When is it safe to say that a gymnast "has a skill"?

[MdGymMom01]

I was just wondering what peoples' thoughts (mainly coaches) were on this topic of "getting a skill". In our gym, in order to say that a gymnast "has a skill", they must perform it unspotted at least 5 times in a row. There are many times that a gymnast will "accidentally" perform a skill but that doesn't necessarily mean that they "have that skill" or "got it". For example, just because a gymnast rebounds so high into her BHS and doesn't touch her hands on the ground, doesn't mean that she knows how to do a whip-back. I would think that executing skills by accident don't equate to "getting the skill" just because it looks right. LOL

Any other thoughts?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it really depends on the skill. 5 might be okay for a back somi on trampoline. it might take 1000 repetitions and 6 months to a year for something like a yurchenko. or double back on floor.

 

[fuzi]

For things like kips, front hip circles, and round off BHS, I say they've "got" it when they can to 5 in a row without a spot with competition ready form, AND then, do it at the next practice as well.

I have tons of kids who can muscle up a kip, but I wouldn't let them compete it, so they don't have it.

I also have gymnasts who will go beautiful RO BHS one day, and then not do it again. They don't have the skill either.

 

[Billy]

I think a gymnast "has" a skill when she can perform it repeatedly without a spot. However, I do think there is a difference between having a skill and having it be competition ready. I look at it in stages: the gymnast is learning the skill (with spotting, etc.), the gymnast "gets" the skill (can do it independently and confidently), and the skill is competition ready (gymnast can do it consistently- 99% of the time- and with good form, etc.).

 

[starmaker]

It varies depending on the skill at Liv's gym. For instance she made her kip for the first time. She did four of them. But her coach said she "made" her kip not "has" her kip. A few weeks later it was more consistent and she was able to the ring the bell for having it.

Her beam coach wouldn't let her ring the bell for her bwo on beam until she did it a few times on high beam. Liv did it a few times on low beam until eventually feeling comftable enough to do it on high beam and ring the bell.

Her vault coach wouldn't let her ring the bell for clearing the table until she did it hollow and quick off the table. I guess it just depends what the expectation is.

Like Shawn said there is a big difference between having it and compeition ready.

 

[MdGymMom01]

I also like to use the term "working on" skills. I also agree with Shawn in that there are stages of the skill. For instance--the kip. I consider my dd to be working on the kip. She "has it" so to speak, but her arms could be straighter at times and there are some days where she ends up "muscling it up" and it isn't as smooth as it could be. At our gym we also base the skills on whether they are competition ready as well.

 

[nevertooold]

We consider the gymnast having the skill if she can do it consistently at multiple practices in a row. Exact numbers would depend on the skill, the child and the way the child is doing the skill.

For kips we do let them ring the bell if they can do multiple in a row on one day b/c it is just sooo exciting that first day they do it. We do use the terms "did" or "made" instead of "got"... I'm not sure we ever say "got" come to think of it, I guess lots of days of dids and made just evolve into HAS over time.

Speaking of terminology we seem to have an ongoing discussion over "do" vs. "make" as in "do you want me to DO 10, or MAKE 10?" (beam skills mostly I guess) Hmm... how did you DO it if you didn't MAKE it I didn't say "try" 10!

 

[Billy]

Speaking of terminology we seem to have an ongoing discussion over "do" vs. "make" as in "do you want me to DO 10, or MAKE 10?" (beam skills mostly I guess) Hmm... how did you DO it if you didn't MAKE it I didn't say "try" 10!

