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Parent ForumA place for parents of gymnasts of any level to talk. Please do not post in this forum unless you are a parent or asking the parents a question.
My daughter is trying to learn how to do a giant so she can compete level 8 this spring. Our gym does not have a strap bar - which drives me a little nuts, but is what it is. Her dad is very frustrated and thinks she should have it by now. ( if she does two in a row she can pretty consistantly do the 2nd one now so I think we are getting close to getting over on the first one) Can about how long does it usually take to get this skill? My daughter is 9 1/2.
I'm sorry I can't help you on the giant question, my dd isn't learning them yet. I do know that there are a couple of 9 year olds at our gym who have them, but also 12 and 13 year olds who don't. It may just be like many gym skills, entirely different from one kid to the next.
From your description it sounds as though she's really close. Good luck to her
WOW! First of all, I'm very impressed at the level your dd is at for being only nine and a half. Secondly, one of our two level nines last year never made her giants in a single meet and she was 16. It's a tough thing, and will come when it does.
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"Always behave like a duck - keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath." ~Jacob Braude
My daughter is 8 and just got her giants a few weeks ago. Not having a strap bar is a HUGE drawback when learning giants but can be overcome with a lot of spotting on a high bar. It only took my daughter about a month to learn her giants. I would suggest getting private lessons a few times a week if she needs them this coming season she will need them to perfect the skill in time.
Giants are like kips, some kids get them right away, some kids take a long time. Gymbabi almost had them, broke her elbow and had to start over.competed 2nd season of level 7 with no giant, but was working on them. Fractured her foot really bad right before state (where she was hopefully going to do it) and had to start over again. She's finally got them and competing them, but she thinks thier terrible and is only competing them because her coach told her she had to. And she will be 15 the end of this month.
^^^ Hers can't be as terrible as she thinks. I've seen some of the scariest giants ever, and they still keep going for it. Also, I've noticed our girls struggling w/them. Like I said before, although we're only ymca, not club, our level nine didn't make them all season, and one of the level eights made them only occasionally.
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"Always behave like a duck - keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath." ~Jacob Braude
My daughter is trying to learn how to do a giant so she can compete level 8 this spring. Our gym does not have a strap bar - which drives me a little nuts, but is what it is. Her dad is very frustrated and thinks she should have it by now. ( if she does two in a row she can pretty consistantly do the 2nd one now so I think we are getting close to getting over on the first one) Can about how long does it usually take to get this skill? My daughter is 9 1/2.
Does your gym have an extra men's high bar? A strap bar is just a piece of PVC (wrapped in tape) on a high bar with some straps that you can buy from Ten-0 for $40. It should be on a dedicated bar because it takes all the chalk off the bar.
I learned giants when I was 6 years old and I wasn't allowed to use the strap bar. I actually think it's a great idea not to because the strap bar does the giant for you; it doesn't allow you to learn how to shift. Not shifting is where most people have trouble learning their giants--if you don't shift or you shift too early it puts the brakes on and you won't make them. I learned giants by doing tons of sets with my coach spotting, and by trying them on my own.
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"Never, never, never, never give up." Winston Churchill
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
A strap bar is not necessary to learn giants any more than a barrel mat is necessary to learn a backhandspring.
The thing about a giant is that, similar to a kip, it's all about timing. What this means in terms of how long it takes to learn is that it could be days, it could be weeks, it could be months, it could even be over a year. But once you can do a giant properly, it takes absolutely no effort, same as a kip.
In other words, be patient. She'll get it when she gets it. But if you're frustrated that she doesn't have it, do not, what ever you do, let her see your frustration. Especially with a girl that age, showing frustration or dissappointment is one of the most destructive (if not the most destructive) things that a parent can do in terms of helping their child to improve.
Hammy and Geoffrey make very good points. Now that I think about it...strap bars are really more useful after you have your giants. I learned with my coach spotting me on a regular bar.
There's nothing worse than watching a coach strap a gymnast to the bar and throw them over the top while the poor kid has absolutely no control.
Here's an example:
The gymnast isn't really doing much...all the coach. Nothing wrong with learning this way, but this gymnast still has a long ways to go.
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