7 year old daughter selected for elite group within squad - home equipment?

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My daughter started Gymnastics nearly 2 years ago in recreational and was asked if she'd like to join the artistic squad 6 months later - she seems naturally flexible and completely obsessed! Her coach took me aside recently and said she's really talented and was forming an elite group within the squad - something they haven't tried before. She's the youngest in the new group with the oldest being 14 (there's only 7 of them with 2-3 coaches each session). The problem is she's now watching these older, very talented gymnasts on a close up basis then coming home and trying to do scary things. We have a chin up bar, mat and fold up beam. I've said she needs to be extra careful at home as we don't have a sprung floor etc. Is there anything we can get her for our home that takes up limited space and could help her - I feel like I'm constantly telling her to stop doing things instead of being able to support? I've seen inflatable tumbling mats which we could use occasionally if I move furniture or on the lawn?!
 
Thank you for your replies - that eases my guilt! I'll have a good read of the links tonight. She enjoys setting herself challenges - taught herself a press handstand after seeing the older girls - is that kind of thing ok as it's more controlled? She's determined to hold her Russian lever for a minute at the moment which I'm happy for her to do as she seems less likely to hurt herself or should I get her to rest more at home - she does 16 hours of gym a week at the moment?
 
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It's not safe to do hard things at home... If she wants to work on something, let her do conditioning, leaps, jumps, simple tumbling etc... You can take a look at this:
https://www.google.nl/amp/gymnastic...home-to-improve-your-gymnastics-skills-2/amp/
https://www.google.nl/amp/gymnasticshq.com/gymnastics-at-home-workout-plans/amp/


She already does 16 hours a week. She doesn't need to do any of this. Please don't. Do the plan your coach sets and nothing else. Each coach has their own very precise style of doing things. Their own arm and head positions, their own emphasis on things. Best to leave it up to them.
 
She already does 16 hours a week. She doesn't need to do any of this. Please don't. Do the plan your coach sets and nothing else. Each coach has their own very precise style of doing things. Their own arm and head positions, their own emphasis on things. Best to leave it up to them.
I was trying to provide an idea of what was safe to do at home, since I felt like OP's DD wanted to do more. I never tried to come across rude, sorry if I did...
 
I was trying to provide an idea of what was safe to do at home, since I felt like OP's DD wanted to do more. I never tried to come across rude, sorry if I did...

Def not rude just not a good idea. Those links include suggesting doing cartwheels on beam and leaps and jumps and spins. Which each club (and even country) has very specific styles for. And the suggestions for tips are somewhat vague. I read it and wouldn't want kids I coach following it.
 
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I might show the coach the links and see what she thinks. She is desperate to do things at home - she can't sit still.

just ask your coach for a list of suitable things for her to do at home. If she is desperate to do more add a street dance and/ or ballet class. This will improve the performance and presentation side of her gymnastics.
 
It is very hard to resist doing gymnastics at home especially flics etc when you can get inflatable air tracks for home use, bars for home use and other gym equipment, especially if you can afford it. Lately it seems the norm to have such equipment.

We only have a pull up bar, folding floor beam, mini trampoline (youngest isn't the most bouncy of gymnast and use it occasionally to try and improve her bounce) and 10ft mat that is occasionally used, through summer we are at the gym 6 days out of 7 between two girls and don't have time as we are never home long enoug, even if we were my girls would never attempt flics at home. Mostly I see my youngest doing cartwheels, handstands, sometimes handstand walks, turns and split work, occasionally routine run thought if she has an up and coming comp.
 
Unfortunately there is a UK gymnastics Mums facebook site that is very popular, but normalises children having gym equipment at home. I see the temptation that people fall into to get this stuff for home use far too often. As well as her teaching herself incorrect technique that will take the coaches longer to correct in the gym, it can be really dangerous. I know you can't make little ones sit still, but I would say a mat for conditioning that her coach approves of is all you need at home ever.
The hours will increase and it becomes ever more important for them to ensure they have other interests at home. We have always stuck by having a child that does gymnastics rather than a gymnast. It sounds a petty difference, but it is really important mentally for them as they get older.

Apart from that - how exciting for her. She must be really talented and clearly loves the sport. Enjoy the ride.
 
I know the Facebook page you are talking about, it it is full of videos of gymnasts if all ages doing tricks at home. Lots of people encouraging others to buy expensive home equipment, I do wonder why a lot of them bother to pay to train at gym when they can it at home. I am glad I am not rich as the temptation to buy a bar or outside trampoline or air track would be pretty high, but dd is beginning to learn skills at really are not safe to do at home like upstarts (kips), not quite there yet but pretty close going by what my dd tells me (only been learning it over the summer), working two bars and flics.
 
Thank you for your replies - that eases my guilt! I'll have a good read of the links tonight. She enjoys setting herself challenges - taught herself a press handstand after seeing the older girls - is that kind of thing ok as it's more controlled? She's determined to hold her Russian lever for a minute at the moment which I'm happy for her to do as she seems less likely to hurt herself or should I get her to rest more at home - she does 16 hours of gym a week at the moment?
Press handstands for fun are fine. Any home conditioning should be by coaches order or just for fun.
 
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I know the Facebook page you are talking about, it it is full of videos of gymnasts if all ages doing tricks at home. Lots of people encouraging others to buy expensive home equipment, I do wonder why a lot of them bother to pay to train at gym when they can it at home. I am glad I am not rich as the temptation to buy a bar or outside trampoline or air track would be pretty high, but dd is beginning to learn skills at really are not safe to do at home like upstarts (kips), not quite there yet but pretty close going by what my dd tells me (only been learning it over the summer), working two bars and flics.

a lot of the people encouraging parents to buy equipment (that they definitely do not need) are people who have companies selling it........... or are 'ambassadors' for those companies (so get more free stuff the more they plug the company)........ it gives a very skewed idea of what is 'normal' to do and have at home. I have even seen girls gianting on homemade strap bars.

Gymnasts can get injured falling off a step, we all know that! I actually think the biggest danger is poor technique. It can get ingrained really quick. Any coach will tell you correcting poor technique takes twice as long as learning it correctly in the gym. There is no benefit to the gymnast, they actually progress slower and look worse in the long run. And it can be really hard to convince a child to go back to the basic drills when they think they have 'got' a move. It is not the parents fault, they think they are helping, they want their child to do the best they can the quickest they can.

The air tracks look great fun though. Best for those who can not for those who want to learn. I would have loved one as a kid for sure. LOL.
 
I gave up trying to convince people on the gym mums Facebook page that home equipment is 1) not necessary 2) very expensive and 3) can cause long term problems due to poor technique. All I got was parents saying it's up to each person if they want to spend there money on equipment, how little 5yr old Maggie can know flick due to having an air track etc. Someone even suggested that her child was at a disadvantage because she's as single mum and can't afford all the home equipment which will result in her daughter not making the elite track!

I know where my dd trains that none of the girls in the elite group have any home equipment other than beams, including my own dd that they've had for years and are know mainly gathering dust!
 

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