Parents Back bends and bridges..

[Jaks]

At watch age do your gym allow children to attempt and work on bridges and back bends (drop down into a bridge from standing)

When my dd was in rec doing or trying to do a bridge was part of the warm up ( from the age of 5), at my dd's development class yesterday they were working on back bends, bridge kick overs ( mixed age group 6 years old +), the older girls in the group were allowed to practice doing a back bend and my dd (6 years old) was not working on them, she said that she was working on her bridge and did not attempt a back bend, this impressed me and given me confidence in her coaches as she has only just started he development group (2 classes in) and she probably won't have the strength and flexibility to do a back bend yet especially as her bridge needed improving ( couldn't do one correctly for very long before development group - she has now made progress in this).

So far things are going great in her new group, she came up a little later then she should and was still bouncing round afterwards. Yesterday was her first experience on the rope and also on what looks like a climbing frame attached to the wall and she loved it despite coming out with chalky red hands.

 

[krisnkids]

From my understanding, USAG says girls under 5 should not be doing bridges. As for back bends, it really depends on the child and their shoulder flexibility and strength. There are girls in my dd's group that are old enough to do it, 6-8 but don't have the strength/flexibility. When they start showing strong enough bridges they let them start by walking their hands down a mat into a bridge, then standing on the floor and doing a back bend into a bridge on a cheese mat, then eventually onto a floor.

 

[GymBeeMom]

I am not sure what is recommended. I know you can compete level 4 as a 6 year old and there is a back walkover in the compulsory level 4 routine.

 

[Committed]

DD was taught once she turned 5.
She had to learn a bridge kickover in order to be at a level 3 in a "fun" artistic team program (8 week thing).

 

[gymmomtoo]

Our gym does them with 5 yr and up. When I coached pre-school gymnastics there we were not allowed to do them with that age (3-5).

 

[nameless]

our gym trained doodle when she was 4 to bridge up and kick over.. i have since read this is not cool..

 

[Quadqueen]

I am not sure what is recommended. I know you can compete level 4 as a 6 year old and there is a back walkover in the compulsory level 4 routine.

Just to clarify, there is a handstand-bridge-kickover in the L4 floor routine, but not a back walkover.

 

[2G1B]

I don't know if I ever heard that they weren't supposed to do bridges or backbends until this board (so a week or so ago ). I can't remember if my kids did them at under 5; but for AAU there is a bridge kickover (as in they lay down and go up to bridge) in the Level 2 routine and for level 3 they do a back walkover. I know that there are 5 year olds competing at both levels. Especially for a 5 year old competing at level 3 I would assume they had to have had a backbend before 5 if they are now doing walk overs...

Or the other day someone posted about their 4 year old doing a back handspring. I am just assuming here (and we know the dangers of that); but I would think a kid would be doing a back bend before doing a back handspring...

What are the dangers of a backbend or bridge before age 5?

 

[Committed]

I don't know if I ever heard that they weren't supposed to do bridges or backbends until this board (so a week or so ago ). I can't remember if my kids did them at under 5; but for AAU there is a bridge kickover (as in they lay down and go up to bridge) in the Level 2 routine and for level 3 they do a back walkover. I know that there are 5 year olds competing at both levels. Especially for a 5 year old competing at level 3 I would assume they had to have had a backbend before 5 if they are now doing walk overs


Or the other day someone posted about their 4 year old doing a back handspring. I am just assuming here (and we know the dangers of that); but I would think a kid would be doing a back bend before doing a back handspring...

What are the dangers of a backbend or bridge before age 5?

The L 3s aren't supposed to do walkovers, its bridge to kickover

 

[Quadqueen]

The L 3s aren't supposed to do walkovers, its bridge to kickover

AAU is different.

2G1B, there have been loads of threads here on the dangers of bridges and back bends...a search will yield lots of info.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I don't know if I ever heard that they weren't supposed to do bridges or backbends until this board (so a week or so ago ). I can't remember if my kids did them at under 5; but for AAU there is a bridge kickover (as in they lay down and go up to bridge) in the Level 2 routine and for level 3 they do a back walkover. I know that there are 5 year olds competing at both levels. Especially for a 5 year old competing at level 3 I would assume they had to have had a backbend before 5 if they are now doing walk overs...

Or the other day someone posted about their 4 year old doing a back handspring. I am just assuming here (and we know the dangers of that); but I would think a kid would be doing a back bend before doing a back handspring...

What are the dangers of a backbend or bridge before age 5?

pars fractures and spondy.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

I know there have been a ton of discussions about young kids doing bridges etc. but what about "tables"? Any adverse affects?

 

[GymBeeMom]

Ahhh, I remember now. You are right, thank you.

 

[GymBeeMom]

Just to clarify, there is a handstand-bridge-kickover in the L4 floor routine, but not a back walkover.

Oops, you are right! Thanks for clarifying.

 

[clark222]

The L 3s aren't supposed to do walkovers, its bridge to kickover

As mentioned above, AAU L3 does have a back-walkover....which I imagine will get pushed down to L2 with the new level system?? My dd was 8 yo when she was a L3 so I was not concerned but there were plenty of 4 and 5 yo L3s at the meets we attended.

 

[gymmommy123]

I'd never heard about no bridges/kickovers for littles. My dd was doing a fall to bridge either late 4, early 5 y/o. Kickovers late 4 (close to 5) and could do back walkover at 5. BHS, late 5. She had good back, and reasonably decent shoulder flexibility prior to that point though.

 

[raenndrops]

I am not sure what is recommended. I know you can compete level 4 as a 6 year old and there is a back walkover in the compulsory level 4 routine.

There is not a back walkover in the compulsory level 4 routine. There is a handstand to a bridge, kickover. A back walkover is in the Level 5 compulsory routine though.

The back bend issue is often about having the shoulder flexibility and arm strength to not collapse onto your head. By going from the handstand, their hands are already down... and they just have to catch their feet.

Hope this helps.

 

[bogwoppit]

It is also about using the lower back flexibility to compensate for lack of shoulder flexibility, this is where serious problems arise. Speaking from experience.

 

[2G1B]

There is not a back walkover in the compulsory level 4 routine. There is a handstand to a bridge, kickover. A back walkover is in the Level 5 compulsory routine though.

.

There is the back walkover in the AAU level 3 routine though. Does AAU not agree with USAG on the dangers?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

aau is out to lunch. they've been out to lunch since 1964 when USGF took over as NGB. the aau routines ARE the USAG routines and then they modify them. stupid is as stupid does.