[Happienumber]

Guys.

 

 

 

Updates:

 

1. I moved! No longer in the quarantine bubble, I have my own place!

2. I very suddenly got a new job yesterday! And now I'm

FREAKING

OUT

 

 

Whole new job story:

Spoiler

I was searching around to find a gymnastics gym that had adult classes or an adult open gym near my new apartment. The only one that had adult open gym was SUPER expensive (and 50 minutes away) and i was getting pretty down about, since finances have been extra tight and Ive been stressing (among other things, my work dropped me by 5-10ish hours a week and my kitty had an emergency vet visit I'll be paying off for months.)

But then they very close local gym (10 mins away) emailed me and was like... "we don't have any adult open gyms, but we're always looking for rec gym coaches, and use of the gym any time we are open is part of your compensation."

They wanted to talk to me right away and i went over in the middle of my errands! Wearing the worst outfit! And sweaty from being at the ice rink! And we had the chillest interview of all time, we literally sat on the gymnastics floor and stretched while we talked. I was worried it would be too many hours(because i still have my other two jobs)/they would want certificates/job experience ect...

 

Turns out its going to be exactly the hours i was looking to fill (averaging 7ish a week) and they are going to train me, I dent need any certifications to teach rec, and what they need immediately is actually a parkour coach for their ninja classes. I'll train to teach rec possibly next year in the fall when the team coach goes back to college, the current rec coach can move to team and i get the rec class. But for now i'm going to be the primary parkour coach and the sub rec coach.

 

She hired me on  the spot and i start on the 8th!!!!!

 

And now that its sinking in.....

I'm getting massive imposter syndrome. I've never coached before!!! I have NO IDEA what I'm doing!!!!!

I have to keep reminding myself that i HAVE taught parkour classes and that's what I'm going to be expected to take over after two weeks training. I'm not going to be the primary rec coach until fall.

BUT STILL

 

 

 

So I'm not 100% what my goals are going to be yet but I'm going to use zero week to try to wiggle it out.

I know it will generally be:

 

1. Something to prep me for this new job and lower my anxiety levels

2. Programming new workouts now that i can go to the gym 7 days a week if I want

 

EDIT:

 

S.M.A.R.T goals for this challenge:

 

1. Work on Level 2 floor skills 30 mins/week

2. Work on Kip-up progressions 30 mins/week

 

3. Watch two(2) coaching-related you tube videos per week

 

 

 

[Elastigirl]

That job is perfect for you. I think imposter syndrome is actually a pretty normal feeling. It means we are pushing outside of our comfort zone, which is hard, but is what we need to do to grow.

[Rhovaniel]

That is such an awesome opportunity for you! May it be everything you want it to be and more!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Before the internet and a name for it we didn't realize imposter syndrome is pretty much endemic to the human condition 🤷‍♂️

[Happienumber]

14 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

That job is perfect for you.

 

I so hope so. It feels right because i love teaching but I'm like....I'm a beginner myself!!!

 

59 minutes ago, Rhovaniel said:

That is such an awesome opportunity for you! May it be everything you want it to be and more!

 

I'm really trying hard not to fall into my normal habit of not letting myself be excited for something in case i'm disappointed. I'm really trying to believe this and lean into it!!

 

7 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Before the internet and a name for it we didn't realize imposter syndrome is pretty much endemic to the human condition 🤷‍♂️

 

I hope its imposter syndrome and not me just being a legitimate imposter...

 

I think i identified my two biggest hangups last night:

 

1. Kids don't respect me as an authority because they can sense I have no follow through.

                   I can lay down all the rules I want but kids know I'm weak and don't see me as a grownup. Then they misbehave and I do nothing about it. This was an occasional problem in my science classes at the library.

2.  I don't have all the skills I'll be teaching locked down for myself!

                   What if I need to demonstrate a skill I don't have yet???

 

Now I'm trying to come up with ways of mitigating this particular issues.

