Open Gym ?

[mapstangelo]

My daughter (age six and a half) attends class 1 hour a week at her gym. I've book looking for open gym time (our gym doesn't offer it) and found two other local gyms that do. It's basically $5 of $6 for a hour use of the gym/equipment.

We went yesterday and I walked around with my daughter and spotted her as needed. We had never been to this gym before the qualify of equipment was definetly not as new as her own gym but worked well for what we needed to work on (pull overs and starting stage of front handsrping on vault)

What are everyone's thoughts on open gym -- do you find they really do help you progress/practice?

Financially we just can't pick up another class a week right now plus our gym doesn't really have any times that work for us - so I'm trying to use these open gym times for her to get onto the equipment and practice.

Plus I had fun too as a former gymast it was great getting into the gym

Thanks for your input in advance.

 

[bogwoppit]

Open gym is fine, but the idea of parents spotting in the gym makes me go EEK! The only open gyms I have ever seen do have coaches avaible to spot.

Going to open gym to work on skills they already have is a great idea, but you trying to help her get a skill is not the best idea. You say you have a gym background, have you thought of learning how to coach?

If you both went to the gym and just had fun with the skills she has, that would be great.

 

[gymdog]

I think open gym is mainly for playing at that age. The kids just don't have the ability to independently practice MOST things. There are some things they could practice - holding their handstand longer, splits...but not "new" things. They don't know enough about gymnastics and aren't ready. It would be different if the child was older and had a better view of their progress and appropriate exercises/drills/repetitions.

It's good for exercise and general strength building. But I wouldn't expect it to directly lead to "progress" at this age and level.

 

[mapstangelo]

Thanks!

Thank you both for your replies.

We are working on skills she already had, I wouldn't be qualified to spot on any of the new stuff as I don't know how.

It was nice to be able to practice handstand and cartwheels on beam and roundoff dismounts on beam as we can't practice those at home.

Thanks again!