To SPOT or NOT????

[a_gymnast_forever]

I don't think that lower level gymnasts need spot (5,6,7) but the upper levels have harder skills with more risks of being hurt. I would much rather be safe than sorry. I don't think there is anything wrong with coaches spotting at meets. just as long as its not their competition set. I always get spotted on my double back off bars. It's just a whole lot safer. I sometimes slip off bars and he catches me or rotates me around so I don't land on my head. or pushes me away from the bar if I'm about to kick it.


I think that spotting is greatt!!! but only for upper levels.

 

[gymnastmom96]

I totally think spot are necessary at times. Danielle - I'm not referring to those huge amazing skills you throw. You are absolutely right about safety.
I'm really thinking more of the coaches who spot everyone. During warm ups and the girls are at their corner warming up their passes. A coach that stands in the middle to spot every girls. I also saw a lvl 5 coach once spot every one of his gymnast's kip. They were scoring 5 and 6. I'm just a mom, but it didn't look like any of his girls were ready for 5.
My dd's gym has a strict compete policy. If you're not ready - you don't compete - Period. Lvl 7, my dd's coach scratched her from bars the first meet because of her cast handstand was not vertical (she's not allowed to straddle up). I was shocked when we got to the first meet and only a few girls competed giants. At her gym, there's no competing 7 without a giant.
I guess it depends on the skill/program/gymnast.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

okay i'm sorry some of these replies are crazy. I can somewhat agree with the fact that lower level gymnast shouldnt "need" a spot (even though i firmly believe that when your learning any skill you should get a spot) but just TRUST me. when your daughter/you get to a high level and start doing doubles, yurchencos, paks, ect. she will want that spot. I don't care who you are or how good you are, i think its always better to learn it with a spot so you don't learn the wrong technique. for example: my coach always spots my yurchenco fulls. he literally throws my chest into the flip to speed up my rotation so i "set the flip in motion" before twisting. if he didn't spot me, i would basically be a.)dead, b.) in the hospital with 2 broken ankles, c.) in serious pain from landing short, or d.) i would have developed a mental block and probably never have gone for it again.

Let me give you another example if you still don't believe me. MY coach was spotting me on hindorfs. and they were going really well. And i could basically do it. so one day he was like what the heck try it by yourself. and i was like i don't know i'm not sure i'm ready. BUT i did it anyways because i can't say no to my coach (i'll probably get kicked out, ps: this is the gym i just left). So i go for it and because i hadn't gotten the "feel" for it i went straight up... and then straight down on the bar...shins first. i was practically in a kneeling position on the bar. ummm can i just tell you i have giant scars down my legs and people at my school think i got surgery on them?

and the reason i get spot at meets is the floor sometimes is harder/different. and lastly my coach has saved my life plenty of times while spotting me. I don't take the whole "not spotting" thing lightly. its kind of a big deal when you could possibly die on your skills.

and no, its not just me that coaches have saved, so please don't just assume that its only me who's appreciates a spot.

I think we need to differentiate here between a safety spot (ie the coach stands there and catches you if you need it) and an execution spot (ie the coach does the skill for you).

If one of my girls is doing a skill they could get seriously injured on, I will stand there for it. I don't care how many thousands of times they've done it before (the exception being floor -- I'd still stand there during warm-ups).

However, if one of my girls cannot safely execute a skill without me physically helping her, I would, in most cases, not put the skill in her routine. Which doesn't mean she wouldn't be working on the skill in practice; she just wouldn't compete it.

 

[gymnasticsbabie]

I think geoffreytaucer is right.. there is a big difference between a saftey spot and the execution spot.

However, when you see someone at a meet and they are getting a spot, you never know what goes on back at their gym. it's kind of like if you saw me at a meet and i was getting a spot on floor, but what you dont know is that i do 3-5 a day by myself (to save my legs), and land them in the gym. so technically i'm ready, i'm just doing with a spot at the meet (the saftey spot)

 

[gymjourneymom]

Lately at meets, I have noticed the different coaching styles, in particular to spotting gymnast. Our coaches are not spotters (except when really needed). Her coaches let us know up front their beliefs regarding spotting. I agree with them. - They do spot on new skills and problem skills.

I see coaches out on the floor spotting during the meet - even in optionals! I don't get that. If you have to spot a child during a meet, maybe they should scratch that event.
My dd would rather stand on the beam in the same position for 5 minutes and cry trying to get her nerve up than ask for a spot. I have seen her coach offer and my dd declined.
Any ideas?

I don't think anyone questions a safety spot at any level....safety is a priority But lets look back at the orginal post...a gymmie is standing on the beam crying...not going for a skill and refusing a spot. Mom is asking for advice about this. There is something to be said for a strong-willed/self determined gymmie. She a strong young lady indeed, that is something to be proud of! But lets face it, these are children who are still learning & need guidance. This gymmie needs support & positive motivation She needs to know it's ok to get a spot if she needs it This may also be a mental block. In which case the gymmie needs to be taught positive self talk & visualization. I don't think most gyms spend enough time teaching the gymmies the mental side of the sport. This gymmie needs to KNOW she can do it before she is able to "go for it" alone.

