Parents Meet report and a beam question

[IreneKa]

Hi,

DD is in XCel Bronze. We had a great meet this past weekend. She'd finally gotten through her bars routine without falling. Although, I know she can do even better, but she got a solid score of 9.1 and 4th place. Her vault was also pretty good - 9.05 and 3rd place. She did her floor routine beautifully and got 9.35 and 1st place (Yay! Her first first place ever!). Beam... well beam wasn't very good as usual, only 8.4. But overall we are very happy with her performance. She got AA score of 35.9 (her previous best was 34.95), and 4th place AA, also her best so far! States are coming up this Saturday, hoping she would do even better!

Now on to my question. As I said, beam is DD's weakest event. She is just scared of it. Everything is very slow and shaky, and she falls down a lot. We are thinking of buying her a home beam, so she could practice at home. Does anyone have those? Does it help having one? And, which one would you recommend? I've been looking at these two:
Amazon.com: The Beam Store Pink Suede 8-Feet Gymnastics Balance Beam: Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com: Balance Beam - BB8-12 - Padded Suede 8 Foot Balance Beam (Tan) with 12" Riser Legs: Sports & Outdoors

I like the one with higher legs, but not sure if it's steady enough.

Also, any other suggestions on how to help DD overcome her fears? She is not afraid of heights in general, it's just the beam... I guess she fell off of it a few time in the past and had gotten hurt, so now she is afraid.

 

[CreateMagic]

Great meet! Beam can be so frustrating...repetition is important, and building confidence, working skills low to high beams, with and without matting. Trust her coaches to get those drills and reps in. I'd talk to her coaches too about her fears and wanting help to overcome them. They may have some ideas for you.

What session are you in Saturday for states? I'm coaching all day there. Good luck to your DD!

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

My dd was in xcel bronze. We just finished regionals, whew. At first, she also struggled with beam. I had her one made. She was practicing daily on that dear beam. She got first a couple of times. Her highest beam was 9.6. Good luck to your dd.

Sent from my SCH-R720 using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[IreneKa]

Thanks!

CreateMagic, I did talk to her coach. She didn't say much, just that yeah, some kids are afraid, she'll get better. I asked if it would help to have one at home, she said probably not, because she is ok on a small beam, and only struggle on the high one. But I watch her in practice, and even on the lowest beam her handstand is not really a handstand. So, I think having her practice at home on a small beam might help.

We are in Session 6 this Saturday, 5:15.

 

[cbifoja]

My daughter has the pink suede 8 foot beam. It is wonderful. Very solidly made and she uses it constantly. Turns, jumps, stacks panel mats to work BHS (my requirement, she claims she doesn't need them), BWO. I think it has increased her confidence.

 

[Flossyduck]

My dd has a 10' floor beam, a bit like the first one you show (ie. almost on the floor) but with a bit of padding. You can just get a thin mat under it. She uses it, not for the walkovers and so on, but to mark out her routine and for spins and jumps. It's not something I ever push or suggest to her, but when she has a comp she will get it out and practice the dance and leaps for it and she likes to make up her own moves and show me, over and over... I didn't get it new, because I didn't think she'd use it much, and she doesn't use it all the time. I bought it from someone at her club who is now national squad, so that was a nice little bonus and means I don't mind how much it gets used or not. But yes, I'd say it's useful and appreciated.

 

[CreateMagic]

I'm sorry your coach did not have much advice for you. I know we've worked a ton this year getting my littles comfortable on beam--well, the other coach has, I'm not the beam coach, lol. We practice 5.5 hours a week, so similar to you. What I've seen of beam is lots of reps and lots of drills. We have 4 high beams and several low beams, and whenever I've walked over to that gym (we have 2 spaces separated by a wall), every kid has been on a beam, so that half hour of beam a day is truly a half hour ON beams.

515 for states, huh...bummer I was hoping for my first real life chalkbucket meetup! I've got girls in sessions 1-3 (yes, I get to be there at 745...ugh! Saturdays are my sleep-in days!!! Haha). Good luck anyhow, I can't wait to hear how she does!

 

[MaryA]

I bought one at a yard sale (score!). I don't know how much it helped, really. I think it was mostly just for fun. The cats have enjoyed using it as a scratching post and my husband, when he was seeing a physical therapist for shoulder pain, was lying on it for one of his stretches. So I guess it has seen some use. If you can find one for a good price, preferably used, I'd say go for it. If not, maybe the $$ would be better spent on a private lesson or two? Maybe some focussed time on the "real beam" might do more towards buildling confidence than practicing at home on the low beam. But then again, if it's the end of her season, maybe just give it time. This could change completely between now and the beginning of next season. She could turn into a beam queen and be struggling on something comletely different. Welcome to the wonderful world of gymnastics!

 

[profmom]

Our floor beam has been an awesome help in training! My son has a great cartwheel on beam now! :/

More seriously on the fear issue -- my DD has also been struggling with beam fears this year. The only answer is practice, practice, practice, practice. I think it's almost always somewhere around the 50,001st repetition of the scary skill, whether it's a cartwheel or a standing back tuck on the beam, that does the trick. (Hoping that we are somewhere in the upper 40,000s for that darn handstand-back handspring by now!)

