WAG Consequences in elite gyms

[Deleted member D3987]

Dish rocks as punishment at our gym ,or refusing to do a skill example back walkover on high beam results in 100 back walk overs on floor, its not that bad its good for them in the end and works in there favour for strength , but I do agree yelling in the face of 8 yr olds probably not the best way to achieve the outcome but seems to be the way it's done ,

YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! & unbelievably ignorant...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

This is so not okay it makes me want to scream.

My dd had back surgery to fuse her spine. An over enthusiastic coach loved the fact that my tiny gymmie could do BWO on the beam, so often she would be left doing them for the whole practice. Years of back pain and physio followed, then eventually surgery. Three years after surgery she still is in pain daily. This also ended her gymnastics career. AT 13 years of age she was broken, it messed with her head terribly too, you cannot even begin to imagine what this kind of injury does to a young teen.

BWO's should be limited as much as possible. To hear that they are sued punitively in a gym is so horrific to me.

play on words??

 

[gymdog]

YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! & unbelievably ignorant...

Sad to see all the certifications in the world can't teach common sense.

Besides if a kid can't do something, doing it 100 times isn't productive. Sending them to climb the rope is better than that.

 

[shelovestoflip]

Dish rocks as punishment at our gym ,or refusing to do a skill example back walkover on high beam results in 100 back walk overs on floor, its not that bad its good for them in the end and works in there favour for strength , but I do agree yelling in the face of 8 yr olds probably not the best way to achieve the outcome but seems to be the way it's done ,

This is not acceptable. 100 back walkovers on floor IS bad for a growing child's back and is a recipe for a back injury. If your child is at a gym that believes 100 back walkovers is OK, I'd get her out of there!

 

[munchkin3]

OMG 100 BWO....GASP...

She is 8? I am sure practicing a lot of hours?
Amazing how coaches can really SUCK the fun out of a great and fun sport.

No offense to all the great ones out there!

 

[shelovestoflip]

I am wondering about the consequences that are given out at elite gyms, and the treatment of the kids.

My daughter is training at an elite gym and she is eight years old. (There are elite level athletes in the gym that compete at the international level). Mentally it is tough even on me.

They expect her appearance at practice to be perfect. God forbid her hair is not correct, they have threatened to cut it several times. A few times a month someone else drops her off for me - if that person sends her in with the wrong hair I hear about it.

The other day she received ten ropes for a minor infraction in the gym. It may have been a misunderstanding, or maybe she was disrespectful. The coach also mentioned she was not doing a skill that she previously had done well. I did not see it but I know the coach yelled at her until she cried. Then the coach gave her 10 ropes and she has marks on her body from it.

It appears to be old school training? Do 50 tucks on the floor(mat) until you land it correctly. This concerns me.

My daughter loves the gym and there are certainly good things about it too. However I have made huge efforts (driving, financial, time, etc). To arrive at the gym after a very long drive and then have to hear about her appearance for practice (and she looks like a lot of other girls there) is very discouraging. I don't think they are picking on only her. I think it happens to other kids as well.

I value any feedback you have. Is it like this in other elite gyms?

I'm curious what level your daughter is training. You say she is at an elite gym and she is 8 but not her level.

So much of what you write is just not ok for an 8 year old, even if they are 'elite'. I don't recall age/level...I know there is a minimum age by level (can an 8 year old be a level 10? Don't remember...)

And if she is Level 10 at 8, she has a LONG way to go before she can get to jr elite (13?? correct me if I'm wrong) or Olympics (16 that year).

I guess what I'm saying is, she's 8! Years of abuse to her body and her soul will surely end her 'career'......my 2 cents.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

Generally their is a not a whole lot of yelling at my dds gym unless the coaches are extremely frustrated with the gymnast because they aren't working to their best potential. I know yesterday my dd came home from gym saying that her coach was yelling because most of the girls were just laying on beams and talking instead of working, and on floor because some girls were just sitting on the ground instead of tumbling. My youngest dd is on elite track and does not get that kind if punishment for not doing something

 

[sce]

but seems to be the way it's done ,

Not everywhere.

