For a majority of the nations gymnastics clubs the summer presents an ideal time for upgraded training and skill progress. This is of course is referring to the Junior Olympic programs. Our national Elite program hits full swing through the summer months which makes things interesting for those programs that participate in both branches of the USA system.
Some benefits of summer training:
1- Most areas of the country are off school which creates a situation where athletes have more focus and energy for the training process. Instead of enduring a full day of academia prior to implementing the physical demands of training, now the well rested athlete can handle a more intense training regiment.
2- Most gyms are able to accommodate a morning training schedule during the summer months, thus once again, creating a situation where the athletes are fresh (at the beginning of the day) and ready to learn.
3- Likewise staff tend to be more motivated during the AM hours which in combination with fresh and well rested athletes potentially lends itself to a more productive learning environment.
4- Using the advantage of spreading your gym numbers over the entire day as opposed to lumping them into the 3-9:00 time slot that school dictates creates a facility usage benefit. Less numbers in the gym equates to a greater availability of equipment, more repetitions, more learning.
There are some drawbacks to be aware of also:
1- Fatigue Factor-Many clubs like to keep their weekends free in the summer. This is a great idea in terms of staff motivation as social/family time should be a priority. Keeping weekends open helps to lessen the signs of stress and ineffective coaching. Fresh coaching minds are a good thing!
With this being said however, lumping your 20-25 hours of training into a Monday-Friday training schedule can be challenging for the athletes. During the normal school year most would have a least one off day to break up the training load. Scheduling 5 days in a row during the summer could be something to reconsider OR at the very least take into consideration when setting up daily requirements.
2- Increased Hours Warning- Many clubs increase hours during the summer. We do and have for years, but the increased hours combined with the tendency to increase intensity piled on top of the Monday through Friday 5 straight days of training should raise warning flags everywhere. The potential for accelerated learning can be trumped by overloading the athlete.
3- Open Weekends-2 Days off in a row. With the weekends free to enjoy summer, the athletes have a tendency to exhaust themselves. Where one would normally think that two days off in a row would be a good rest opportunity, many times REST is just not on the itinerary. Be careful Monday mornings.
4- Conditioning programs- Summer time offers a great opportunity to focus in on raising the physical abilities of your athletes. Training individual upgrade skills is not quite as taxing as routines development and perfection, thus more time and energy can be allocated to conditioning. A major consideration here is to make sure the increase in demands and intensity is a gradual one. Prepare your athletes with a phased conditioning program (I just happen to have a complete Phase 1-2-3-4 program on DVD). Don’t simply introduce a program with high expectations prior to a step by step readiness program.
5- Focus issues- With the motivational carrot of the competition season gone or now in the far and distant future, some athletes struggle with focus and self motivated direction. Throw great weather and summertime fun into the equation and you can have a serious issue. I have found that summer training is a great time to re-establish specific yet realistic goals and timelines. These serve as a destination for the athlete, without which they many times wonder aimlessly. Set your goals going into the summer training program.
6- Weather Issues- Not all gyms have the luxury of air conditioned comfort. If not this can create a major training problem. Although I currently do not have to worry about this issue, some of my former training locations provided ample experience in dealing with training in THE HEAT of summer. Be careful here! There is a fine line between pushing your athletes to be tough and to persevere in difficult circumstances and being DUMB when it comes to the hydration and rest needs of athletes performing in adverse conditions. Hydration is vitally important in all settings BUT when the heat index is elevated be sure to allow for sufficient water breaks.
That’s all for now. As always if you found this blog topic useful by all means share it with a friend simply by clicking on your choice of social network below. Have a safe and productive summer!
