How is work organized at the Academy when most of the coaches and gymnasts leave for competitions? Elizaveta Zorkina and Alina Protasova tell us

During the Alina Kabaeva Grand Prix Champions Cup, training was conducted under the supervision of Elizaveta Zorkina and Alina Protasova. The experts told us more about the training process.

Elizaveta Zorkina noted that she helped the gymnasts work on their general physical preparation.

"We are currently working with girls who train with other coaches. Each of them has their own task, their own plan. I try to help them prepare for general physical training. We do the increased workload with them. We also maintain physical fitness, do run throughs, clean up the legs, the apparatus, so that everything is clean. And I’m preparing them for competitions soon. It’s interesting to work from the other side of the floor. That is, I was on the floor, and now I’m a coach, and it’s very interesting for me, I’m developing a lot," Elizaveta said.

Alina Protasova noted that in classes with preschoolers from free early development groups, special attention was paid to discipline.

"We divided the groups into two, made a schedule in advance, made it so that the preschoolers worked in the morning while the adults were at school, and then the preschoolers went to kindergarten, and the adults started working at lunch, so that everyone got everything done. Preschoolers need to be interested, maybe even play with them a little, so that they become interested in rhythmic gymnastics. A very important part is discipline, teach them to always greet everyone, not talk, listen carefully, and not get distracted. And adult gymnasts should already be practicing something new, working on the difficulties of their exercises and preparing for competitions," Alina said.

The Alina Kabaeva Grand Prix Champions Cup was held in Moscow from March 2 to 7. Gymnasts from the International Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs Association won 12 medals at the competition, six of which were gold.