Parents Tops training

[samadams]

If you have kids or coach kids who are going to test this summer when did you start training the skills for the test ? Our gym started about 3 months ago and now it's all tops all the time no upgrading. I would think it would be better to work through out the year on that stuff. Any thoughts?

 

[SignHere]

DD tested as an 8 year old last year. Training the skills for only a few months was incredibly stressful for her - and her teammates. Fortunately, her coaches have been working on the TOPs skills since January this year (whew!) .

However, they still seem to be doing all TOPs, all the time! It's TOPs season - so it really seems that's what June and July are all about. DD loves the conditioning, and it makes her a much better gymnast, and that's what's important to me.

 

[BlairBob]

IMO, the conditioning should be done pretty much all year with a bit less during competition season. They should be doing rope climbs and press HS A LOT in their S&C programming besides literally always working cast HS and HS holds (often these are done BB as a warmup).

Then you would only have to work on the routines unless your kids are young enough that they don't compete routines.

 

[GymBeeMom]

TOPs training occurs year round at our gym. The girls condition for an hour every practice which includes ALL TOPs physical abilities, plus other conditioning exercises. I would think the three month cram would be tough...but doable. They also work on their uptraining year-round so the skills aren't too tough when the test time comes.

 

[Fijiwater]

TOPs training occurs year round at our gym. The girls condition for an hour every practice which includes ALL TOPs physical abilities, plus other conditioning exercises. I would think the three month cram would be tough...but doable. They also work on their uptraining year-round so the skills aren't too tough when the test time comes.

DD's gym does the exact same thing, most of the girls had their skills by the first of June. Some did not have them. The girls that test Tops have been doing Tops only and probably will for the next couple of weeks. J.O. team girls that don't test still do the stretching, conditioning, etc for the first hour, then they work on the new routines.

 

[samadams]

From reading what others write and talking to parents at Tops tests who can do the skills and look good doing them they all seem to do the Tops conditioning as part of their everyday practice and they up train alot. That makes a succesful gymnast from what I see.