Athlete profiling
Athlete profiling can be recorded and displayed in a number of ways. Two popular ways that are easy to understand for gymnasts and can be useful in highlighting differences between coach/gymnast perceptions are radar graphs and bar charts. These are demonstrated in the example athlete profile of physical preparation below;
Physical Profiling
This is perhaps the simplest of needs to profile as it involves conducting a physical test for a given factor, which yields a recordable result. Some important considerations here are to ensure that the test is specific to the area of physical fitness you are intending to test, that the test is reliable and can be replicated at a later date to determine progress.
Specificity – when profiling bicep strength; maximum muscle-ups may not be the best method as it is a compound exercise (i.e. uses multiple muscle groups), so a bicep curl would be more specific.
Reliability – relates to the notion that a test should yield the same (or similar) results if repeated. Using a test that relies more heavily on skill will reduce reliability as the chance of making an error is higher. So using maximum double leg circles on a mushroom may be a more reliable measure of straight-arm endurance than swinging ½ pirouettes on parallel bars.
Replication – data obtained is only valid if the test can be reproduced to enable a comparison. So a timed sprint between 2 randomly placed cones cannot be accurately reproduced, whereas a timed sprint between 2 cones measured at exactly 20m apart can be.
You may have access to a local university or sports science hub that could provide assistance and advanced equipment in running some standard recognised tests. But, in most cases, carefully selecting and setting up tests in the gym to test specific areas of physical fitness is adequate. It may also be beneficial to measure gymnast height and weight – however, care should be taken to keep this information confidential and stored in line with your club’s data protection policies.
Psychological Profiling
Psychological profiling can be a bit more tricky to measure than physical profiling, as it involves a degree of subjectiveness (i.e. an opinion) and is often done retrospectively, meaning that a gymnast may struggle to recall accurately how they felt at a given time in the past. Nonetheless, it is a valuable tool to be used in gaining an insight into the psychological strengths and weaknesses of a gymnast.
This can be done by observing and identifying certain behaviors that may be indicative of a certain psychological trait. For example, anxiety may be demonstrated by withdrawing effort or avoidance of certain tasks.
Another approach would be to engage a gymnast and talk directly about their mental state and feelings during the best and worst performances. Alternatively, completing competition debriefs, training diaries and mood questionnaires may also prove useful in recording thoughts and feelings and how these may fluctuate throughout a training phase or during competition, providing valuable data for the coach to consider and analyse.