Coaches Gyms against spotting

[PalmTree]

I talked to a mother from another gym the other day who said their coaches do not spot, ever. On anything. She likes it. Just wondering if others here do that or know the point? I can see both pros and cons to it. For me spotting is not a huge deal and since some kids learn kinesthetically, it seems like it would be hard for them to feel the right positions. Thoughts?

 

[All Chalked Up]

I'm a kid who needs to "feel" the positions so no spotting would equal a very confused gymnast. Without lots of spotting I never would have gotten my kip or BHS.

I'm not like this anymore but when first learning skills, I would stop in the middle of it (back tuck & layout mostly) I probably would have been injured had my coach decided not to spot me.

 

[catou]

There are some skills I wouldn't want a gymnast to perform without having been spotted first... saltos, back handspring are among them. What would happen if the gymnast wasn't able to create enough rotation? For me, it's simply a security issue. I would be ready to try on beam, as the gymnasts are suppose to be able to do the skills on the floor first. But apart from that apparatus... And spotting these skills, help the to place the gymnast in the correct position.

Yes, there are some times the coach has to step back and let the gymnast try by herself. But sometimes, verbal cues aren't always enough. People who learn more by feeling their body must learn better with a spot.

 

[coachmolly]

Sometimes I say that I'm "against spotting" in that I don't believe in throwing kids through skills they couldn't realistically do on their own with a little practice (like flipping a kid with terrible tap swings through a flyaway or chucking a kid who can't do a handstand through a bhs). However I definitely believe in spotting for a kid who shows reasonable mastery of the appropriate progressions, because some kids do need to feel it. Or are just terrified and need to know that they are capable of doing the skill before they attempt it on their own. I can't see how it would work out to never spot on anything.

 

[gymgurl]

We don't get spotted an awful lot to be honest, but realistically we are all older gymnasts - a lot of us the same and some bigger than the coach. It is unrealistic for us to expect her to be able to spot us through the positions of a BHS for example. With little kids though spotting can be of huge importance because they might not be able to tell if they are in the right shape without feeling exactly what the shape needs to be.

 

[gymdog]

There's always a middle way. Over-reliance on any one strategy is going to mean some kids won't reach their potential. And good luck with high level optional skills with no spotting...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

non-spotting progressions methodologies are the best for long term learning. but spotting will always be necessary at certain times development for some athletes.

 

[CoachTodd]

The coaches that "never spot" most likely have access to any and every mat they would ever need to do any and every shaping drill they would need to do. I do agree that there are some very good drills that appear to help progressions more quickly that spotting but that has a lot to do with the spotter. Like coachmolly was saying, far too many coaches over spot. When I was first learning how to spot back handsprings, I literally threw my own daughter about 12 feet when she finally jump correctly. I figured it would be a good idea to change how I spotted that skill . I think spotting certain skills gives the coach a better gauge on whether or not the kid is ready to do the skill alone. I see far too many going for skills too soon.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes, CoachTodd, so let me clarify. my post is intended for 'all things being equal'.

 

[JBS]

I talked to a mother from another gym the other day who said their coaches do not spot, ever. On anything. She likes it. Just wondering if others here do that or know the point? I can see both pros and cons to it. For me spotting is not a huge deal and since some kids learn kinesthetically, it seems like it would be hard for them to feel the right positions. Thoughts?

It all depends how it is done. It's not the way we do it...but it is possible with certain athletes.

We spot bars all the time...above the the rails. Beam...we do spot...but that is not ideal...trying to move away from it. Floor and vault we rely heavily on pits...resi-pits...stacks of mats...and trampolines.

The club you are speaking of...do they have a good optional program?

 

[iwannacoach]

I"ll put spotting into two constructive categories. The first one is safety spotting while a kid, who has done all the proper progressions, transitions into the entire skill. I approach this not as a security blanket, but as a matter of fact, to ward off the "I need to be spotted because I'm not ready" perception. They're ready, and the spotting is just an included step to establish them with the skill.

The other type of spotting is something I'll call "immersion moments" where it's time to get used to the idea of working a new skill that's physically easy but mentally difficult. I use it as a whole group event to prevent kids from self-indentifiing as being incapable or under prepared.

A typical example of something I'll do for a two week span..... The group goes to beam and works in stations that include a series work area. I'll have 3 or 4 kids on two adjoining beams with me in the middle, and I'll spot one kid while the next kid gets set to go. A soon as the first kid finishes, I'll turn to face the other beam and the kid on that beam starts their series, I turn and position myself and the third kid goes. So basically the kids are working a series on beam #1 going from north to south....jumping off that beam, getting up on the south to north beam, and taking off as soon as I'm ready.

It takes about 20 seconds for 3 kids to go one time around the circuit as no corrections are given beyond "pep talk chatter" as they move through the exercise. They can get about 15 series done in a five minute span, and are too busy to think about anything other than what they've been taught to do on the floor line and floor beam, and the less they think...the better. It works as a confidence booster as they get little to no help from me after the first 4-5 series....pretty much just air spots, and the kids are so tired by the last 5 reps, they learn that the series isn't as big of a deal as they thought.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

We spot a lot on bars, but when the child is ready they go alone. Then back to shaping and spotting. It works for us, we have had some pretty good success with our bar work. Last year we had over a dozen state champions on bars, so spot away I say...

 

[stargazer]

I definitely agree that the majority of skills don't need to be spotted if the proper progressions and drills are used. The only skills I was spotted on consistently were my kip (to feel the proper rhythm and timing), back walkover on beam (they scared me even though I knew I was capable) and back tucks off beam (I occasionally 'gainered' and was worried about flipping too close to the beam). Even though I was terrified of front handspring front tucks, I knew that I just had to do what my coach told me and I would make it around.

However, I think I'm a bit unusual in that I dislike tumbling into the pit and onto mats because of measuring, so most of the time I just focused and threw the skill because I knew that I was ready. Or I would try the new skill (and by new I mean trying layouts instead of tucks, nothing crazy) a couple times into the pit then right away move it onto the floor because I knew I could do it without getting disoriented or hurting myself.

I love hearing everyone's rationale for one side or the other!

ETA: Oh and we were spotted every practice for casting on bars, mainly for body shaping. I found this very useful.