How do you feel about home gyms?

[gymdog]

It's difficult to do an aerial with correct technique on a trampoline. Interesting.

 

[gymcoach26]

"Future Elite Mom"- Your posts are truly disturbing me and leaving me scratching my head...

1. How in the world does a child go from front hip circles and mill circles (level 3 skills) directly to working giants (optional skill) and whose crazy idea was this? Even if she saw these "cool tricks" on youtube and it was her idea, whose the parent responsible for her safety who should have stepped in and said no?

2. What level is your daughter?... I have a feeling it is not that high, otherwise you hopefully would have woken up by now. So assuming she is at a lower level... don't you think she is there for a reason. If her coaches thought she was ready to work aerials on beam and giants wouldn't they already be doing so?

3. If you are so experienced to be training your daughter at home, why have you not gotten a coaching job where they can pay you for this knowledge?

4. What is an "elite mom"?

 

[gymnastjess]

I truly don't get your title either 'future elite mom' the chances of your child making it are probably as close to zero as anything can get. heck im 14 and probably a better parent eh NO OFFENCE :/

 

[ejgymmom]

We were not working front hip circles and aerials at the same time. She learned her front hip circle and mill circle on her home bar and worked her giants after DH bolted the bar to the basement floor.

Are you for real? I mean really, are you just messing with everyone trying to get people riled up?

You say "WE were not working front hip circles..." Are you her coach? Do you have coaching experience? Are you a former gymnast? I am so confused by you.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

We were not working front hip circles and aerials at the same time. She learned her front hip circle and mill circle on her home bar and worked her giants after DH bolted the bar to the basement floor.

I know what an aerial is. We watched a progression for it on youtube. She got it on trampoline, then in the back yard before we ever took it to the beam. She can land it some of the time with one or two feet on the beam so I know she will get it soon. She is very determined and doesn't give up until she gets a skill. We put lots of pillows around to make sure she doesn't run into anything if she misses.

Before I respond to this, let me preface it with the following: I in no way object to aiming high, and I in no way object to a kid being talented or enjoying the sport.

Having made that disclaimer....

Your daughter is going to kill herself. No joke, no punchline, no qualification. She's going to kill herself. Pillows are not sufficient matting, an at-home bar, even one bolted to the floor, is not safe for working giants. It is nothing short of a miracle that she hasn't already gotten seriously injured.

Please please please for the sake of your daughter's safety do not let her work such advanced skills at home. Elites don't get to the elite level by teaching themselves to do skills at home, they get there by learning it from an experienced coach.

If you are not willing to take such steps, then -- and I want to emphasize that I'm saying this out of concern for your daughter -- I sincerely hope she burns out and quits very soon.

 

[CoachGoofy]

We were not working front hip circles and aerials at the same time. She learned her front hip circle and mill circle on her home bar and worked her giants after DH bolted the bar to the basement floor.

Oh. My. God.

What does her coach think about this? Does s/he KNOW?

I know what an aerial is. We watched a progression for it on youtube. She got it on trampoline, then in the back yard before we ever took it to the beam. She can land it some of the time with one or two feet on the beam so I know she will get it soon. She is very determined and doesn't give up until she gets a skill. We put lots of pillows around to make sure she doesn't run into anything if she misses.

Pillows =/= mats. Just so we know.
Aerials on trampoline universally SUCK. Also, just so we know.
Watching a youtube video =/= qualified coaching. Again, just so we know.
And finally, letting a child try anything they want =/= being a responsible adult. In case we didn't already know.

*is really hoping this is an example of Poe's Law, but highly doubts it is*

 

[Pogo]

I vote no on home equipment

Something I find interesting......

Parents put up basketball goals to help their kids practice free throws. Parents buy soccer goals to help their kids practice goal kicks. Parents buy special gear to help their kids learn how to connect a bal with a bat.

As far as I know these parents don't get their parenting skills called into question. I wonder why if parents buy their kids floor beams or junior kip bars, it isn't met with the same attitude as a way to help our kids perfect their skills in a sport they enjoy.

Bella plays soccer and no one has ever accused me of living my unmet soccer goals through my daughter when I buy her a practice ball and a home soccer goal. No one tells me how unlikely it is that my daughter will ever play in the World Cup or quotes me statistics on how many soccer players there are in the ranks compared to those who "make it."

Why is gymnastics SO different? It is the oddest phenomenon and one I find absolutely fascinating. So far gymnastics is the only activity where my support of my daughter's interest and talent is seen as something "crazy."

