Parents Hardest Skill To Acquire

[XcelMom08]

My Xcel silver finally got her RHBS on tumble track but taking it to floor “feels different” so it will take a bit of time. So right now the connection. She would like it by the end of season but no biggie if not. Just one of her small goals.

 

[gymmom01]

Skills on bars have taken longer than the other events. Giants definitely took the longest so far. DD is currently working on bails and hasn't quite gotten them figured out yet so that might be right up there with giants.

 

[Tmacs]

Cast flyaway so far. Bars was her strongest event until L6. Beam skills have always come easily. And floor... depends on the day- most mental blocks on floor but they never last long.

 

[cmg]

6th year level 10 and future college gymnast still doesn't have a single bar release. She's tried multiple different ones but nothing seems to click for her. Luckily she still has a 10 1 start value on bars even without a release.

What skills does she do instead of a release? They are probably harder than the release??

 

[CoachPow]

Purely observational, but it seems like-purely in number of reps required-the kip generally takes the most time and effort for kids to master.

 

[GymDadWA]

Giants for my DD, she just can't get the timing right. No mental blocks, not afraid of the skill, just can't get the timing down consistently and comes up 5* short so often.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Giant 4 yrs, through a fractured elbow and ankle then Covid

 

[Finaille]

My kiddo is really struggling with just her round off. Her brain cannot fathom the switch from cartwheel. I hope once meets are done she can focus more on honing this skill- really hurts her floor scores.

 

[Tmacs]

My kiddo is really struggling with just her round off. Her brain cannot fathom the switch from cartwheel. I hope once meets are done she can focus more on honing this skill- really hurts her floor scores.

Can she practice snapping down with 2feet from a handstand? And then a sideways handstand? That might help.

 

[RosellaJam]

Kip for sure! It was almost 18 months between the first time DD did it and when she had it consistently.

 

[MuggleMom]

For my kiddo the bars stuff came easily its beam that has been the killer. BHS on beam is still not terribly consistent and finding a series is just the worst.

It think the hardest skill often depends on whats your "worst" event.

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

Anything on beam. Bars is a breeze, she taught herself a Kip in level 2, then as a fluke starting casting to handstand in level 3. Beam??? Cartwheel looks like she’s tentatively preparing to die, the backhandspring is beautiful, gorgeous, she competed it all year - and now has a mental block on it. I’m not sure where a series is supposed to show up from in two weeks but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Front walkover on beam has to be the slowest skill though - she’s been working on it for two years and it’s now on… the floor beam with mats lol

 

[Finaille]

Can she practice snapping down with 2feet from a handstand? And then a sideways handstand? That might help.

She does that part fine, it is the jumping off with her hands where she struggles.

 

[JPC13]

It's crazy to see how differently the kids acquire skills.

I think ROBHS was probably the hardest for my daughter so far. It was, so far, the only skill that has come and gone.

It was much harder for her than a kip (which just seemed to magically happen) or any of her beam skills: cartwheel (I think she landed the first she ever tried), BWO, or BHS. She taught herself a connected handstand to BWO just messing around at home.

But, even now, the ROBHS isn't always amazing looking.

 

[CuriousCate]

Cast handstand was the years-long skill for my kid. She had to compete her first level seven year without it, using the clearhip to handstand as her element through handstand.

So funny! Both of my kids are the opposite! I was coming to say that for my older kid the freehip to handstand took her forever - she actually broke her shoulder learning it! Looking the same for the younger one as well (she is starting her season as a L6 with hopes to finish as a L7), although to date her nemesis skill was the tuck flyaway (but not the layout flyaway...)

 

[For Flip Sake]

It's crazy to see how differently the kids acquire skills.

Yes! I’m loving this thread, thanks to everyone for adding your (or your gymnast’s) experiences so far!

 

[Kolabola29]

Yes! I’m loving this thread, thanks to everyone for adding your (or your gymnast’s) experiences so far!

Yeah, my daughter got a BHS on high beam in one day (from floor to high beam ready for competition). She got a roundoff layout dismount because her coach suggested off-hand that she try it. Same with BHS BHS series on high beam. But bars? Lord help me. She’s terrified to shift her hands on a baby giant, much less a giant. A cast handstand took months because going over the handstand terrified her. I wish she could bring one ounce of her beam confidence to bars. She would be unstoppable.

 

[TGRI08]

My daughter (level 9) is really struggling with her swing half. She had it almost to handstand and then she had to start connecting it to her overshoot. At that point she lost it. She gets so frustrated with the timing because she either doesn't go up to handstand before turning or she goes over the bar. Definitely lots of tears with this one....

 

[Gymmom2129]

A flipped vault, especially for the tiny ones!

 

[josie55]

Mine has been working (and competing) a BHS LOSO on beam for years and years, yet still struggles to do it with straight legs. It’s kind of crazy how long she’s been working on it and as a parent I often wonder why they (she and her coach) don’t just give it up and move on to something else, but I guess that’s not what gymnasts do!