 

[emorymom]

I think a blue painter's tape line on the floor is fine. If her issue is high beam, maybe you can take her to open gym somewhere.
It's possible she is not required to do a full handstand. Our AAU old 3's get credit for a 3/4 handstand, I think, and AAU old 4's do full handstands for credit. I believe new USAG 3 (old 4) is going to require them to be square over their hands but in a split. She just starts New 3 this week, as they don't do a lot of uptraining.

We have a folding suede floor beam I got for $50 off Craigslist, which yea, is great for DS showing DD that he can cartwheel on a beam.

 

[IreneKa]

Mixed opinions. Hmmm.. Maybe I'll check out the creigslist for a used one.

I'm not sure how much of a handstand is required, but she's been scoring 8.4-8.5 and not getting any better. This time she fell on her turn, so it's not just handstand that is problematic.

 

[IreneKa]

515 for states, huh...bummer I was hoping for my first real life chalkbucket meetup! I've got girls in sessions 1-3 (yes, I get to be there at 745...ugh! Saturdays are my sleep-in days!!! Haha). Good luck anyhow, I can't wait to hear how she does!

Maybe next time. Good luck to all your girls too!

 

[GymBeeMom]

YOu are gonna laugh, but here is our beam story. My DD is scared to death of the beam. SHe has a love/hate relationship with it She wants to love it but is just plain scared. She copes with the fear and has come a long way, but here is the level 4 story...

She was shaky and nervous, even though she could do the skills. Couldn't score or stay on the beam because of her nerves, plain and simple. The week before states we had a relationship therapy session between her and her little floor beam at home. No joke, this is how it went.. I told DD she was about to become best friends with the beam. She had to tell it how she felt and when it didn't answer her back (feeling ridiculous the whole time) I told her that it was because it a good listener, like any good friend should be. I told her it would never move, always staying steady for her. It would never tell anyone how scared she really was. All she had to do was depend on her beam to be there for her and it would happen, she had to trust her friend, the beam. WE got silly and made her hug her beam and draw it a picture.

She won 3trd in state on beam that weekend.

It is still scary, but she remembers that goofy moment and it helps her thorugh the scary stuff. She still gets nervous, but she always places on beam (even though she is slower to get her skills due to her fear). She just started working BHS back layout on beam, and she is still scared...but she has made friends with the beam for life.

As for getting a home beam, she never used her home beam after that because the skills got too hard to safely do at home. It is now a place for her Barbies to do fashion shows. And coaches never wanted our girls to have equipment at home...

 

[IreneKa]

What a cute story, GymBeeMom! Thanks for sharing! So, did you do this at the gym, in front of everyone? Or found a quite time when no one was there?

 

[Gymmom495]

Haha Barbie fashion show!! OMG I needed a laugh!!!
I totally understand beam therapy. When my daughter started, the group would go to beam and she would panic. It took weeks for her to get over it and to this day the beam is still her weakest and least favorite event. She loves the dismount part and have seen her throw a few cool looking ones but I think she can do those only because its her escape from the beam.
We should have them start a gymnast with beam issues support group. Haha!!!

 

[IreneKa]

She loves the dismount part and have seen her throw a few cool looking ones but I think she can do those only because its her escape from the beam.
We should have them start a gymnast with beam issues support group. Haha!!!

Same here! She is so glad that it's over, that her dismount is always perfect. LOL

 

[JMACAZ]

My girl is also an XCel Bronze. She did struggle with beam at the beginning of the season due to nerves. We got a home adjustable beam. It has helped a lot!!! Especially with her handstands and turns. She went from mid 8s to a 2nd place finish at State with a 9.0 and a 10th place finish at Regionals with a 9.05. We also did a "what is the worst thing that can happen" talk. And about how of her fears were not even possible-falling off a beam at the gym and hitting her head on the one next to it. She is small so there is no way I would check Craig's List for one

 

[juststartingout]

My dd has a home beam 12 inches high. It has really helped her with staying on the beam and gaining confidence in her routine. Even when her skills become too difficult to do at home her routine will always have turns and leaps that it will continue to help with. I wouldn't get the floor beam if her issue is fear, the slightly higher one would be more beneficial in my opinion. I also got mine used so you could look around first.

 

[IreneKa]

Update on our State meet.
It was okay, not our best meet, but not the worst either. She did good on vault, got her personal best of 9.225 and 3rd place. She did very good on bars, also personal best of 9.25 and 2nd place. I thought her floor routine was fine, didn't see any major mistakes, and the score wasn't that bad - 9.15, but we had a very strong competition on the floor, all the girls in the other team were doing ROBHS, so with her 9.15 DD didn't even place in the top 6. Was a little upsetting, after taking first place at the last meet. And beam was beam, as usual. I didn't think it was too bad, but they only gave her 8.0, so no placement either.

 

[IreneKa]

I wanted to show you her beam routine. I just want to know what she did so terribly wrong to get such a low score. Please, be honest, I won't get offended.
State Cup 2013 - Beam - YouTube