Behind Every Great Gymnastics Practice…

By 15, Ashley Anton had reached the highest level in the US Gymnastics Junior Olympic program, but she struggled with injuries and lackluster coaches. When her coach didn’t show up to a competition, Ashley realized the younger girls had no one to lead them – and stepped up. Before that, Ashley hadn’t considered coaching as a career, but she knew she could be a positive figure in the lives of young girls and that truly motivated her. 

Today, Ashley and her husband run Kratos Gymnastics, where they coach girls from 2 ½ through 18 years old. 

Describe the perfect practice

What makes a practice really great is when the athletes come to the gym with a mindset that allows transformative action. They’re attentive and ready to hear instructions. Gymnastics requires a lot of skill repetition and most of the time the skills are not going to come out perfect. That’s a very hard concept to deal with, especially for girls nowadays. If they can learn that they are aiming for progress on each skill and be excited about each small progression they make, that’s what makes the practice great. 

What are some of your go-to drills or games? 

Because gymnastics is so individualized, I like to change up what I do depending on the day and the child. I do have activities that kids love and are able to grow from, like racing against themselves. I have them sprint as fast as they can and track their time. They get excited about learning how to get faster each time. They strive to reach that next step and are proud of themselves. This helps me later to explain why we need to do a strengthening skill, for example, because it’s going to help them do it better. 

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What’s something you’ve learned from another coach? 

I coach together with my husband, who came from the elite level of gymnastics. He has a saying, “You have to see what you can’t see.” That means you need to understand where an athlete is on an emotional level in order to coach them correctly. Often their performance is affected by what they’re thinking about at that moment. Are they calm enough to concentrate? Are they scared or distracted, but not saying it? Kids can’t always verbalize these things. I always make sure that I take a step back and really evaluate them on a deeper level. 

What’s the most challenging part of being a coach? 

Technology has really changed kids over the past 10 years. In general, kids are used to instant gratification. I have to take extra time to really help them understand why it’s worthwhile to work hard. If they don’t accomplish something immediately, I help them know that’s good for them and not a detriment.  

Also, competitive gymnastics involves very large commitment, even at a very low level. Depending on where you live, people are not always used to that. Introducing families to the sport can be challenging initially, but eventually they see the rewards of doing gymnastics.

What’s the best thing about being a coach? 

The best thing about being a coach is walking into the gym every day and being able to help carry young girls towards their dreams. They inspire me to be creative and work hard to reach them on a deeper level. I love teaching them more than just skills, but how powerful their minds can be for setting goals and conquering challenges. I love empowering them to find that inner strength that I know is going to carry them through hard moments in life outside of the gym. 

What’s the secret to great coaching?

Everybody needs somebody in their life who’s going to believe in them – and a coach can be that person.

 

Ashley Anton was nominated for the Positive Coaching Alliance Coach of the Year Award, which is presented by TeamSnap.