 

To start:

 

1. I know I'm good at enforcing safety rules, so I can panic less about the potential of someone getting hurt. And since i CAN get kids to listen to safety warnings, I need to figure out how to translate that into other directions

2. I'm looking up the updated 2021-29 gymnastics levels requirements and determining what sills I'm lacking so i can address those individually.

[RES]

23 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Before the internet and a name for it we didn't realize imposter syndrome is pretty much endemic to the human condition 🤷‍♂️

This has got to be one of the most accurate things I've ever read

[Athaclena]

CONGRATS! As a former gymnast (for fun and foundation for small school cheerleading - not competition level) I'm excited for you. And as Tanktimus mentioned - virtually everyone has Imposter Syndrome.

[Knightwatch]

Sounds like lots of things aligned for you with that job, congratulations!  Tootttally normal to be nervous, but no doubt that they are luck to have you!

[Happienumber]

11 hours ago, Athaclena said:

CONGRATS! As a former gymnast (for fun and foundation for small school cheerleading - not competition level) I'm excited for you. And as Tanktimus mentioned - virtually everyone has Imposter Syndrome.

 

Thanks! And very cool! How long did you do gymnastics/cheer?

 

 

So far what I'm learning is that backbending is my major limiting factor, as well as core strength. Looking at the skills lists, I can do all the level one floor, beam, and vault skills. All the way up to level four on  beam, actually (no back walkover for level five. That backbend shape eh?) I can go through level five for vault (don't have the twists for level 6.)

But i cant even complete level 2 for floor because I cant do handstand to bridge.

And i can't even do level 1 (!!!) on bars because I highly doubt i can do  a decent pullover if i cant even do a solid l-sit. I haven't tried for years but logically it wouldn't track. A pullover is basically a toes-to-bar but even harder, so.

And back hip circles seem WAY out of reach.

 

I know I'll be able to get my forward and backward rolls back immediately but its going to take practice to get them nice as ive spent 15 years unlearning them and drilling parkour rolls.

 

So i think this week's focus is mostly going to be thoracic mobility and hollow holds.

 

[sarakingdom]

What helped me a bit in similar situations was realizing that part of the problem with learning things and feeling competent at them is that, as students, we don't see authority figures learn or struggle, and thus we never learn how to attack problems, learn, or struggle ourselves. We don't learn the process, but judge ourselves on the outcome. Showing students how to learn things they don't know is a huge skill, and it means being okay with demonstrating the process ourselves.

[Everstorm]

On 12/24/2022 at 11:22 AM, Happienumber said:

What if I need to demonstrate a skill I don't have yet???

 

Maybe look for a capable student in the class who could demonstrate?  There's always one showoff who can do everything before the rest of the class 😂

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

10 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

What helped me a bit in similar situations was realizing that part of the problem with learning things and feeling competent at them is that, as students, we don't see authority figures learn or struggle, and thus we never learn how to attack problems, learn, or struggle ourselves. We don't learn the process, but judge ourselves on the outcome. Showing students how to learn things they don't know is a huge skill, and it means being okay with demonstrating the process ourselves.

I once heard that the best teachers are those for whom things came with a struggle, cause they know how to help people struggling to learn.

[Happienumber]

10 hours ago, sarakingdom said:

Showing students how to learn things they don't know is a huge skill, and it means being okay with demonstrating the process ourselves.

44 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I once heard that the best teachers are those for whom things came with a struggle, cause they know how to help people struggling to learn.

 

These are really good points. I think this is why I've always liked working with neurodivergent kids because I've been able to see them struggling with something and be like, "hey i struggle with that EXACT issue, here's what helps me, let's troubleshoot together and see if i helps you" when a lot of the other adults in their life didn't have that perspective. I really like helping kids over that stumbling block and finding solutions so maybe that will translate over here.

 

1 hour ago, Everstorm said:

Maybe look for a capable student in the class who could demonstrate?  There's always one showoff who can do everything before the rest of the class 😂

 

🤣😂🤣 You're SO right! I think that's probably going to be a huge resource.

