Coaches 2nd meet and level 4's still wont connect ROBHS

[1sttimecoach]

Im at a loss. I have a few level 4's that will not connect their robhs in the floor routine. This will be our 2nd meet and Im at a loss. I have tried everything from drills, spotting, and verbially supporting them. Any suggestions? Im getting to the point where if they dont start working harder and putting more effort forth then I may not let them compete in state if they make it. What are your rules at your gym regarding required skills?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's vestibular. time and patience.

this is not about you and that you think they are not working hard enough or putting forth more effort. this is about their inner ear, their biology and the maturity of their vestibular system. it will pass.

if not in time for the meet, you can't put them on a floor not prepared where they can balk and become injured. so let their parents know that now. and make it clear to the kids that not competing is not punishment. that you have a legal and moral duty to keep them safe and that there will be 100 more meets.

 

[gralch1]

If a gymnast can safely do round off, stop, bhs I let them compete that to build confidence. But letting them and parents know that deductions are big.
If they do not have a safe BHS I do not let them compete. Kids and parents know the policy.
I do not normally spot in a meet unless I know the kid is 90% gonna do it without me touching her.
Don't give up coaching the BHS. I know the drills and spotting can get tedious but when they finally get it, it is the greatest feeling for the coach and the gymnast.

 

[Empowered]

Not a coach or anything, but my daughter's first gym would often let the very young 4's compete floor with just the roundoff. That gym didn't focus on scores at all mind you, but it was good to see the little ones out there get to work on the dance. Most of them scored 7.0 to 7.3 so the scores weren't great, but they were all too young to care anyway.

There is another gym around here locally that normally has quite a few teeny, tiny level 4's and some of them are spotted, some of them just do the round-off and some of them do the round off-stop-bhs.

Both of the gyms normally have quite a few girls repeat level 4 which might not jive with your gym's philosophy, but there are a lot of pretty laid back people around these parts. Also most of the kids I am talking about don't qualify to states anyway as it is nearly impossible to score a 34.5 with a low 7 on floor.

 

[funflips]

I had this problem with one girl in particular. One thing that helped her was doing a handstand on the edge of a folded panel mat and snapping down right into the back handspring. I spotted a lot of these and this helped. Also, do they connect it on a tumble trak?

 

[CoachTodd]

I like setting up 4" mats for them to tumble on to. For some reason they get the illusion it's safer and seem to go for the skill and focus on the shapes more. I keep reminding them to focus on the shapes in the skill and let the skill happen. Most kids try to either stop and do a standing back handspring after the round off or they start doing the back handspring before the round off is done.
I knew one girl that did really bad round off back handsprings for a year. Suddenly she did a round off 2 perfect back handsprings and never messed them up again. She turned into one of the most powerful tumblers I've seen (men included). She now has a scholarship pole vaulting.

 

[usnagymnasts11]

Ah, this seems to be a problem every year for me to. For me, it all depends on the kid. Some kids I can just "make" them do it, others I really have to take my time. For me, practice makes progress and little by little they get it. Sometimes it can be difficult because I'm just waiting for the day it will 'click' in their head (much like the level 5 kips-argh!) I'm currently at a YMCA that is pretty lenient- I still spot a couple of the girls on theirs on floor. For certain kids I'll spot, but others usually get it (depending on their temperament) if I threaten to scratch them if they won;t connect and I know they can. For me, it's all about individual kids and deciding what's best. But lots of repetition either way. I do not allow them to use tumble trak currently either.