Level 5 Vault

[trcr7498]

Hello!! I am new to this site but have browsed around it quite a bit and this is a wonderful place for parents, gymnasts and coaches alike to all encourage and help each other out

I have a question concerning the level 5 vault. My daughter has her first competition of the season on Sunday. This will be her first year competing as a level 5 gymnast and is having trouble with her vault. Forgive me if I do not use the proper gymnastics terms while I try to explain her situation. She started out vaulting on the #2 setting and when she was running to the vault she would start to slow down and stutter as she approached the springboard before punching to go over the vault table. To correct this her coach switched her to the #3 setting to force her to make her run more powerful. This has corrected the slowing down/stuttering issue, but she is still having trouble keeping her legs straight and together (she looks like a frog going over the vaulting table) When I ask her if there is something she doesn't like about vault she tells me that she is afraid she is going to go flying over the vault!! LOL!!
Can anyone give me some idea's, advice, and pointers on helping her to gain confidence as well as fixing her frog legs?

Thank you.

 

[lannamavity]

She needs to do a lot of vaults. It sounds like her coach is working with her to improve the vault.

Sorry...but it's that simple.

 

[gymjourneymom]

Yes, I agree with lanna, just give her more time, and lots more vaults. Going over the vault, in level 5, is much scarier to some gymmies, than landing flat on the mat like in level 4. Sounds like her coach is addressing the issue. And least she's going over! My DD started level 5, by running up to the vault & stopping, LOL! I've always been so happy that they get 2 chances to vault in meets. Keep it positive & praise her attempts to make corrections. I think it's great her run has improved You could have her visualize herself doing a perfect vault a couple of times each day. But really...I wouldn't worry too much...she'll get it worked out.

 

[flippymonkeysmom]

When I ask her if there is something she doesn't like about vault she tells me that she is afraid she is going to go flying over the vault!!

Tell her it's ok to fly - that's half the fun of gymnastics

 

[margymmom]

My daughter has a similar problem, and I wish I had a good solution. She would go over with the slightest spot for months, but refused to go alone. She is extremely small (and light) and practices with girls much bigger than her, so she often ended up practicing on #3, though she uses a 0 at meets. For her, the lower setting is less scary (I'm told there is very little difference, but I really don't know). She vaulted at two meets and showed improvement, then at the last meet she had a slight stomach bug and ended up scratching vault (but competing all else). She has refused to go over without a spot since...


Anyhoo, maybe it would help your daughter get her courage up to lower the vault? Sounds like she is in less of a bind than my daughter, and maybe practice alone will help her overcome fear.

Good luck. I know how frustrating it can be (for parent and daughter!).

 

[Linsul]

The first response in here is right on. Repetition breeds confidence, and confidence enables the ability to make changes for the better. I find that the 'trickiest' part of coaching vault is doing it in a way that allows no fear issues to surface. I never ever ever tell compulsory girls what springboard setting they're on, if they get fixated on that then when it's time to change it you risk a mental block.

 

[gymjourneymom]

I totally agree with Linsul & lanna...more vaults are the answer. I think sometimes parents get too worried about skills(I know I was guilty of that). If the gymmie is making an effort & the coach is addressing the issue, I think that's all that really needs to be done at this point. Coach & gymmie need to work together & do LOTS of vaults. My DD did stuggled with vault issues in the beginning of level 5. I was feeling very stressed out for her. Finally, I realized, her & the coach had to work it out ...there wasn't anything I could do to "fix this" for her. That has been the hardest lesson, that I have learned from my DD being a gymmie. I just try to be supportive & stay upbeat & positive with my encouragment. By the end of the level 5 season DD was state vault champ. She followed it up the next year, being the state vault champ as level 6! She's a level 7 this year. So TRCR7498, I say just be patient, be supportive & let the coach & gymmie work through it. Sounds like they are working hard to improve the skill. She may really surprise you when you least expect it...I know my gymmie does:veryhappy:. Keep us posted on her progress...I think we'll be hearing so good things coming from all of her hard work! :vault:

 

[TuesdayPillow]

Lots of drills and lots of vaults. Is she drilling any flatbacks or any vaults on Tumble Track? I often work work stacks of mats behind the vault at first to let the gymnast feel safe about the run and board approach. Once their run and board approach is pretty solid, I take the mats away once a week and give them a chance to do a "real vault". They also do tons of drills. Of course we aren't in season right now and you are - in season I would do more full vaults because (hopefully) I prepared them well enough in the off season with drills.

She'll be fine, as long as she wants to fix it she will. Good luck!

 

[gymnastrachelle001]

hello.....is the vault handspring to feet??

 

[trcr7498]

Thank you for the encouraging words. Yesteday was the meet and the dreaded vault was her first event!! She looked terrified and I thought that I was going to cry because I was terrified for her, lol. She warmed up on #3, but then she coach left the vault on #2 when she competed and didn't tell DD. It turned out ok. She scored an 8.25 which is MUCH better than I was expecting. DD even surprised herself. She still frogged over the vaulting table, but she went for it - that's more than I expected. I'm surprised she recieved and 8.25 though with the bent legs/legs apart. Other gymnasts who's vaults looked very nice received lower scores. But I have an untrained eye : ) It's not for me to understand what the judges are looking for I guess : )

 

[gymjourneymom]

That is great news!!! And she will only get better & better with more vaults under her belt. I don't claim to know much about what the judges are looking for. But I know the proper run has a lot do with it also. She'll get there, don't worry too much. But you are making me feel like an uninformed parent....I have absolutley no idea what # my DD vaults on & I never have. This does seem like TMI to me. Something your gymmie could easliy become fixated on & possibly a risk a mental block later on as Linsul said. She needs to focus on her form & making corrections...not what # she's vaulting on, JMHO. Congats to her for going for it! Keep up the good work:thumbsup:.

 

[Linsul]

Thank you for the encouraging words. Yesteday was the meet and the dreaded vault was her first event!! She looked terrified and I thought that I was going to cry because I was terrified for her, lol. She warmed up on #3, but then she coach left the vault on #2 when she competed and didn't tell DD. It turned out ok. She scored an 8.25 which is MUCH better than I was expecting. DD even surprised herself. She still frogged over the vaulting table, but she went for it - that's more than I expected. I'm surprised she recieved and 8.25 though with the bent legs/legs apart. Other gymnasts who's vaults looked very nice received lower scores. But I have an untrained eye : ) It's not for me to understand what the judges are looking for I guess : )

Yay! Grats on the score and for going for it! Vault goes by so fast in the overall competition scheme of things that it would seem that there isn't a whole lot to score. Really though, the judges can start scribbling from the moment the gymnast takes their first running step. Everything from then until they salute after their skill can be nit-picked by a very attentive judge, or overlooked because a judge blinked at the wrong (or right, depending on what they missed by blinking lol!) time since it happens so quickly!

 

[vmom]

I think vault can be soo frustrating. Don't worry, last year only a couple of girls on my dd's level 5 team had vault figured out right away. My dd did the frog leg thing too and improved over the season. She even took 1st on vault at the last meet before State. Give it time!