To expect kids gymnastics coaches to be qualified/adults

[Ireallywantadoughnut36]

I don't know if I'm over thinking it, but we've tried gymnastics for my 6 yr old at 3 different clubs now, and all the litllie/beginner classes (probably for kids up to aged 8) seem to be run by youngish teenagers. I know they have an adult on site who I'm sure is dbs checked and has first aid, so I'm sure she's safe (none of them allow watching but have a cafe area parents can wait in so I am there too and can watch through a window or on a screen). I do feel a bit ripped off though, and it seems only to be gymnastics who do this (I've never seen an unqualified teenager teaching swimming for example, and her dance teacher is an adult who runs the dance school, my sons karate and football coaches are also adults who have done coaching qualifications in their sports). The equipment at each club is always good too, so it's not as if they're run down/micky mouse places. She's enjoyed every class and loves cart wheeling round, but they're roughly £8-12 depending on the club and the instruction is always from one or two girls under 16, with no adult input. I strongly suspect the girls teaching her don't even get paid but probably get a discount on their own classes or are doing it for their personal development (I grew up riding, and it reminds me of hanging round the yard doing odd jobs for a ride but I'd never have been allowed to teach!) I might be wrong, maybe they are qualified in some way and paid fairly but they're definitely always under 16. They're sweet and enthusiastic but still actual children.

Am I just being grumpy and old, or would you expect a qualified adult teacher to be teaching your children?

I have two concerns 1. That it's unfair to the girls teaching and they're not being paid fairly whilst the club must be raking in about £100 for each class. 2. That she's not going to be learning properly and at best this will be a waste of money/not the best way to learn and at worst she might end up doing something unsafe or hurting herself (we are talking proper swinging on bars and balancing on high beams so it is risky, i saw her being taught a back bend today and i feel like that kind of thing does need a professional)
She wants to keep going but I'm just a bit unsure about the set up (equally, we've now run out of local gymnastic clubs to try and they all do this!) It's great young people have the chance to have an after school job but sole responsibility for ten under 10s doing a potentially dangerous sport seems a step too far?

Have you asked about their qualifications? My dd's dance school offer a dance teaching qualification which some of them start at 13/14

My friend's Dd did her coaching course at 16 and it allowed her to teach gymnastics. She's continued to build up on her coaching skills to allow her to be able to coach the competition team and she's 23. She's also been doing gymnastics since she was young.

My own Dd was put through her dance teacher qualification at age 17-18 as part of PE as she wanted to be a primary teacher. So it gives her the skills to teach dance for PE but also run the school dance club.

It was the same in my DD’s club but I think they were all working towards some sort of coaching qualification. To be fair to them most were great with children despite being teenagers themselves.

A lot of assumptions in your post:
-you don’t know their ages and qualifications -you don’t know if they are getting paid or not

Why do you not ask the club instead of speculating? Would the club be insured if coaches are not qualified? I doubt it.

and one of my DC had a teenage swimming teacher once btw, he was 17 or 18.

YANBU it’s the same at the club near here and is why I won’t send my DD to classes. I expect a proper teacher and instead they are being “coached” by older kids. It’s not on.

Also even if they do have a qualification of some sort, I want teachers to have actual real life experience to draw on and to not have received their certificate a few weeks ago.

Depends - Dd14 is an assistant coach at karate - she is a black belt and has done her coaching training to level 2. She mainly works with the littlest because that is her natural strength. DN (GB trampoline world competitor) is an assistant coach at 16 with the entire competition squad - again she has been there, for her initial training etc. Neither are really paid - more about giving back to a sport they both have and continue to gain a great deal from.

My daughters gymnastics class it's taught my adult coaches (she's 3), whereas her and my son's swimming class are taught my teenagers - I never realised until one day I saw them walking in in their school uniform and I was shocked!

My eldest is a gymnast and her club have a Young Leaders programme. From age 13, the teen gymnasts can start their coaching qualifications and once they're at Level 1, they can start helping to coach the Recreation groups, under the adult coaches supervision.

By the time my daughter will be 13 and able to start this, she will have been doing gymnastics competitively for 8 years, and using the RISE program for the Recreation groups, I'd feel confident that she would be more than able to adequately coach young children.

My daughter is in squad gymnastics and is taught by a teenager but the session plans are done and over seen by an adult coach.
I can't fault my daughter's coach. She is fantastic. Has a great rapport with the children teaches them really well and my daughter came 2nd overall in her last comp thanks to her teenage coach.
I don't think it's the age of a person.
I think it's their approach, attitude and dedication that makes them a good coach.
Iv seen some adult coaches who just couldn't care less

Dd2 taught gym from 14yo.
She has to do a year unpaid helper, then a qualification, before She started being paid. She then did safeguarding training and further gym qualifications.
She also is missing her hand.

Parents were really positive about her teaching and what a positive role model she was. The children adored her, and many of them for into the competitive squad from her group.

