Do you let your gymnast tumble outside the gym?

[gym-mom-fla]

OK Mariposa, I clicked on your link for the homeschool article and read the first TWO paragraphs and was like, "What is this? What am I not getting", it finally clicked that it was written very tongue-in-cheek! Very cute, and yes, it has been a looong week! Oh, and I never let Ky tumble at home despite the fact that she is desperate to show off for her friends. First, coaches lecture against it, and second, it just seems to risky, she's used to a springy floor, not my very uneven grass in the backyard. We don't have a trampoline, so there is no temptation there. She would love one though!

 

[bogwoppit]

If you trust me with your kid and you tell me they can't do something. Not only will I make sure your kid doesn't do that thing, but I will also not let my kid do it. Just because that is good manners and I wasn't brought up to be disrespectful.

I have a springfree tramp with a net, my kids are allowed on it one at a time and all sorts of rules apply. Friends are allowed on it with me there, and can only do stuff that I am happy with (which isn't much).

NO tumbling on the grass ever, we know way to much about overuse injuries. But Baby Bog has perfected her mill circle, that she will never even use in Canada but has seen her "friends" in the USA do, on the bar at school. SHe has some bruises to show for her labours.

I cannot imagine someone entrusting me with the care of there child and not taking it seriously. Your rules are still to be adhered to, no matter what.

As for the homeschool comments, how did we go there??? That is hijacking for no good reason.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Isn't that what you just did?

Gotta go irresponsibly homeschool my kids! That was definitely the main reason we chose homeschooling. For the irresponsibility factor.

Increasing Number Of Parents Opting To Have Children School-Homed | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

hahahahaha...mariposa i just wet myself! LOL!!

oh, and wait...no tumbling outside the gym. to dangerous. oh my gosh...i'm still laughing to hard. gotta go...LOL...mariposa hit my funny bone.

 

[MdGymMom01]

Isn't that what you just did?

Gotta go irresponsibly homeschool my kids! That was definitely the main reason we chose homeschooling. For the irresponsibility factor.

Increasing Number Of Parents Opting To Have Children School-Homed | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

OMG!!! This is too funny. I had to read it again more closely also. Yes it has been a LONG week for me I need to steal this for my FB! If you don't mind

 

[Mariainlv]

As for the homeschool comments, how did we go there??? That is hijacking for no good reason.

I didnt hijack the thread, at least nit intentionally. I only made a passing reference as an example. I wasn't directing the comment at ANY individual. Mariposa, I didn't know you homeschooled. I only figured this out AFTER you said something. My intent was only as an example, not a direct reference.

Poor example, but the underlying idea was that people make all sorts of parenting decisions I disagree with. Theirs to make (in reference to you being annoyed by other parents choosing their battles)

 

[mariposa]

I didnt hijack the thread, at least nit intentionally. I only made a passing reference as an example. I wasn't directing the comment at ANY individual. Mariposa, I didn't know you homeschooled. I only figured this out AFTER you said something. My intent was only as an example, not a direct reference.

Poor example, but the underlying idea was that people make all sorts of parenting decisions I disagree with. Theirs to make (in reference to you being annoyed by other parents choosing their battles)

Glad to know it wasn't in reference to anyone. I get very frustrated when people are negative and uneducated about homeschooling. I would love to know how anyone could call it irresponsible? All the homeschoolers I know have come to the decision after much thought and research and to have it called irresponsible upset me. I never would call a person who sends their kid to public school irresponsible and many times they have never considered any other option. Their choice. Like homeschooling is our family's choice. I don't try to convince people to homeschool.

 

[mariposa]

hahahahaha...mariposa i just wet myself! LOL!!

oh, and wait...no tumbling outside the gym. to dangerous. oh my gosh...i'm still laughing to hard. gotta go...LOL...mariposa hit my funny bone.

The Onion is full of hilarious articles. You really must look around at all the other stuff on there. Some really funny stuff. Whenever I need a laugh, I go there for a few.

 

[mariposa]

Thanks for all the replies! I really wasn't trying to start a debate between those that do and those that don't. Just interested in the different view points and really wanted to hear from coaches as well. Everyone makes their own decisions regarding their kids!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Good luck trying to stop them. Gymnasts need to be upside down and as a coach you know they will show their skills to their friends on the school yard and you know they will try things on their backyard trampoline. The best you can do is talk to them about safety, if they are working on new skills let them know they aren't ready to try them on their own yet.

