WAG skills attained quickly or slow but perfection?

[gymnastca25]

Which is a better way to pick up new skills? slow and perfect when you have them or just chuck them and fix them later?

 

[cbifoja]

Two different schools of thoughts based on opinion and personal experiences. No right answer.

 

[Seeker]

I think that every coach and every gymnast has their own style/way of being...my dd tends to go slow and perfect along the way, but that's just her personality. She would never chuck anything....it's not who she is.

 

[gymnastca25]

I think that every coach and every gymnast has their own style/way of being...my dd tends to go slow and perfect along the way, but that's just her personality. She would never chuck anything....it's not who she is.

Mine is too but it does not seem like a good fit for her gym anymore. The gym has changed in its ways.

 

[Seeker]

Mine is too but it does not seem like a good fit for her gym anymore. The gym has changed in its ways.

They want her to chuck skills? Or have voiced frustration that she's not progressing fast enough?

 

[Committed]

DDs gym is more about progressions than chucking. That being said, DD doesn't quite understand her body as a whole, so all her 1st attempts are pretty scary looking. Once she knows she isn't going to die (literally), she will apply everything she knows/gets told.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

My kid is all about chucking stuff, lol! Love her to death, but she is NOT a coaches dream..! I wish she would be more of a perfectionist, but alas she is not.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

From what I've learned on here, I feel like most coaches want slow and perfect? Our HC flat out told me he'd rather teach her multiple skills and form will come eventually rather than work a few skills to death. I must admit this kind of killed the type A in me, but it's working for DD. She LOVES to try big skills and the form would make a lot of you guys cringe, but she's doing it. And I am seeing huge improvements of the basics, so HC is right-it is coming along eventually. Must...suppress...inner... CGM...lol!!!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

for skill to be truly learned the body needs, for want of a better phrase, muscle memory. That comes from repetition and allows our bodies to perform learned skills almost unconsciously ( think walking, talking kicking etc )

Once something is truly ingrained, its very hard change, that why coaches don't like self taught, because incorrect technique can cause injury and prevent future progression, and gymnastics is a very progressive sport.

Its also true that it is not an exact science and probably in a group of 100 coaches you may have 50 different philosophies, but there is consensus.

There are also coaches with differing levels of experience, and after being in this sport for a few years I have come across many coaches with ideas well above their current level of experience, however as a parent, and non-expert we are generally in a place of lower experience and have seen people " led along the garden path".

I take it on myself to research, learn and make decisions about my family based on the information I have learned, but then I do this for everything not just gym.

 

[gymnastca25]

They want her to chuck skills? Or have voiced frustration that she's not progressing fast enough?

No, they have not voiced concerns. She is a 9 year old level 5 who has never repeated and missed most of last year due to injury. However, she is slow and steady and they don't seem particularly interested in her. But, that is just a feeling and I could be wrong. The gym has just under gone so many changes.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

Back in the day I used to chuck skills and I certainly wasn't a coaches dream. I did gymnastics to get more skills where my teammates did gymnastics to perfect the skills and to win.

I didn't care if I was last place as long as I got to compete my x y and z. My teammate would take out skills if they weren't absolutely perfect.

She would usually beat me but I would have like 3 more twists in my floor routine. She was happy with her clean and simple routine and I was happy with my less clean (but still safe) routine with harder skills in it.

I think it really depends on the person but our coach definitely liked her better!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Which is a better way to pick up new skills? slow and perfect when you have them or just chuck them and fix them later?

trick question...

 

[Vivianflips]

I prefer to learn the skill safely of course but fix the little issues like pointed toes after I can actually do the skill! Though for certain skills I do like to fix things that could turn into a really bad habit while still in the spotting stage! Of course I don't compete right now so my opinion may change if I do find time to someday compete!

 

[Gymmamabear]

My daughter is a chucker! She will be the FIRST one on the team to get her skills - she has skills levels ahead of her teammates (She's a level 5 with many level 8 skills) but she seriously lacks perfection. She is usually on the podium but almost never in the top 3! I keep hoping someday for her it will all come together. For instance on beam she has her backhandspring...but then she'll arch on her silly handstand and fall. Or on bars she has the best and highest casts and baby giant - but she'll mess up her stupid squat on her take a step on the dismount. Don't even get me started on her floor - her tumbling is perfect but she can't keep straight the rest of her routine and messes up all the silly hand placements and will do 2 steps instead of 4 or something like that. But the girl can chuck skills! Her coaches actually seem to really favor the chuckers though and even though she doesn't score as high they love her more than some of the perfect girls!

