Coaches Vault Table - How do you use it with recreational gymnasts?

[coachkazoo]

Hi coaches,
I can't seem to get the kids (ages 4-8)to do anything but kneel on our vault table. This is just for beginner recreational gymnastics...and I used to love the old style vault, and maybe I just can't get past this new 'table' style. With the traditional vault horse, I could coach them to squat on, straddle on, cartwheel over, etc. What am I doing wrong? Is it really just me? I'd love any tips. I have it on lowest height...I'm so not happy with it, I'm ready to bring back our old vault horse

 

[AmandaLynn]

We don't use it for our rec kids. We do running and board drills, straight jumps, then do skills up to stacked mats.

 

[gymdog]

New? Lol it's been awhile. The only thing that is a struggle is straddle on. Cartwheel over I wouldn't do but that's just me. The typical progression nowadays includes forward rolls and flat backs on the level 3 mat stack. You can also drills on tramp such as donkey kicks, and use table for heel drive conditioning.

 

[Gymsanity]

For me, that is a 'team only' piece of equipment. The rec kids aren't even allowed to look at it! We have them do all their drills and progressions on the L2 and L3 vault station.

 

[iwannacoach]

I'd keep the littles off it completely and use a mat stack to keep it safe and simple. I have kids who are 6 or 7 graduate from the mat stack to the table, but only when they can consistently do a three stride run to a rebound, and a 5 stride run to a modified handspring on the mat stack........ and then only if a high percentage of their runs are full out on every stride.

No run....No vault.

 

[coachkazoo]

Thanks everyone! I think I will keep my kids off completely. Right now, all of our couches just get them to "climb on" or "knee on". I will stick with vault boxes only...We are a small gym with a "non-involved" head coach so us, the coaches, are on our own (and sometimes a little lost). Thanks again.

 

[aileenmaryf]

I don't coach in a USAG gym so some of our progressions are a little different than most gyms, but I coach many different rec levels including the age level you specified. Most of our classes kids start out in one of three ways a preschool aged class (3-4 year olds), kindergarten aged 5-6 class (to get into this class the coach has to recommend it to the parents), and then a beginner class (kids 6+ start in this class, but if they are good enough both skill wise and behavior wise they are invited to move up). Our preschool classes never does anything higher than a block which is at about top of the knee height for me, and the kindergarten aged kids usually use our table trainer. Then when they get to the beginner class they get to use the real table vault at its lowest setting. All of these levels teach the basics first and then also a squat on, and then the beginner level also works pop-ups (no hands squat-on).

Hope this helps!

 

[BlairBob]

For my smaller, younger, beginner gymnasts they mainly used it for doing donkey kicks on with a mini tramp.

 

[munchkin3]

They sit and wait on it.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Handstands with 1 foot on the vault table and one foot in the air. Run and bunny hop on, then try to bunny hop on with straight legs, run and straight jump on, practice straight jump off the table to stick, straight jump off the table backwards to stick, different types of jumps off the table like straight, tuck, star, straddle pile etc. bunny hops and donkey kicks on with a mini tramp, we put planks and ladders up on it for kids to climb up, climb down and slide down.

 

[coachkazoo]

Right! Yes, the kids jump off to different landings etc off..but its not the trainer, its the actual table. The trainer would be much better. I switch between a springboard or a mini-tramp but even at lowest height, they still scramble on. I just can't get them properly on it...

 

[wsg13]

Have a tramp or spring board and have them put hands on vault and do bunny hops or donkey kicks. Then climb up and do a jump off.

 

[jellygym]

Have you tried demonstrating - it might just be that they don't actually know what you mean? Other than that perhaps you should just try taking it back a step and looking at progressions and drills - bunny-hops, burpies, bunny hop onto block, donkey kicks, three jumps on trampette and squat onto table with support, then same with spring board etc. as well as all your running and jumping drills - just making sure that they can do each one perfectly before moving on.