One of the biggest things we have to be careful of as a coach is not being over protective, this can cause more problems. If we are constantly holding kids back and not being prepared to teach them the skills they are ready to learn they will teach them to themselves, and this is when it gets really dangerous. We are better off teaching them a little sooner but in a safe way in the gym.

Telling kids not to do things at home doesn't work, teaching them about safety does. Teach them to be aware of their surroundings when they do skills, teach them to read the signs their body is giving them of being too tired or not concentrating enough, teach them to understand why we don;'t allow them to go home and try their brand new skills straight away, teach them to learn to understand their skills and feel when they are really not ready to do them at home.

We have all had many kids who come in the gym and throw all sorts of flips often on the trampoline. The coach who just growls at them and says "don't do that its dangerous" is the one most likely to have an injured kid. The kid obviously does them at home and will continue to do so if they don't get that outlet in the gym. The coach who turns around and says "OK, lets work on that and see if we can make it a bit safer" will have the safer gymnasts in the end.

 

[tumble_acro_lizz]

i tumble outside of gym no somersaults though just back handsprings and stuff like that on grass and wood. stupid i know but i do it although i do have a friend who broke her arm badly doing a cartwheel on grass (she is a gymnast and it wasn't anything new for her) she put her hand in a ditch covered by grass i also did an injury to my hand doing backhandsprings down a hill, i dont really know what happened to it but my whole hand was bruised and swolen...so all the parents who limit their children from tumbling outside the gym ar probably right!!

 

[mariposa]

Good luck trying to stop them. Gymnasts need to be upside down and as a coach you know they will show their skills to their friends on the school yard and you know they will try things on their backyard trampoline. The best you can do is talk to them about safety, if they are working on new skills let them know they aren't ready to try them on their own yet.

One of the biggest things we have to be careful of as a coach is not being over protective, this can cause more problems. If we are constantly holding kids back and not being prepared to teach them the skills they are ready to learn they will teach them to themselves, and this is when it gets really dangerous. We are better off teaching them a little sooner but in a safe way in the gym.

Telling kids not to do things at home doesn't work, teaching them about safety does. Teach them to be aware of their surroundings when they do skills, teach them to read the signs their body is giving them of being too tired or not concentrating enough, teach them to understand why we don;'t allow them to go home and try their brand new skills straight away, teach them to learn to understand their skills and feel when they are really not ready to do them at home.

We have all had many kids who come in the gym and throw all sorts of flips often on the trampoline. The coach who just growls at them and says "don't do that its dangerous" is the one most likely to have an injured kid. The kid obviously does them at home and will continue to do so if they don't get that outlet in the gym. The coach who turns around and says "OK, lets work on that and see if we can make it a bit safer" will have the safer gymnasts in the end.

Nice post. I disagree that not letting them do skills on dangerous surfaces is overprotective though OR holding them back.

I do think that teaching safety is great though! Especially to be aware of their surroundings, not to try new skills, etc.

 

[gymdog]

Yeah, I suppose I don't find that too overprotective. I did gymnastics as a child too (is that not obvious? haha. Thought I'd mention it!) and I would think most coaches did and could relate. I'm not that risk averse in terms of a lot of things...I was a nanny for a toddler and I'd let him climb to the top of the jungle gym (I'd stand nearby but he could do it) and I remember one day someone else around us looking in horror asking how I was so calm. Eh. To me it's not that dangerous. I was close enough to break the fall if he fell, just wasn't holding onto him.

I consider things anything flipping to be more dangerous, you are going back to your head, etc. Uneven and substandard surfaces really aren't the appropriate place for that. That said, I did high school gymnastics for awhile and we tumbled on hard floor. But I was much older and pretty aware at that point of what would be appropriate (most of the high level club gymnasts did some combination of skills ending in a full twist, and most of the club coaches would specifically not allow any twisting past a full).

Also there's a matter of space and other kids. I knew someone on another board whose daughter had (accidentally of course) kicked her brother in the head doing gymnastics, resulting in a hospital stay. This is my problem with hearing things like "good luck stopping them" when it comes to doing gymnastics in the store, at school, etc (I know you weren't talking about those specific circumstances, but I've heard it). I'm guessing any child in competitive gymnastics for the most part does not have developmental delays that preclude them from learning age appropriate social behavior. And it is not acceptable behavior to me to be doing gymnastics in school or other places. Some of the kids I coach are doing a gymnastics unit in school and complained they couldn't do anything and got in trouble for doing handsprings. I told them they need to follow all instructions and do only what the teacher says, nothing else. Who cares if it's boring? Many things are. I think they have enough control of themselves. I'm talking about 7-10 year olds here, and I know for a fact they can listen, understand, and carry out instructions very well on a consistent basis.

