Recreational Coaching Programme

Rec Programme

A clear apparatus-by-apparatus guide for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced recreational classes, showing practical example setups first and the expected skills underneath.

★
Target Skills

These are the priority skills for each level and apparatus. Put the most time and energy into these skills and aim to get the children in your group able to perform them.

AT
AT

Air Track

Rolls and travelling acro down a clear track. Intermediate and Advanced groups may finish selected circuits at the white block.

Rolls Travelling acro White block

Beginner setup: with a small group of around three or four gymnasts, using one station can make the group easier to organise and supervise. If the group is settled and able to work independently, the two-station examples below can be used.

1 Core
Station 1 Forward roll down the slope
Station 2 With Coach Backward roll on the floor
2 Core
Station 1 Mini handstands
Station 2 With Coach Backward roll down the slope
3 Progression
Station 1 Forward roll with straight arms
Station 2 With Coach Handstand held with support
SK

Beginner Air Track Skills

Backward roll down the slope
Backward roll on the floor
Forward roll down the slope
★ Forward roll on the floor
Forward roll with straight arms on the floor
Handstand held with support
★ Mini handstand
Headstand held in tuck shape

Three stations are not required. With a smaller group, using two stations may give the coach better focus and control while allowing gymnasts to work together rather than being unnecessarily separated.

The white block is an optional ending to one Air Track circuit. It should only be used when the coach is positioned to provide the required support.

1 Core
Start Backward roll to straddle stand
Middle Forward roll to straddle stand
End Cartwheel
2 Progression
Start Backward roll to front support
Middle Handstand forward roll or handspring preparation
White Block With Coach Supported round-off or handspring
SK

Intermediate Air Track Skills

★ Backward roll on the floor
Backward roll to straddle stand

Backward roll to front support

Forward roll to straddle stand

Handstand forward roll

★ Cartwheel
Round-off
Handspring progression
Supported round-off off the white block
Supported handspring off the white block

Three stations are not required. With a smaller group, using two stations may give the coach better focus and control while allowing gymnasts to work together rather than being unnecessarily separated.

The white block should be used as the supported ending to one full-track circuit rather than as a separate white-block-only rotation.

1 Core
Start Backward roll with straight arms
Middle Handstand forward roll with straight arms
End Round-off straight jump
2 Progression
Start Backward roll to handstand
Middle Aerial or handstand forward roll progression
White Block With Coach Supported round-off or handspring
SK

Advanced Air Track Skills

Backward roll with straight arms
★ Backward roll with straight arms to front support
Backward roll to handstand
★ Handstand forward roll with straight arms
Handstand forward roll to straddle stand
Handstand forward roll to pike stand with straight arms

Round-off reference

Handstand held for three seconds
Aerial
Front somersault off the end of the Air Track
Supported round-off off the white block
Supported handspring off the white block
TR
TR

Trampoline

Beginners use one side only. Intermediate and Advanced groups may use both sides when the coach can safely supervise both groups.

Shapes Drop skills Somersaults

Beginner Trampoline: use one side of the trampoline only, with a maximum of four gymnasts working one at a time. Do not split Beginners across both trampolines.

Work through the skills below one at a time. Give each gymnast a few attempts at the current skill before moving on. Continue through the list, then return to earlier skills if the group gets through everything quickly. On later rounds, each gymnast can simply have fewer attempts on each skill so everyone keeps moving.

SK

Beginner Trampoline Skills

Controlled straight jumps
★ Tuck jumps
Pike jumps
Straddle jumps
★ Seat drop
Seat drop to controlled stand

If there are only four gymnasts, keep the group together on one trampoline rather than separating them unnecessarily.

If both trampoline sides are used, the coach should position themselves on the side nearest the door where they can supervise both groups and clearly call instructions across to the second side. If supervising both sides does not feel sufficiently safe or controlled, use one trampoline only.

1 Small Group
Four Gymnasts Keep everyone together on one trampoline and work through the Intermediate skills.
2 Two Sides
Door Side With Coach Dive forward rolls onto a mini mat and back drops.
Second Side Pike jumps, straddle jumps, seat-drop work and swivel-hips progressions.
SK

Intermediate Trampoline Skills

★ Dive forward roll onto a mini mat
Back drop
Pike jump
★ Straddle jump
Swivel hips
Pike jump into seat drop
Straddle jump into seat drop
Seat drop into swivel hips
1 Core
Trampoline 1 Front somersaults onto suitable matting
Trampoline 2 Back-somersault shaping drills
2 Supported
Trampoline 1 Front somersault with controlled landing
Trampoline 2 With Coach Supported back somersault
SK

Advanced Trampoline Skills

★ Front somersault
Front somersault with controlled landing
Back-somersault shaping and take-off drills
★ Back somersault with support
VT
VT

Vault

Main Vault and Mini Vault work should be chosen to suit the level and group size. The coach should remain at the skill requiring the most support.

Main Vault Mini Vault Entry and block

Beginner setup: use one clear Vault setup at a time rather than splitting the group into separate Vault circuits.