[Happienumber]

Some of the exercises I'm going to be working with this week:

 

 

 

 

 

That butcher block stretch is SO helpful to me. Holy Hannah. That's so tight but I can feel how big a difference it makes in my mobility after I'm done.

 

[Gemma]

4 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I once heard that the best teachers are those for whom things came with a struggle, cause they know how to help people struggling to learn.

 

3 hours ago, Happienumber said:

I think this is why I've always liked working with neurodivergent kids because I've been able to see them struggling with something and be like, "hey i struggle with that EXACT issue, here's what helps me, let's troubleshoot together and see if i helps you" when a lot of the other adults in their life didn't have that perspective. I really like helping kids over that stumbling block and finding solutions so maybe that will translate over here.

 

^^ Excellent points! I love to teach the things that were really hard for me to learn, and I really don't like it when a teacher or coach assumes something will be easy for me because it was easy for them. 

Also, I've had my current job for fifteen years and been highly successful at it, and I still frequently feel like they will find out any day now that I'm just winging it and actually have no idea what I'm doing. Keeps me on my toes, though  

[DoubleTrouble]

Congrats! Hope it goes well.

[Snarkyfishguts]

oooh this new job sounds super exciting! And you'll get to learn something as well, so I feel like that's a win-win. Teach and learn. You're not an imposter, you're a person in progress. I should be looking in the mirror when i say these things. I hope you have a ball doing this.

[Happienumber]

Well I just had moment of semi-relief. I've been barely able to get up in to my back bridge at ALL. And i was running through those drills mentioned above for the first time yesterday at my friends house and one of my buddies goes "so whats this for" and i was like, well as you can see i cant even do a bridge" and then proceeded to push up into a decent bridge that i could hold for 20 seconds so

 

1.YAY these stretches are effective and

2. They seem to be effective FAST

 

Perhaps I'll be ale to get my handstand-to-bridge faster than I thought. Still probably not in two weeks, but the situation feels less dire.

 

 

2 hours ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

You're not an imposter, you're a person in progress.

 

I like this a lot.

On 12/26/2022 at 2:17 PM, Gemma said:

Keeps me on my toes, though  

 

There is that tho! Never gets boring!!

[Rookie]

On 12/24/2022 at 11:22 AM, Happienumber said:

but I'm like....I'm a beginner myself!!!

But with your personality… beginner isn’t beginner lol
 

On 12/24/2022 at 11:22 AM, Happienumber said:

1. Kids don't respect me as an authority because they can sense I have no follow through.

                   I can lay down all the rules I want but kids know I'm weak and don't see me as a grownup. Then they misbehave and I do nothing about it. This was an occasional problem in my science classes at the library.

I mean I could be wrong here but it’s a different audience. If these kids are in ninja school /doing parkour its because they want to be there lol 😂 whereas science class at the library there’s a larger chance their parents might of made them. I could be wrong though. Either way the kids will probably like you because they think you are a ninja and you can do really cool admirable things like juggle knives and lightsaber fight. 
 

Huge congrats on the new dwellings and job! How cool

[Rhovaniel]

Heck yeah for progress! I hope you're feeling a little less worried about the new job. I think you're going to be great 😊

[Mistr]

Hey there! Welcome back!

 

On 12/23/2022 at 6:44 PM, Happienumber said:

1. I moved! No longer in the quarantine bubble, I have my own place!

2. I very suddenly got a new job yesterday! And now I'm

 

I'm getting massive imposter syndrome. I've never coached before!!! I have NO IDEA what I'm doing!!!!!

I have to keep reminding myself that i HAVE taught parkour classes and that's what I'm going to be expected to take over after two weeks training. I'm not going to be the primary rec coach until fall.

 

Yay for having a new apartment, a new job and gym access!

 

Note that most coaches of kid's programs have no formal training. They just grab an adult who is willing to take on the role. Bonus points if the adult has done the activity in question at some point in their life. The supposition is that you paid attention when people were coaching you, and now you can do the same thing for your students. In practice, many people paid no attention to pedagogy because they were too focused on the activity at hand, and therefore suck at teaching. You have a low bar to success in comparison.

