Off Topic Tumbling in cheer vs. gymnastics

[Deleted member 26368]

Is tumbling for cheer - especially "sideline"/courtside cheer - taught differently than tumbling skills for gymnastics? I would think the difference in surfaces would be a factor, primarily for landing, but I could be wrong. My DS (non-gymnast) plays basketball and I've been able to see some middle school cheer squads up close as a result. I have seen some tumbling skills, mostly BHS and tucks, and since my DD is learning both in the gym, I'm curious about whether the coaching techniques are different. I absolutely *cringe* seeing girls tumble on a hardwood basketball court, since I'm so used to the padding and spring floors of gymnastics!

 

[JBS]

Yes… the surface causes the tumbling to change. If you are strong enough and quick enough you can do quite a bit on a basketball court though.

Surfaces I use as a coach are trampoline… then tumble track… then rod floor… then spring floor. I could add a fifth surface called “street” and the same concepts and progressions would still work. Most bodies can’t handle intense “street” tumbling though. You have to be very strong and quick.

 

[twistymstwistface]

yes there seems to be less riger around cheer tumbles (i'm sure that is not the case at the higher levels) but my son got such bad tumble habbits from his cheer teams that his tumble coach basically couldnt break the bad habbits and he had to drop as it was too unsafe for him to prgress to harder tumbles safely with the bad habbits he bought in from cvheer where the exact body lines and things arent as policed as they are in comeptoaive tumbling and could even be dangerous.

He's quit both now but my daughter does both still, shes managed to seperate the two better but I think at some point soon she will need to drop cheer to focus on Gymnastics then when that "career" is over go to cheer for fun and love of the tumble

 

[MuggleMom]

Anecdotally I dont see as much focus on form in cheer tumbling. Also learning skills it doesnt seem to be as much drills and progressions more learn by doing. It seems more heavily spotted (good) but it also seems a try till it feels right kind of approach. At least at my kids gym there is a lot more drills and skill parts till they can almost do it without a spot by themself and I dont see that as much in cheering. I feel like online I have seen some cheerleaders "chucking" skills and I dont see that * as much * in gymnastics. I also think thats why you see more bad habits in cheer tumbling than gymanstics tumbling

 

[Em09]

Form definitely isn't incorporated as much. Another factor is footwear. All the tumbling cheerleaders I have seen have cheer sneakers, so that may affect things. For one, their toes can't point as well in sneakers.