Not sure "real life experience" is that relevant when it comes to coaching a back bend or a somersault?

My daughter’s swimming teacher is definitely qualified and she is still at school. She wasn’t there this week as she was preparing for an exam.

I was an adult when I completed my cheerleading qualifications but there were plenty of teenagers doing them as well.

I think it is a great opportunity for the teenagers as long as they are properly supervised and supported. My eldest is 15 and has done gymnastics for 10 years+. She has recently started assisting coaching and loves it. She doesn’t get paid at the moment, but if they volunteer for 6 months or so, the club will pay for them to do their coaching qualification - after which they will be paid. There is nearly always a qualified coach with them and on the one occasion she ran a class (due to a coach calling in sick), they re jigged the classes so the head coach was in the class next to her to keep a close eye. She loves it and has thrived on the responsibility. They do kids birthday parties at the club and she gets paid to help at these. I think it is great as it is something she enjoys, but will also look great on a CV or uni application.

Tbh I thought the same at first at my dd 6 gym class

All teens and young I thought

Then looked at their website and they have won silver gold and bronze in olympics 🙀🙀🙀😇😇😇

Still young late teens/early 20's

But very talented and good

Your wrong about swimming, DD is a lifeguard (she's 16) and her boss keeps asking if she wants to do her teaching qualification. My nice does teach swimming she's only 17.

But both girls have been swimming for more then 10 years and with the local clubs. Who also use volunteers to help coach, a lot of them use it as their volunteering for their DfE awards. So I imagine they are either being paid or doing it towards some qualification.

Maybe the teacher shortage has spread to gymnastics? Guttingly most of my dds a level teachers have left so you may need to adjust your expectations of teacher availability over the your dds school career..

My daughter could well be one of the coaches you're talking about. She's 13 and coaches a reception age class on Sunday mornings,. British Gymnastics run a leadership programme which starts at age 11. At that age they are volunteers and support the coaches for a session or 2 a week as Young Leaders. They are all trained. At age 13 they can take a coaching qualification and take on a paid role. My daughter receives minimum wage which for a 13 year old is a pretty good wage. It is a fantastic opportunity for them. I think it's a real positive of them pursuing gymnastics as their hobby. But it might not be what you want out of gymnastics club. There's plenty of clubs about. Keep looking till you find the right match for you.

Just because they are young doesn't mean that they haven't got 10 years of training under their belt and convincing regional/national results and peers with olympic experience.

My daughter trains with an olympic hopeful in trampolining and two of her gymnastics coaches have competed for their country. There's no one I'd trust her with more. I actually think a lot of the teens are way more switched on and safety focused than some of the "old guard" of gymnastic/trampolining coaches.

Same as my DD's club. She had a Level 1 coach (former gymnast) who was only 16, but who was absolutely fantastic and really hands-on!

The Young Leaders are great with the younger recreational gymnasts who are just learning the basics. They obviously don't help out with the more advanced squad gymnasts as they require qualified coaches.

We have a very elite gymnast at our gym, and there are certain skills that she is not allowed to do unless her Level 5 coach is in the building.

BG do a helperccourse for 13+ and once they hae passed this, they can take a group of up to 8 children teaching the skills they have covered.There has to be a level 2 coach who dies not hae their own group supervising up to 4 'helpers'. I pay my helpers £12 an hour.I think you need to remember that by 13 or 14 they have 8 or 9 years gymnadtics experience and will be stronger than you.
Walking on a beam, backbends and swings are very basic skills which te girls will understand very well

I was a swimming teacher from age 14 while working through my qualifications and turned up on my uniform straight from school! As were most of my friends (all club swimmers) and we did a great job with a lot of enthusiasm! Needs to be on a case by case basis obviously.

(I've never seen an unqualified teenager teaching swimming for example, and her dance teacher is an adult who runs the dance school, my sons karate and football coaches are also adults who have done coaching qualifications in their sports

You can do all sorts of coaching and teaching qualifications as a teen.

Many football teams have a parent who has agreed to run the team, but might not have any coaching qualifications.

Aside from that, I don't think U18s should be running any session unsupervised.
Are you certain of their ages ?

My son had a sport coach when he was 4/5 who was amazing. Completely tuned into the wee one.
He'd been teaching him over a year, when he mentioned his school leavers party - WHAT we knew he was young but hadn't twigged that young.

This is standard practice in gymnastics. BG has a very structured programme for young, aspiring coaches.

There are very clear rules about what they are allowed to do and the level of skill they are permitted to coach dictated by insurance and safeguarding policies.

Teenage gymnasts who have competed to regional or national level, with all the hard work and self-discipline that entails (16hrs per week training in my DD's case!) are more than capable of coaching young rec gymnasts. Much of the coaching at this level involves leading warm ups/conditioning and demonstrating new skills/shapes. They are often much better placed to teach a young gymnast how to do this than an adult with 'life experience' and a certificate but no gymnastic skills!