This story confirms my belief that there's a quota for coordination and grace and gymnasts use up theirs while doing fantastic things on apparatus that most of us wouldn't touch. I know of so many gymnasts who had some kind of freak accident outside of the gym(one I know of broke her ankle just...
My kid just had her Level 8 State meet, having a sudden mental block on her back tumbling and her connection on beam (which has been on-and-off for two years). She was super frustrated with herself, but in the end changed up her floor routine, took the deduction, and moved on to make the...
Age groups are luck of the draw. My kid has been a State Champion twice because she was the only one in her age group. She also once missed placing on Vault at Regionals because she was placed in a younger age group and the next higher one had lower Vault scores. So it really goes both ways...
As a team they congratulate each other and share positive stories, then they get back to practice. For individuals, we have a coach who is a good videographer and he will break down a competition routine in slo-mo with key points stopped to show where the kid might be getting deductions. It...
Unless it was a really important meet (like my kid made Easterns or something, I wouldn't fly to a meet. It isn't worth it financially and it's not good for the environment and in the scheme of things, it's not going to make or break my kids' gymnastics career. But most of the meets we...
Mine definitely has a preference but it changes every year depending on what event she's struggling with. She definitely prefers to get the struggling events out of the way if possible.
My kid came home one day and told me she was doing hiccups on bars. I said "You're hiccuping on bars??" and she rolled her eyes and said "No mom! I'm doing HICCUPS on bars!!" Like that cleared it up.
My kid doesn't have a favorite but has, on occasion, blamed a poor routine on the equipment at meets. I can see that they all have a different feel (this one is bouncy, this one is slippery, the bars are soft, the bars are stiff, the floor was too bouncy....)
First meet about three weeks ago, another this weekend. Also, for the first time, my kid will be participating in HS gymnastics. Her school doesn't have a team yet, but she and a friend are competing as independents with another high school. So that will be a different experience!
Seriously.....I keep telling mine I have video proof that she can connect the BHS BHS. She switched to BHS to back tuck because it was "easier" and she still hesitates! But last year she buckled down and connected it for Regionals....so it's there somewhere.
You'd have to look at their rotation and where their feet are in relation to where the mat would be at the end of it to determine that. My kid learned to land the tsuk gradually, first into the pit, then onto one mat situated in the pit, then another mat on top of that one, until it was...
For what it's worth, anyone doing competitive gymnastics is "talented". I mean, it's not something I can do. My talents lie elsewhere.
Positive feedback is so important. So is criticism, as long as it is constructive. It doesn't sound like she is getting either.