Parents Level 4 no grips

[Lurker]

My DD has her first level 4 meet coming up. They are running alot of routines in practice. She is now the only level 4 on her team without grips. She is complaining that when all the girls with grips use the bar, the bar gets really slippery from the water with chalk. It could be an excuse or something else. If this is a thing is there anything that helps that she can do before her turn?

 

[That_Gymnast]

Bar shouldn’t be slippery unless teammates are using too much water. Especially in level 4 there’s no need they would need extreme amounts of chalk and water to do a short bar routine…sorry for your daughter. Tell her to try to place her hands to the side of their hands marks to get a better grip on the bar, or she could always ask the coach if the bar feels to slippery to them, maybe they would notice then and tell the girls to use a little less?

 

[superNova08]

I would have her talk to the coaches. Can they clean off the bars before she goes? Can she go first? Can they have the other girls use less water and/or chalk? The coaches should usually have a work around for this, as I'm sure it's not a unique situation.

 

[Lurker]

Talking to coaches is a skill we are working on . It does sound like this is a plausible complaint though. I do see them occasionally wiping down the bar. Is that allowed in a competition?

 

[superNova08]

Not sure if it's allowed in competition, though I would assume it is. It's not usually necessary in competition. She could also go first on her team so that it's not necessary during competition. I have seen bars wiped down during competition. Could they teach her to wipe down the bar herself during practice? That might make them more willing to have it done consistently.

 

[GymDadWA]

Because she is the only one without grips maybe that is her way of asking to get some to be like the other gymnast.

 

[Lurker]

Because she is the only one without grips maybe that is her way of asking to get some to be like the other gymnast.

That very much could be part of it, possibly both can be true at the same time? Given the breakout of the training groups this year I think she is feeling a little ignored as well.

 

[&bs]

Girls with no grips definitely don’t like the bar as chalky as those that do (that the bar feels slippery is a common complaint at the transitional levels). Agree with That_Gymnast about moving slightly to the side to avoid the chalky part of the bar or if the bar is chalky all over to ask the coach to remove the chalk in two hand sections for her.

 

[Lurker]

Thanks! I got some clarification that the complaint is the chalk on the bar feels wet. This may be in the category of too much water being used by others? Either way to solve on her own moving slightly to the right seems simple enough. And we will cross the getting grips bridge when a coach tells her to get them.