Anon Spotting on bars - compulsory levels

[Anonymous (22bb)]

So this question came up in a gymnastics FB group, and I wanted to get some opinions here, as it seems our gym is in the minority, and it actually surprised me.

The original question was: Is it normal for a coach not to stand between the bars when a gymnast is jumping to high bar and doing tap swings. (Not just when they are new to the skill, but all the time, in compulsory levels).

At our gym, when a gymnast is new to the skill, they receive a spot. Once the coach decides the gymnast can do the skill safely and consistently, they are permitted to work independently without a spot. For reference, my daughter is a level 5, but has been allowed to jump to high bar and work on tap swings (without a coach standing there) since silver. The consensus on FB was that this is "risky" and a coach should always be standing there as there's always a chance that a gymnast could peel off. We have 13 girls on the team, with 4 sets of bars, and they are allowed to work full L4/L5 routines without the coach standing between the bars.

Is our gym really in the minority? We are at a well-known gym which produces a good number of collegiate athletes (we have 20+ L10's plus a few Elites), so I trust that our coaches know when a gymnast is ready to work without a spot. I understand that gymnastics is inherently a risky sport, but I don't necessarily agree that our coaches are putting the kids in a dangerous situation by not spotting every skill on bars. I mean, if you have a team of 10 girls on beam, are girls only allowed to do skills with a coach standing next to them? Isn't beam "risky" as well? How would girls get reps in if they are constantly waiting on a coach to spot?

I trust our gym and our coaches, (and have actually never seen any of my daughter's teammates peel off the bar), but I just wanted to hear some other opinions.

 

[gymcoach34]

We always stand between the bars for new squat ons! We stop once we know the gymnast has mastered not only the skill, but how to fall/land if they miss the squat on & fall. We do "safety roll" tests often for all Level 3-5, and sometimes still for L6+. A coach can't be there to spot every squat on throughout the levels. Once the level gets higher, there are different things the coachs need to be spotting.

 

[Anonymous (22bb)]

We always stand between the bars for new squat ons! We stop once we know the gymnast has mastered not only the skill, but how to fall/land if they miss the squat on & fall. We do "safety roll" tests often for all Level 3-5, and sometimes still for L6+. A coach can't be there to spot every squat on throughout the levels. Once the level gets higher, there are different things the coachs need to be spotting.

I guess that's why I'm surprised by the responses. Your gym sounds like our gym. Spotting new skills (squat-ons, jump to high bar, tap swings, flyaways). But the responses I got were that even once mastered, coaches still stand between the bars because accidents can still happen.

 

[Anonymous (ea64)]

I can't see that as realistic, but maybe it is for some gyms. There can also be such a thing as over spotting too in my opinion.... it makes the gymnasts rely on the coach too much...but it does happen. We still stand between the bars for L3 & 4 at meets. I also stand there if I have a bitty doing big tap swings-regardless of level.

 

[Anonymous (22bb)]

I can't see that as realistic, but maybe it is for some gyms. There can also be such a thing as over spotting too in my opinion.... it makes the gymnasts rely on the coach too much...but it does happen. We still stand between the bars for L3 & 4 at meets. I also stand there if I have a bitty doing big tap swings-regardless of level.

I actually had that same thought about over spotting. In fact one coach commented that she stands between the bars because she is a nervous wreck when it comes to jumping to high bar, and she has had to catch more kids than she can count. To me that shows a lack of proper training, or over spotting leading to a lack of confidence.

 

[Anonymous (6500)]

I spot all the time for the shorter and younger gymnasts when they're doing it in competition settings. The HB is really high for their height and even if we've trained them to fall, for me is too much of that risk at that point.
However I do allow them to do it on their own with extra/higher/softer mats.
Once they are taller and thus the height of the fall would be relatively smaller.

 

[Anonymous (ea64)]

I am honestly more concerned about tap swings pinging off in the back for compulsories than a squat on.

 

[Coach Kate]

I coached gold bars for a long time and would stand between the bars through most of the summer when we learned jumping to high bar and then for every meet.

 

[Anonymous (aefb)]

For newbies I am always there, and usually grabbing a wrist as they jump to high. I've had kids rip off on their back swing as well as on their forward swing. Once they get it, I still do not take my eyes off of their wrists. The issue for me is when they haven't been taught correctly, just how to jump to high bar, and so they are used to flinging themselves in whatever manner. That scares me, and takes forever to correct and sometimes I can't totally correct it, because their body memory is so strong. One thing I find that helps, for me to trust them in their jump, besides shaping drills, is teaching them to be comfortable standing on a bar. I do this on a floor bar, then the low bar with lots of matting. A child who is not comfortable standing on a bar doesn't have control, so thats my aim in doing that. I also do not start out new level fours with grips. Sort of controversial, but I want them to learn to get their hands and wrists over the bar. I do this to strengthen their hands/wrists. They eventually use grips on and off until they get used to them, but in the beginning I do not use them. At meets I stand between the bars, just in case. I try to not obsessively over spot. I've been spotting a long time, so it sort of comes naturally to me now, and I jump every time someone even remotely falls.....LOL in the gym and out of the gym. It's an instinct now. better safe than sorry .

 

[Anonymous (0c2d)]

In Australia it is compulsory to stand between the bars for all Level 3-6 at competition. At training, I’m there always for Level 3’s and 4’s unless the bar is set low with a crashmat so they are only just tall enough not to hit the ground with their feet. Once they are trustworthy or big enough that you can trust them to hold on even with a dodgy catch they are fine to go by themselves.

 

[Anonymous (c25c)]

I have a 9-year-old boy, he does free hip handstands, front and back giants, and flyaways on high bar without a spot. Spotting a tap swing or a jump to high bar seems silly in comparison.

 

[JBS]

I have a 9-year-old boy, he does free hip handstands, front and back giants, and flyaways on high bar without a spot. Spotting a tap swing or a jump to high bar seems silly in comparison.

Much different for guys as the rail is thin and much easier to hang on.

As far as the answer to the OP’s question… I don’t think there is one. It’s the responsibility of the coach to train as safely as possible while still progressing the athletes. It’s up to the coach to determine this.

I’ve seen kids fall on squat ons… peel on swings… miss the high bar or peel on the initial jump. I’ve also seen coaches that are spotting between the bars fully miss the peel and the kid hits the floor.

The one thing I will state that we do is spot them all between the bars at meets for L4/5 and our coach is required to move their arm under their swing. Our data shows peel rates at meets vs practice are almost triple in the compulsory levels… they get all amped up. Typically the littles have more padding at practice than they do at meets as far as our club goes. We use pit pillows for the littles.

With that being said I don’t look for huge tap swings on the regular bars from littles… just good tap swings… correct taps. For big tap swings at the club they go on the pit bar. The thing I emphasize as big is casting.

 

[Anonymous (5e85)]

I have a 9-year-old boy, he does free hip handstands, front and back giants, and flyaways on high bar without a spot. Spotting a tap swing or a jump to high bar seems silly in comparison.

I don't think its a fair comparison, a women's bar is much harder to grip.

Our coaches stand there for ALL compulsory girls.

When my now level 10 daughter was level 8 she jumped to the high bar at practice to do some warmup tap swings and peeled off backwards, landed on her head/neck and was out for 2 months with a concussion. She was cleared and back mid-meet season that year and her coach was right there between the bars on every single turn she took.

 

[Anonymous (c25c)]

I don't think its a fair comparison, a women's bar is much harder to grip.

Interesting about the difference between the bars. I feel like I see way more heart-stopping bar peel offs on the boys side than the girls side. But the girls get spotted, so perhaps there is a connection!