WAG Pre-Team Flexibility Ideas

[GymnasticM]

I've a new group of 5 and 6 years in almost a pre-pre team type group! I'm looking for ideas as to what to spend the last 15 mins doing during flex. I'm finding with splits there too young to do it properly?
Any idea appreciated

 

[coachmolly]

I don't do a ton of flex with my little ones. My pre-team group does splits pretty briefly while we stretch, I have them do them on a line on the floor to help them better understand staying in a straight line. I don't place much emphasis on how close they are to being all the way down, more on being in the correct position and pointing toes. We also do lots of pike stretches.
I would say we focus more on tight body stuff to get them to learn how to control their limbs before flex. We do lots of leg tightening drills instead- Things like on the first 3 posts here: http://swingbig.org/?s=tightening&submit=Search
Once they figure out how to keep their legs tight, we do kicks standing next to the beam for balance. But less focus on height of kick and more on tight legs.

But I also have a group of kids who tend to need more work on staying tight than flex. I'm interested in hearing what other pre-team coaches do.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I coach a little bit older pre-team/team, and we spend 5-10 minutes in the end on flexibility. I have uploaded an app called a HIIT Interval Timer on my phone. You can set it to alarm every 30 seconds or what ever you want to. The girls make a circle and I put my phone in the middle. I have also written a running list of stretches that has the most important stretches at first (like splits, pike and bridge) and the rest are less important. So it doesn't matter if they finish their conditioning sheets at different times, they just start from the top of the list when they are done with the conditioning and change the stretch when the alarm goes on. This app is a lifesaver for me - this way the kids really pay attention to their stretches and they change positions more quickly and do the splits every day. I can just move around the circle and correct their positions. Time is used efficiently, the girls can chat a little and we have more time for other things. I guess your little ones don't read yet so I would draw or print pictures of the stretches and make a list of them. This way they also have a visual cue of the correct position in front of them. I would add stretches like pancake stretch, pike stretch, bridge (my girls don't hold it for 30 seconds, they just hold it as long as they can and if they come down before the alarm goes on they rock in a tucked position), shoulders, frog stretch and hamstring stretch for splits.

 

[raenndrops]

I would add stretches like pancake stretch, pike stretch, bridge (my girls don't hold it for 30 seconds, they just hold it as long as they can and if they come down before the alarm goes on they rock in a tucked position), shoulders, frog stretch and hamstring stretch for splits.

I love that they do "rock and roll" if they come out of the bridge early. Too many coaches seem to forget that part.
I would add lunges - left, right, and forward with each leg to the stretches to help prepare for splits.

 

[nastia1]

You can also have them do bridges against the wall.

 

[GymnasticM]

Thanks for all the ideas, really appreciated.