The level of calisthenics has increased significantly over the years, and there is an increased demand on the pupil's bodies, especially performing quite complicated tricks. I am sure most coaches at some stage have felt the pressure to push students ahead and get them doing tricks quicker than they were ready to.  This pressure can come from the students, parents or even yourself if you feel you need to develop your team to keep up with the competition. Having recently introduced an Acro Program into our training regimen at Rosemore has allowed me to work at a student's particular level. 

Each movement comprises a set of progressions that must be achieved by the pupil to execute the overall movement correctly. These progressions allow students to work toward achieving a complex movement, such as a walkover or an aerial while keeping them at a level suitable to their current ability. It also teaches them that to keep moving toward achieving their walkover or aerial, they must master each of the progressions with proper technique and strength before they can move on.  This helps to motivate them and to keep them working on the necessary skills because they soon realise they won't progress until the current level is achieved. As coaches, this is where we need to stand our ground and keep girls working on their current level and not push them ahead too quickly. Here are four key reasons why coaching with progressions is not only beneficial to the student but you as the coach as well:

It helps to reduce the risk of injury to the student.

Working through the progressions helps the student to achieve the necessary, strength, flexibility and control to achieve the harder movements. For example, if your students are attempting fwd walkovers without being able to do a bridge recover, then they will end up putting a lot of pressure on their lower back, which can result in long term injuries. 

It helps to reduce the risk of injury to the coach.

Have you ever held off teaching your pupils to do a complicated move because you were too scared to support them for risk of injury to yourself? Alternatively, if you have spent 20-30 minutes of your class time supporting and lifting girls out of their walkovers can cause a lot of strain on your back, legs and arms. Instead, if your students have mastered the correct progressions first, you will find they will require less physical support from the coach. You will be there instead to just spot them and to give them confidence, rather than physically lifting them. One of my favourite sayings nowadays is; "back to the wall". Instead of a significant amount to class time weeks, physically lifting kids into and out of a back-bend, we tell them to go back to the wall. Getting them to walk up and down the wall into and out of a bridge will help them develop quicker as they won't learn to rely on you. You will then have more time and energy, to spot the girls that have achieved the required progressions and are now at the point of putting all the pieces together to master the overall movement. Once they have their bridge recover unassisted, with proper technique and can roll through the spine correctly, only then would we consider attempting a walkover.

You won't have students sitting doing nothing during class time.

If you have girls in your class that have quite mastered the skills, by working at a suitable level for their ability means they can keep working on their skill, without having to be physically supported. For example, getting pupils to walk down the wall into a bridge, or kicking up against the wall into a handstand, means no one is sitting doing nothing, and everyone keeps progressing.

If they have learnt to do a movement with incorrect technique, it is harder to go back and retrain bad habits.

Before learning the acrobatics arts modules, I was impatient. I didn't have a full understanding of all the skills required and to what level each of those skills needed to be executed before attempting the more complex movements. This can result in a student with poor form, i.e., a back-walkover where the front foot is dropping to the floor, rather than lifting, hips are pushing forward, and knees are bent. It is way harder to go back and fix the skill and bad habits than taking your time and getting it right the first time.

Your students will thank you because they will be injury-free and have amazing technique!

Well, I don't need to say anymore here, this is ultimately what we are all striving to achieve.