Parents does your gym allow gymnasts to adjust equipment?

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e'smum

Proud Parent
i know our gymnasts will sometimes adjust equipment (like vault or bars) and i'm just wondering if this it the norm. TIA!
 
I haven't seen it in our gym and practically speaking allowing athletes to adjust equipment like that opens a gym up to liability issues I would think.
 
No, no, no. Not unless they are doing it under direct supervision of a coach, and the coach checks it after the adjustment before any gymnast touches it.

If a kid adjust equipment incorrectly and a gymnast is hurt, the gym will be found negligent.
 
Our older gymnasts who also coach and have helped the coaches for years will sometimes adjust bars, but they are checked before being used. We use 3 settings only (now... As of the last 2 weeks). One set is always on wide. The other set is on FIG or the close setting for girls that jump to front support on high bar. This set is easier to adjust than the wide set.
Vault is less likely to be adjusted by gymnasts.
Actually, beam is the most adjusted by gymnasts.
 
No one but coaches set the unevens. Older gymnasts do set other equipment. Girls sometimes crank beams, both boys and girls set vault height (boys more often than girls), and boys adjust pommel height and handles and can take handles off and put them on. The older boys manage most of their pbar settings except at meets. One important exception occurs to me: only the coaches place the vault board. Athletes may adjust it after it's placed, but the coaches put it in the right place to start a group or rotation.

For those among you who are easily scared, try this one: we have a pit with an interchangeable bar rig. It can fit either a girls' bar or a boys' bar. The older boys are encouraged to grab a wrench and swap out the bar in either direction (put in the high bar to start their rotation and put back the girls' bar when they're done). Once the proper bar is in, the appropriate gendered group generally just jumps right up there and starts swinging! A few of the older girls can do this too.

The boys' coach emphasizes that once they are optionals, they need to take responsibility for knowing and checking their settings on all equipment. Most members of workout groups know not only their own but their teammates' settings.
 
i'm ok with it being done with coach supervision and a coach checks it after - if the kids are old enough/big enough. i was just curious and wanted an informal survey on other's experiences. i've not ever seen our beams adjusted. they always stay the height they are. we have enough beams that are different heights plus the ones on the ground. it was more the vault and bars.

thanks!
 
o.

The boys' coach emphasizes that once they are optionals, they need to take responsibility for knowing and checking their settings on all equipment. Most members of workout groups know not only their own but their teammates' settings.

This is huge. I have seen boys mess up (scarily) when coaches have had the settings for a different boy, or messed up settings. By optionals, boys know their settings. They will adjust the pbars, with a coach at meets, but at practice, can be doing it on their own. Same with pommels. They help set the spring boards/ vault tables.

From what I ahve seen, they are pretty good about it!
 
We (coaches and gymnasts) don't change beam heights. However, gymnasts, including the little level 3's, adjust bars and vault. Coaches are present for the younger kids, but the older ones can do it on their own just fine. All are checked before any skills are done.
 
I've seen the girls adjust the vault and also seen the girls switch the pit bar out for a metal bar (for strap work) on their own. The coach is always right there and these are older girls, levels 8+
 
We have a crank beam and the gymnasts move mats, but only coaches adjust vault and bars.
 

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