WAG How much "hands on" coaching and spotting needed?

[LizzieLac]

I was wondering, after talking to HC and reading a comment from Dunno about how spotting takes its toll on coaches, just how much hands on coaching and spotting is needed. How does it vary level to level and where can describing body position and providing drills take the place of spotting?

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

This is something I have been thinking about recently as well. At our old gym there was alot of hands on coaching and spotting (except on beam) but her new gym is not as hands on. I am curious to hear what other coaches think too.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I was never really spotted and I never had really good form. We'll never know if I would have had better form if I had been exposed to hands on coaching and spotting but I think it definitely helps. I was very shy when I was younger so if the coach told me to do something and I didn't understand what she was talking about I wouldn't ask so I would never fix it.

 

[Gymishome]

It depends on the kid. Some kids you can tell them something and they fix it right away. Other kids it doesn't click. And spotting also depends on the skill and the gymnast. Older girls are harder than 8 year olds, and a pak is harder than a pullover. But either way, the gymnast and the coach have to know what they're doing.

 

[pamred4]

In rec a lot a lot a lot of spotting is needed because you can't really trust those kids to do what they are told to do and to do it consistently. The Low levels 1-3 require spotting but it's more about making the kids confident by having your hands "spotting" them. As the kids get older you need to spot less but more harder skills like bhs and robhbt etc!

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

We spot and shape as much bar work as possible. Some of the conditioning is spotted/holding gymnasts. Vault and tumbling have spotting depending on the stage the gymnasts are at. Beam not so much. The toll - one deep tissue massage each week.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Not necessary but very helpful. If you don't spot on bars you will leave kids behind... meaning some kids will just never get or even attempt that giant to flyaway, bail or pak, unless they get spotted though it. So if you want a big team or are fast tracking little ones, you better spot....

 

[Aussie_coach]

I am in very strong agreement with dunno. I have seen too many coaches sustain injuries from too much spotting. Most coaches will hurt themselves to keep their gymnasts safe, and while this is honourable it's also not very smart.

Its a good way to end your career.

To answer your question on how much spotting is needed, I think it depends on your imagination. How many drills can you come up with?

For each skill there are huge numbers of drills kids can do to simulate the body movements which don't require spot. You have to be prepared to do lots of research, chat to other coaches and find idea's and utilise lots of equipment.

This is especially important if you have older or bigger gymnasts. I myself am a typical gymnasts size, I am 5'0" and most of the gymnasts are bigger than me by the age of 12. That does not mean they have to stop learning, but it forces me to be very creative and try different things.

For example I see coaches spotting kids for kips by holding their feet and pushing them up and down onto the bar so the get the feel of the end of the kip. You can do the same thing by just tying a rope to the bar and making a big enough loop for them to stand in, they will have lots of fun swinging themselves up and down off the bar and you saved your body.

The other big key is prerequisites, you can't avoid spotting altogether but you can make it much easier on yourself by only spotting kids who are ready to do the skill. If they are t ready spotting is a pointless strain on your body. Each skill should have a set of strong prerequisites and the previous step should be mastered before they are allowed to try the new skill with spot.

Ie you don't spot them a pullover on the bar until they have one walking up a wall and kicking over.

 

[iwannacoach]

Whenever and whatever skill they need it for. I'd love to limit it to transitions from pit or progressions, but sometimes kids just need a ton of numbers to get over their fear. When that's the case they have to pay the price of doing the skill in rapid succession, and that often puts an end to their "need" for spotting..... or they build confidence by doing 4 to 8 in a minute (depending on skill) and find they can do the skill while out of breath, with tired muscles begging for a break, and a coach pestering them to keep up the pace.

 

[Quadqueen]

At DD's old gym, there was lots of hands-on spotting. She is now at a new gym and in optionals and gets very little spotting: only a little on bars, but none on the other events. I was concerned about how she would adapt, but she's doing fine, and this gym produces more successful gymnasts. It can be problematic when the only coach that spots bars is unavailable for a meet though.

 

[chalkbowl]

I find it interesting that a few posters have mentioned switching from a gym that does a lot of spotting, to a gym that does little spotting. However, the gymmies are at what is perceived to be a more successful gym. I have observed some coaches use spotting as a way to skip out on the prerequisites required to do a skill, just so they can say the athlete is working this harder skill or competing at that harder level. In this case the spotting is 100% necessary otherwise the athlete will not be safe doing the skill. This may lead to more spotting in the gym...but it doesn't lead to a more successful gymnast in the long run.

