as point your toes, stay tight and you’re too loose. These are all common corrections in gymnastics.
A Goal Should be Measurable:
Fortunately, Measuring the attainment of a goal in gymnastics is relatively easy to do. In fact, every class/ level has progressions to help each gymnast learn the proper skill set. Every skill leads to the next. For example, Level 1 is a semester of orientation. This gives the gymnast time to learn all the proper shapes as well as the names of skills being taught. Level 2 is a semester of mastering the skill sets learned. Our curriculum is actually designed to show progress through every skill and level.
A Goal Should be Actionable:
Take Action through engaged participation. Every class is designed with a purpose and progressions. If a gymnast misses a class they will miss a progression and will fall behind. Children will be more successful if they are consistent. Being on time is also important. Arriving late may cause the child to feel anxiety and self-consciousness, both of which will affect performance and goal attainment.
A Goal Should be Reasonable:
When setting goals, make sure they are Reasonable for each individual child. Gymnastics is a sport in which each gymnast moves at a different pace. We want to set goals that are within reach. It’s very easy for children to set goals that are out of reach. As a parent, help guide your child towards goals that are specific for their level of training. For example, preschool parents may have goals for their children to simply stay in line during class and listen to their coach. Make sure they aren’t setting their goals based on what their friends in class can do, because gymnastics is primarily an individual sport. Keep goals realistic and geared towards their own personal success. For example, if they are in level 1 and are learning cartwheels and roundoffs, their goal should not be to learn a roundoff, backhandspring backtuck. That is not a reasonable goal. A better goal for these kids would be to master their roundoff and focus on backhandspring drills.
A Goal Should have a Time frame:
Keep it simple and clear and give each goal a Time frame. When we give our goals a time frame we are more likely to stay on track. When your child is in class they have a whole semester to learn the appropriate skill sets for that level. This gives them the ability to use their time wisely during each class, each event and each skill.