I don't think I ever did more than cartwheels or handstands at home, but I do handstands all the time. I'm not talking about that. I can't really imagine doing running tumbling in my yard. My parents definitely would not have allowed that. And I don't think they'd even have to impose consequences. I pretty much just knew that wasn't allowed at our house. My parents have never been involved in gymnastics themselves (beyond me doing it, I mean) and so home was just not where that amount of gymnastics was supposed to "go." And my parents didn't allow trampolines either, except at gymnastics. But I think the main danger of trampolines is having more than one kid on it at once. Even just for bouncing. Dangerous, especially if some children are smaller. The number one rule should be one at a time for any trampoline.

 

[Linsul]

We have all had many kids who come in the gym and throw all sorts of flips often on the trampoline. The coach who just growls at them and says "don't do that its dangerous" is the one most likely to have an injured kid. The kid obviously does them at home and will continue to do so if they don't get that outlet in the gym. The coach who turns around and says "OK, lets work on that and see if we can make it a bit safer" will have the safer gymnasts in the end.

I have nearly 5 heart attacks an hour when I do summer camps or friday night out because of this. I'll watch a kid who bails walking across the floor throw something on the tramp because they do it at home. I do teach them as much as I can while keeping things moving, even if it's just how to fall safely. What kids don't understand is that the tramp at the gym may be more/less bouncy than the one at home, and it does affect how hard they have to jump or how tight they have to hold themselves. In their mind it's just "OMG BOUNCING IS FUN AND THIS BOUNCY LIKE AT HOME!! TIME TO FRONT TUCK WOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I do agree it's best to teach them than forbid them, after all, they are at a gym! Some of them can make safer changes very fast, the others have to understand why what they're doing isn't safe and could result in inury. I've stopped plenty of the more dangerous backyard tramp warriors in my time for sure; or have had them land in the pit rather than the trampoline. My general rule is if they can't bounce without head wobble and out of control arm swings I don't care what they can do at home, flips aren't happening.







*On a personal note: I had a coach who told me nothing more than handstands at home, and a mom that thought it was no big deal to tumble. We butted heads on that a lot. She'd ask me to show people stuff, and I didn't want to if it was beyond a cartwheel. It get's confusing when 2 authority figures give you conflicting messages as a child. In the end I decided it was my body and my joints that hurt on grass/cement/dirt and stood my ground though it didn't make her thrilled with me. Totally frustrating and unnecessary. My moms logic was paying to learn skills I should just perform at will. Mine was 'ok so I should listen to my coaches except in matters of safety, got it.'

As a teenager at the time, I had the hormones and the smart mouth to express that inconsistency. Loudly. Younger children may not, but it most likely confuses them too. The way I see it now as an adult with a child of my own is I back up her coaches and teachers the way I would back up a decision by my husband. If I disagree after talking to them, it's time to go. Putting her in a position to act inconsistently with what she's taught by people I tell her she needs to listen to isn't an option.

 

[nevertooold]

If you are a parent, do you let your kid tumble outside of the gym? If so, why?

If you are a coach, would you want your gymnasts tumbling outside the gym? If not, do you talk to them about this at the gym?

My girls are level 5 and 6 (soon to be 6 and 7). I allow cartwheels, hs and walkovers in the house on a mat. We keep a mat out as like to choreograph routines constantly but keep it to dance and the basics above. I do not "allow" anything else and for the most part I am pretty sure they do not.

We do not "allow" our team gymnasts to tumble outside of the gym and we strongly discourage the use of backyard trampolines. We do talk about it at the gym and they know that it is b/c we all work hard at the gym to help them learn to tumble well, correctly, and safely and that when they tumble on other surfaces they can undo the hard work that we and they have both put in and more importantly they can injure themselves. We have girls that break these rules, and lots of times we can tell b/c it shows in their tumbling at the gym, heads back, arms swinging, timing off, double bouncing the trak, just showing habits that we did not teach. For the most part I think our girls respect the fact that we are working very hard at every practice to help them be their best and they do not want to disrespect us by picking up bad habits.

We have also on occasion had to explain to parents that when they encourage tumbling outside the gym they are undermining our ability to coach their child. They are putting a wedge of distrust between us. Some do it anyway and such is life. But knowing they may do it anyway is no excuse to "allow" it, that in my opinion is laziness or irresponsibility. They will not always do as we say but it is still our job to say it.

