Questions about pushing the envelope

[cccam]

i don't consider myself an amazing gymnast but my friend and i are the best recreational gymnasts our gym has ever had. [we're about level 6/7] the problem is, all the focus is on the team girls and not at all on us. we want to train and move up and learn new stuff, but the coaches don't really know how to handle us.

does anyone have any suggestions on how to train more independently?
or how to learn new skills on my own?
for instince:
giants
tsuks
fulls on floor

switching gyms is unfortunatley not an option

[Aussie_coach]

First let me say congratulations. Not many recreational gymnasts reach the level 6/7 level. You must be quite talented and motivated. Gyms are full of rec level 1's and 2's but not many at your level. The way this situation is handled will not only benefit you but all future rec gymnasts at your gym. If your gym finds ways to cater for you it will open doors for more girls to reach your level in the future.

I would chat to your parents about setting up a meeting with your gym to discuss your needs. It will help to have your parents there as they are the paying clients and will have more experience communicating with adults. Explain that you love your gym and are excited about moving up and learning new skills but are feeling that you are limited in your current environment. Any good gym will really appreciate your honesty because the only way they can satisfy their clients is if their clients tell them what they want and need and what they are and are not happy with. If you show your enthusiasm to learn most coaches will find they are enthusiastic to teach.

At our gym we have a few recreational girls from level 5-10, most are retired competitive gymnasts who want to keep up with their skills. But we do not have enough of them to justify running a high level recreational class so what we do is allow them to train with the team of the same level 1-2 days a week. Our 7-10 girls train 5-6 days a week and the few rec's come in on two certain days that we set aside more for skill development and less for competition routines. Ask your gym if this is a possibility for you.

If not could an advanced recreational class be formed perhpas with some recreational level 4's and 5's. A good coach will be able to cope with the different levels and for example while the level 4's and 5's are working handspring vaults the 6's and 7's can be learning Tsukahara's at the same time.

Another idea is to write down the skills you would like to learn on a goal sheet and present it to your coaches. It can help them t focus your training on the skills you want.

Learning skills on your own is not advisable. At best it can mean that you are learning the technique incorrectly and end up with bad habits that are hard to break, or skills that just don't seem to work and you can't work out why. At worst it can be very dangerous and lead to life long injuries or even death.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Is there a particular reason why joining the team is not an option?

[flippin fool 08]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cccam i don't consider myself an amazing gymnast but my friend and i are the best recreational gymnasts our gym has ever had. [we're about level 6/7] the problem is, all the focus is on the team girls and not at all on us. we want to train and move up and learn new stuff, but the coaches don't really know how to handle us. does anyone have any suggestions on how to train more independently? or how to learn new skills on my own? for instince: giants tsuks fulls on floor switching gyms is unfortunatley not an option

well i can see that they are not focising on you because it is during competition season and the coaches really need to focus on the team gymnasts. So if you want to learn new skill i wouldn't just go off and learn new skills some of them are really hard and the first thing you need to know how to do is a really good back tuck with you legs togeather and really tight form.

[cccam]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Geoffrey Taucer Is there a particular reason why joining the team is not an option?

yes, unfortunatley, i live a long way away and they practice 12hrs a week [even the level 6's] my friend i was talking about before, just joined team yesterday, kind of leaving me all alone but anyway. my parents won't drive me there 4 days a week and i just don't have enough time because i am trying to balance it with my other favorite sport: volleyball [even though i love gymnastics 10x more]

[cccam]

Quote:
Originally Posted by flippin fool 08 well i can see that they are not focising on you because it is during competition season and the coaches really need to focus on the team gymnasts. So if you want to learn new skill i wouldn't just go off and learn new skills some of them are really hard and the first thing you need to know how to do is a really good back tuck with you legs togeather and really tight form.

thanks for the help, i can already do very nice high back tucks, and i am working on better form in my layouts

[cccam]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_coach First let me say congratulations. Not many recreational gymnasts reach the level 6/7 level. You must be quite talented and motivated. Gyms are full of rec level 1's and 2's but not many at your level. The way this situation is handled will not only benefit you but all future rec gymnasts at your gym. If your gym finds ways to cater for you it will open doors for more girls to reach your level in the future. I would chat to your parents about setting up a meeting with your gym to discuss your needs. It will help to have your parents there as they are the paying clients and will have more experience communicating with adults. Explain that you love your gym and are excited about moving up and learning new skills but are feeling that you are limited in your current environment. Any good gym will really appreciate your honesty because the only way they can satisfy their clients is if their clients tell them what they want and need and what they are and are not happy with. If you show your enthusiasm to learn most coaches will find they are enthusiastic to teach. At our gym we have a few recreational girls from level 5-10, most are retired competitive gymnasts who want to keep up with their skills. But we do not have enough of them to justify running a high level recreational class so what we do is allow them to train with the team of the same level 1-2 days a week. Our 7-10 girls train 5-6 days a week and the few rec's come in on two certain days that we set aside more for skill development and less for competition routines. Ask your gym if this is a possibility for you. If not could an advanced recreational class be formed perhpas with some recreational level 4's and 5's. A good coach will be able to cope with the different levels and for example while the level 4's and 5's are working handspring vaults the 6's and 7's can be learning Tsukahara's at the same time. Another idea is to write down the skills you would like to learn on a goal sheet and present it to your coaches. It can help them t focus your training on the skills you want. Learning skills on your own is not advisable. At best it can mean that you are learning the technique incorrectly and end up with bad habits that are hard to break, or skills that just don't seem to work and you can't work out why. At worst it can be very dangerous and lead to life long injuries or even death.