 

On 12/24/2022 at 10:22 AM, Happienumber said:

I so hope so. It feels right because i love teaching but I'm like....I'm a beginner myself!!!

 

Excellent - you love teaching. That will get you through a lot.

 

I've been in lots of classes where the teacher said "I just learned this cool move and I'm trying to figure out how to do it, so that's what we are working on today".

 

On 12/24/2022 at 10:22 AM, Happienumber said:

I think i identified my two biggest hangups last night:

 

1. Kids don't respect me as an authority because they can sense I have no follow through.

                   I can lay down all the rules I want but kids know I'm weak and don't see me as a grownup. Then they misbehave and I do nothing about it. This was an occasional problem in my science classes at the library.

 

Take a look at what kind of misbehavior you tend to see and what you could do about it. Make a list.

K pulls T's hair.   Consequence: time out

T calls M names.  Consequence: T must say three nice things about M or sit out the next 15 minutes

R does not pay attention to instructions and wanders off.  Consequence: must sit on the side watching for the rest of class.

 

Watch other people teaching kids of the same age and see what they do. Chances are you will get both good ideas and things to avoid by observing.

 

Once you decide what behaviors are not acceptable, be consistent about enforcing the consequences.

 

On 12/26/2022 at 8:15 AM, Everstorm said:

Maybe look for a capable student in the class who could demonstrate?  There's always one showoff who can do everything before the rest of the class 😂

 

I have seen this done effectively in both aikido and dance classes. The chief instructor of my dojo is now 70 and has had a hip replacement. There are some things she can't do any more. She frequently will have two students demonstrate a technique, then ask the class what the important points are, before having us practice the moves.

 

19 hours ago, Happienumber said:

Well I just had moment of semi-relief. I've been barely able to get up in to my back bridge at ALL. And i was running through those drills mentioned above for the first time yesterday at my friends house and one of my buddies goes "so whats this for" and i was like, well as you can see i cant even do a bridge" and then proceeded to push up into a decent bridge that i could hold for 20 seconds so

 

1.YAY these stretches are effective and

2. They seem to be effective FAST

 

Perhaps I'll be ale to get my handstand-to-bridge faster than I thought. Still probably not in two weeks, but the situation feels less dire.

 

Awesome!

 

That is really encouraging. I can't do a full bridge. Maybe mobility is part of my problem. I thought it was just lack of strength.

[Happienumber]

21 hours ago, Rookie said:

But with your personality… beginner isn’t beginner lol

 

LOL what does this mean hahhahaha

 

21 hours ago, Rookie said:

If these kids are in ninja school /doing parkour its because they want to be there lol 😂 whereas science class at the library there’s a larger chance their parents might of made them.

 

Yeah I think that might be part of it, so it might be easier for this. But there's always a problem kid (i WAS that kid in my gymnastics classes) who can't/won't pay attention or who wanders off to do their own thing.

I've already been warned of one, and I haven't even started lol. I'll cal him L for anonymity but my boss has already made the comment of "maybe you'll be the one to solve the L problem" so now I feel the pressure to actually do that LOL even though its not REALLY pressure. Apparently he likes to try to get other kids in trouble.

(Ironically I already have a theory on what might help without even meeting him but you you as sun tsu sad "no plan survives contact with the enemy" (not that i consider the kids enemies, just as a saying) so it will likely mean nothing once I'm actually interacting with him.  But I have a based-on-essentially-nothing hunch that maybe he needs to feel separate from the group and in some way extra special to the coach so I'm going to try giving him lots of tasks to do like "L you look really strong, can you help me move this mat" and involve him in cleanup and stuff. I remember when my coaches would ask me to help set up and break down the equipment I fell like The World's Most Special Boy™ so maybe it will help. It also could spectacularly backfire so....)

 

21 hours ago, Rookie said:

Huge congrats on the new dwellings and job!

