Help!! (Long message)

[yuffie_]

I started gym about 2 months ago, apart of a disabled team which did nothing and school sport. I'm 15. Before the end of the school year, my coach said I'd be better in a team of 8-11 year olds after I do some 1x1 work with her. The problem is that... I'm embarrassed. I'm really not that skilled at it (I can't even do cartwheels without tucking my legs under!!) and I'll be16 next year. How do I overcome this embarrassment, since ill be starting next year?

Other questions...
1) I can't pull myself up into a bridge. The placing is correct I'm sure, but I am VERY exhausted and I can't even pull my head off the ground when I do it! How do I pull myself up?
2) I can't pull myself down into the splits. I'll post a pic when I can to show what I mean.
3) the other day I was doing handstands with my cousin. I got up fine but fell and hit my head and back! How do I prevent myself from doing this?

extra: I might not be able to go to my sports centre to practice so I'm teaching myself for the next 5 weeks.

 

[gymnastbeth]

There's nothing to be embarrassed about being in a group with younger girls. They've done the sport longer than you have! You can try to be a role model for the younger girls. Obviously it can be awkward when you feel like the odd one out, but try to focus on your gymnastics, not your age.

For all those problems it just seems like you need more strength and practice. Splits don't come naturally, you have to work at them every day for a long time for them to go to the ground. For your bridge and handstand, it seems like you don't have enough arm strength.

The best thing you can do for yourself when you aren't at the gym is strength training. Do pushups, sit-ups, and stretch. Teaching yourself at home is NOT a safe idea, but conditioning at home will definitely help you!

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

I agree with gymnastbeth, don't try to teach yourself at home. Not only is it unsafe, it will also most likely lead to bad habits that will be hard to correct later on. Stretching and conditioning is a good idea though.

 

[Amusibus]

I agree too, it seems like stronger muscles will help your gymnastics immensely. Maybe you could look up on line (or ask here) what are the best strengthening exercises to do for the specific skills you want to learn. You could certainly work on splits at home, just be careful to do them slowly and try to relax into it for a long time- no bouncing and no pushing super hard as those things can injure you.

 

[yuffie_]

Thanks everyone! (Wow I love this forum already)
I've been doing stretches (straddling, putting my legs apart and touching my toes mostly) everyday.
I should try to remind myself to practice on my push ups. What stretches are best for arm strength? I'm really weak in my arms, I can't even open a tight bottle without help.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Pushups of course are good. If they are too hard, start out on your knees. Make sure your hips aren't directly over your knees though, you should still be in a flat pushup position, just with your knees on the ground. If you can get to somewhere with a bar, pullups are good too. Planks also work, you can do them either on your elbows or in a pushup position, but your body should form a straight line no matter which one.
If you have a resistance band, there are a bunch of things you can do with that too. You can lay on your back on top of the elastic part, hold on to the handles, and try to pull them together in front of you. Or, have someone stand behind you holding the center of the elastic and try to pull the handles together, as it gets easier have them step backwards.
That's about all I can think of for now, but there's definitely more.

 

[Aussie_coach]

As others have said don't worry about the age of your group. The group you are in in gymnastics has nothing to do with your age but to do with how long you have been and training and where your skill level is at. If you are a beginner you should be in a beginner group. Being older can be an advantage. You will have a better ability to understand what the coach wants from you. Also a lot of the time when there is an older kid in a group the younger girls look up to her like a big sister. You could have a very special roll in this team.

arm strength is of course very important in gymnastics. Just holding front support shape each day will be very beneficial, and once you can do that for about 20 seconds also practise rear support and side support. Push ups are good too, start on your knee's and buy,d up the number you can do. Once you can do about 40 with a nice straight body and nose to the floor then ditch the knee's and only work the, on your feet. But wait until you are solid on your knees otherwise you will practice with poor form.

hold handstands against the wall as well with your stomach to the wall, try to walk in a little closer each time until you can get your nose on the wall. This ,at take a while but if you do it every day you will get there.

for your bridges you need to develop your shoulder flexibility. Try doing a bridge over the top of a fitness ball or handing off a chair until you are more flexible. Make sure when you push up to bridge you are looking back at your hands. A lot of people try to look up to the ceiling and it prevents you from doing your bridges.

to get your splits practice every day, hold each stretch for at least a minute and then repeat them all for another minute. Good to do in front of the TV or while doing your homework. Once you stop feeling sore from a h stretching session up it to twice a day.

to avoid hurting yourself in handstands it might be an ideas to get a practice mat for home. You just need to practice a lot to get the feel for when your are vertical. When you think you are vertical squeeze all your muscles tight.

 

[yuffie_]

Guess what?
I'm in a normal teens team, and I'm doing private lessons! I'm doing the best I can. I kinda ruined my push-ups-a-day routine with school, plus I went to Queensland for a week in the holidays. But I'm SO happy! I'm loving it. I believe I get to compete in August.

 

[gymnastorm]

I know it's kind of late now but I just wanted to say that I'm 15 and just starting. I would have started earlier but I took gymnastics when I was little and was bullied by the girls and the coach. I was terrified, but I'm over that now. What I do at home is stretch and use an exercise ball to assist me in doing a back bend without having a spotter and back walk-overs.

 

[yuffie_]

I know it's kind of late now but I just wanted to say that I'm 15 and just starting. I would have started earlier but I took gymnastics when I was little and was bullied by the girls and the coach. I was terrified, but I'm over that now. What I do at home is stretch and use an exercise ball to assist me in doing a back bend without having a spotter and back walk-overs.

Yeah...I've started and have major confidence issues since EVERYONE on my team started when they were kids and continued. Mum bought some mats so I can practice cartwheels and such and I've been super slack with stretching, before school/during the holidays I'd stretch for a few minutes every day, now I don't bother.

I've also had issues with space too. The other week I was practicing cartwheels and one of the better girls (who I think lazes around because she's been doing it for 12 years) just grabbed one of the equipment and did a front walkover and laid there. I was looking around nervously, felt like the room was gonna close in, and was very close to crying and my breathing was short

Sorry for the messy message, it's 4 am.

 

[Kittykatti]

Don't be embarrassed! I can assure you that your love for the sport will pull you through! Do you plan on competing? Actually I was in a similar situation... Since you are older, you will understand what the coaches tell you, and apply those tips to your skills. There are tutorials on skills on the Internet that you can learn from while on your break! Do you know anything on bars, beam, or vault? Good luck!

 

[Newandlovingit!]

Hi, well, I can definitely identify with the embarrassment factor! I'm 14 (just started gym about 5 months ago haha) and I do a "private" class with my little sister and three other girls. For our Friday session, our class runs into the JO team girls practice- they start throwing all sorts of skills, and I'm standing there working on kick overs so I can see where your coming from. However, I have noticed that my age sort of helps- I have a lot of strength already, so I can progress faster than maybe the younger girls could- (i.e., I have a front handspring vault, and their still working on flat backs.) so just work as hard as YOU can, and don't worry about them...they've been doing it longer! Remember, hard work will eventually beat the lazy but naturally talented