Parents Help! Bad Vault Run!

[Flipping Awesome]

My 6 year old L2 DD is having trouble with her vault, and from her coach's feedback it seems to have a lot to do with her run, but he didn't give me many suggestions on how to correct it. She doesn't seem to be running flat footed, but she takes super short little strides and has very little speed. The coach doesn't really do running drills with the girls. Is there anything fun that I can let her practice at home that may help improve her running form?

 

[NutterButter]

The coach seems to know what the problem is...let him deal with it. He is the coach after all.

 

[MickeyDGym]

She’s just at L2 her vault run will improve. My DD has a bad run at L2 and has a great run now. Give it time and let the coach handle it.

 

[Madden3]

I agree. My guess is that the coach giving you the feedback that the issue is with her run is not because the coach expects you to start teaching your child how to run at home. At least, I hope not.

At lower levels in particular, a "poor" run tends to lower a vault score quite a bit, because there is not much else going on that the judge can score. Maybe the coach was just explaining this to you.

I know it seems like "running" would be something you could easily work on at home, like your kid might work on handstands or cartwheels or stretching at home. But even with those things, if they are worked on at home, you have to be very careful to not instill or encourage improper form or bad habits.

Vault runs are very technical things because (in my limited understanding of it) the gymnast is trying to very rapidly accelerate, run super fast at a barrier without slowing, then arrive precisely on the correct foot at the right place to hit the board just so! This is really, really hard to do and takes time to learn.

Remember it is a progression, and eventually that run and hitting the board will be launching your daughter into something big and possibly dangerous especially if not done correctly. An out of control or even just "missed" upper level vault is just about the scariest thing in gymnastics in my book. So yes of course, it is really, really important that the kid learn to do vault runs correctly, but this should and will take time, and training is best left to the experts. Vault runs are about timing and stride and starting on the correct foot and I do not know what all, as well as accelerating and sustaining speed. But you would not throw all that technical stuff at a 6 year old, it would only confuse them. This is why age appropriate training with an eye on developing skills gradually and safely is so important in gymnastics.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Honestly, I don't know any 6 year olds with perfect, efficient and fast running technique. 6 year olds just run, they don't even know that there is a right technique to do it. It comes naturally like walking, talking or thinking. Some kids just naturally always run as fast as they can and some don't, they run as fast as they think they need to. With 6 year olds the emphasis should be on relay races, coordination, agility and speed. This should be done focusing on games etc.

Some things I say to make little ones actually run as fast as they can are "there is a lion chasing you, run!" or something similar. But, don't expect them to be able to coordinate their steps to contact the board right when the lion is chasing them. They can't focus on two things at the same time. They are just running for their lives

 

[Flipping Awesome]

Honestly, I don't know any 6 year olds with perfect, efficient and fast running technique. 6 year olds just run, they don't even know that there is a right technique to do it. It comes naturally like walking, talking or thinking. Some kids just naturally always run as fast as they can and some don't, they run as fast as they think they need to. With 6 year olds the emphasis should be on relay races, coordination, agility and speed. This should be done focusing on games etc.

Some things I say to make little ones actually run as fast as they can are "there is a lion chasing you, run!" or something similar. But, don't expect them to be able to coordinate their steps to contact the board right when the lion is chasing them. They can't focus on two things at the same time. They are just running for their lives

Haha, yes, her coach uses the example that dogs are chasing them. Full-blooded dogs, at that. She thought that was super scary until I explained that her aunt's chihuahua was "full-blooded." I'm not sure she could even outrun the chihuahua, though.

Oh, well. I guess eventually she will figure it out.