WAG Help me settle a debate with my daughter

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GymmiesAndSwimmies

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My 10 year old daughter was put into a cast for Sever's disease for 3 weeks. Not a boot, an actual plaster cast. The orthopedic surgeon said she could continue doing any upper body skills at gym, but nothing that requires running, jumping, or landing hard on her feet. She can walk in it and doesn't require crutches, so she can do things with her foot, as long as it's only walking-level pressure. I took this to mean conditioning type stuff (pull ups, sit ups, splits, etc.). She took this to mean hip circles, stride circles, casts, etc. on the bars. Now, I'm not opposed to her doing bar skills if she can be safe, but trying to swing this heavy, clunky cast around seems like a recipe for disaster. Any coaches or gymnasts want to weigh in on what kind of skills she can still work on while in a cast? She goes back to gym today for the first time since getting the cast, so we'll of course be talking to her coach, but I'd just like to know what to expect. I did not expect the doctor to put her in a cast at all, so now I feel like we're just floundering around.

Thanks!
 
I was actually in a boot last year for breaking my ankle- but it was too big, so I'm sure it's just as clunky as DD's plaster cast. As long as I was comfortable with it, it was alright to condition, and do things like yes, stride and hip circles. However, I wasn't really allowed to do anything else- kips, high bar, etc. in conclusion, I think she should be fine. Hope this helped!
 
There has been a lot of talk about ankle weights on here and the vast majority of coaches doesn't use them or for conditioning only. This is an ankle weight - on one ankle.
I wouldn't let her. It throws off her center of gravity, she will have to relearn skills to do them properly with a cast and then correct them AGAIN as soon as the cast comes off. I don't see any benefit in it. And what happens if she falls?
General rule: If you don't want to risk extending the gymnastics pause, stick to what's 100% safe. 3 weeks isn't that long.
 
Our girls will put an ankle weight on the other ankle to balance things out when they are in a cast or a boot. Even just walking around the gym. Helps keep things even.
 
As a side bar....... I'm not a doctor but I wouldn't want my gymnasts in a cast for Severs. I'd probably get a 2nd opinion from a different doctor if you can. I just don't like the idea of the ankle tightening up while in the cast and losing muscle strength.

But to answer your question, I think the bars skills are ok. Most girls I've seen in casts on their feet or ankle wear a running shoe on the other foot to compensate for the additional weight of the cast. I guess you could use an ankle weight but I wouldn't. If one foot is in a cast I'd at least like to have one foot relatively free to use for landing when the kid is coming off the bars.
 
As an athlete when in casts, I'd work conditioning, floor bar, as well as strap bar with 2 ankle weights on the opposite ankle. I also did lots of cast to handstands on the high bar over to my back on a porta-pit (high bar in case I didn't go over, I could just swing and not have to land on my casted foot). Also lots and lots of tramp (which I HATED). I've also done this with one of my own athletes when she was in a boot.
 
My daughter (8) is in a boot right now for Severs and she wears a sneaker on the other foot in the gym. She's been doing conditioning and apparently also some bar skills. She just told me this yesterday. Lol. She said she's been doing kips, casts and free hips as much as she can manage and just not landing on her booted foot. She has one more week to go in the boot and has just started her prescribed regimen of daily stretches as per the ortho so maybe she's been feeling more comfortable and that's why she's started doing more than basic conditioning. Hope your DD heals fast!
 
My dd had a buckle fracture of her tibia, up almost at her knee (skiing accident). She was in a brace from ankle to mid thigh. She wasn't allowed on the beam or bars at all. She couldn't even do kips on the low bar. Her orthopedist didn't want to risk her dragging her foot and jarring it or accidentally landing on that leg/ foot. She was on crutches and non weight bearing though. She physically could bear weight (heck, she skied down the mountain after the accident because she didn't want ski patrol called); but the doctor said she was delaying healing any time that she put weight on it.
 
well, let me preface this with even when a parent is wrong...they are right. :)

she can do whatever she is able on bars. even giants. :):)
 
As an athlete when in casts, I'd work conditioning, floor bar, as well as strap bar with 2 ankle weights on the opposite ankle. I also did lots of cast to handstands on the high bar over to my back on a porta-pit (high bar in case I didn't go over, I could just swing and not have to land on my casted foot). Also lots and lots of tramp (which I HATED). I've also done this with one of my own athletes when she was in a boot.

hold on...boots and casts are dangerous on trampolines. please don't do that. :)
 
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There has been a lot of talk about ankle weights on here and the vast majority of coaches doesn't use them or for conditioning only. This is an ankle weight - on one ankle.
I wouldn't let her. It throws off her center of gravity, she will have to relearn skills to do them properly with a cast and then correct them AGAIN as soon as the cast comes off. I don't see any benefit in it. And what happens if she falls?
General rule: If you don't want to risk extending the gymnastics pause, stick to what's 100% safe. 3 weeks isn't that long.

AND you put an ankle weight on the other foot. problem solved. THIS is a good use of ankle weights. :)
 
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I think every single girl that has been in a boot or foot/leg cast at our gym has done bars. It's almost become kind of weirdly beneficial.... put a kid in a boot and watch them progress on bars. There have been a couple of girls I can think of right of the top off my head that would not be where they are today on bars had they not had a foot injury for a while. ;) Of course I would never wish an injury on any child, but we are all kind of joking about it. :)
 
My dd is wearing cheetah cups for her severs right now, but last fall when she was casted (for a diff injury), the ortho (don't like this one and have since switched) had said NO apparatus at all, but was allowing her to work floor. (eyeroll) - Her coaches and I thought that was crazy, so instead, we worked bars, and conditioned - not sure if they put an ankle weight on her other leg or not, but regardless, her bars progressed, and she needed floor/beam work once done.
 
hold on...boots and casts are dangerous on trampolines. please don't do that. :)
Twisting back drops! (I know theres a name for those, but I can't recall!) They were actually the only thing that helped me get my double twist, I'd always do 1 1/2 when trying a double.
 
The only thing I let kids do on bars if they have a cast on foot, Are drop kips and glide kips, Straight body cast a horizontal. Or front hip circles if that's applicable, that is it. Any other swinging that I allow with the cast on is all done on the strap bar. A gym down the street from us had a girl break both of her arms while swinging Routines with ankle weights, Which to me is identical to swinging in the cast. So my recommendation is absolutely no high bar stuff no circling elements pretty much no nothing except for kips on the Lowbar cast to horiz.
 
Twisting back drops! (I know theres a name for those, but I can't recall!) They were actually the only thing that helped me get my double twist, I'd always do 1 1/2 when trying a double.

cradles :)
 
The only thing I let kids do on bars if they have a cast on foot, Are drop kips and glide kips, Straight body cast a horizontal. Or front hip circles if that's applicable, that is it. Any other swinging that I allow with the cast on is all done on the strap bar. A gym down the street from us had a girl break both of her arms while swinging Routines with ankle weights, Which to me is identical to swinging in the cast. So my recommendation is absolutely no high bar stuff no circling elements pretty much no nothing except for kips on the Lowbar cast to horiz.

let me clarify what we do. on the pit bar and supervised. :)
 

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