Coaches Teaching Valdez

[MissLisa]

Hi All
,
I've been asked to teach a valdez (walkover from seated position) to a group of dancers. I was wondering if anyone has some drills or advice on how to teach this? The girls all have their walkovers and bridge kickovers but are struggling to do one smooth movement when completing from sitting. Any tips would be appreciated as I haven't done one of these since my early teens and I'm pretty sure I taught myself then! I no longer have the flexibility to even do a kickover so can't try it out myself. Links to videos would be great, Google only brought up wikihow and someone with the name of Valdez!

Thanks

 

[Short Balding Guy]

MissLisa; Context for gymnastics coaches - In JO Balance Beam (BB) a Valdez, Group 7 skill - 7.206, can be done from tuck sit, w/one arm and w/ 1/2 turn in HS. The value for USA-G L6-10's is a B.

I have worked teaching a Gymnastics Just For Dancers class and found that the dancers often did not have the strength in the legs to drive the skill from a sit. If they did they many were not able to get elevated shoulders in the BWO soon enough to assist in rotation of the skill. Some other errors I experienced were not getting the hips/shoulders over the hands as they drove the legs from a sit (they lifted the skill, but not backward). I worked primary HS's as side stations. I believed that my strongest drill was the HS, but we worked the gymnastics skills they wished to learn.

Tuck sit: The Valdez is typically performed with an extended arm above the flexed knee. The other hand is open behind the gymnast on the BB.
(1) I work the leg lift to high bridge (no shoulder angle) on the ground. The hand should lift smoothly in an arc to what would be above the BB. The hips should rise smoothly and powerfully to the bridge.
(2) A strong shoulder opening can be emphasized at this point. (Drills to work this would be BWO to a stacked mat behind the gymnast.
(3) Work bridge kick-overs to lunge. Here I work the alignment of the hips (squaring of the hips) during the shoulder girdle elevation. I start with the feet on a high block to work the technique and save the lower back. The block can always be lowered as the athletes are mastering the technique.
(4) Back walk overs from high front arabesque or front scale (preferred). This is emphasizing the rotation and accompanying timing of the shoulder elevation. This is not an arching BWO rather an open shoulder shape. Finish shapes for gymnasts can be varied between stuck and body alignment/feet locked (I call it a snap-up) for connections to other skills.
(5) Valdez full skills with spot on FX.
(6) Elevated CM (hips). Valdez full skills sitting on a stacked mat, one hand one the FX, reaching to the ground behind them when doing the skill.
(7) Valdez on a line. No spot.

My caution in the gym is to not wear out the shoulder or small muscles in the lower back when teaching this or similar skills. You should only do so many BWO.

I hope this helps. Best to the dancers and you coach, SBG -
-

 

[Aero]

@Short Balding Guy | What about the pivoting/turning of the base arm as the gymnast rises? What is a good way to position the hand in the first place before starting?

 

[Short Balding Guy]

@Short Balding Guy | What about the pivoting/turning of the base arm as the gymnast rises? What is a good way to position the hand in the first place before starting?

For gymnasts I make sure they choose a close in proximity support hand position that they feel comfortable bridging against. The hand/arm are the base of support for the rise so it needs to be stable for the gymnast. Since it is a moving skill, the rotation of the hand/arm come more naturally. Usually, I ask that the fingers must face away from the body. On the rare occasion do I have to even address flattening the hand and rotating the hand. In those cases, just recognition of turning the hand works. Practicing on a FX floor works for addressing turning the hand.

Practically, for me, by the time a gymnast has mastery of the Valdez they are working on connecting tumbling on the BB. That would mean a Valdez to a Flic Flac. Selecting a Valdez within a BB routine is very much choreography based as the gymnast needs to start the series from a tuck sit.

I have not had a gymnast compete a 1 hand Valdez. We have practiced them on the high BB during basic drills, but I see them as presenting a risk in deductions when performed or even a fall and choose not to spent time focusing on this skill. It would be a WOW to see a 1 hand valdez connected to a 1 hand flight element (like a Flic flac) and even to a Layout.

Now when it rises and balances well, a piroiting Valdez is sweet. The skill value moves up and you have lots of choreography options for ending and connecting. For me this has been only 2 gymnasts over many years. Sweet skill for those gymnasts though - I remember their competitive routines well. I recall lots of effort (caches and athletes) addressing the control in the HS shapes.

Aero, I hope the above helps.