To my mind, "do" 10 means to attempt. "Make" 10 means to land/stick them. BHS on beam, for example. "Doing" 10 means the gymnast tried ten BHSs. "Making" 10 means that she did them, landed them, and didn't fall off the beam. At our gym, the girls can only count "made" or "stuck" skills. Ten flops over the bar do not count as ten cast handstands. LOL

 

[nevertooold]

To my mind, "do" 10 means to attempt. "Make" 10 means to land/stick them. BHS on beam, for example. "Doing" 10 means the gymnast tried ten BHSs. "Making" 10 means that she did them, landed them, and didn't fall off the beam. At our gym, the girls can only count "made" or "stuck" skills. Ten flops over the bar do not count as ten cast handstands. LOL

I agree, it's just a matter of semantics... ( a useless interest of mine)

To use your example, a BHS on beam, lands on the beam, that is what the skill IS, so if you didn't land on the beam and stay there then you didn't DO it, you TRIED to do it and did not succeed. So in my mind "made", "stuck" and "did" are the same, everything else is a "try" or an "attempt".

not being argumentative just nerdy about word usage

 

[Billy]

I agree, it's just a matter of semantics... ( a useless interest of mine)

To use your example, a BHS on beam, lands on the beam, that is what the skill IS, so if you didn't land on the beam and stay there then you didn't DO it, you TRIED to do it and did not succeed. So in my mind "made", "stuck" and "did" are the same, everything else is a "try" or an "attempt".

not being argumentative just nerdy about word usage

That brings up a good point, though. Kids and coaches need to be clear on exactly what the coach means by a specific word or instruction. If a coach says "do 10 BHS" the kids need to know if the coach just wants them to try the skill or if the coach means they must stick the skill. Kids and semantics don't always mix. Great recipe for confusion.

 

[MdGymMom01]

That brings up a good point, though. Kids and coaches need to be clear on exactly what the coach means by a specific word or instruction. If a coach says "do 10 BHS" the kids need to know if the coach just wants them to try the skill or if the coach means they must stick the skill. Kids and semantics don't always mix. Great recipe for confusion.

I totally agree with this. Many times dd's coach will have to specify exactly how the skills need to be executed for them to count towards the number or reps for that practice or private. Many times for dd's private, she will need to do 5 clean bar routines (no falls and a stuck landing) for it to count towards the 5. Skills on beam--she needs to do 5 cartwheels with straight legs (no falls) in a row for it to count etc, etc, etc...

It is important for the gymnast to know and understand exactly what the coach is asking of them at practice. Communication is key.

 

[nevertooold]

It is important for the gymnast to know and understand exactly what the coach is asking of them at practice. Communication is key.

Yes I totally agree.

In our gym try means try, as in try 5 and come back and tell me how many you made.

And do and make mean the same.

It's just a few lazy daisies who pull the oh I didn't know I had to MAKE them when you said DO 10 cartwheels in a row on beam. (oh yes you did )

 

[MissBear]

'Stick' so many for beam.
or x 'attempts' if you aren't so bothered about the landing. Although to be fair, I would only ever use 'attempt' when we are dealing with fear and the inportant thing at that moment is going for it. But then it would be 1000 correctly on whatever suface is ok (floor, gymnova padded floor beam, whatever) and then say 5 attempts.

As long as there is understanding between coaches and gymnasts, the terminology is unimportant.

To go back to the original question, the first inconsistand times, you 'did' it. You only 'have' it once you can do it without it being a big focus. For example, our espoir (11-13) elite competed double back for the first time recently (and stuck it), but she still doesn't 'have' it.
I guess by the time you aren't counting every one, or rushing over to tell your friends, that's when you 'have' it.

 

[gymnut1]

'Stick' so many for beam.
or x 'attempts' if you aren't so bothered about the landing. Although to be fair, I would only ever use 'attempt' when we are dealing with fear and the inportant thing at that moment is going for it. But then it would be 1000 correctly on whatever suface is ok (floor, gymnova padded floor beam, whatever) and then say 5 attempts.

As long as there is understanding between coaches and gymnasts, the terminology is unimportant.

To go back to the original question, the first inconsistand times, you 'did' it. You only 'have' it once you can do it without it being a big focus. For example, our espoir (11-13) elite competed double back for the first time recently (and stuck it), but she still doesn't 'have' it.
I guess by the time you aren't counting every one, or rushing over to tell your friends, that's when you 'have' it.

I think that is a really good way of putting it.

 

[lavinmeg]

I am not a coach but I usually say I have a skill after I do it 5 times in a row for 3 different practices. It can not just be a one practice thing