Gymnastics is different because in basketball, soccer, and baseball no one is deducting points for performing a skill incorrectly. When you are shooting free throws, no one cares if you are shooting them underhand like Rick Barry if you can make over 80%. (Actually, Rick Barry's career free throw percentage was 89.98%.) In basketball and soccer, improvisation is an essential element of learning and play, whereas improvisation is antithetical to gymnastics, especially compulsory.

Frankly, if all the feedback from the coaches here talking about how difficult it is to unlearn badly-practiced skills isn't enough of a deterrent, I don't know what is. Ditto with the safety concerns.

As the father of an elite/collegiate gymnast, let me add this. As your child advances levels, he or she will need home to become a sanctuary AWAY from gymnastics, especially as his or her hours increase. Don't burn out your child with home equipment.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

My daughter has a fold up beam that sits on the floor a couple of mats and a single bar(I got it when she was in first year of level 4 and her teammates were getting them, she does not do much on the bar maybe back hip circles and pull overs, I would actually like to get rid of it) Back when we got the bar one of her teammates asked the gym where to get one and they said they did not recommend it so I know the coaches are againest them but they do sell ther floor beam and mats through the gym. My daughter likes to play with the stuff and have pretend meets with her friends but my daughter is cautious and does not do anything high level her friends get crazy so I have to supervise them. If I had to do it over I would just stick with the beam , mat and exercise equipment. Daughter would like a trampoline but I am scared to get one I do not think her coaches would approve, she is just going to have to learn her skills at the gym. Future elite mom no offense but from your post you sound like a coaches worst nightmare, you are risking your daughters well being!

 

[Bella's Mom]

Gymnastics is different because in basketball, soccer, and baseball no one is deducting points for performing a skill incorrectly. When you are shooting free throws, no one cares if you are shooting them underhand like Rick Barry if you can make over 80%. (Actually, Rick Barry's career free throw percentage was 89.98%.) In basketball and soccer, improvisation is an essential element of learning and play, whereas improvisation is antithetical to gymnastics, especially compulsory.

I was speaking of parental support of each sport, not the mechanics. I just find it interesting how anti-parent some people in this sport seem to be.

Frankly, if all the feedback from the coaches here talking about how difficult it is to unlearn badly-practiced skills isn't enough of a deterrent, I don't know what is. Ditto with the safety concerns.

I guess I don't see such a clear consensus as you do. I don't believe that the skills my daughter is doing with the safety equipment that I have provided set her up for any more accidents than she could incur at the gym. She isn't doing giants and back tucks on the beam. She is doing pull overs and some mill circles on a secure kip bar with matting.

As the father of an elite/collegiate gymnast, let me add this. As your child advances levels, he or she will need home to become a sanctuary AWAY from gymnastics, especially as his or her hours increase. Don't burn out your child with home equipment.

Yes, I agree with this point. And when she advances, if she advances, she will be working skills too difficult to practice at home. That will happen if she stays in gym. I'm aware of this. At that point, the bar will get sold to the next L2/L3 down the assembly line. And I hope they will enjoy it as much as my daughter will have enjoyed her bar.

Then Bella won't want to do gym at home and I'll get to take my space back.

I'm sorry but I just don't feel like I am burning my child out. I don't require her to practice at home. If she wants to "play Olympics" then she can do so at home. But that's all the home gym is for.....for her enjoyment. And when she stops enjoying it, out the door it will go.

 

[Bella's Mom]

You say "WE were not working front hip circles..." Are you her coach? Do you have coaching experience? Are you a former gymnast? I am so confused by you.

I'm not trying to speak for anyone but I did want to say that I don't find this kind of language a cause for alarm. I speak in the plural with my daughter too. I often say that we are having lunch even if she is the one eating and I'm doing something else. I say that we are taking a bath when she is in the bathtub and I'm cleaning up after dinner. I say that we are at gymnastics and that we are on the beam.

It MIGHT just be the way FutureEliteMom speaks when she is speaking about her daughter.

 

[ejgymmom]

I'm not trying to speak for anyone but I did want to say that I don't find this kind of language a cause for alarm. I speak in the plural with my daughter too. I often say that we are having lunch even if she is the one eating and I'm doing something else. I say that we are taking a bath when she is in the bathtub and I'm cleaning up after dinner. I say that we are at gymnastics and that we are on the beam.

It MIGHT just be the way FutureEliteMom speaks when she is speaking about her daughter.

I'll definitely concede that it could just be the way she talks but I based what I said on all the other posts that she has written on here. If you, or most other people on here, had said something similar it wouldn't have phased me in the slightest. She talks about knowing what an aerial is because she watched progressions on Youtube, she talks about her daughter doing crazy stuff at home on home equipment...she just seems to be a little over the top in my opinion (an apparently in others' as well based on other responses), which is why when she says "WE..." it makes me think there's more than likely some home coaching going on and most likely by someone who is not an experienced coach.

