Parents Learning skills on the beam

[mom2newgymnast]

This is kind of a general question/observation that I have been wondering about.. not a complaint, just a curiosity question.

It seems like the process of learning skills on the beam is a lot different than the other events. On floor, vault and bars, there seems to be a lot more active coaching. At dd's gym, the coaches usually have multiple stations with drills they can do by themselves and then 1 or 2 stations where the coach is directly working with each gymnast. But on beam, it's very rare for the coach to do anything active. She generally stands and watches while she tells them what to work on. Of course they are all on beams at the same time which makes it different too. From what I've seen and heard, most beam practices consist of them doing warm up/conditioning on the beam followed by them having to complete some number of good attempts at a skill before moving to the next one. So 10 leaps, 10 split jumps, 10 handstands with 2 second holds, etc. For the cartwheel they have to do 10 on the low beam and then 10 on the high beam. Just recently they've allowed them to try their bwo on low beam if they make it all the way through the 20 cartwheels. The coach occasionally will help if one of them is really struggling, but most of her time is spent watching and making sure everyone is making it through their reps. Is that how it is done at most gyms? I think it makes sense, but it just seems different to me than the other events. Is it just because the skills they are working on on the beam aren't too difficult (and they all have them on the floor easily), so it's really just a matter of getting confident on the beam by practicing a lot? Do you find it changes at higher levels or is that pretty much the norm for all levels?

Thanks!

 

[Flyaway]

This is how it is at my dd's gym too. Warm ups then either 20 routines (if it's a meet week) and then reps of cartwheels, bridge kick overs and bwo. If it's not a meet week they breakdown the routine and do reps of those skills instead.

 

[M2Abi]

Our coaches are generally spotting someone on beam while others are working by themselves. If it's just warm up, then the coach is just watching, but if it is skill based, handstands, cartwheels, back walkovers, the coach is working with them one on one.

 

[ZJsMom]

Beam is different from the other events because the athlete has mastered the skill on floor before she attempts it on beam. Kids shouldn't need a spot on beam because they know the technique and how the skill should feel. It's 90% mental and a lot of coaches don't spot because it becomes a psychological crutch.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Beam is different from the other events because the athlete has mastered the skill on floor before she attempts it on beam. Kids shouldn't need a spot on beam because they know the technique and how the skill should feel. It's 90% mental and a lot of coaches don't spot because it becomes a psychological crutch.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. So does it stay that way throughout the levels?

 

[Committed]

From what I've seen, the girls rotate beams and have different stations throughout. Some beams are routines, some are series', some are turns, sometimes they go to the floor to work ariels. They use the lower beams for new skills like BTs or new series. They're very rarely spotted.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Our grills do a lot of drills and work on floor beams first. Then they move to the low beam. Coach will spot on floor and to a point on low beam. When they move to high beam they are not closely spotted. Watched but not spotted.