1 Core
Springboard Straight jump off the springboard, landing in fix
2 Core
Mini Vault Squat onto the Mini Vault
3 Progression
Main Vault Squat onto the Main Vault
SK

Beginner Vault Skills

Straight jump off the springboard
★ Squat on to the block
Squat on to Mini Vault
Squat on to Main Vault
1 Core
Main Vault Squat onto the Main Vault
Mini Vault Forward roll over the Mini Vault
2 Core
Main Vault Squat on, forward roll off the Main Vault
Mini Vault Forward rolls over the Mini Vault
3 Progression
Main Vault With Coach Squat on, then headspring off the Main Vault
Mini Vault Headsprings over the Mini Vault
SK

Intermediate Vault Skills

★ Main Vault — squat on
★ Main Vault — forward roll over the Main Vault
★ Main Vault — squat on, forward roll off
Main Vault — squat on, headspring off
Mini Vault — forward roll over the Mini Vault
Mini Vault — headspring over the Mini Vault
1 Core
Main Vault Headsprings over the Main Vault
Mini Vault Arm-swing preparation
2 Core
Main Vault With Coach Handspring over the full vault
Crash Mat Handstand flatbacks onto a crash mat with the Mini Vault removed
3 Progression
Main Vault Half-on over the full vault
Mini Vault With Coach Front somersault over the Mini Vault
SK

Advanced Vault Skills

Handspring vault

Main Vault — half-on over the full vault
Mini Vault — arm-swing preparation
Mini Vault — headspring over the Mini Vault
Mini Vault — front somersault over the Mini Vault
FB
FB

Floor & Bars

Floor work can be used alongside coach-supported bars, with the exact structure adjusted to suit the size and behaviour of the group.

Floor Jumps Supported bars

Beginner setup: keep the group together at the bars. Gymnasts should have a clear place to sit and wait between turns.

1 Bars Setup
Waiting Area Gymnasts sit on a clearly marked line, mat or block and wait for their turn one at a time.
Low Bar With Coach Supported shapes, circle-ups and circle-downs.
High Bar After the low bar, the gymnast moves to the high bar to hang while the next gymnast works with the coach. Provide a suitable block or step so the bar can be reached safely.
Return When finished on the high bar, the gymnast returns to the waiting area ready for another turn.
SK

Beginner Floor & Bars Skills

Floor — straight jump, landing in fix
★ Floor — star jump, landing in fix
Floor — tuck jump, landing in fix
Floor — balance on one leg for three seconds
★ Floor — headstand held in tuck shape
Floor station — mini cartwheel using the block
★ Bars — hanging shapes with support
Bars — circle up with support
Bars — circle down with support
1 Simple Setup
Floor Group Choose a skill from the Intermediate floor skill list that the gymnasts can safely work on independently.
Bars Group Gymnasts wait at the bars and take turns one at a time with the coach.
Swap Once everyone has had their bar turns, swap the groups.
SK

Intermediate Floor & Bars Skills

★ Floor — half-turn jump, landing in fix

Full-turn jump

★ Floor — cat leap
Floor — headstand with straight legs
Floor — handstand to bridge, with or without a mat
Floor — handstand with straight legs
High bar — supported swings
★ Bars — supported circle up
Bars — supported back hip circle, with or without casts
1 Core
Floor Station 1 Walkovers
Floor Station 2 Round-off straight jump
High Bar With Coach Pull-ups, supported circle-up on the high bar and circle-down
2 Core
Floor Station 1 Full spin
Floor Station 2 Handstand held for three seconds
Bars With Coach Casts to back hip circle
3 Progression
Floor Station 1 Cat leap full turn
Floor Station 2 Headstand in pike, push to handstand
Bars With Coach Squat-ons with support and undershoots
SK

Advanced Floor & Bars Skills

Floor — split jump, landing in fix
Floor — tuck jump full turn, landing in fix
Floor — one-and-a-half turn jump, landing in fix
Floor — cat leap full turn

Full spin

Floor — forward or backward walkover
Floor — round-off straight jump
Floor — handstand held for three seconds
Floor — headstand in pike, push to handstand
High bar — supported pull-ups
High bar — supported circle up
★ Bars — supported back hip circle
Bars — squat-ons with support
BM
BM

Beam

Confidence and control should be built progressively from floor beam to low beam and high beam.

Floor beam Low beam High beam

Beginner setup: use two stations only per circuit.

1 Core
Low Beam Bunny hops along the top
High Beam With Coach Walking across with support
2 Core
Low Beam Leg kicks along the beam
High Beam With Coach Mini straight jumps along the beam with coach support
3 Progression
Low Beam Straight jumps along the beam
High Beam With Coach Leg kicks along the beam
SK

Beginner Beam Skills

Walking across the high beam with support
★ Bunny hops along the top of the low beam
Straight jump on the high beam
Controlled walking and balances on the low beam

Intermediate groups do not need to use all three beams. Using just the low beam and high beam is completely appropriate, particularly with a smaller group. The floor beam can be added when it improves the setup rather than simply creating an unnecessary extra station.

1 Core
Floor Beam Cartwheels
Low Beam Handstands
High Beam With Coach Tuck jumps or handstands
2 Progression
Low Beam Handstands with improved control
High Beam With Coach Handstands, tuck jumps or round-off dismounts
SK

Intermediate Beam Skills

Cartwheel on the floor beam
★ Handstand on the low beam
★ Handstand on the high beam
★ Tuck jump on the high beam
Round-off dismount from the high beam
1 Core
Floor Beam Backward walkovers
Low Beam Cartwheels followed by half-turn jumps
High Beam With Coach Handstands followed by front handspring dismounts
2 Progression
Floor Beam Handstand forward rolls or backward walkovers
Low Beam Cartwheel into half-turn jump
High Beam With Coach Handstand or half spin into chosen dismount
SK

Advanced Beam Skills

Backward walkover on the floor beam
Handstand forward roll on the floor beam
Cartwheel on the low beam
★ Handstand on the high beam
Half spin on the high beam
★ Half-turn jump on the low or high beam
Front handspring dismount from the high beam
Barani dismount from the high beam