twinmomma
Proud Parent
- Jun 13, 2013
- 1,234
- 2,264
I know, I know. Yet another post about flexibility. I'm just looking for ideas for DD. She's 8, and has competed Xcel Bronze and then went straight into an L3 season with no break. Her XB season was a lot of wasted time skill wise but was great for the confidence she gained. She went into L3 and we were concerned flexibility was going to be a problem, but she had a great season. She obviously got deductions for flexibility but she's so danged strong and tight that those deductions were overshadowed by her strengths in other areas.
But now coaches are moving full steam ahead with the thought that she and a few other girls may test out of 4 and go straight to 5. There was a full week off from gym for the holidays and she came back and her coach told me how she needs to stretch at home - that she'd lost her splits and her hips weren't square, etc... All things we knew would continue to be a battle.
Now, I know part of this is just that the gym schedule has been minimal over the last couple of weeks and DD loves to do cartwheels and handstands at home but not conditioning/stretching. Her flexibility limitations seem mostly in her legs (i.e. her knee always looks slightly bent, only has splits one direction, etc...). Shoulder wise she's tight but not nearly as bad as she is in her legs.
She's only been doing gymnastics for two years. She's never been flexible but she's worked really hard in the gym to get to where she is. What sort of things can I do at home with her to help her get where she wants to be without constantly nagging her? I'll take any ideas. Right now I'm just telling her to stretch when I think of it and telling her she should sit in splits watching tv, etc...
But now coaches are moving full steam ahead with the thought that she and a few other girls may test out of 4 and go straight to 5. There was a full week off from gym for the holidays and she came back and her coach told me how she needs to stretch at home - that she'd lost her splits and her hips weren't square, etc... All things we knew would continue to be a battle.
Now, I know part of this is just that the gym schedule has been minimal over the last couple of weeks and DD loves to do cartwheels and handstands at home but not conditioning/stretching. Her flexibility limitations seem mostly in her legs (i.e. her knee always looks slightly bent, only has splits one direction, etc...). Shoulder wise she's tight but not nearly as bad as she is in her legs.
She's only been doing gymnastics for two years. She's never been flexible but she's worked really hard in the gym to get to where she is. What sort of things can I do at home with her to help her get where she wants to be without constantly nagging her? I'll take any ideas. Right now I'm just telling her to stretch when I think of it and telling her she should sit in splits watching tv, etc...