Regardless, I think that most everyone will agree that letting your child doing aerials on a home beam and giants on a home bar is very much not a good idea.

(I apologize if my previous response offended you in any way. That definitely wasn't my intention at all. )

 

[Mariainlv]

I've seen Youtube videos of little gymmies working giants at home. Not something I would do, since that scares the H#LL out of me.. Trying an aeriel on beam "because you saw the progressions on youtube" is outrageous but you know this FEM.

On some level i'm pretty sure FEM finds the shock value and pot stirring amusing or she wouldn't post. 80% of her posts get responses just like this. Just throwing that out there..

 

[gymnastjess]

Futureelitemom i would love to see a video of her progress sorry if my last post offended but doing an ariel on beam at age 5 doesn't sound safe

 

[lilgymmie7]

All I have to say is after reading the last few posts in responce to FEM, I don't feel as guilty as I used to. DD has a hand me down floor beam from her older sis'. We bought the beam from a friend when older DD was 10 yo. She practiced her level 6 on the beam. We also bought her some practice mats to go under the beam. Little DD wanted a bar last year so we bought her a kip bar. She got her kip at age 5 and only practiced it at home when ever someone was down stairs with her. She is afraid of being down there by herself. If I or Dad are not with her, she won't go. I felt guilty because she would ask daily for one of us to go down there with her, but it seemed like we were and are always doing something else. Two weekends ago I did go down with her and helped her with her straight arm kip. Mind you she has had the kip for two years, so I wasn't teaching her the move. I was helping her 'feel' the straight arm version. I was a coach prior to older DD's birth. I stopped when I was about 7 mos. prego, and I was afraid of having the baby kicked. I also coached HS gym and ran a rec. program. Due to this factor, I never coach DD. Conflict of interest is how I see it. Plus I agree with home being a haven. Those videos of her on you tube on her home equipment were prompted by her wanting to go down and 'play around'. I did feel guilty before about not investing more time with her down there, but now not so much! BTW we did mention the bar to her coaches and they weren't opposed as long as she didn't try anything crazy. Giants and ariels at home? You have to be kidding! I want my DD to walk for the rest of her life. That little one (FEM) will most definitly hurt herself. Please be careful! I may be ringing on deaf ears!

 

[3rd_time_around]

We were not working front hip circles and aerials at the same time. She learned her front hip circle and mill circle on her home bar and worked her giants after DH bolted the bar to the basement floor.

I know what an aerial is. We watched a progression for it on youtube. She got it on trampoline, then in the back yard before we ever took it to the beam. She can land it some of the time with one or two feet on the beam so I know she will get it soon. She is very determined and doesn't give up until she gets a skill. We put lots of pillows around to make sure she doesn't run into anything if she misses.

Oh MY GOSH!! your daughter does giants at home???? My daughter can do an aerial blindfolded and in her sleep, but NOT ON THE BEAM!! Only our level 9's and 10's have even attempted that at the gym, and that was with mat stacks and coaches spotting. Why, why would you risk her gymnastics future like that? I know from experience how quickly an injury can change your life and put your gymnastics on hold. Our gym has it in the handbook that team girls are not to learn new skills at home because it develops bad habits, and could cause injury. Then they have to re-learn it when the time comes that they can actually compete it, because they learned it badly the first time.

 

[Future Elite Mom]

My daughter is not 5, she is 9. She is doing mostly baby giant-push-away- progression to giants. She showed the coaches what she had been working on for beam and they told her good job. They did tell say she should perfect her cartwheel to roundoff before working more on the ariel. At this point I don't feel comfortable posting any more about what she is working on. This place is quick to judge.

 

[3rd_time_around]

My daughter is not 5, she is 9. She is doing mostly baby giant-push-away- progression to giants. She showed the coaches what she had been working on for beam and they told her good job. They did tell say she should perfect her cartwheel to roundoff before working more on the ariel. At this point I don't feel comfortable posting any more about what she is working on. This place is quick to judge.

Why is it that when someone posts truth or begs sanity or caution, that people accuse them of "judging" or being judgmental? I guess she shouldn't post anymore if her skin is so thin.

 

[Future Elite Mom]

My skin is actually quite thick. But you all remind of the group of moms that sit in the waiting room, talk friendly to another mom, and the minute she walks out, you all start a conversation about her. One starts in, another jumps on board, and then, next thing you know, the whole group of you is having a conversation about her. Talking about how crazy SHE is makes YOU feel sane.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

This has gone on as long as it needs to