WAG Ok Dunno, you'd better be right...

[Frase]

The girls at dd's gym get set a certain number of routines they have to land dead within a certain amount of time before they can start up training. Frequently if they miss the time deadline they get sent up the rope. One particularly bad day dd was 22 minutes late finishing and had to climb the rope 22 times (in straddle).

 

[Seeker]

That seems like torture!! Her poor hands, not to mention soreness the next day. Ouch.

 

[Frase]

Oh and I forgot the small point of if they fall at competition they have to do 200 of that skill the next day back at training.

 

[Seeker]

I am not a coach, but that seems to go well beyond the usefulness stage. Doing anything 200 times seems excessive to me. Depending on what skill they fell on, could also be injury-causing. I hope your DD never falls!!

 

[Frase]

I am not a coach, but that seems to go well beyond the usefulness stage. Doing anything 200 times seems excessive to me. Depending on what skill they fell on, could also be injury-causing. I hope your DD never falls!!

I agree. It did take getting your head around - for both the gymnast and their parents! Thankfully since its introduction DD has not fallen.

I've got to say, prior to reading this thread I thought the whole rope thing was just the coach being mean (and maybe she is) but I can now see how it is a way of introducing pressure - particularly when at comps beam always seems so rushed - jump up - core skills, jump down 2 mins compete.

This is dd's 3rd year competing and her last comp was the first time when it really clicked with her that she couldn't control what everyone else was going to do but that if she just did what she did in training everyday she'd be ok - and she was.

 

[iwannacoach]

Oh and I forgot the small point of if they fall at competition they have to do 200 of that skill the next day back at training.

No comment...... if you know what I mean.

 

[Jenny]

I am not a coach, but that seems to go well beyond the usefulness stage. Doing anything 200 times seems excessive to me. Depending on what skill they fell on, could also be injury-causing. I hope your DD never falls!!

Lets hope no kids every falls on their back walkover. 200 back walkovers on beam in one session is not something a child's spine will thank you for. Ever.

Inducing pressure. Useful.
Inducing spinal stress fractures possibly requiring surgery. Not useful.

Lower numbers and a time limit better.

 

[wallinbl]

Put some fun pressure on them in practice. Put them in groups of 3-4, and require them to all hit on consecutive routines, or if they're more consistent, they have to each hit twice. Any fall starts the count over. Have a little fun and see which group can do it first.

 

[LizzieLac]

The girls that never or rarely fall are the ones who practice like they are in competiton - my observation.

Also, doing large numbers (200 is too many IMO) can be accomplished if spaced out over the week. Must make 50 of a full routine and/or 50 of certain key skills. You have all week to accomplish this. But once you fall 5 times, you erase what you did accomplich on that day only. By the end of the week, whatever your deficit, that must be accomplished and that might mean a little extra time on beam that day. Our gym does this on occasion when beam is suffering.

 

[kecks]

and some wonder why gymnasts often have overuse injuries at a young age. seriously, 200 of let's say backwalkover? so many back bends, so many jumps barefoot on wood, so many reps... i totally get the numbers means consistency and confidence thing, i know that elite sports are anything but healthy (done it myself, coaching 10+ years in it), but to a coach from 'normal' elite sports like weightlifting or track it sounds really a little overdone sometimes, especially because their bodies are so young and nearly all of them will never ever go on to elite or even nationals. they only have one body and they will still need it the next 50+ years when they are done with gymnastics...

 

[gracyomalley]

I'm not a coach, but I am a pediatrician - 200 BWO! TOO MANY - and frankly, not necessary unless you are going to try to win the compulsory olympics/weed out any weak backs before optionals!

Some degree of repetitions without fall is important and clearly will lead to more consistent beam routines - however, I will say that DD has fallen ONCE in the last 2 years on beam in competition...after falling on something at all except about 3 meets (including clean routines ALWAYS at states) at old L5/6.

The time she fell this year was on a leap - at 930 pm at night in a long meet that took us 8 hours to get to because of a snow storm....would not have been helpful for her to go back to gym and do 200 leaps that week!(she scored 8.95 with fall). She was plenty disappointed with herself - and didn't need anyone telling her to be extra clean in the next weeks practices. No one will ever hit every time! Consistency on routines has come with maturity, focus and mental training as much as physical (she has now competed almost 4 seasons...)

Finishing assignments, practicing like you plan to compete, LEARNING to focus and compete, practicing skills often on low beam/floor....core strength, etc...I would say those seem more important than punishing falls with excessive repetition of the skill - and knowing that unless you hold kids back from competition until they can score all 9+ (which some do I have heard on CB) - there will always be falls, especially from younger, lower level kids.

But we come from a small state - with college gym as the goal. No elites here - no need to be the "top" compulsory gym in order to compete with other gyms for the best athletes...kids have time to learn consistency and do so. Coach does lots of beam games to increase number of sticks....and up-training during season is held off until certain number of stuck routines are done...I don't know our fall ratios in comp....certainly more clean than falls - but depending upon whether we have alot of girls who are repeaters or not, and how young they are - some days 3 falls in 8 routines would be fine - especially with only about 4-5 meets a year.

I think I'm glad my kids are out here in the Western boonies....who knows if DD would still be working her cartwheels on beam rather than on to L8 after placing at all meets in 2 seasons of L7....she really had a hard time with that stupid cartwheel on beam!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

200 of anything is just madness !

P&F would no longer be in the sport if that was the case.

 

[Gymishome]

200....no....those kinds of coaches should pay for the medical bills when the kid gets a bad overuse injury....

 

[rjb123]

DD's coaches frequently has them do V- ups when they fall on beam in practice (or other falls, errors etc on events). Usually it starts with 5 for first fall, 10 the next fall 15 the next etc. They don't punish (that I am aware of anyway) for errors or falls made in meets, but they do push a "you better fight for it" mentality on beam.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

No comment...... if you know what I mean.

i concur...

 

[Jenny]

Oh Dunno shouldn't that be YIKES

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Oh and I forgot the small point of if they fall at competition they have to do 200 of that skill the next day back at training.

==
is it April 1st yet?

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Wow, that's a great record to have. We practice 4 days a week for 3 hours. We usually do 3 events but always beam, usually for 30-45 minutes. How many beams do you have? We have 3 high beams and two low and 9-10 kids in a group. I'm not sure we'd have time for 40 so I think we'll skip right to routines but I can see how sticking that many in practice means they'll stay on at meets. What are they doing while they're waiting for a beam?

Something that I have done in the past that has been successful is to make them share beams, 2-3 for each in your situation. If they fall they have to give the beam to the next girl. If they can compete 'X' number of routines(can be 1/2 routines) they get a reward such as up training or tramp time while the rest complete 'X' full/part routines. If they get good at this you start kicking them off the beam for wobbles and then any skill that is not done well, not enough split, get off. bent legs, off.

 

[BarCoach]

Pineapple Lump, I like that. Thanks.
GraceyOMalley, thanks for your post. I agree the cartwheel seems to get the most falls out of any level. We are also from a small state and most of these girls will move up to level 6 next year, even the ones that fell often. We still do well (1st or 2nd at every team meet this year), but I still want them all to stay on. As each meet goes by and we keep having falls I only want it more and more.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

==
is it April 1st yet?

bwahahahahahahahahahahaha think that's enough time??