 

[Quadqueen]

I find it interesting that a few posters have mentioned switching from a gym that does a lot of spotting, to a gym that does little spotting. However, the gymmies are at what is perceived to be a more successful gym. I have observed some coaches use spotting as a way to skip out on the prerequisites required to do a skill, just so they can say the athlete is working this harder skill or competing at that harder level. In this case the spotting is 100% necessary otherwise the athlete will not be safe doing the skill. This may lead to more spotting in the gym...but it doesn't lead to a more successful gymnast in the long run.

In our case, the "lots of spotting" gym was a gym with no pits and therefore, for many skills, the spotting was necessary in the beginning stages of learning a skill. IMO, it also led many of the girls to rely on the coaches for a lot longer than necessary, because they believed they needed the spot. For example, DD liked that the coach would either spot or "just stand there" while she learned a BHS on beam - but she could do it on her own long before the spotting ever stopped. The girls started to think they needed spots on skills that they were able to do on their own. So, at the new gym, as long as the coach knows the girls are capable of doing the skill, they're doing it on their own (or doing it on a floor beam).

 

[momof5]

Our coach has had some pretty serious injuries from spotting. Occasionally old injuries flare up and he is unable to spot at all for a while. DD is frustrated by this. Our team relies very little on spotting. Beam is never spotted. We also have no in ground pits but we do have pit mats. The only optional skills I have ever seen spotted are double backs and double pikes. And you don't even attempt these skills till coach is pretty sure you can do them. There is a little spotting on every surface change. Vault also has minimal spotting. It takes a long time to flip vaults because they spend so mauch time working beginning of the vault. A little brief spotting when the vault is first flipped but if flipping requires to much spotting to make it safe then you are back to working entry of vault. Bars is the one event my DD wishes there was more spotting. She says it would help with her shaping. Lots of drills on bars. The only bar skills that have gotten consistent spotting are blinds( after success at lots of drills) and flyaways and double backs. DD learned giants, clear hips, pirouettes, overshoots, and front giants all with out any spotting. I will say our team is weak on bars and I do wish they would spot more. We also have no strap bar but that's another story.

 

[Gymishome]

Bars is the one event my DD wishes there was more spotting. She says it would help with her shaping. Lots of drills on bars. The only bar skills that have gotten consistent spotting are blinds( after success at lots of drills) and flyaways and double backs. DD learned giants, clear hips, pirouettes, overshoots, and front giants all with out any spotting. I will say our team is weak on bars and I do wish they would spot more. We also have no strap bar but that's another story.

No strap bar and still learned giants without a spot? Oh boy...

 

[iwannacoach]

What is the definition of waste of time?

...... I have observed some coaches use spotting as a way to skip out on the prerequisites required to do a skill, just so they can say the athlete is working this harder skill......

Pretty good definition if you ask me.

 

[LizzieLac]

Interesting reading... I guess this thread also brings up a few other things for me.

1) Some kids "need" more spotting than others
2) Some gyms do more spotting than others
3) Spotting is not a guarantee of anything
4) Spotting seems to happen more on bars than beam (generally)

At our gym, HC spots bars quite a bit. However, my DD is 13 and 125 pounds. She is in a group training level 7 and giants. She doesn't like to be spotted on bars because she feels it messes up her timing and her momentum. HC tries to spot her some but becuase she is not 11 and 100 pounds, it is harder for him to spot her. That doesn't seem to impact her though, as she learned her giant without heavy spotting and without spending a ton of time on the strap bar. He helped her some with body shape and she just seems to "get it."

I have seen other gym's coaches really be hands of for body shape and corrections with beam, and I found that interesting as our gym does not spot beam much and only uses hands on corrections occasionally. I wonder if DD would benefit from spotting BHS on beam as that skill is taking the longest.

So, what events benefit from spotting the most?

 

[Gymishome]

So, what events benefit from spotting the most?

Bars. Well, usually. There's a lot of factors. But bars is a lot more about shapes, and there's a lot more skills. Spotting on beam is generally done here if you are doing anything new on a high beam, like bhs, back tuck, etc. But still minimal spotting. Floor, we'll stand there if someone is say throwing a double back for the first time. Basically because the process we have prepares them. Obviously the higher up you get the more dangerous things get and the kid won't do it without a spot or two. But I have seen coaches that leave most bar skills to drills so...