Interview with Anastasia Yuditskaya, director of the rhythmic gymnastics club "Pirouette" for the portal Grazia-sport

However trite it may sound, as a child I dreamed of being a coach. I imagined that I would have my own rhythmic gymnastics club. I remember how I took the bus to the gym and imagined how beautiful my school would be, how I would invite my favorite coach, Olga Yurievna Chaikova, to visit me, and she would be proud of me. I even used to start talking in our team about my future club, telling the coach, choreographer and friends how everything would be organized there. Now I think that's why it was not possible to reach the heights in sports, although the potential was great: apparently, another dream lived in the depths of my soul. I believe that the fulfillment of the dream is still ahead, and I set the highest goals in the development of my rhythmic gymnastics school in Moscow "Pirouette".

I think that the most important achievement in my life is still ahead of me!
Well, if I draw a line right now, I would say: the main achievement is that I connected my life with rhythmic gymnastics! I'm talking about conscious choice, it's not just going to classes. The choice is when gymnastics becomes the basis, and everything else is an addition. Of course, except for family, because family is the most important thing.
In general, if you do what you love, then you are a happy person! ? This is my case.

Oddly enough, since childhood, any sports failure was perceived by me easily. I always said to myself: next time I will definitely be the first. I didn't sink into sadness, I believed in the best...
Now I try to deal with failures the same way, I just analyze more, sort out everything why something failed and how to fix the situation. And of course, I remember that there will always be ups and downs, victories and defeats in life. The main thing is to always remain human and behave properly. Sooner or later, everyone gets what they deserve. If you work hard, success will surely come. And the longer and more difficult the path to it, the brighter it will be!

This is a very interesting question :) Gymnastics is started too early to make an conscious choice. There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the coach and parents. How to understand that this is exactly what a child needs? It seems to me that this is intuition and talent: to recognize a child, to see his potential, a spark and that he needs it now and will need it later. It is very important to help cope with the difficulties that will definitely be on the way. In my case, it all happened, and I'm glad that it happened. There were people nearby who saw that gymnastics was mine. And they did everything to make me really love this sport.

Favorite, after all, the ball? When I performed, the program developed so that I was left without the ball, and I missed it. But when he returned to the program, I always worked out the routine with great pleasure, enjoying the performance of beautiful rolls and complex elements for flexibility.
Although the scores were always the highest for the ribbon and clubs.

I don't want to tell any common truths and talk about what is already known to all teachers and responsible parents.
I would like to tell you about the features that worry me. I believe that there are people who have a vocation and talent in teaching children! And I personally already see him. For example, when new specialists come to my club, watching the first trainings, I immediately see the potential. And first of all, it is connected with energy, the manner of communication with children, and only then with technical issues.
If a child comes to the gym and does not feel the charge of emotions from the coach, hears a sluggish count and just mistakes, she will never show his maximum. Children need to be motivated every minute, keep them in good shape, scold and praise necessarily! It is incredibly interesting to be in contact with them, and not just to conduct a lesson according to the scheme or sitting on a bench. Both I and all my coaches work in contact with children, we correct movements with our hands, we jump, can we say, near children? This is the only way work should go. Hence, the advice emerges by itself: share energy with children, work with your hands.

If we are talking about professional sports, I would single out the following main qualities:
Physical qualities are appearance and good health.
Spiritual qualities are diligence in the full sense of the word and purposefulness.
In a word, the stars must align. Often we see girls who have abilities or character, but there is no strong health. Or vice versa. But the champions are those who have all these qualities, and in the right amount.

The most important wish, I hope, will be received correctly. You need to be realistic, take of “rose-colored” glasses and sensibly assess the possibilities and prospects of the child. A properly defined goal is very important. For example, if you dream of a champion and see that the child is interested, go to a strong sports school of rhythmic gymnastics in Moscow, to a well-established coach. If the coach takes the child, it means that your plans and dreams can be realized, and then you need to work hard. If the coach doesn't take, don't get upset. It is necessary to understand that there is a reason, and it is worth accepting it. For example, if a child has very taut ligaments by nature, the coach understands that it will be problematic and difficult to stretch. There will be pain and tears - and perhaps in vain. This does not mean that you should give up such a wonderful sport as rhythmic gymnastics, you just need to understand the possibilities and prospects.