SBG -

 

[MissLisa]

Thanks for your reply. I definitely think it has to do with their strength and power as their dance teacher told me the other day they all struggle with their split leaps due to this reason. She now has them working more power drills. The issue is that I have no access to equipment other than one floor mat so even kickovers are challenging for the younger group. It would be helpful to have a few more things!
Thanks again, any other advice or input is highly valued!

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Split leaps take-offs - oh boy do I know that challenge. Certainly specific conditioning and plio work will change the take-off for leaps. That will take some time to develop. When doing leap/jump specific work our gymnasts do multiple sets of 3 skills on BB when focusing on take-offs. EX: Straight, straight, straight. or Straight, split, split jump or other combos. The shape focus is body alignment (open hips when they leave the BB, and I ask them to open their shoulders (my preference)) and then forming the shape (split/straddle/ring etc). Separate work is done focusing on the speed and amplitude of split. The art is in delivery as it really takes some effort. In fact late week we were working sets and a teammate used Coaches Eye (iPad ap) and took the below pic. Just one pic at one moment and far from perfect - but I put it out there so you get the idea of working on take-offs.

Perhaps working on Jump/Split take-offs works both the valdez strength issue and puts you in good steed with the dance teacher.

Lest you think it is all work and no play, here is play while working take-offs:

Best, SBG -

 

[Deleted member D3987]

:43 -

 

[Jimbound]

There are basically two styles for a valdez. One is with a two foot push. The other is with a one foot push. In the two foot push both feet are on the floor/surface at the same time when the gymnast arches into the bridge. In the one foot push you are lifting your free leg like a back walkover with one foot on the floor/surface and the other leg stays up.

At some point you will be going from a sitting position to a bridge. There are gymnasts who will have trouble getting to a bridge from a sitting position. You can use power to sort of make it like a back handspring whether you are doing it with one foot or pushing with two. Either way you will be jumping to get to the bridge.

The other way is not by jumping but rather by the acrobatic manner of doing it like a back walkover using flexibility.

In either case whether you perform by jumping from one or two feet or by acrobatic flexibility, the higher you are able to raise the hips or buttocks off the floor/surface before you arch back then the easier it will be to get yourself into the bridge. Less flexible gymnasts need to raise up before they try to arch back into a bridge. Once you make it to the bridge then you can kick over if pushing from two feet or just finish the back walkover if you are doing it acrobatic style with one leg up. You may land in an upside down 180 degree split on your hands at the moment the second hand hits the floor/surface using either method whether jumping or using acrobatic flexibility.

If the gymnast does not lift the hips very far off the floor/surface, it is still possible to do this skill. The gymnast may be able to lean back on the supporting arm and get her upper body (arms, shoulders, back) out of the way by leaning back so her hips can then rise up now that the back and the shoulders are no longer on top of or over the hips. By leaning back and getting everything that was above the hips out of the way then it is easy to quickly get the hips into the air and get yourself into the bridge.

My favorite valdez is when I see a gymnast raise the front leg up in the air off the surface at the same time that she lifts the hips or jumps before he/she leans back to get into a bridge. But when he/she does land in the bridge the gymnast also lands upside down in a 180 degree handstand split.

I have had gymnasts practice squats on one leg for conditioning to get more strength to lift themselves up high with one leg up before they bend back for the bridge. You are virtually standing up on one leg with the other leg up and when you get high enough you simply perform a back walkover.

The hand position is fingers pointed straight back behind you. That hand will, as you go over, rotate in the same direction that it took to put your hand in the back position. In other words if you are doing a right handed valdez then your hand will rotate clockwise on the floor/surface. Counterclockwise if you are doing a left handed valdez.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

There are basically two styles for a valdez. One is with a two foot push. The other is with a one foot push. In the two foot push both feet are on the floor/surface at the same time when the gymnast arches into the bridge. In the one foot push you are lifting your free leg like a back walkover with one foot on the floor/surface and the other leg stays up.

Jimbound - Is not off 2 ft. a bridge kick-over? I have been taught and have taught my gymnasts to rise to the open shoulder "bridge shape" with 1 leg in arabesque or scale. A Valdez, USA-G COP #7.206 is take off from 1 foot. Perhaps different in Columbia?

SBG -

 

[bogwoppit]

Jimbound - Is not off 2 ft. a bridge kick-over? I have been taught and have taught my gymnasts to rise to the open shoulder "bridge shape" with 1 leg in arabesque or scale. A Valdez, USA-G COP #7.206 is take off from 1 foot. Perhaps different in Columbia?

SBG -

Jimbound is not from Columbia, he is from Florida. He should be going away real soon.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Stretch?