Parents When to start looking for new gym?

[profmom]

Sasha, I think it does help. Our gym has an overhead rig that can be used to train uneven bar single rail releases, high bar releases, and rings skills, another rig over the trampoline for early double back training, and a spotting belt that I've seen used primarily on pbars. Now some kids get more out of it than others -- my son really doesn't like being in the belt -- but it does make the early phases of these skills safer, so they have more confidence trying things out. On rings, it can really help them get the feel of things they aren't nearly strong enough to do unassisted. I'm sure it made it easier for my son to progress toward a rings giant, because feeling how the skill is supposed to work was a big part of it.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Let's keep it simple. I will assume that gymnastics is her passion.

No pit - move.
No harness system to train bar releases - move.
No tumble track/rod floor - move.

Without the above she can't safely get beyond Lvl 8 at best.

Good luck.

Not to hijack but....is a tumble track the same thing as the in ground trampoline or something different? (pardon my ignorance lol.) Also what is your opinion of a gym that has no foam pit but does have a resi and a strap bar? To my knowledge none of the gyms around us have the spotting belt, but I know several have foam pits, ours does not. We don't exactly live in the best area for high level gymnastics.

 

[raenndrops]

Not to hijack but....is a tumble track the same thing as the in ground trampoline or something different? (pardon my ignorance lol.) Also what is your opinion of a gym that has no foam pit but does have a resi and a strap bar? To my knowledge none of the gyms around us have the spotting belt, but I know several have foam pits, ours does not. We don't exactly live in the best area for high level gymnastics.

A tumbltrack is longer than a trampoline. You can work entire passes on them. My gym only has an airtrak, but we also only have gym 3days a week and can go to open gym at a gym with a tumbltrack AND a rod floor AND pits every week if we wanted.

 

[duyetanh]

Interesting... I agree with no pit or tumble trak, but this is the first time I have seen the requirement to have a harness for bars. I have yet to see one of those in the gyms my daughter has attended/tried. She is not in any elite gym, but they do have level 9s and have had 10s...

Is that really a deal breaker?

Yes...is it?

 

[Seeker]

Yes...is it?

I don't think so.

A pit is an absolute must.
A tumble trak, rod floor or air track is extremely helpful and can save ankles, knees and backs.
But the belt/rig is a "nice option" to have in my opinion. My dd's gym does have it, but I don't think it's a deal breaker. If it is really needed for a particular skill, my guess is a deal could be worked out with another local gym to use theirs. It isn't something that would be used daily like the other two items.

 

[profmom]

Interested to hear what coaches think, but I'd tend to agree with Seeker. My kids' gym has TT, rod floor, and air tracks, and I think it does help to keep them healthier. They also just installed a softer surface at the end of the vault track where they do their "hard" landings prior to meets, and I think that's going to do even more to preserve ankles and knees and backs, not to mention faces. Thank goodness they got it in before my beloved youngest child moved the tsuk of death out of the pit and onto the landing surface.

 

[LilAdultTumbler]

Sorry if I do not add to this conversation...I am obviously not training to be an elite gymnast at 30. Being an older gymnast with older knees and ankles I cannot IMAGINE my gymnastics learning experience without a tumble track, air track, or foam pit. (I hope you at least have a soft resi!)

Especially for our advanced adult gymnasts doing double backs or other doing optional level skills on bar or vault....

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

We do not have a foam pit, but we do have successful level 10's who go on to compete at D1. So it is possible. Not ideal, but not impossible. We have big resi's.

 

[Natasha]

A coach that knows how or is at least willing to learn how to coach and spot L9-10 releases and flipping vaults is essential. A foam pit is very helpful, but I know several gyms in our area that have not had that (only Resi mats) and have still produced L10 gymnasts. We actually moved from a gym after DD's first L8 season that had all the fancy equipment to a gym that had no foam pit or spotting belt but had a coach that knew how to coach and spot. In those 3 years, without foam pit, spotting belt or rod floor, dd got her tsuk, yurchenko LO, Bail, Pak, Jaeger, double back, etc.... and was able to get to L10 without a foam pit. Our gym has since been able to get a foam pit and a rod floor. At the old gym, even with all the state of the art equipment she would probably still be L9 as they didn't have coaching for L10 skills and don't have the philosophy of trying to get girls to L10.