Really? You're going to go into another post as quote me for the sake of bashing me? Lovely.
For the record, the ONLY place I use a pit is at Flipfest, which is where the aforementioned full ins happened. And even if I used pits regularly it doesn't change my point. You can learn that stuff without it.
My point still stands: pits are not that important and good coaching should always come first. She's still a good 4-5 years away from even thinking about using one anyway. So I would not factor it into the discussion process very much.
Geez, I don't think we want to bash you, it's just that you don't seem to understand a few things about your post. Here's the first one that also uses the same post that PL used, and that you take as bashing...
I'm thinking of finally starting to compete this year! I haven't this far because of fear and money but I'm strongly considering it this year. I'm 16 and might do level 10 as a specialist.
The fact that you were 16 years old as recently as the end of July doesn't mean you can't have an opinion we can respect, but it has to pass our sniff test of logic, awareness of the issue's importance, and your own understanding of where we were and what we were doing in the seventies.
I went through my entire competitive gymnastics career without the benefit of pits, and was outstand on rings. By outstanding, I mean I had a swing like butter through every skill in the code and a decent strength skill. I could choose the composition of my routine to make it suit my mood, and to surprise judges who had already seen me. Honestly Brandon, I could almost hear their pencils drop when I'd pull a metaphorical rabbit out of my hat. The only thing I couldn't add to my routine was a well done dismount, and without that my scores were limited.
I would have loved having the daily use of a pit. It would have added so much to every routine the last year I competed.... with a dismount that put me on my butt or hands and knees every single time. You have no idea how frustrating it is to have a routine capable of a 9.7-9.9 at nationals if you could only get that last crucial skill.
It's that type of frustration that drives gymnasts and coaches to hope they can make it through a dangerous skill to find that missing piece.
That's when people get hurt. Because they don't know, but still try.
Your own admission to working into a pit at flipfest quickly enabling you to attempt a multi-multi really does contradict the position you've taken in this thread. The question isn't is gymnastics possible without a pit, it's more like can you work up to the top L10 skills responsibly and safely without one.
You're absolutely right about good coaching being more important than a pit, but at the same time your position is a child will take four years to go from L4 to the point of needing a pit. In my mind that child could easily be a level 8 dabbling in level 9 skills, or a level 9 doing the same thing..... I doubt you'll find more than the occasional idiot who thinks a pit is a substitute for capable coaching. You got that one right, but can't imagine how you've seen enough to responsibly make the statement that pit's aren't that important.
But hey, I've never tried teaching a double double, so who the heck am I to know anything about the issue.
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Whaaaaaaa !
