Growing your program is the first key to growth, but without proper retention, the program will find itself at a point of stagnation. We’ve tested many things over the years to see how to best retain our athletes for competitive tumbling. Until ATC began, we found that we’d have athletes for a few years and then they woud often transition to competitive cheerleading as there were more opportunities to compete at higher levels. That wasn’t bad for our cheer program, but it was disappointing for the remaining athletes who didn’t express an interest in cheer. We found that over time, they would drop off around the age of 15 or 16 years old. For that reason, we developed ATC with higher levels of skill available and more challenges for athletes of all ages. We’ve also learned the following keys to increasing our retention over time: 

1. Individual sport – team mentality. The best part of competitive tumbling is that if you have athletes that play other sports or have inconsistent availability for practice, they can still be very successful in tumbling. If they miss a practice, no problem! They can make it up by scheduling a private lesson! This isn’t easy in cheer or dance, but it’s definitely possible in competitive tumbling. Because it offers flexibility in that manner, it can often feel like a fully individual sport. It’s also important to build a “team concept” so kids can make friends and have the support they need when they are challenged. We’ve helped build the team mentality through the following things:
   1. Create a time each week when the athletes will watch one another’s routines and cheer them on. For us, this is usually the last 10 minutes of a practice. Athletes can sit to cool down or even stretch while cheering on teammates who are performing their routine.
   2. Consider a practice uniform. Our “team mentality” really grew when the athletes looked alike at practice. The simple act of matching helped them recognize other athletes as teammates rather than as competitors. 
   3. Do team-building activities. Our team does a variety of team-building activities each year. Though they are individuals competing in the sport, the bonds they can build with teammates can aid in retention. Consider having a team rep or your tumbling director set up team-building activities. 
   4. Be spirited! My favorite years are the years parents made posters, signs and decked out in Twisters apparel for competitions. While this isn’t “normal” locally in competitive tumbling or gymnastics, we found our athletes performed better and felt more excited to compete when they had others cheering them on. 
2. Select routines that will challenge your athletes. Unlike cheerleading where we often place athletes on a level where their skills are already perfected, your athletes will drop off more quickly if you do this in tumbling. We find our athletes are most motivated and grow the most when they can do about 50 percent of the skills in a routine in May. This gives them six months to attain the remaining skills before the first event and the rest of the season to perfect those skills. If you find that your athletes are learning or perfecting the skills more quickly than you had anticipated, consider offering power tumbling and/or mini tramp so they can compete and learn additional skills. Additionally, athletes can compete multiple levels of compulsory routines at the same time. There are times we have athletes who score very well in November at a level five routine and are ready to move up to level six by January. They will continue practicing both routines for championship in March. This allows them to continue perfecting the skills while challenging their memory and precision with both routines.
3. Help families know what to expect. Anticipate their needs and questions in advance. If an athlete is struggling with skills at a particular level, make sure to notify parents early on. Offer skills clinics and private lessons to help athletes work on those skills early in the season. If you know an athlete is struggling with a skill just a few weeks before a competition, set goals that don’t involve placement or winning. Instead, perhaps your goal is, “Complete your handstand pirouette without dropping or rolling out.” You – as the coach – can help the athlete set realistic and challenging goals. Always communicate those with the athlete’s parents to ensure success.

We are grateful you’ve trusted the American Tumbling Championship as your preferred events for this season. We look forward to helping you retain your athletes and grow your program!