Women Slow Tumbler

[z2akids]

I am hoping for some advice or at least the benefit of some experience.

My DD is newly 9 years old, she is currently set to repeat L3 in the coming season. She started L3 last year with almost none of the big (well, big for L3) skills and did very well, considering where she started. She actually placed 4th on bars at States. We were very proud. Anyway, she is excited to compete this season with all of her skills and having the opportunity to do a lot of uptraining this summer. No skill chasing this year.

She is a beautiful gymnast. She did several years of dance before discovering her passion for gymnastics and the form and tightness that she learned there has translated well into all her events. I would also say that pound for pound, she is the strongest gymnast on her team (at a whopping 46 pounds mind you). Her conditioning is excellent. When she performs a skill well, it looks beautiful (pointed toes, her legs always straight and together.

Her problem is speed. She is not fast. When she tumbles or vaults or does circles on the bars, the skills are all very pretty (except for her vault) but very slow. It took her a long time to get her front hip circle without muscling up. I don't even really mean her running speed, just the way she throws her weight around. Her coach has told her that it will come once she has a bit more weight to throw around. Is that true?

I have had a little time this summer to watch her practices a few times. She almost has her kip and she has her cartwheel on the beam fairly consistently and many of the skills that she is uptraining. But, they are slow. For example, her kip is so slow that she basically is using her strength as opposed to many of the other girls who seem to be working with gravity and momentum. Same thing with things like her front handspring, etc. I don't mean slow like going over time on beam or anything, just her skills all look slower than the other girls.

Is speed teachable? Is that something that will come with training and as she matures as a gymnast?

Her goal in life is to do giants. She is fairly competitive, which is one reason I think she is excited to have a season where she isn't chasing her teammates. But, while a couple of girls talk about going to the Olympics, she watches the L8s and wants nothing more in the world than to do giants and back handsprings on the beam. lol

Is it possible to reach her goals as a strong, but slow gymnast? Is it likely a weight issue (not much that we can do about that other than time. She eats constantly - plenty of calories, both healthy and calorie dense).

 

[roll123]

I'd be interested to hear what replies you get because my daughter is quite similar. If she used more power I think it would improve her skills tremendously. I really noticed it last year when she did kip in to a cast because she never had much power coming out of her kip for a big cast. I now think some of it may be fear as I don't think she's been one to push herself to the limit and more power would push her. She's always been a more conservative timid child so I wonder if it displays in her gymnastics the similarly.

 

[RAMS]

In my opinion it is not a weight issue. My daughter competed level 3 at 45 pounds and had lots of power. She is about 48 pounds and doing giants on strap bar this summer. I think it will come in time and with practice.

 

[Gymsanity]

First, it sounds like you daughter is doing great, so take a deep breath and enjoy how well she is doing. As for speed, it's a strange thing. It makes all tricks easier, but it also makes them scarier. So, kids that have a little more fear, or that want that feeling of 'control' over what they are doing, speed is not their friend. At first, speed definitely gives them an out of control feeling, which is more uncomfortable for some kids than others. With time, it becomes less of an issue and they realize it's actually their friend. I'll use vault for an example. Time your daughter's run on vault. Then have her start at the table and run the other direction. Is she still as slow as you thought? She'll get it.

 

[wheezy]

I agree with Roll 123 and Gymsanity. I have a similar one. Small and gracefull but she lacks speed.....sometimes. She started getting OVER the vault a few weeks ago table and just this week has gained speed to rebound. This tiny aspect of vaulting is SUCH a big deal for my DD. She said to me, did you see how FAST i can go now? I fell flat on my face and realized i wont kill myself!!!!

At a L4 meet, she did her Double BHS so fast, she almost flew off the floor. She didnt even expect that!

 

[z2akids]

Thanks for the replies. It was a very interesting perspective. I never really thought her lack of speed in terms of fears, but certainly that could have a role.

One if her coaches made an adjustment to her run for her robhs about 2 weeks ago (simply added a step) abd I got to see her yesterday for the first time. CRAZY how improved her robhs and robhsbhs looked. Straight arms, etc and coach said they are all looking that good. Even some rebound left after the 2nd bhs. Apparently she needed a little more power/speed/something.

Now if they can just get some power if the springboard in her vault. She had been working on her fhs vault and has trouble getting over without a good spot. I agree with the pp that it isn't just her weight. I see lots of tuny gymnasts with great vaults.

 

[htimcj]

Vault will come in time and as she gets bigger. DD struggled with the FHS for years. Just couldn't get any spring off the springboard unless she was going full speed and hit is just right! Now she has figured out how to run and has gained 15 pounds it is improving. Still not great and she is very glad to be doing tsuks into the pit and yurchenko drills.