Parents Grips

[twinmomma]

We are getting conflicting advice from the coaches re: DD and getting her using grips. Initially, HC told the team that all the girls with the exception of my DD and two others were to get grips. No explanation as to why, but I surmised from the three that were singled out that is was because they are also the three littlest girls with the smallest hands.

She's training L4/L5 skills, after competing L3 this last season (season ended for us in November). My instinct is that she'll be an L4 with a head start on her L5 skills, and there seems to be a mix of girls using and not using grips in L4.

We were also advised to get ankle weights, and I'm dragging my feet on that issue based on the information from dunno and others here. DD is, like I said, one of the three littlest on team and I'm not about to throw off her growth by throwing weights on her pencil thin ankles.

Now HC says grips "would be helpful." Should DD be using grips? She's resistant, in large part because her former Xcel coach asked us all to get grips for them and DD was completely unable to hold onto the bar (this was over a year ago now). At what point is it a "must" to move to using grips?

 

[CameraShy]

I don't know that it's ever really a "must" to get grips as there are some girls that never wear them. I am usually one that says to follow the coaches advisement because they see her day in and day out on bars and know what will be best for her. DD is L6 and will not be getting grips anytime soon. At first it was said she would get them when she began doing giants, but she's competing with giants now and still no grips. HC is saying now we'll wait until she's doing release moves on bars because her hands are still too small. We're just going with with HC says because we figure that she knows better what she's talking about then we do!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

2 coaches, 2 different gyms, no grips until much higher level, and then it's a maybe, my girl is training Level 4/5.

I have not seen ankle weights on any of our kids, currently up to L9. They have had L10/Elite/Top in the past.

Girls are using light hand weights for conditioning.

 

[tooootsie]

My daughter started wearing grips after getting her kip. She's training l4. She Doesn't Like Wearing Them AND Has A Hard Time With Skills With Them.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Look up Georgia Dabritz. She competes for Utah and just recieved a 10.00 on bars at a recent meet. She does not wear grips

 

[twinmomma]

Look up Georgia Dabritz. She competes for Utah and just recieved a 10.00 on bars at a recent meet. She does not wear grips

Thanks for this! DD is really resistant to using them. I'm not going to push it.

 

[sce]

My daughter started wearing grips after getting her kip. She's training l4. She Doesn't Like Wearing Them AND Has A Hard Time With Skills With Them.

There is an adjustment to wearing grips. Best to get passed it now though.

 

[mobeans]

Our gym requires grips for level 3. My DD is a petite 8 yo and has to go with the smallest size. It was an adjustment period for sure but now she can't stand being on bars w/o them!

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

We are getting conflicting advice from the coaches re: DD and getting her using grips. Initially, HC told the team that all the girls with the exception of my DD and two others were to get grips. No explanation as to why, but I surmised from the three that were singled out that is was because they are also the three littlest girls with the smallest hands.

She's training L4/L5 skills, after competing L3 this last season (season ended for us in November). My instinct is that she'll be an L4 with a head start on her L5 skills, and there seems to be a mix of girls using and not using grips in L4.

We were also advised to get ankle weights, and I'm dragging my feet on that issue based on the information from dunno and others here. DD is, like I said, one of the three littlest on team and I'm not about to throw off her growth by throwing weights on her pencil thin ankles.

Now HC says grips "would be helpful." Should DD be using grips? She's resistant, in large part because her former Xcel coach asked us all to get grips for them and DD was completely unable to hold onto the bar (this was over a year ago now). At what point is it a "must" to move to using grips?

My dd didn't get grips until she was already competing giants and flyaways for about a year. She was tiny and young. Once they insisted it was finally time to start wearing them, she had a while where she had to relearn everything and it was a whole lot of frustration. From dd's personal experience I would recommend starting them sooner than later.

 

[GYM0M]

My DD, who is 9 & very small, just got her grips a week or so ago. Her hands are teeny tiny! She competed L8 with no grips, but she is now starting release moves on bars & coach felt that it was "time." She adjusted quickly, but she's not quite as consistent as she used to be, yet. D

 

[CameraShy]

My DD, who is 9 & very small, just got her grips a week or so ago. Her hands are teeny tiny! She competed L8 with no grips, but she is now starting release moves on bars & coach felt that it was "time." She adjusted quickly, but she's not quite as consistent as she used to be, yet. D

It's nice to hear this kind of success with grips because this is very much DD's path as she is already competing giants without them. I'm hoping that it's some adjustment but not too disastrous. HC tells DD that she should adjust to them in about 3 weeks or so. I'm hopeful for that when her time comes!