For the record we are home-homers (thanks for the cute article Mariposa).

 

[superflipgirl]

I don't really think my parents mind me doing gymnastics out of gym, my mom sure doesn't mind, and my dad used to not like me doing it, but when I'm on the beach he actually wants me to show him some gymnastics. I don't really do much gymnastics outside of gym, sometimes I will do back handsprings on the mat during gym class. A few years ago a boy was trying to teach himself everything I did, when he came to school he said he taught himself how to do a round off back handspring, and then one time he asked me how to do an aerial, and I was like "No you are not teaching yourself how to do an aerial!" LOL!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

beaches/sand are fine.

 

[Blackie6]

Good question mariposa,

Yikes, this is tough to answer though because I do not encourage my daughter to tumble outside gym, but she is a very physical girl and she just has to be moving at all times...so it happens! We took her to the gym when she was about 3 because she was running full speed ahead and putting her hands down and flipping over. Scared the heck out of me actually. Didn't know the name of the skill at the time but she was trying to do front handsprings, LOL, and it just didn't look safe to me. So began the gymnastics. When you spend so much time in the gym I guess it is only natural for them to also like to "show-off" at times and my daughter does that too. When my son is done at wrestling she runs to the mats fro a couple BHS or ROBHSBT. She also loves a good artificial turf or well groomed baseball field. We let her do a couple and then put the kabash on it so she doesn't hurt herself or get other non-gym trained friends hurt. She is allowed to teach them her routine minus the tumbling, LOL, and is allowed her floor beam (not full sized)in the living room with her mat underneath to play on. She is able to do maybe one BWO and some leaps on that if she wants. We can't seem to stop the handstands, it just happens and BWO in the middle of the softball field, but firm NO to any playground bars, she had a nasty rip a couple years ago from playing on those..bars are for the gym. We have a trampoline, she does a couple things outside, but nothing complicated and it has a net around it. So, we try not to allow her to do stuff outside gym, I tell her all the time 15 hrs is plenty of time for gym, but it is hard to keep them with their feet on the ground! I imagine that is why we are all here in this forum to begin with, LOL

 

[MissBear]

I hate hearing that a gymnast has a tramp at home. The only things that I would let any gymnast do without supervision is shapes, and Split/Side/ change leg split/side jump and leap practise and you can bet they are not properly warmed up and stretched out.

From what I've heard, having bars/beam/mat at home varies in how common it is depending on where you are. Of all the gymnasts I've ever coached I know 1 has a soft, floor beam - it doesn't seem to be a problem here.

I do know a boys coach who is also mum to two gymnasts (9 and 12) on the pre-elite track (I believe it's similar to Future Stars). They have mushrooms and paralettes.
I don't have enough boy's knowledge to comment on that. Anyone do?

 

[cher062]

If you are a parent, do you let your kid tumble outside of the gym? If so, why?

If you are a coach, would you want your gymnasts tumbling outside the gym? If not, do you talk to them about this at the gym?

LOL like I have a choice. She tumbles everywhere there is space. At home we do have mats so she tumbles there. We have a tramp so she tumbles there. The mats go out in the backyard now that the weather is nicer so she tumbles there.they have mats at school she tumbles there. Anywhere she thinks is safe she is doing something in gymnastics. The good part is she has a good head on her shoulders and makes good judgments as to if it is safe to tumble or not. She usually only tumbles where there is someone to supervise her. at home she gets her brother to watch her (he is a coach at her gym for the boys team and the rec classes so I don't worry anymore then if she tumbles at the gym)

I would say it depends on the kid. I've seen rec class kids who really should only tumble and do gym at the gym - doing it out at the park and I know they are going to hurt themselves.

 

[cher062]

I didnt hijack the thread, at least nit intentionally. I only made a passing reference as an example. I wasn't directing the comment at ANY individual. Mariposa, I didn't know you homeschooled. I only figured this out AFTER you said something. My intent was only as an example, not a direct reference.

Ok quickly jumping on my soap box

Poor example, but the underlying idea was that people make all sorts of parenting decisions I disagree with. Theirs to make (in reference to you being annoyed by other parents choosing their battles)

Even as an example you stated home school = irresponsible parent

Nothing can be further from the truth. I don't homeschool but know many who do and irresponsible isn't the word I would use to describe them.

There is a lot of non homeschooled kids I can think of with irresponsible parents

Stepping off soap box.