Parents Rant about ankle weights and vault

[Deleted member D3987]

OMG -- Can someone please give me some good citations/articles that talk about this? I'm realizing that my DD's coach has them using 5 lb. ankle weights (each ankle) through most if not all of their 2 hour practice sessions. Vault, tumbling, conditioning... all of it. She's 12 but some of her teammates are as young as 7 and even they have been told they can't use lighter weights -- we got a "dear parents your child absolutely must use what I give them not something from home" letter recently about this.

g...u...l...p...yikes!

 

[Anna's_Mom]

So before I went CGM, I asked DD about weights. She says that now that they are learning routines they aren't using them. Which is good but does mean I probably shouldn't question them now. But I will definitely be ready when they start using them again!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

like the headstand for toddlers thread...we have produced 10's and Elites without ever doing a headstand OR putting on an ankle weight.

in fact, i watch a lot of hours of training videos from across the pond. these are videos sent to me and NOT in the public domain.

in all the hours...i have never seen their athletes from several countries ever do a handstand or have an ankle weight on. and these videos are day to day stuff and unfiltered. not the cleaned up versions you find on the internet.

 

[Anna's_Mom]

like the headstand for toddlers thread...we have produced 10's and Elites without ever doing a headstand OR putting on an ankle weight.

in fact, i watch a lot of hours of training videos from across the pond. these are videos sent to me and NOT in the public domain.

in all the hours...i have never seen their athletes from several countries ever do a handstand or have an ankle weight on. and these videos are day to day stuff and unfiltered. not the cleaned up versions you find on the internet.

Sadly, a random coach on ChalkBucket says you don't need this to produce elite gymnasts" isn't likely to convince our coach of much... beyond that I am probably the CGM he thinks I am

 

[wgymmom]

Yikes! I feel like we dodged a bullet on this one. When DD joined team, we got an email telling us that details would be forthcoming for several things, including ankle weights. The HC at the time was a temp. New HC came in and thankfully vetoed the ankle weights, because we never got them and nobody uses them. It was probably his best decision ever. (I say that somewhat wryly.)

 

[kandkfunk]

So, I just got a message from my DD's cheer coach (she retired from gymnastics last year and went to the dark side - lol) requesting that we purchase ankle weights for work on jumps and tumbling. Looks like I am back to fighting this battle...

 

[txgymfan]

Are you friendly with your dd's pediatrician? Or have you had to work with another MD that could write a note for you saying that it is unhealthy for her?

 

[kandkfunk]

Are you friendly with your dd's pediatrician? Or have you had to work with another MD that could write a note for you saying that it is unhealthy for her?

Luckily, yes I could go that route if needed. Fortunately, the cheer coach was very receptive when I spoke to her today and expressed my concerns. She agreed that my DD would not have to wear the weights and she was very interested in hearing about our previous experiences and learnings. My concern is not just for my DD, but the entire team. We discussed some safer ankle weight exercises and thera-band alternatives. Overall, it was a good conversation and I am very relieved.