Preparing for Regionals

[SCGYMMOM]

Hi All,
My daughter made regionals and will be representing the state of SC along with 5 other young ladies. However, since the win, the practice has been anything but practicing for regionals. It's like our gym is on hiatus and preparing for the next season, since the season is over for everyone else.

Anyone have any ideas...I don't see how she is going to score the same or better @ Regionals without practicing her routines.

Confused Mom!

 

[gymcoach34]

It depends on how many weeks out you are, how many meets you did all season, when the gymnasts started competing, etc. The coaches are probably giving the girls a little break from routines-hopefully they are working on basics and parts, not just blowing off any kind of real work! Sometimes, you just get to the point when doing just routines does not help, but make thisng worse bc the gymnats get bored & sloppy.

 

[gymdog]

Yeah, around here (R7) there is a few weeks between states and regionals in L8 (even longer between 9/10 states and those regional meets), and so most gyms right now are probably doing new skills and working on parts and perfecting routine skills with their optionals.

So, I looked it up, and it appears region 8 regionals is still a full two weeks away, so the beginning of this training week, regionals would have been three weeks away. Coming off states they were probably just in a lighter phase of a three week training cycle. I am guess next week she will do more skills on competition equipment settings and routine parts, and the week after she will be doing full routines again.

Regionals is also the "end game" for level 8, and many gymnasts may do skills or combinations in their routine that they haven't competed before, in preparation for the next competitive season and to get experience. While of course you want to do well at regionals, it is also an experience at this level, and good preparation for future levels where there will be competitions to qualify to from the regional meet (Eastern/Western Nationals in L9, and JO Nationals in L10). It is also good chance of a last meet where there is nothing further to qualify for to try some level 9 combinations in a competition setting.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

good job gymdog...i keep thinking of rick james...can't touch that...

 

[3rd_time_around]

It is also good chance of a last meet where there is nothing further to qualify for to try some level 9 combinations in a competition setting.

I'm a little confused. Level 8 is not allowed to do many of the skills that you need for level 9, so why would anyone do them at regionals? Just a question.

 

[gymdog]

I'm a little confused. Level 8 is not allowed to do many of the skills that you need for level 9, so why would anyone do them at regionals? Just a question.

Well, some coaches will have them do it and just take the deduction (I know we have a member here whose daughter did a 1.5 twist in her floor routine at regionals last year). But for the most part there are combinations they can do. For example BHS BHS on beam, or a different bar combination (connecting pirouette to a cricling skill, doing two circling skills in a row, doing a free hip handstand out of giants to connect to the dismount. Tumbling combinations like another two salto pass (half twist punch front tuck, pike, or layout. Two front layouts. Whip backs into full twists). Also of these things can be done in L8 and may be an "upgrade" and are combinations commonly used in L9.

But yes, they are limited in that they can't do C acro skills without a .5 deduction. So, no back tuck on beam, or double back off bars for instance (unless you decide to just compete the routine and take the .5. I wouldn't say that's excessively common, but it's not unheard of either).

 

[Granny Smith]

Our girls have 3 weeks between States and Regionals and that first week after States, they really don't do any routines. Maybe work some parts of the routine or upgrades and basics too. Two weeks out they start to get in gear, but not until the end of the week. Then the week of Regionals it will be hard core training for the meet. Pressure routines, vaulting like in competition (2 vaults in a row). Not uncommon for HC to bring in some Judges too to score the girls and critique their routines.