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YES. Puma Jr “had” ROBHS at 6&1/2, but it wasn’t pretty. Lol She didn’t HAVE it for a couple more years.Remember that "having" a skill and having it competition-ready are two very, very different things. Especially with the ROBHS.
I've seen this too- both with girls and boys gymnastics and it's terrifying. I flinch every time I see a little one doing a frog armed BHS where their head is inches from the floor.I worry about younger girls (ages 5 and under) doing back handsprings because their arms are either not or just barely long enough to reach past their heads. I’ve seen so many “phenoms” who’ve learned the skill on their trampolines or on a mat in the yard who are doing them practically on their heads.
Our HC won't let a child even try a spotted BHS, no matter the age, if they can't pass "the arm test" ... They have to be able to reach over their head and grab their ear on the other side (or something like that - lol). If they can't reach, they get to do some of the drills, but no BHS.I worry about younger girls (ages 5 and under) doing back handsprings because their arms are either not or just barely long enough to reach past their heads. I’ve seen so many “phenoms” who’ve learned the skill on their trampolines or on a mat in the yard who are doing them practically on their heads.
Thanks. Hers is definitely not competition ready as she just got it. She won’t be competing it this year so she has lots of time to perfect it.Where we live, the biggest age groups at L3 are 9- and 10-year-olds, which would mean most kids are learning ROBHS somewhere around age 8.
Remember that "having" a skill and having it competition-ready are two very, very different things. Especially with the ROBHS.
Thanks! Hers is not pretty yet as she just got it. I’m sure it will take a lot more practice to perfect it!YES. Puma Jr “had” ROBHS at 6&1/2, but it wasn’t pretty. Lol She didn’t HAVE it for a couple more years.
My girl learned hers in the gym with a coach so that it would be learned properly. She is definitely not doing it on her head or I would be putting a stop to that real quick. Thank you for your concern.I worry about younger girls (ages 5 and under) doing back handsprings because their arms are either not or just barely long enough to reach past their heads. I’ve seen so many “phenoms” who’ve learned the skill on their trampolines or on a mat in the yard who are doing them practically on their heads.
I greatly appreciate your wisdom! I try not to fall down that rabbit hole and I’m definitely not a parent who thinks my kid is going to the Olympics or will get a college scholarship. I actually turned down a spot on a team for my daughter when the gym told me how they produce college level gymnasts. That was their selling point for my daughter to join their team. I told them that my daughter was four (at that time) and that I didn’t know if she would even like gymnastics a month from now. It’s definitely easy to get caught up in the excitement of new skills and I definitely tell my daughter how proud I am of her. For competitions, I tell her to go out there and have fun and work hard. I also tell her that it doesn’t matter to me if she gets a medal or not, but if she wants one then she has to work for it. I’d love to see her stay in the sport for awhile so I try to be very cautious not to be a crazy gym dad.Backhandsprings at that age is impressive.
Without trying to detract at all from that, I'd like to respectfully caution you to please be wary here. I have seen formerly sane people whose daughter hits one or two milestones ahead of the curve, and then they fall down the rabbit hole of thinking their kid is the next Shawn/Nastia/Simone, and they then obsessively compare every possible milestone and end up putting so much pressure on their kids that they end up quitting.
I'm not saying you're doing that here; your daughter sounds like a talented gymnast, and you should 100% be proud of her, and I'm not trying to discourage that at all. I'm just saying there exists a rabbit hole, and it is dangerous, and please be wary of it.