Women Growing

[Tally Ho]

DD Is 7 and has just recently had a massive growth spurt, she has gained a few inches in height and gone up a couple of shoes sizes, with this huge growth spurt some of her skills have gone completely off especially her vault? Has anyone else been through this, please tell me she will adjust to her new longer limbs quickly it is really stressing her out

 

[gymjunkie]

Yes, it's common and normal. It helps to reassure the gymnasts that it will take a few months to adjust so that they don't get frustrated.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

oh yes, 3/4 of an inch in 3 weeks, they recover surprisingly quickly

 

[lovemygymnast]

Every time my DD grows, I notice it in her gymnastics first. Suddenly it dawns on me what's going on when she puts her clothes on and everything is too short! It takes her a few weeks to get back to normal.

 

[Sasha]

Can relate. My DD(8)'s vault take off is suddenly piked, after having been beautifully straight forever. Legs grew! Even she noticed and said she "feels like she has to reach down for the mat" (L3).

 

[htimcj]

Completely normal. My DD grew three inches in ONE summer. Of course this was the summer she learned her kip and promptly lost it by the end. This year the growth has been more gradual, three inches in one year but it is still noticeable. She'll get a skill then struggle again until she figures her body out then she grows another 1/4 and it starts all over again. She mentioned the other day that she wished she would just hurry up and get this growing stuff over, it's messing with my skills

 

[Ex member]

My dd is 7 and she has had a growth spurt during the summer, She went to back to training yesterday after a week off and couldn't do her back walkover, this could be due to her growth spurt or the week off, dd isn't bothered about it though.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Tally Ho; Celebrate growth as it shows that your DD is maturing. Growth is change. Change can bring upon stress. For the gymnasts that I see almost everyday, I see them growing all the time. It does change gymnastics. Height changes, body composition and limb changes all change gymnastics. Growing/maturing does not happen in sync with the competitive season.

I tell the gymnasts that we visit basics frequently so their "new bodies" re-learn the complicated, difficult physical skills they already can do. Certainly if they learned the skills, balance and movement once they can work hard to do-it again. Being gymnastics smart did not change overnight. Encouraging optimism and opportunity with the growth/maturing is what I speak to our staff about.

As an aside, I had a L9 gymnast grow 5 inches this past year. Matured from a young girl to a young lady 5 "'s taller. Gymnasts really changed. Our gym experience was that BB changed the most.

Tally Ho, congrats to your "oldster" DD.

Best, SBG -

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

My dd had a huge growth spurt last year, coupled with injuries as well. It was tough for a bit but she is back to "normal" on her skills and has learned many new ones as well. She was frustrated for a while, I just reassured her that everything will even out in the end. It helps when coaches are understanding and supportive as well.

 

[Frase]

I agree ^^. Dd's growth sports are generally noticeable by ferocious eating combined with a visit to the phsyio. Although a flexi gymnast she has very tight ligaments, IT band etc and a growth spurt frequently results in a case of runners knee or tendinitis etc.

 

[gracyomalley]

DD has grown almost a foot in 18 months (she's still only 4-8) and its done a doozy on her beam and somewhat on bars. I know , and her coaches know , that she'll get through it but she's not so sure....now that she "had" to hit puberty at the normal age of 11, I hope she finishes it in time to "get her gymnastics back" as she puts it.....

 

[Jenny]

I just remembered @Tally Ho you have an older dd too. Did she go through the same growth spurt pattern? It might help to reassure her that her sister went through just the same at the same time.

 

[Tally Ho]

@Jenny she is 11 and the same height as me! Her growth spurts led to her losing countless moves and confidence, she was never a natural gymnast though, sometimes more a social one she has just started moving over to trampoline where they love her long legs! DD2 has started getting her moves back now and is starting to understand this will happen quite a few times, I didn't help she had been off gym injured for 2/3 weeks before hand so was feeling a little down anyway, but she is bouncing back! Thanks though!

 

[Jenny]

oh they always grow when they have been off. Glad she is bouncing back

 

[COz]

^ *slaps head* Is THAT what happened?! My gymmie was off sick for 3 weeks and grew an inch!!

 

[MaryA]

Coaches pointed that out to DD... growth spurts often happen when she's doing reduced practice during an injury, so it's a "double whammy" as far as skills go. This is SUCH a hard sport! Most sports an extra inch or two would make things easier rather than harder!

 

[Tally Ho]

Had never heard if growth spurts happening while they are injured! But it was definitely a double whammy of problems

 

[Jenny]

Had never heard if growth spurts happening while they are injured! But it was definitely a double whammy of problems

When they stop or reduce training they grow. Hence they always come back from hols taller lol.

 

[mimi]

I was actually hoping this would happen to my dd this summer. I know, I know, be careful what you wish for, but my dd is soooo tiny and I'm looking desperately for this preteen growth spurt everyone talks about. She took 3 weeks off this summer for vacation and no growth! Oh well, next month I'll probably be eating my words and on here lamenting about how she had a growth spurt and lost all her skills!