Coaches Saving Peeling Gymnasts

[PalmTree]

I've heard lots of talk about standing in during tap swings and/or putting a wedge mat in front of the low bar. I am all for saving my kids from getting hurt if they peel! My question is, what exactly do you do if you are standing between the bars and they peel? Try to catch them? Flip them over so they don't land on their neck? I don't know if I'd have the reaction time for that. And what does the wedge do? If they peel, won't they still land on their arms/face/head even with the wedge there? What can I do to keep my gymnasts safe?!

 

[catou]

When they peel while going backward, I'm usually able to catch them. When they peel going forward, I'd say I'm usually able to slow their rotation so they land on their back and not on their neck. I'd say I've been able to save a couple of serious falls since the beginning of the season. My gymnasts are 8 and 9, so they are small and light. As I'm only 5'2, it would certainly be harder to do it with older gymnasts. So to keep them as safe as possible, I always put an additional mat underneath the bars (about a 10 in mat) so I'm able to catch them more easily because of my height and to add a bit of padding if they fall.

Also me and my colleague made some gymnasts take off their grips because we felt they weren't ready for them and they were (and we were) feeling much more insecure in their swings, even after a couple of months using them.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Our first two levels don't have uneven bars and I thank God for that! Level B is done on high strap bar (thank God for that too, I wouldn't feel comfortable having my 7 and 8 year olds swinging on actual bars) and level C is done on high wooden bar (low bar is taken away)

With my level C's I always stand on a block and hold their gently from the closest wrist during the routine (when they are learning the routine) and help with circular skills if needed. I have saved several girls from peeling off by holding their wrist. Usually I feel it better that way if they start to peel off and then I jump off slowering the fall by holding the hand (with smaller ones I don't have to)

At competitions we always place a really soft mat under and behind the bar so if they peel of they land on very soft mat and don't break their hands.

On pit bar they are allowed to swing by themselves

Level D is the first uneven bars level and fortunately there is only one swing backwards and during that I can step in to protect them from falling. With those bigger girls I would only try to slow them down if they start to peel off. But they have worked on bars so much that they never peel during their routine. And that swing backwards is not supposed to be big so it helps too.

I am the only coach in our club who NEVER allows the kids swing on high bar without coach right there and my gymnasts whine about me being overprotective but I don't really care.

 

[AmandaLynn]

I've heard lots of talk about standing in during tap swings and/or putting a wedge mat in front of the low bar. I am all for saving my kids from getting hurt if they peel! My question is, what exactly do you do if you are standing between the bars and they peel? Try to catch them? Flip them over so they don't land on their neck? I don't know if I'd have the reaction time for that. And what does the wedge do? If they peel, won't they still land on their arms/face/head even with the wedge there? What can I do to keep my gymnasts safe?!

basically, you are placing yourself in between the gymnast and the low bar (well, slightly off to the side, but close enough...). You would be surprised how quick your reaction time is if you have a body flying at you.

Regarding the above mention of holding a wrist, I do hold on to gymnasts that are first learning to swing, but I prefer to hold on the the upper arm, closer to the shoulder and definitely above the elbow. I usually hold their arm with the hand that is closer to the low bar and keep my other arm near (or on) their belly. If they peel backward, I have more control to slow them down by holding their upper Arm, and if they peel forward, I can slow them with the hand that is on their belly.

 

[JBS]

The main issue we have is the compulsory routines that have and undershoot followed by a counter swing. Many times the kids overpower the undershoot at a meet and peel backwards off the bar. We stand in between the bars at meets...ready to catch them.

As far as at the club...depends on what we are doing...but I like lots of mats below the bars.

I do lots of wrist spotting on the little ones. The big ones are going to peel if they peel...any type of wrist or arm spotting will not save them.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

To the op,
1st follow everyones advice here.
2nd, spotting takes work, unfortunately peels are something you can't really "work" on because they happen seldom.
however all you can do is try to spot them and be in the right location. So at meets and during meet run through when anxiety and energy is at it peak, I stand close to the low bar with both hands ready, (in other words, don't put them behind your back, or on your knees,Like I have seen). use the hand that is closest to the high bar to follow the swing through, (in other words swing it with the child, like you are magically lifting the child with your hand under them without touching them, hand should be at least a foot away and not close to the gymnast). That is your primary catching arm, usually when a child comes off they will go kind of flat but leading with the head a bit, so that arm that is already extended will end up on chest/ stomach, hips and the other arm will will grab whatever. If the child rotates completely head first, your arm is still in the best position and you will bear hug the kid like catching a lawn dart. If the child has a huge swing, (like some of my kids go way above horizontal) I stand right under the low bar facing sideways (like a hockey goalie) , ready to catch on either side, or slow momentum as they land on the low bar. (SLOW) IF you catch them, great and super job, if not then at least you tried and that is all that can be expected.
In workouts, we use extra matting so I can do other things.

 

[swalker_22]

I've heard lots of talk about standing in during tap swings and/or putting a wedge mat in front of the low bar. I am all for saving my kids from getting hurt if they peel! My question is, what exactly do you do if you are standing between the bars and they peel? Try to catch them? Flip them over so they don't land on their neck? I don't know if I'd have the reaction time for that. And what does the wedge do? If they peel, won't they still land on their arms/face/head even with the wedge there? What can I do to keep my gymnasts safe?!

I know how you feel about this! Always worry about my reaction time as a coach also, but I think you will find yourself a lot quicker than you would think if it ever happened. I believe it's sort of instinct, especially if you are expecting it to happen. Most times when I see coaches who don't catch girls who peel it's because they don't "expect the unexpected". So just stay on your toes and do what it takes to save them