 

[gymnastmom96]

thanks everyone,
maybe a little more info would be helpful. She crashed...crashed hard and was out cold. She missed her feet on a ro, but muscle memory kicked in and her body still tried to complete the bhs. The beam caught her back, shoulder and head. I wasn't there but several moms told me their dd's were crying. long story - short- she's okay.
Not Every practice but most, the first few attempts, she does a slow careful ro, then stops. Thats when she stands there, hands raised, then she rubs them together, then wipes them on her legs, then squats...then starts over. Its after she she does this routine 3 or 4 times when the tears start. I see her over there counting or praying. Once she does it, she's fine.
A mom told me once years ago, that she drew a heart on her dd's hand every practice when she was having fear issues

 

[bogwoppit]

thanks everyone,
maybe a little more info would be helpful. She crashed...crashed hard and was out cold. She missed her feet on a ro, but muscle memory kicked in and her body still tried to complete the bhs. The beam caught her back, shoulder and head. I wasn't there but several moms told me their dd's were crying. long story - short- she's okay.
Not Every practice but most, the first few attempts, she does a slow careful ro, then stops. Thats when she stands there, hands raised, then she rubs them together, then wipes them on her legs, then squats...then starts over. Its after she she does this routine 3 or 4 times when the tears start. I see her over there counting or praying. Once she does it, she's fine.
A mom told me once years ago, that she drew a heart on her dd's hand every practice when she was having fear issues

Wow, that must have been very scary for her, and you. The fear she is feeling is very normal, considering the bad crash she had. I think it sounds as though the coach is offering the spot, but your DD wants to work through this alone. I guess she is one tough little cookie.

Can she do the skill on a floor beam, a low beam? Is this only a problem on the high beam? Has the coach stacked mats under the high beam so that DD can feel as though she has less way to fall?

A bit of sports psychology might be good here as she seems to have developed a real fear on beam. Perfectly understandable, but so hard for her to just get over alone.

I don't know what else to suggest, but I wish her all the best, fears are such challenging things.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

Safety spots- definitely. If I'm about to land my headyeah i'd want my coach to jump in.

But if you can't ever do the trick you don't compete it. You won't see me competing a double back with 6 spot or whatever. I never trained them so of course I'm not gonna put it in my floor routine at the meet

 

[blantonnick]

The best spot is no spot, and what I mean by that is get a progression that will safely allow a gymnast to perform a skill, or a part of a skill without the spotting. Spotting is sometimes, not all the time, used because coaches are rushing a gymnast through a skill...yes there are exceptions and yes i spot regularly. But often gymnasts' need a spot because a coach is not creative enough to come up with a progression to let the gymnast perform a cognitive advancement in the learning process safely...
Having said that, safety spotting is a requirement to effective coaching because lets face it, things go wrong sometimes. I worked at IGC for a number of years and every week we did screening to put the campers into groups that hopefully were consistent with their level. And every week I got 'the girl' on the floor who told me she could do a full on floor, and every week I found myself spotting fulls that should not have been chucked on floor. In those cases, yes spotting was necessary and yes i made some saves...
Spotting is an art, however if i had my way the best spot is not to spot at all. Teach gymnasts effectively with good, creative progression instead.
After all, according to the USA Safety Certification program 'The main purpose of spotting is to prevent the gymnast from landing on his or her head'. If your gymnasts are throwing skills that they risk landing on their heads consistently, then they should not be throwing the skill, or skills, without proper/safe pedagocial learning processes already in place.

 

[united team girl]

I dont think that it is healthy to cry and stand there. Even if u hate spot and u know u can do it, sometimes u syke yourself out and u can get hurt. I hate using tape but it helps.I dont like spot but i get it when i need it!!! My coaches stand nearbye during meets but make us scratch if we cant do it. I fell hard once but i would have fallen harder if my coache didnt jump in and catch me!!!

 

[blondegymnastxo]

I no exactly where your dd is coming from~ i will not accept a spot very often. Even if my coaches offer to spot me, i turn down their offer right away. And my coaches say that they like that about me, that i am independant. Idk why but on some of my skills that i have done a thousand times by myself i am scared to do with a spot. So im guessing thats good? Like with my giants on bars i am terrified to have a spot, but im totally fine doing them by myself. So maybe your dd is just independant and doesn't wanna get into the whole spotting game.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

At our gym, only the little kids (ages 4 - 7) get spots regularly. This is mainly because the coaches can catch them and carry them through if something goes wrong. They also worker much more dangerous/higher level skills than the older girls, because the spotter can pick them up. (Of course, they don't do very well in meets...)

