Parents How to cover a homemade beam

[momof5]

We made DD a beam out of wood many years ago and she has always made up little routines on it. She has been trying to work on improving her beam turns and she was on the beam practicing the other day and she said that it was different doing it on the wood beam then using the beam at the gym. She said her foot turns different. I was wondering if any one had any good ideas of something that I could cover the top of the beam with that would more closely resemble the real beam. I was thinking there might be something that I could buy at the fabric store that might work. Any sugguestions?

 

[bogwoppit]

Gymnastics Balance Beams STICK IT! Training Gymnastics Balance Beams, Accessories & Team Gifts.

This company sells the fabric by the yard and also also kit to pad and cover homemade beams a bit, the prices seem good.

 

[gymnomore]

I covered a homemade beam once but it was a tricky situation. Though it was a low beam, it was a standard size beam in length, so it didn't fit inside my house. So, I had to keep it outside, but I wanted to cover it and yet didn't want it to get wet and mildew when it rained. The only solution was to make a portable covering that I could take off and on. I bought a piece of foam and cut it the length of the beam. Then I picked out some upholstery material at Jo-Ann Fabrics and placed a long piece on the top and bottom of the foam, and sewed it together along the sides. Then I sewed on some industrial strength velcro strips on each edge. I stapled some heavy duty velcro on the bottom of the beam so that I could wrap the entire covering around the beam and it would velcro to the bottom. It worked perfectly, and with the foam insert, my dd could work backwalkovers and back handsprings without getting hurt. If you are shopping for upholstery pieces, look at the remnant section at your local fabric store. It's really not expensive at all and worth a try. Since I did it, I've seen fabrics that look similar to "beam" coverings like you see in a gym- like some heavy duty suede pieces. If you can keep your beam inside, it would be much easier to simply wrap the fabric and staple it to the bottom of the beam with a staple gun. It's up to you whether or not you want to add a piece of foam on the inside. It helps if your dd happens to bump her head while working some higher up skills. Sadly, my beam has been outside for about 10 years now while no one uses it anymore. DD is now 16 and the only time she uses the beam is at the gym. The home beam has lost it's appeal through the years so I really need to find it a new home.