Idle curiosity about training boys' vs. girls' tumbling

[profmom]

As the parent of one of each, I've noticed how differently coaches at our gym train tumbling. My DD, now a L6, did not learn a standing BHS except incidentally until she was getting ready for L6 floor if I am remembering right. Certainly not on preteam (which is about L4 for us) and not while she was mastering L5 floor. But my DS, who's a L4 now, is learning a standing BHS, at the same time as/possibly ahead of learning to connect it with the RO. The two of them had a completely hilarious fight about whether it's harder or easier to learn a standing BHS or to learn it by connecting it with the RO first, with each predictably defending the way s/he has been taught.

My curiosity is piqued further by having seen a handful of boys at my DS's most recent meets fooling around while waiting for warmups and awards by throwing standing back tucks, which shocked me to see from L4s. DD won't be working on standing back tucks for a while!

So is it usually the case that tumbling starting from a stand (sorry for awkward phrasing) is generally taught much earlier to boys? If so, why is this?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

just a coincidence.

 

[Quadqueen]

I have no idea, except to say that I've noticed this too, with the girls and boys at my DD's gym (but I don't have a boy on team).

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

It does seem weird not to learn a standing back handspring, if only to get used to going backwards. At my gym we work them a lot in L4 and L5 for girls, doing 3-4 in a row, learning how to build up speed from a stand, etc. Then we learn to step out for the L6 floor routine and to start learning them on beam. I don't know about the boys.

 

[gymmutti]

Both of my DD learned standing BHS prior to learning to connect to a RO. They were taught in pre-team (L4). It is probably just how your coach prefers to teach them.

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

DS learnt standing back tuck - no BHS either standing or connected first.

DD learnt ROBHS, then standing BHS then front tuck.

I just put it down to different coaches.

 

[pattymello]

I think it is just a preference of coaching style. I tend to teach standing BHS first and then get them to connect it to a round off by finishing the troudoff, stopping and than do a standing BHS. I gradually build up the tempo and adjust the technique as needed.

 

[millymomof4]

I have twins boy/girl both in gymnastics. If there is anything I have learned after few years of comparing their training and development, it is that I will drive myself insane trying to figure out which kid actually learned it right. . . . .

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

My curiosity is piqued further by having seen a handful of boys at my DS's most recent meets fooling around while waiting for warmups and awards by throwing standing back tucks, which shocked me to see from L4s. DD won't be working on standing back tucks for a while!

This part I can explain: guys like to just chuck stuff. They see somebody else do a standing back tuck and they want to try. So often, as coaches, we'll teach a standing back tuck fairly early, just so they'll be doing it right (since they're probably going to be trying it anyway).

 

[Aussie_coach]

Boys are very different to girls. As Geoffrey said boys do just chuck stuff. If you have level 2 boys the odds are they are already teaching themselves to do back handsprings and back tucks at home on their trampoline or on their bed. You need to teach the skills earlier so they are safe and so they are not teaching themselves incorrectly and then spending years practicing incorrect technique before they start working it in the gym.