General guidelines

General guidelines follow the general rules of didactics (J. A. Komensky) and the principles of motor learning (Schmidt, Fitts, Posner, Adams). The basic rules of didactics emphasize the principles of progress by applying the following four rules:  

• From the close to the distant
• From the simple to the complex
• From the easy to the difficult
• From the known to the unknown

In accordance with the rules of didactics and the principles of motor learning, we have prepared program, where elements are upgraded according to its biomechanics complexity. Students proceeds to the next level once he can perform the previous one. Jumping over elements are possible, however, not very recommended.

In gymnastics, there are 7 steps that need to be addressed when designing a lesson:

• Selection of the element for the student
• Introduction of the element
• The method of learning
• Exercises
• Definition of mistakes
• Spotting
• Organization of the training lesson

Selection of the element for the student

We choose an element for the student according to his

• technical knowledge (e.g., roll forward is required if we want to teach him dive roll)
• motor abilities (e.g., arms extensors and adductors strength are required to hold support on rings)
• personal characteristics (e.g., the level of fear when starting with a new element)
• morphologic characteristics (we choose such elements which biomechanical better suit the student’s morphologic characteristics)

In the program, we set the technical knowledge required to progress to the next element, the required motor abilities in general. Personal characteristics and morphological characteristics have very low impact on student’s mastering program as it is designed to fit them all.

Introduction of the element

The first stage in the motor learning is to know what needs to be done. The teacher has to describe a new element to the student. This can be done in many different ways. It is important to know that most people, and especially kids and also students, are visual types so the demonstration should be mostly visual. At the first stage, the demonstration should include the important body positions and their transitions in real time. For these purposes the demonstration can be done by the teacher at the first, later on by older students or it is possible to use modern equipment such as audiovisual technology and video recording of the model performance. The old-fashioned picture from the book or a hand drawn kinogram can be better used for correcting mistakes when the attention is drawn to a particular position. Verbal instructions in the beginning have never showed any success. Therefore, our project offers to teachers and students excellent tool to get familiar with introduction with element, not only by representing it via videos from different view angles, but also with explanation of biomechanics characteristics which are important to perform element.

The method of learning

Generally, in gymnastics we use two methods of learning. The synthetic method – where we try to perform the element as a whole, and the analytic method – where we split the element into important parts and learn the parts first and later join them into the whole element. In the last decade, even experts like Smolevskij and Gaverdovskij (1999) say that we should use the synthetic method wherever possible. However, for the synthetic method an excellent body control is required.

Exercises

From the beginning up to the competitive (or compulsory) exercises, we are always dealing with five different kinds of exercises:

• Preparatory exercises – to develop the motor abilities.
• Pre-elements – to train the whole or partial similar movement structures to our chosen element.
• Element as a whole (in normal and easier conditions – e.g., with spotter).
• Element in connection with other elements (possible connections: element + another element, other element + element, other element + element + other element).
• Element in the whole competition exercise.

We present elements, important preparatory exercises and pre-elements.

Definition of errors

Error is defined as a difference between ideal technique and gymnast’s performance.

In general, we speak of two categories of errors:

• Aesthetic errors – the structure of movement is not disturbed; only aesthetic presentation is disturbed. The most usual errors of this kind are bent feet, or slightly bent knees or elbows.
• Technical errors – the structure of movement differs significantly from the regulations. These errors can be further split into two groups:
  • Kinematics errors – significant difference in the prescribed body position, trajectory, velocity
  • Dynamic errors – significant difference in the required energy and stregth.

Important

First, we always correct the first technical kinematics error, which leads to and causes other errors. Next, we correct the dynamic errors, and finally we correct the aesthetic errors. Whenever we correct an error, we have to give the student the following information: we have to identify the part of the body and tell the student what to do, to do it right (a good example of instruction is 'stretch your left knee', whereas saying 'your left knee is bent' tells the student only about his status without instructing him what to do).

We describe the usual errors, as the error is a deviation from the element model technique and should be defined by the teacher.

Spotting

Three main reasons for spotting are:

• Health reason, prevention from injuries.
• Biomechanical reason, with spotting, the student can perform the element in easier conditions.
• Psychological reason, with spotting, we can eliminate fear and give the student more confidence.

To spot the student, the teacher has to:

• be familiar with the element technique,
• stand in the right place in relation to the apparatus and the student,
• choose the suitable action – e.g., pull, push, stop etc.,
• be in a good physical condition.

The teacher should always create such training conditions (e.g., faultless apparatus and mats, enough mats, wearing no jewellery etc.) which minimize the risk of injury.

We describe the suitable stand and spotting action for the teacher.

Organization of the training lesson

As we usually deal with one piece of apparatus in the gymnastics hall at a time, the lecture should be focused on one new element and besides it can be also exercising old elements. We do not show or discus any special lesson organization as it is always depending on many conditions such as number of students in a group, their abilities, knowledge, equipment in gymnastics hall, size of gymnastics hall etc.

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