MAG Not on Team but competing

[Deleted member 10727]

My newly turned 6 yr old son is in an intermediate gymnastics class, but his coach invited him to participate as a level 4 in a in-house meet a couple of weeks ago. My son did well on everything (13.0-14.6), except pommel/mushroom (8.2). His coach has not really worked much with him on those as my son is tiny, and I think his decision to have my son compete was impulsive. Apparently he did well enough that the coach has invited him to compete at level 4 state, but he wants him to learn the mushroom in the two weeks till the meet. We have a mushroom at home, and my son willingly has been practicing really hard, but he's just not getting it. I refuse to pressure him, and I encourage him to keep trying, but I can see he's getting frustrated. I'm not sure how to help him. Are there any suggestions? He can do his first body turn, but the second one, his feet end up on the ground before he can turn body down again. I notice he does virtually the same thing every time, so I don't see any improvement. I tell him, lead with your belly, fast hand, butt down. I hate to see him so frustrated... any suggestions appreciate.

 

[MyBoysFlip]

Mushroom, mushroom, mushroom. It just takes lots of practice & time! My 7YO finally got his 5 1/2 circles after a year of working on them. To quote him from his 1st meet - "Don't tape pommel - I'm going to get a 2 & and like it!" Just remind him of all the other 6 YO that don't even know what a circle is.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Apparently he did well enough that the coach has invited him to compete at level 4 state, but he wants him to learn the mushroom in the two weeks till the meet. We have a mushroom at home, and my son willingly has been practicing really hard, but he's just not getting it.

Perhaps the coach should be spending some time with him on this as he is the one who entered him and wants him to learn the mushroom(skill/routine?!?!) in the two weeks.

As a parent, I would down play the importance of the competition if he has not had a full preparation/missing skills. If he gets the skill/routine it will be a bonus for him. Try to make having fun the goal in this situation (and most meets). There is no point in getting worked up and upset when you did not have the chance to be successful.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

Thank you. I told him to just do the best he can do, and to practice when he feels like it at home, and not to worry about it. No one is upset here, he was just getting frustrated. But i told him that lots of kids have to practice months and months to get circles, and he's doing great. I just wonder if there are videos or tutorials he can watch.

 

[skschlag]

So many kiddos miss their circles in level 4 and even in level 5. They are tough to get. He will get them, and when he does, it will be awesome! I don't think watching tutorials will be much help. It really just takes the coach and practice.

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

Oh the dreaded mushroom! It was the bane of DS's existence for almost an entire year. Time and lots of practice.

 

[J&A's mom]

Try to downplay all around and the pommel/mushroom and stress the events that he is good at. When did he turn six? He will probably be with the six year olds again next year(since you said he was a new six year old) so this is just for experience in competing anyway. Mushroom takes a long time to get. My seven year old(who competes as a six year old) is just finally getting the circles, and he has been working on it for a long time. If it helps at all, his problem was his shoulders. Instead of keeping them above the mushroom, he was moving them around in a circle. Also, you son will be better at it when he grows a little. This is an even that our taller and stronger gymnasts did well on.

 

[profmom]

There are lots of drills (has your son worked with a bucket yet?), but basically it is just a matter of time, patience, and practice. Assure him that many of the boys competing at states will have multiple falls. We just got back from a meet -- a big one -- where the low scores on pommels for L4 boys were in the 6s. They all struggle with it to some degree, but it eventually comes together.

Just tell him to have fun with it for now (well, really for always!) and trust that he will be able to do it really well after a while. My little guy, who just completed his fourth meet as a new L4 this year, loves pommel even though the mushroom has been the bane of his meet season.

Our very, very wise boys' coach tells our little guys that gymnastics is really about what they do in practice and the meets are just for them to show off for their parents.

 

[CoachTodd]

From what I can tell, the magic number on mushroom seems to be 3. Once they can connect 3 circles, most folks just keep going. I can do 2 1/2 .

 

[profmom]

Except when they do 4 1/2 in warmups and then fall off after 1 when the judge is looking! LOL.

 

[skschlag]

LOL! That happens even after they have their circles and flairs. I am always sure my ds is about to fall off the mushroom. It still happens....at all levels

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

Ds used to really stress about the mushroom and pommel - then we took him to see the senior boys team competing and they were falling off pommel left, right and centre... including Ds's coach

 

[BlairBob]

A lot of boys don't have connected circles and it's still pretty common to see boys who can only do 3/4s of a circle, if that.

The trick is just practicing a lot of circles. It's a number game until you can consistently connect 2. Then focus on shape.

Basic tips are:

turn the fingers sideways and lean shoulder diagonal past wrist

fast hands

make sure the second hand placement leans past diagonal as well.

lead with hips in first part of circle, heels in 2nd part. counterturned hips is critical but I could really care less if a little guy understands hips, then heels. I don't even care if he circles on his butt, I just want him to get the feeling of connecting those circles and the hand rhythm.

check this out

teaching Pommel circles — Gymnastics Coaching.com