thank you so much aussie coach, out of all the people who responded, you truly helped the most. i talked to the owner on the phone today with my parents and we have decide that i can train with them a couple weeks in the summer, they were already in the process of developing an advanced class, which me and a couple other people will be put into.

i have started writing down my goals and the owner said he would make a chart for me and the other girls in the class so we can keep track of them. I now go to gymnastics on mondays and wednesdays.

thank you so much for the advice and you don't have to worry about bad form or anything, because the one thing i have learned from learning new skills basically by my self at the gym is how to correct my mistakes and form [i watch and do, i would like to think im pretty good at that part]

last but not least, i plan on applying for a coaching job there when i am a senior, since i love to coach and understand very much how the sport works. thank you so much for the comments, it truly makes me feel better that someone is out there who pays attention to a couple of the girls not on the team :]

thanks,
corinne

[Aussie_coach]

I am so glad to hear that things are working well. Even better is the fact that you talked to the owner and told them how you feel. Being able to communicate well with the adults who are running your training will be one of the keys to success for you in the program.

But I think the most important thing to remember here not just for yourself but for all gymnasts, parents, coaches and gym owners is that EVERY gymnast is equally important. Team gymnasts are no more important than Rec gymnasts, they all have an equal right to a training program that caters for their needs.

[gymnasticsbabie]

okay so i don't have a brilliant plan like aussie coach lol but i can give advice on learning new skills!
1st: pick the skills you want to learn, they should be pretty reasonable skills, since you don't have a coach to spot/coach you. for example if you can only do a backhip circle on bars don't go into the gym expecting to teach yourself a clearhip blind full or something. maybe just start with a clear hip

2nd: look them up on youtube!!!!i swear youtube was the best invention for gymnast. go onto youtube and search the skill you are trying to learn. find the one that looks like it is right (it should look the best AND have the best form). this will help a lot. if you don't have time to search youtube then im sure people at your gym do the skill that you are trying to learn. watch the older team girls do it.

3rd: picture yourself doing it. as dumb as that sounds i swear it will help. everytime im learning a new skill i watch someone doing it and then i close my eyes and i image the same thing except with my body doing it.

4th: start the skill! if its something for beam, start it on the floor on a line. if its something for bars, start it in straps. ect. always start with the easiest possible way to do the skill. then work your way up

okay so for example for fulls on floor.. do you have a layout? do you have a half? if you do then
1. on tumble track do a layout half and then after you land do a jump half. then do a layout half and then right when your feet touch the ground immediately jump half.

2. if you have a vault that goes into a pit or a beam that goes into a pit then try do standing halfs and then 3/4s and then eventually fulls. it will help you get the feeling of doing a full in the air

3. don't forget to watch people do it!

4. after you can do standing fulls, try doing a half on the tumble track and then right before your feet touch, do an extra half. it sounds harder than it really is i swear haha

i really hope this helps just a little

[cccam]

Quote:
Originally Posted by gymnasticsbabie okay so i don't have a brilliant plan like aussie coach lol but i can give advice on learning new skills! 1st: pick the skills you want to learn, they should be pretty reasonable skills, since you don't have a coach to spot/coach you. for example if you can only do a backhip circle on bars don't go into the gym expecting to teach yourself a clearhip blind full or something. maybe just start with a clear hip 2nd: look them up on youtube!!!!i swear youtube was the best invention for gymnast. go onto youtube and search the skill you are trying to learn. find the one that looks like it is right (it should look the best AND have the best form). this will help a lot. if you don't have time to search youtube then im sure people at your gym do the skill that you are trying to learn. watch the older team girls do it. 3rd: picture yourself doing it. as dumb as that sounds i swear it will help. everytime im learning a new skill i watch someone doing it and then i close my eyes and i image the same thing except with my body doing it. 4th: start the skill! if its something for beam, start it on the floor on a line. if its something for bars, start it in straps. ect. always start with the easiest possible way to do the skill. then work your way up okay so for example for fulls on floor.. do you have a layout? do you have a half? if you do then 1. on tumble track do a layout half and then after you land do a jump half. then do a layout half and then right when your feet touch the ground immediately jump half. 2. if you have a vault that goes into a pit or a beam that goes into a pit then try do standing halfs and then 3/4s and then eventually fulls. it will help you get the feeling of doing a full in the air 3. don't forget to watch people do it! 4. after you can do standing fulls, try doing a half on the tumble track and then right before your feet touch, do an extra half. it sounds harder than it really is i swear haha i really hope this helps just a little

thanks gymnasticsbabie!
i really like those ideas the only problems: we don't have strap bars, a tumble trak or a beam into the pit. Us rec gymnasts get one bar, one beam and we only get to vault every other week.

Im not allowed to do tsuks because a girl on team hurt herself a week before i wanted to start them. But, that clear hip advice helps because thats what i wanted to start learning.

I want to take a tumbling class also because frankly, theres almost no one else in the gym so i can just do what i want and have a spot if i need it. Hopefully my mom will let me take that class too. I can do fulls on the tramp and i did a standing one into the pit before [and then got yelled at hehe] Im a pretty good twister, i guess its just a matter of me getting over fears and having coaches who will let me do skills.

I finally convinced my coach to let me work front handspring, front tucks and after a half hour on floor, i got it. Yay!

Even now after i talked to the management, they still are resistant to letting me or any other rec gymnast train over a level 6.