I very rarely get a spot, because I'm huge. 5' 1" / 112. And never in a meet. My coaches never spot anyone in a meet - in fact, I can't remember seeing any girl from any gym get a spot in a meet. If my coach tried to spot me in a meet, I would feel very embarrassed, because everyone saw that I couldn't do it, and everyone thought that I was too chicken to try.

 

[I-Heart-Beam]

I hated having a spot! This is my theory about it: If the coach is standing there waiting to catch you, they obviously think you can't do it. And then you think you can't do it.

Having said that, anyone at my gym who needed one got it. Funny enough, spotting was on gymnasticscoaching.com this week.

YouTube - regional bar routine with a new dismount

Pretty lucky. If that coach hadn't been there...

 

[ginnymac]

That was an amazing catch by an unsuspecting coach!!! HOLY COW!!!

 

[cher062]

I have no issue with spotting at events at all. at the lower levels my dd just wanted to know someone would be there just in case she needed a spot. She almost never needed them but liked to have that coach closer rather than further away. I think for the safty of the gymnast if they are asking for a spot even if they have done it 100 times without one then they should get one.

If my dd had to stand there for 5 min trying to get the nerve then I wouldn't have her compete that event and I would let the coach know. i think its unsafe for the gymnast if they don't have the confidence to try it in a min or less. if they need more than that and they are going to compete then they need the spot.


At competitions I don't care if a gymnast has a spot because being at the competition does have a stress level all its own and a girl who can do a skill at practice may loose some confidence when she knows everyone is looking at her. Just part of the sport.

 

[cher062]

Oh I forgot too If you look even at Olympic competitors they have coaches standing there ready to spot too during competiontion. So I wouldn't eliminate a girl from an event because they want a spot

 

[coachmolly]

This is a really frustrating topic for me. I currently work at a gym where every girl performs the same skills, even if she is clearly not physically prepared. As a result, I end up essentially performing all sorts of skills for the girls- carrying them through front hip circles, back hip circles, back walkovers, some really basic stuff at times (this is a level 4/5 group...) It's fine with the little ones, but it's rough with the bigger ones. Even for the small ones, completing the skill for them does not get them anywhere. The girls who are getting heavy spots on every skill are getting nowhere and this coach is getting very tired and frustrated!
I think it is essential to work on proper progressions until a gymnast is capable of at least partially carrying herself through a routine. If a coach needs to carry a gymnast through a skill, then they need to go back to basics, drills, strength, all of that fun stuff. I strongly believe a coach should be around for safety, especially as the skills get harder, but a strong coach does not replace the need for proper progressions.

 

[gymnastmom96]

Clearly reading thru these posts there is a line drawn between compulsory and optionals when it comes to spotting. Let me reiterate that I am not talking about a coach standing to the side for release moves or vaults, etc... I thought several time watching my DD work a Geinger that it was going to kill her or it was going to kill me. Like with any skill, she occasionally will miss the bar or clip her feet and go down face first. It happens but she just gets up, chalks back up and tries again.
As it is, since my original post, we have changed gyms after losing the head coach (I will be looking for advice on that later). The new gym is very "spot friendly" and she is having a hard time adjusting.
Coachmolly, my heart goes out to you. Spotting larger girls can wear on a coach's rotator cuff. I am curious how they got to level 4/5 without those basic skills? An occasional spot to help with fears or after a nasty fall seems proper but consistent spotting as you've described sounds like they have come to depend on it. Here, they have very specific drills they learn before attempting any new skills. They have a "Drill & Skill Sheet" that the girls live by. For each skill, they have to have all the "drills" associated with that skill checked off before ever attempting the new skill. This starts in the pre-team level and is carried all the way thru. (whew, thats a lot of rhyming words! lol!). I do think it helps with fear issues and injuries.

 

[cher062]

This is a really frustrating topic for me. I currently work at a gym where every girl performs the same skills, even if she is clearly not physically prepared. As a result, I end up essentially performing all sorts of skills for the girls- carrying them through front hip circles, back hip circles, back walkovers, some really basic stuff at times (this is a level 4/5 group...) It's fine with the little ones, but it's rough with the bigger ones. Even for the small ones, completing the skill for them does not get them anywhere. The girls who are getting heavy spots on every skill are getting nowhere and this coach is getting very tired and frustrated!
I think it is essential to work on proper progressions until a gymnast is capable of at least partially carrying herself through a routine. If a coach needs to carry a gymnast through a skill, then they need to go back to basics, drills, strength, all of that fun stuff. I strongly believe a coach should be around for safety, especially as the skills get harder, but a strong coach does not replace the need for proper progressions.

I agree with you. A "Spot" shouldn't be a coach pushing any girls body through a whole move. the girl should be able to do the move but may need slight assistance here and there. A coach doing all the work isn't a spot (at least I wouldn't call it that) I would think that would be more like coaching. Moving a girl through a move so she can feel what it should feel like then do some sort of practice skills that will lead up to that specific skill. A coach doing all the work says that the girl isn't ready for any competition.

I also think there is a difference between optional and compulsory in the way you would spot.