WAG Xcel question -- avoiding shoulder flexibility

[sce]

I can see parents questioning why one gets to do something different than than the others, and the coming up with their reason why they want it for their child. OP - you seem a bit defensive about the possibility of this causing issues, but having one gymnast treated differently will cause issues. I still ask too, if she only starting to train level 4 isn't this issue a year or more out from now?

 

[emorymom]

I get that most of the time. But wanting to be treated like my daughter in this hypothetical instance is sort of like being upset that your child isn't on the short bus. I'm fully expecting an 18yo L7 (or equivalent) if we can keep her from getting hurt, and if she can find somewhere to train that will accomodate her swim schedule. Or if the swim team will accomodate her gym practice. Which they might because, dryland.

She has been stretching her shoulders every day but I don't know. Her back has also been hurting with bridges or even seal stretch, but I think this is more of an acute injury that hopefully will heal if she doesn't do backbends for a week.

Coincidentally, I think it was Thursday night that I picked her up from practice to hear that she had been put on the hotdog beam to work BWO.

I emailed her coach to say maybe we should aspire to BHS on beam because of the flexibility. I didn't hear back but was more just putting it out there. We'll see.

 

[sce]

I get that most of the time. But wanting to be treated like my daughter in this hypothetical instance is sort of like being upset that your child isn't on the short bus. I'm fully expecting an 18yo L7 (or equivalent) if we can keep her from getting hurt, and if she can find somewhere to train that will accomodate her swim schedule. Or if the swim team will accomodate her gym practice. Which they might because, dryland.

She has been stretching her shoulders every day but I don't know. Her back has also been hurting with bridges or even seal stretch, but I think this is more of an acute injury that hopefully will heal if she doesn't do backbends for a week.

Coincidentally, I think it was Thursday night that I picked her up from practice to hear that she had been put on the hotdog beam to work BWO.

I emailed her coach to say maybe we should aspire to BHS on beam because of the flexibility. I didn't hear back but was more just putting it out there. We'll see.

With the combination of lack of shoulder flexibility and now back pain, I would seek medical advice. Maybe the pain is not serious, but best to rule it out. Either way, maybe physical therapy would be helpful. Also, don't you need pretty flexible shoulders for swimming too?

 

[emorymom]

Def. if it persists. She thinks it is related to a knee landing out of a tumbling pass right now.

 

[flipon_]

I personally relate to this because I have tight shoulders myself. When I was in XCEL Gold, we had a choice between a cartwheel on beam or a backwalkover. Obviously, I choose the cartwheel. This is one reason why XCEl is such a great program.

 

[gymnast-mac]

You can do back extension roll on beam in L5 instead of back walkover. Bhs is also an option. If she does compulsory and DOES get 10thed to death, it really won't be the end of the world. I know a former gymnast who had extremely tight shoulders, (couldn't do bwo's & did a back extension instead), and was regional champ in level 9, finished level 10 and competed in college. It may be a challenge but especially in xcel, it can be accommodated

 

[emorymom]

Thank you @gymnast-mac I will tell her they can do back extension roll instead of BWO.

@sce I believe range of motion is important for swimming. It must be much less than that of gymnastics however.

 

[emorymom]

Update -- I believe the coach is going to train her with the L4 group but compete her Xcel. I don't anticipate jealousy. She's just not a gymnast that inspires a lot of jealousy.

She is going to weekly PT for her back. They suspect spondy from the hard knee landing out of a tumbling pass described above.