 

[B.Gold]

My daughter is a chucker! She will be the FIRST one on the Her coaches actually seem to really favor the chuckers though and even though she doesn't score as high they love her more than some of the perfect girls!

They love her more than the perfect girls? Hmm...Did they tell you that?

 

[iluvgym]

Because they probably see a good future in her, and maybe some of the "perfect" girls are slow learners, or due to fear or age will max out at a lower level in the end. It's good that they don't write her off for not winning the small stuff. Many great optional gymnasts never won the compulsory olympics!

 

[B.Gold]

Because they probably see a good future in her, and maybe some of the "perfect" girls are slow learners, or due to fear or age will max out at a lower level in the end. It's good that they don't write her off for not winning the small stuff. Many great optional gymnasts never won the compulsory olympics!

It IS awesome they haven't "written her off" just as long as they haven't written off the "perfect girls". Groovygirl's comment reeked of favoritism, and I absolutely abhor favoritism. Whether directed at my kid or others I hate it equally. although in all fairness, groovygirl, I'm sure that's not what you meant. I'm guessing what you meant is that your coaches show excitement that they have a potential L10 in their grasp.

My DDs gym, although it seems to do a better job than most to hide the favoritism, does favor the chuckers and the fearless. But a chucker can quickly change. My DD was " chucking" flip-lays, double-backs, and yerchenkos at 8-9 years old. Her scores weren't anything to brag about. But now that she is older (11), wiser and taller. She struggles with her WO-FF series, is currently competing a FHS vault at L8 and the double-back has all but disappeared. If she doesn't reverse this trend, she'll be out. But guess what the irony is, her form has really improved she has beautiful gymnastics now and if she can ever bring both the skills and the beauty to the table, she should do very well .

 

[proud-gym-mom]

Very good thread. We definitely have both the "chuckers" and the "perfectionists" in our gym. I think HC definitely seems to favor the "chuckers". Unfortunately my DD is definitely in the "perfectionist" category. She had HC as her main coach last year which was frustrating for me because while she's a great coach technically I don't think she sees much in DD because she isn't fearless and doesn't just throw skills. This year we have a different coach for L5 so we're happy for now as this coach is more supportive but still tough. It's frustrating that HC doesn't seem to get DD though. She will take her time to get a new skill - 6 months or so and during that time she'll progress, regress, progress, etc. until she really gets it. Once she has it she can compete it solidly. She's very dependable/consistent at the meets compared to the other girls in her group. HC seems to only value the ones that get new skills quickly whether they can compete them consistently or not. Anyway, I used to wish DD would be more daring - be a "chucker" I guess. I can now appreciate DD more and the diligence and her persistence in working up and gaining a new skill gradually. I don't worry as much as some of the other parents about accidents or injury because DD is very conservative and she won't do something she isn't comfortable with - which sometimes is really frustrating because I know she can do it and she just won't be ready yet. I guess I've learned that they each have their own journey and there is value in that and I can't make her into something she's not and don't want to anymore. I'm not sure how high she'll advance level-wise with this approach and while she's been doing about 1 level a year I think that will change if she gets to L6 next year. For now she's learning and being challenged and is happy about herself and her gymnastics… we're in a good place right now. Anyway I really agree with the other poster that said they are who they are by nature. I've also come to observe that there are pros and cons to each approach so it's best for them to embrace who they are and realize where they are going to have challenges vs. what will be easier for them in the gym based on who they are.

 

[Gymmamabear]

my DD's gym seems to like and favor BOTH the chuckers and the perfectionists! The girls that tend to get lost in the shuffle (Sadly) are the ones that are neither. The ones that gradually get skills but are always middle of the pack tend to get the least amount of attention. I agree that it isn't right at all! The coaches don't tend to hide their favoritism very well BUT they certainly love all the girls and everyone likes them. Those middle of the road girls that aren't either perfectionists or chuckers just don't get that tiny bit of extra. Don't shoot the messenger - I'm not saying I agree with it I'm just saying how it is. With the perfectionists they tend to really, really work with them to make their routines flawless and with the chuckers they don't focus as much on perfection but uptrain them in skills the others don't learn.