Level 4 moms, help with beam routine please

mariposa · 09-28-2008, 12:34 PM

This is a strange request, not even sure if it makes sense, but could you ask your daughters what they say to themselves/how they remember the L4 USAG beam routine? My DD is having a hard time remembering it because she has no sayings to go with it. The floor routine she did and that was fine, now with the music it is obviously easier, but she doesn't for beam.

Thanks to anyone (even coaches if they read here!) that can help. I appreciate it.

MdGymMom01 · 03:00 PM

What my dd's coach had done was broken the beam routine down by individual skill. What she would do for "homework" for the girls was give them all an envelope with strips of paper that had each skill on it. The kids would have to take the papers out and then put the routine in order. This way they were "mentally practicing" the beam routine without physically going through the movements. It helped the girls learn to memorize the routine by the name of each skill.

For instance, these are the types of words or phrases that are used on each slip of paper:

leg swing over
Toes to beam
V-sit
swing to squat
arms up
stand in releve...

you get the idea. Oh and the coach would have a "master sheet" of all the skills in order for the parents to "cheat" off of.

I hope this helps!!! Good luck!!!

mariposa · 09-28-2008, 03:13 PM

That is exactly what she needs, but they don't have anything like that.

She is so frustrated right now because she can't do the beam routine and if she learns it by next week, she can compete in Oct. I tried to find it online, but couldn't.

MdGymMom01 · 09-28-2008, 03:29 PM

Can you videotape her or one of the other Level 4 girls beam routine so that she can watch it and you can make up names for each skill? You may not have the technical terms but if it is something she can relate to, that is just as good. Or go to youtube and watch a routine and name each skill for her on a sheet of paper and do it that way. I do know that some Level 4 beam routines are different than others so you just have to make sure that she is doing the right skills.

Or can you ask the coach to give you the list of skills? That might be the best thing to do.

Gymnasticsgirl521 · 09-28-2008, 05:28 PM

I think the video is a great idea to have her walk through it with her. DD just works segments over and over and over and over and over. Did I say working it over and over and over again. Of your 12 hours a week I swear they are on beam at least 8 hours a week any more. It is drilled into their heads. They do the routine piece by piece till everyone has it exactly then they move one at a time to the beam alone with the coach. At home she just goes over it like in practice

mariposa · 09-28-2008, 05:39 PM

She really doesn't learn by watching the other girls. She needs to know what to do to say it to herself, like she does on floor. They just lost their HC and things are all confusing right now. I was just trying to help her out. Her close friend will be competing and she is going to be so upset to not compete with her. She has a week to show the coaches that she can learn the routine, but whatever they are doing, isn't working for her.

gym law mom · 09-28-2008, 06:03 PM

It is very very hard to learn a complete beam routine in 1 week. Not only does she have to remember the order of the skills, but also all the little things that go along with doing each skill(ie--chest up, point toes, straight legs). These kids have alot running through their minds while they are trying to actually do the routine. My gymmie didn't do L4, but she learned her L5 routine by it being broken down in segments----a beginning, middle and end type thing and then doing each segment over and over then finally putting them all together.

I wouldn't try and stress or push to get the routine down in 1 week. She may be disappointed about not being able to compete with her friend, but make sure you tell her she can go to the meet and cheer her friend on. Assure her that her time will come to be in meets too. She's learned alot and now just this last piece.

mariposa · 09-28-2008, 06:31 PM

GLM,

She has all the pieces, just trying to put them together. The competition isn't for a whole month, she just wants to show her coach that she can do it roughly right now so that she will be entered into the meet.

I am just trying to figure out what to do. Sitting here watching her try to do it by herself and crying is just breaking my heart and I was trying to find someway to help her. She is so hard on herself sometimes and I know that she has to learn these things on her own, but it is hard to watch. I have already tried to explain that she has come so far and will eventually compete, but it doesn't help.

Thanks for the reminder to not push her. I really am not. But I know I need to just let her work this out alone, it is hard though. Being a mom is tough.

Blackie6 · 09-28-2008, 06:32 PM

LOL, this is my daughters worst event! Last year at states she talked during her whole beam routine and she was soooo slow you could tell she thought about each and every skill. Today she still talked but she picked up the pace a little, LOL

I'm with you, I wish there was music with it it seems to help some remember better. In the meantime, tell her it's ok to just say the skills (out loud even) until she remembers them.

midwestgymmom · 07:59 PM

Let me see if I can find it on youtube. My dd just did it over and over until she could say the whole routine and see it in her head and they had learned it in parts.

I can Pm you DD's beam routines