 

[gothgymmom]

This is so not okay it makes me want to scream.

My dd had back surgery to fuse her spine. An over enthusiastic coach loved the fact that my tiny gymmie could do BWO on the beam, so often she would be left doing them for the whole practice. Years of back pain and physio followed, then eventually surgery. Three years after surgery she still is in pain daily. This also ended her gymnastics career. AT 13 years of age she was broken, it messed with her head terribly too, you cannot even begin to imagine what this kind of injury does to a young teen.

BWO's should be limited as much as possible. To hear that they are sued punitively in a gym is so horrific to me.

so, at home i should limit my DD's BWO and FWO? she does them all day and no matter if I tell her to take a break she still does them. Should I have a talk with her about it?

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

so, at home i should limit my DD's BWO and FWO? she does them all day and no matter if I tell her to take a break she still does them. Should I have a talk with her about it?

Definitely! Handstands and cartwheels are always fine

 

[gothgymmom]

ok. Thankyou. I will have a talk with her. Is there a limit on the WO's that she can do a day without any long term issues?

 

[Iwannabemargo]

when mine does them in gym its usually "5 to stick", but she can do them usually off the bat.

 

[gothgymmom]

yea, mine does pretty lovely WO's. She is also working on BHSSO's as well which need work but are very nice to watch. I just want to know how many WO's to limit her while at home since she does them constantly lol.

 

[sce]

I don't have an answer on numbers. I will say doing handstands at home, especially focusing on being tight and holding them as long as possible will help her more in the long run too. Also, doing her splits at home is beneficial.

 

[Bess]

so, at home i should limit my DD's BWO and FWO? she does them all day and no matter if I tell her to take a break she still does them. Should I have a talk with her about it?

I was the same way growing up. I used to try to get my hands closer and closer to my feet...my sister would measure it for me. Based off what I am reading here I got real lucky...I would easily do 35-40 a day on non gym days. This was the most advanced skill my parents would let me practice at home. After the first handspring in the yard it was forever banned

 

[bogwoppit]

so, at home i should limit my DD's BWO and FWO? she does them all day and no matter if I tell her to take a break she still does them. Should I have a talk with her about it?

Absolutely. Too many can do serious damage and done incorrectly they can do that damage even faster.

 

[ollieblueeyes]

FHS too? It's DD favorite mode on transportation!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

front handsprings are okay. but the problem with back walkovers is that WE can't see the child's spine. you end up finding out that you have done too many when they start telling you that their back hurts and they can't bend over. so, leave those at the gym where it can be supervised and the numbers are monitored during the normal course of a training week.

back walk overs, generally speaking, are a dead end element. and please don't show me video of the 1 athlete from GB and a Junior who just did one last week end. the big girls ALL tumble. those are the requirements.

 

[Faith]

back walk overs, generally speaking, are a dead end element. and please don't show me video of the 1 athlete from GB and a Junior who just did one last week end. the big girls ALL tumble. those are the requirements.

Would you say there's any point at all in teaching them then? Or do they have limited/tangential use, as in getting a child to get used to going backward before teaching BHS? Or even as a step to FWO and then on to aerial FWO (I pick that as quite a few elites use that skill on beam/floor )- in my head a FWO takes even more out of a spine than a BWO, especially with tight shoulders, so being able to do a BWO might help shoulder flexibility and general movement before moving on to a FWO… Or is it just best to work on flexibility indirectly and go straight to the ariel FWO..

 

[Faith]

Sorry- part 2, I keep getting that server error

BWO's are kind of ingrained in gymnastics though really.

And off on another tangent- I know many people are big fans of the GB elite range and conditioning sets, but there's quite a big portion of Ticktocks and bridges in there, right from age 7. And elite track kids practice a lot.