 

Thank you! It's really made such  a difference not having housemates. All my decisions are my own and it's such a weight off my mind. It's made a hug difference in my cat too!! He had such anxiety living with other cats, he'd rub his eyebrows off and then raw. Now he's got fur there again!! He seems really happy here.

 

 

16 hours ago, Rhovaniel said:

I think you're going to be great 😊

 

Thank you!

I'm trying to believe it, because every single person I've talked to about it has said the same thing. That its the perfect job for me. That's got to mean something.

So we'll see lol

 

2 hours ago, Mistr said:

You have a low bar to success in comparison.

 

I hope so. I do know that the other three gymnastics coaches either:

 

1. Have been NCCP trained and certified, or

2. Competed in gymnastics at a higher level than me or are still competing (young coaches)

 

I don't know about the parkour coach. But they DO know I'm not certified and only competed until I was nine and hired me anyway, so that' on them lol. I can see how the would be pretty desperate as it's not like our area is known for its gymnasts. Hockey players, sure. Gymnasts, not so much.

 

2 hours ago, Mistr said:

Take a look at what kind of misbehavior you tend to see and what you could do about it. Make a list.

 

This is really good advice. Writing  down a list of most likely issues and coming with counter-moves for each one.

I think a large portion for me is determining exactly how to speak to them in a way that conveys authority but isn't mean.

Spoiler

I as talking with my therapist about this and she thinks this job is gong to be a good exercise for me. I am so concerned with never hurting a child that I swing way too far in the other direction that I'm afraid to even speak firmly to them. Finding the right balance is going to be super hard for me, but ultimately is something I really need to work on in interpersonal effectiveness anyway.

I've been watching a lot of you tube videos of coaches coaching ad trying to build up a little toolkit of phrases to have on hand.

 

3 hours ago, Mistr said:

I can't do a full bridge. Maybe mobility is part of my problem. I thought it was just lack of strength.

 

I think mobility is the biggest part of it, actually. I mean I guess it varies by person, but I know a lot of people who can bench and press huge weights but not bridge because of the mobility issue. I've personally never seen it the other way around, though I'm sure it happens.

 

This is my starting picture. It's improved since this, but I'll wait until the end of the week to post my updated picture.

 

[Happienumber]

A loose idea of how I might schedule my training:

 

Spoiler

Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday:

Floor

Warm up (jogging, animal movement/crawling, dynamic stretching, joint mobility)

Forward and backward rolls

Handstand holds

Handstand rolls and pivots

Bridging (shoulder mobility work, elevated feet bridge, far-from-wall handstands with straight legs, emphasis on shoulder mobility+thoracic bend)

Cartwheels and roundoffs

Tumbletrack cowboy rolls

Tumbletrack front handsprings

Macaco progressions

Kip-up progressions

 

Staff spinning for 20-30 mins

 

Monday and Thursday:

Bar

Warm up (jogging, animal movement/crawling, dynamic stretching, joint mobility)

Pullovers

Casting

Back hip circles

Beam

Walking a few times to warm up beam specifically

Pivot turns

Cartwheel dismounts

Run through level 1 USAG beam routine

Escrima or juggling 20-30mins

 

How does this look? Over training, under training? Any idea on what to add/re-arrange?

 

[Happienumber]

So I decided on my challenge goals and edited my topic post to reflect this.

 

1. Working on my level 2 floor skills at least 30 mins/week.

This is mostly bridge work and handstand-to-bridge work, as that's my primary skill that I can't complete for level 2.

2. Work on kip-up progressions 30mins/week

idk if I'll get my kip-up this challenge, but i hope so. That's the ultimate goal.

3. Watch 2 coaching-related YouTube videos pr week.

Something to get me feeling more ready. Whether it be spotting techniques, watching an entire recorded class and taking notes on the coaches methods and phrasing, or just child management videos like how to teach preschool. Anything to get my brain feeling like I have a toolkit to pull from.

[Happienumber]

 

 

This is the workout I've done three times this week and went from this:

 

 

to this:

 

 

 

So I feel like is making some progress