WAG Flexibility

[cprp]

Asking coaches and experienced parents. Little girl soon to be age 7 and strong. Good bars (favorite!) floor, vault. Level 3. Needs shoulder flexibility and flexibility in general. "Old school" coaches used to stretch kids. Do coaches do this any more? I kind of wish they did.

 

[rosettasmom]

At our gym, the girls who need to, do shoulder stretches before each event. This is from my dd, so not exactly sure what all it entails other than she said they stretch each other a lot.

 

[cprp]

Thanks rosettsasmom!

 

[cprp]

Not to offend anyone but I kind of think CB is not my forum. I was all in lol! I did TRY but I don't think I fit in. It's no one's fault! Maybe I tried too hard. I still love this site. I only ever knew mag so I hope you all know I've gotten such an education regarding wag from all your posts! I feel like I know so many of you guys!I'll still be watching and wish all of you and your gymnasts my best!

 

[Gymsanity]

Not to offend anyone but I kind of think CB is not my forum. I was all in lol! I did TRY but I don't think I fit in. It's no one's fault! Maybe I tried too hard. I still love this site. I only ever knew mag so I hope you all know I've gotten such an education regarding wag from all your posts! I feel like I know so many of you guys!I'll still be watching and wish all of you and your gymnasts my best!

I'm not always the sharpest tool in the shed, so excuse me for not understanding your post. Did someone say something I missed??

 

[MILgymFAM]

I am not sure what happened between your first and second post, but as to your first.. DDs gym everyone was stretched by the coaches. There were typically a lot of tears and a few arguments with parents, so I don't know that everyone loved it, but DD did.

 

[Ex member]

Dd's coach has started to stretch the girls at the end of session, they do splits stretches and split stretches and also back and shoulder stretches, there are no tears and they all ask for more lol.

 

[wsg13]

We do flex every night. On a height on floor with front leg then back leg. Then on the floor. Leaning forward leaning back. Middles both side on height then floor. Shoulders, pike, bridge seal on a height.
Some nights we do partner shoulder stretches with 5 different exercises.

 

[Noideaaboutgym]

At our gym the boys are stretched by their coaches at all levels. The girls only seem to be stretched by the coach in pre team and then they have to do it themselves with over stretches off different pieces of equipment. After dd being in tears after being stretched by coach I am not overly keen on it personally. I have seen teenage boys in tears on the boys side which again doesn't sit well with me.

 

[lovemygymnast]

They do stretches at the gym with the coaches but my DD is apparently very strong and less flexible, particularly in her shoulders. They told me to get a wooden pole/dowel and have her stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold the pole palm down and then have her put her arms over head to behind her back. They need to start off wide and I marked the placement. And she has to repeat it twice daily for 5 times and keep moving hands closer in with each try. The other was holding the pole palms up stepping over it and pulling arms overhead to the front and also repeating 5 times twice a day. There are other stretches on the bar but those are the main 2 she does and it has helped.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Not to offend anyone but I kind of think CB is not my forum. I was all in lol! I did TRY but I don't think I fit in. It's no one's fault! Maybe I tried too hard. I still love this site. I only ever knew mag so I hope you all know I've gotten such an education regarding wag from all your posts! I feel like I know so many of you guys!I'll still be watching and wish all of you and your gymnasts my best!

What happened? I'm confused...

 

[Amusibus]

My daughter got stretched by the coaches in developmental, but I haven't seen any of that recently. The dev. coach used to say she loved that my daughter never cried - I guess she was used to kids crying. Kinda weird I think.

My daughter also had shoulder flexibility issues. Stretching wasn't working, so I took her to a chiropractor specializing in Active Release Technique. He worked on her and gave us things to do at home, and after 3 weeks her shoulder range of motion had improved about 10 degrees and now months later she has retained that improvement seemingly permanently. Good stuff, that ART.

 

[gymbeam]

This doesn't happen at either gym we've been to and if it resulted in tears, I wouldn't approve.
Eeek, that really happens?

 

[gymbeam]

OP- i hope you'll stick around and post more. i looked back at threads you've participated in and i don't see any indication of anything negative toward you- or from you. hope to see you around

 

[iwannacoach]

I'll post some general flexibility exercises after my in laws are gone.

 

[jessmomto2]

My dd is in a developmental class and the coach stretches the girls only until they feel a pull though never ever does she stretch them to the point they are in tears. They stretch 20 min. and most of that is working on stretching to get into splits.

 

[2ofakind]

The coaches rarely stretch the girls at our gym. I sure do remember it while growing up in ballet. Not a lot of fun. That said, I'm still pretty flexible for an old lady. I always wonder if "extreme" stretching effects the way a little body developes as it grows.

 

[thefellowsmom]

I have seen a few stretching tears at our gym, but not because a coach was pushing on them. It hurts and sitting in an overstretched split for a few minutes so it can bring a very tired kid to tears sometimes but they are pushing themselves to keep going not someone else.

Now that the girls are older I see them stretching each other a lot. I have even seen them sit on each other.

My dd have very flexible shoulders so she can't really get a good stretch without someone pushing on her. She does lots of really gross stretches to try to get a good stretch. I actually find it hard to watch.

I see her coach helping her to stretch her shoulders and I also see them hold their arms up and back while they are sitting in their splits. Not sure if this is more stretch or actually relieves some of the pressure.

 

[twinmomma]

Coaches stretch kids at DD's gym. I've seen tears, and mostly it's because kids are inclined to stop at the first pull they feel, not knowing they can push themselves further and that honestly it's supposed to hurt a little. DD is like OP's kid, VERY strong, lacking in flexibility. Dr. even remarked she has the strongest abs on an 8 year old he's ever seen. But she struggles with splits and shoulder flexibility. Her knees often look bent when her leg is totally stretched out, so she definitely has tightness issues. A stretch I've seen that sometimes results in tears is on designed to get her splits where she sits on one knee and wraps her arm around her coaches legs (behind her) and coach lifts her other leg as high as she can tolerate while it's straight. Hard to explain, but it's like oversplits - it hurts and they're at the end of practice and they're tired and hungry and so they cry. It doesn't bother me because I can see she's not being hurt, she's just being pushed past comfort. I also see the holding their arms up and back while they are in splits.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

Oh gosh..sometimes I would have flex for an entire extra rotation. Teammates would take turns sitting on me as they walked by for a water break.