Developing a GfA Syllabus Presented by: Laureen Tkacik (BScHPE) Brisbane Congress 2014

1. Developing a GfA SyllabusPresented by:Laureen Tkacik (BScHPE)Brisbane Congress 2014

2. Presentation Topics What is a Syllabus? Why do we need a Syllabus? What is NOT a Syllabus Steps in establishing your club Syllabus Practice Resources Conclusion

3. What is a Syllabus? A syllabus is a program of instruction It will contain: 1. Instructional goals 2. Instructional content 3. Instructional method 4. Assessments

4. A non-competitive gymnastic syllabus will include: 1.Skill pathways & skill requirements (goals) based on age and/or level 2. Skill lists and skill progressions 3. Skill technique and method of skill teaching 4. Skill benchmarks (Readiness Testing) and Physical Ability (Fitness) tests

5. Why have a non- competitive program syllabus? • It facilitates QUALITY skill teaching and EFFECTIVE skill learning • It helps establish where you are in the skill teaching & learning continuum • It helps determinewhere you want to go in skill teaching & learning • It helps you with teaching the required skills

6. Why have a non- competitive program syllabus? It tells you, by omission, what NOT to teach It is an important part of your Risk Management program It can help you fulfill your duty of care to your members

7. What is NOT a Syllabus • National Levels 1-10 routines are NOT syllabi. • They do not provide optimum instructional goals, instructional method or benchmarks. • A National Levels program directs competition requirements, but should not be your club program “syllabus”

8. Steps in establishing your syllabus

9. Topic: Steps in establishing your gymnastics program syllabus Step 1 - Establish your program scope and global skill requirements Step 2 - Establish your detailed skill goals, fitness tests and skill readiness tests Step 3 - Write your skill progressions

10. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel… • All disciplines use Acrobatic/Tumbling skills. • While most obvious in MAG/WAG/Acro, the handstand is a developmental skill used in all disciplines. • All disciplines except Rhythmic Gymnastics use Trampoline to develop air sense and awareness. Write it once and adjust as needed across all relevant disciplines.

11. Step 1 - Establish your program scope and global skill requirements Who are your gymnasts ? Able / disabled Competitive / non-competitive Performance / personal Is your goal to “expose the gymnast to gymnastics” or “to maximize the gymnast’s potential” What disciplines will you teach and to what level? What age range will you cater for? What are the available days and times for program activities?

12. Extract - showing a Display Program’s scope and global goals

13. Extract - showing a WAG program’s detailed skill goals etc.

14. Step 2 - Establish your detailed skill goals, fitness tests and skill readiness tests What SKILL LEVEL will you will aim for in your program? Select skills one step ABOVE this level and work backwards to establish your steps. Establish readiness & fitness tests to match these skills. (See theG. A. National Physical Testing Program)

15. Skill Goals: Extracted from a Vault Activity Grid

16. Testing – Testing elements from the vault grid

17. Another example of a general testing grid set up to meet the needs of a different club in a different situation…

18. Step 2 – Readiness: Testing arm support before attempting handstands

19. Step 2 – Readiness: Testing leg drive before teaching handsprings

20. Step 2 – Readiness: Testing posture & leg extension before teaching dive rolls

21. Step 2 – Consider Your Resources What RESOURCES are available? Your facility, equipment, matting, pits, rebound surfaces may dictate the skill goals you can achieve in your program.

22. Step 2 – Consider Your Coaching Needs What level of COACHING competence is currently available? Start with the present and plan for the future. Start with your current staff. Train them up to the level needed. All coaches aim to achieve the goals in the syllabus. Constantly seek knowledge!!

23. Step 3 - Write your skill progressions Keep in mind that to learn a skill you need lots of quality skill practice as well as the necessary physical preparation. Skills progressions are NOT prescriptive Your skills progressions should be open to revision as you find more effective ways to teach skills Progressions alone will not guarantee that your gymnast will learn a skill.

24. Example: Basic Bar Change

25. Think back to the Term Plan in the old Level 1 Course: 1. Goal = Lunge to handstand Key Points = Stretched curve from ankle to wrist Transfer point of balance >point of balance Lunge leg straightens to transfer weight First leg to vertical, 2nd leg joins at vertical 2. How = List the Key activities you’ll use 3. Include any safety/strength/flexibility/orientation needed 4. Place it in a grid showing step or level

26. Sometimes it’s trial & error: Suggest some goals and let’s practice: 1. Goal….. 2. Key Coaching Points… 3. How to reach it…… 4. Strength, Flexibility, Orientation…..

27. Your syllabus must meet your needs… Set high goals – be safe but daring! Write a syllabus- skills & fitness, testing,how to progress Commit to it for a year Measure results - improvement & change Consider staff feedback Re-assess based on your goals Adjust your syllabus Commit to the adjusted syllabus for a year

28. Your syllabus must meet your needs… Don’t be afraid to make adjustments for specific groups. With 50yr+ you may wish to eliminate rolls (vertigo concerns) and increase the fitness and balance activities.

29. You have to start somewhere… …so it’s better to have a syllabus that needs improvement than no syllabus at all!

30. Conclusion: What a syllabus will do for you • Allow you to plan for QUALITY skill teaching • Allow you to plan for EFFECTIVE skill learning • “It’s what you leave out that is important”….your syllabus will help with this critical issue • Your syllabus is part of your club’s risk management and long-term motivation • It’s a goal-setting and goal-getting system

31. References & Resources • Women's National Physical Testing Program (NPTP) Level 1 to International • GymMix Level 1-10 (Recreational program) • Intermediate Coaching Course, On-line component • National Levels Program (to help with goal setting) • Planning Your Competitive Gymnastics Program – Trevor Dowdell (examples of MAG/WAG syllabus) • Gymnastics Queensland Women’s State Squad – Juniors September 2013 (insight into the method of writing a syllabus)

32. Thank you to Trevor Dowdell who provided the theoretical model for this workshop Thank YOU for your participation. Hopefully you are better equipped to develop a syllabus for your club or discipline. Kindly complete the feedback form. See you next year!