Coaches Coaches, how do you know when a child is ready to try giants on the strap bar?

[erindel]

My daughter is 12, just started at a new gym and she was working out with the level 7's for the last three months. She has a weakness on bars, she never uptrained giants on strap bar before at her former gym. Everyone on her team has giants, even the level 5 and 6 kids have them on the strap bar already. She has yet to even try them. I was wondering if other things have to be accomplished first before a coach can trust someone to try them on strap bar, or is it up to the child wanting to try them? She was just notified that instead of being placed on level 7 like they told her she would, they are putting her on optional lev 6 until she makes her giants. her coach seems to think she can get her to do the giants over the summer, but i know that it will take her a long time until that happens. right now she is working free hips, kip straddle cast hs, sole circles, and flyaways. I am wondering why they havent even started strap bar giants, its like they are skipping over her and allowing everyone else to do them. I dont have knowledge regarding this so i wanted to ask you experienced coaches.
thx for your time.

 

[Gymsanity]

My main requirement is they have to want to. It takes a lot of time away from the rest of the group when I'm working on the strap bar, so if they don't want to be there, I don't want them there either. I don't know of any age, as I've had some amazing 5 and 6 year olds in straps. Is you daughter close in age and size compared to the other girls? Depending on the coach, it can be difficult to spot a large 12 year old. (just guessing in your case). Maybe your daughter just needs to show some initiative and ask. I can't ever remember saying 'no' to a girl that has come and asked me to do straps, belt, or anything else big and scary. Have her give it a try and I hope it works.

 

[erindel]

Thank you gymsanity for your reply. She is in a group of kids ages 9-13. levels 5-8. She is a tall girl, slim build, 93lb. She says she wants to try it but they dont have time to stop and work with her on it since shes new to the skill. She does have a small fear towards it and claims she will never accomplish it. I guess i can hope she tries it over the summer and eventually becomes comfortable with it as time goes on. Im not in a rush to have her be a level 7, six is fine for now. Atleast she gets to be optional and make her own routines. Thx again

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[Gymsanity]

Thank you gymsanity for your reply. She is in a group of kids ages 9-13. levels 5-8. She is a tall girl, slim build, 93lb. She says she wants to try it but they dont have time to stop and work with her on it since shes new to the skill. She does have a small fear towards it and claims she will never accomplish it. I guess i can hope she tries it over the summer and eventually becomes comfortable with it as time goes on. Im not in a rush to have her be a level 7, six is fine for now. Atleast she gets to be optional and make her own routines. Thx again

Believe me, I know what it's like to be busy, but we are never too busy to help. That's our job! From my point of view as a coach/owner, I would have her come in 15 minutes early or stay an extra 15 after workout to start introducing her to them. They can be a little scary at first, so I just start by putting them in straps and work tap swings at a comfortable level for them just so they get used to the feeling. When all is good, I have them swing into a long hang pullover. Even though I spot them, I put a pad in there so coming back to the bar won't hurt their hips. Funny how we don't like to do things that hurt. From there it progresses to a baby giant, and later a full giant. (could be weeks to months depending on the child and time spent). I know you already do this, but be sure you keep reinforcing the fact that she CAN do anything she puts her heart and mind to. Good luck.
PS. I know some gyms charge for private lessons, I don't, but you may have to do that to get over this small bump in her gymnastics road.

 

[erindel]

Thanks again, thats a good idea about coming in early or staying late. I will talk to her coach about it. If she works hard, i know she can do it.. i believe she can do anything with great practice and guidance from her coaches.

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[BlairBob]

Strap her in, swing big. Swing bigger and bigger.

You can also work swinging long hang pullovers, baby giants/overlo's where they pass through horizontal or higher and build it up.

 

[erindel]

Thank you blairbob. She has only done tap swings but she gets no momentum and ends up stopping. None of her coaches go over to her to help make her swing big and to correct her form. Even i can tell it doesn't look like the way the other kids swing but no one has helped her with it. I feel badly because she just gives up and never wants to try...

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[iwannacoach]

I'm sure you can see that the coaches know how to teach giants, and I wouldn't put a lot of energy into trying to figure out what is going on with your child with respect to giants. She needs to learn how to swing by learning what makes her body swing. She needs to spend time learning the motions and the timing, and there's very little a coach can do beyond giving her time to figure out how to use their limited instructions.

 

[dmytv]

My rule has always been 3 good clearhips in a row and then they are ready for giants. In the strap bar she can practice baby giants and clear hips, slowly opening up the hips and swinging bigger and harder. Swing forward and back to get the rocking motion and the momentium to go all the way around. Sometimes it is just about getting up the guts to go for it.

 

[BlairBob]

I wonder what her swing positions look like. If your positions are good and you aren't afraid, you can literally end up nearly in HS and then all of a sudden you are doing giants, sometimes forward more than backward.

Hollow/pike in the back, arch, snap-kick to hollow.

Thing is she says her fear is small, which to me means...she is more than just a bit afraid and thus might need to do them with a coach to get over this.

 

[erindel]

She is definitely afraid because she never went over the bar before so its like she limits herself to how high her swings get. She just needs a coach to stand there and guide her over the first few times then i think she could get it.
She also does not get good momentum back and forth, and says her wrists hurt in the straps.

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[iwannacoach]

It doesn't sound like she's ready to go over the bar just yet, and being spotted on them for a few days will leave her still struggling with imaging herself doing them by herself. She *needs* to feel ready, and won't be until she can walk up to the coach and promise that she just needs a few times with spotting.

Kids that place themselves in a position of having to do something they feel they aren't ready for will often do it totally wrong because they are thinking about the wrong things..... like how incapable they are.... instead of the things they need to think about.

She needs to bake a while longer.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

that's right ^^^absence makes the will grow stronger.

 

[BlairBob]

Well straps sometimes are not the most comfortable of things on the wrist. Need good wristbands. Long enough that you can cuff them a bit up your hand.

 

[erindel]

Yes she has long wrist bands that she uses.
I appreciate all the responses from you coaches, thank you.

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[BlairBob]

Ask her coach about private lessons or having a coach stand-in. I understand that it takes away from a coach being able to spot other things but...

 

[erindel]

Thanks, thats a good idea. I will talk to the coach. I think she feels apprehensive too because all the other kids have them except for her and one other girl. She feels like everyone is watching her try them on straps.

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[gymdog]

Yes, I think this is a circumstance where a private lesson would be appropriate and helpful to get started. I would let the coaches know you're interested.