Parents Dreaded Rope Climb

[SuperMama]

My DD is entering L2 but has been in gymnastics 2hrs per week for a year. She has made great progress with her skills and is having fun. Overall she's pretty strong and can hold her chin above the bar for a long time but cannot seem to make any progress with the rope climb.

Her teammates all use their feet but my DD can't seem to get the coordination of using her legs or feet to help and she's not strong enough to do it with just her upper body.

Are there any tricks or tips to mastering the rope climb technique or is this something that just comes with time?

While they don't climb often at her current level it seems like the rope climb is an important skill so it's tough to see others climbing to the top while DD can only get one pull off the ground. [emoji15]

 

[raenndrops]

It takes a while for some kids to get it.
At our gym, we have knots in the rope so it is easier (both to climb AND to work on technique using the legs). YG could climb to the top of the rope at age 3. She was actually used to demonstrate rope climb to a group of older girls in advanced rec that were only barely climbing up at all.
We do open gym that another gym and they don't have knots in their rope. It took her a while to make it to the top of that one... But she did make it in time.

 

[twin2gymmie]

My DD has a tough time also. She is training Level 4. Even though, she is quite strong, I think it is a coordination issue. Knowing which part of the body to use at which times.

 

[SuperMama]

Thanks for the replies! It's helpful to know she's not alone. It definitely seems like a coordination issue. She has long legs too which I don't think is working in her favor [emoji56]

 

[kayjaybe]

The most important part of the rope climb is to teach her to NOT slide down after she gets to the top. I still remember the first time my dd climbed the rope at age 5. It was her first L2 class (old levels) and she had never done it before while the other girls had (she joined late).

Poor kid slid down the rope and the look on her face when she got to the bottom....well, she learned a valuable lesson that day!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

At our gym they do their rope climbs with no legs. Sitting position legs straight out.

 

[profmom]

At our gym they do their rope climbs with no legs. Sitting position legs straight out.

I would guess not for L2s going two hours a week.

OP, just have patience. She will figure it out. It's nothing that should be causing worry about her potential in the sport.

 

[GymDad9.9]

I would guess not for L2s going two hours a week.

OP, just have patience. She will figure it out. It's nothing that should be causing worry about her potential in the sport.

I agree with the patience aspect as well.

At Level 2, I don't recall the rope climbing involving the more difficult legs out technique. I remember the inner thigh rope burns back then! These days though the rope climbing is legs out. And they do progress doing this skill OP!

 

[SuperMama]

Ouch! Kayjabe that sounds painful. I'll have to start planting seeds with her that when she finally makes it up not to slide down!

Thanks for the encouragement profmom and gymDad9.9!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Sorry my point was not to stress as they won't be using legs at some point.

Our gym doesn't use legs, they start legs out (verified with child). They may not get far at first but its what they do.

 

[SuperMama]

Interesting, thanks Idw4mlo! I guess starting them out with no legs gets them use to how it will be.

 

[sce]

She needs to get the rope on to of either a foot or a leg and use the other foot or leg to hold the rope while she moves her arms up to pull herself up.

 

[sce]

Maybe check out you tube videos together.

 

[MrsAnderson]

Sorry my point was not to stress as they won't be using legs at some point.

Our gym doesn't use legs, they start legs out (verified with child). They may not get far at first but its what they do.

Our gym doesn't do legs either. They start with legs in a straddle and they can squeeze the rope between their thighs if they need to.

 

[Madden3]

I agree this is nothing to worry about, she will get it eventually. But I do have some more thoughts.

Gymnastics aside, I am a big believer in rope climbing (and tree climbing and rock climbing -climbing in general) for general fitness and for confidence building. It is a true accomplishment to be able to climb a rope, because it does require both strength and coordination and even rhythm- legs or not. And a high rope is helpful for overcoming hesitancy with heights and learning to truly trust your body to keep you from falling. And it also teaches perseverance, because it is entirely normal for this to be hard and for it to take a while to "get" - I guess I think that the fact rope climbing is hard is the whole point of rope climbing.

That said, as someone who keeps climbing and jumping rope in the car wherever I go with my kids because they are handy and fun in so many ways, if your daughter would like to try climbing outside of gym, maybe there is a way she can practice at home? I would think that a short rope for climbing is something that is relatively easy and safe to make for home use? I am thinking a good strong rope and a good anchor and put it in a doorway.

If you have a yard with a tree with a branch that is the right height and strength, that is even easier.

My kids bring ropes to tie in the trees when we go to local parks as this is often more fun than the playground. They also used the rope in various ways to help them climb the trees. You can tie a knot in the bottom of the rope for her to put her feet on to start.

A single rope swing (like a disk swing) could work too, and the swing could be what she balances on to start in that case, but the rope will likely be less thick than the gym rope.

If any local parks have a firehouse pole type thing in the playground, she can also practice by climbing up that. Not exactly the same but close enough.

At our gym the kids start out using their feet on the rope and eventually graduate to arms only when they are capable, as this makes it more challenging.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Madden3 that sounds like an excellent thing to do as something outside gym that would help with gym.

 

[SuperMama]

I agree this is nothing to worry about, she will get it eventually. But I do have some more thoughts.

Gymnastics aside, I am a big believer in rope climbing (and tree climbing and rock climbing -climbing in general) for general fitness and for confidence building. It is a true accomplishment to be able to climb a rope, because it does require both strength and coordination and even rhythm- legs or not. And a high rope is helpful for overcoming hesitancy with heights and learning to truly trust your body to keep you from falling. And it also teaches perseverance, because it is entirely normal for this to be hard and for it to take a while to "get" - I guess I think that the fact rope climbing is hard is the whole point of rope climbing.

That said, as someone who keeps climbing and jumping rope in the car wherever I go with my kids because they are handy and fun in so many ways, if your daughter would like to try climbing outside of gym, maybe there is a way she can practice at home? I would think that a short rope for climbing is something that is relatively easy and safe to make for home use? I am thinking a good strong rope and a good anchor and put it in a doorway.

If you have a yard with a tree with a branch that is the right height and strength, that is even easier.

My kids bring ropes to tie in the trees when we go to local parks as this is often more fun than the playground. They also used the rope in various ways to help them climb the trees. You can tie a knot in the bottom of the rope for her to put her feet on to start.

A single rope swing (like a disk swing) could work too, and the swing could be what she balances on to start in that case, but the rope will likely be less thick than the gym rope.

If any local parks have a firehouse pole type thing in the playground, she can also practice by climbing up that. Not exactly the same but close enough.

At our gym the kids start out using their feet on the rope and eventually graduate to arms only when they are capable, as this makes it more challenging.

Thanks for your perspective! We live in a relatively new yard so unfortunately we don't have mature trees yet but I do think there is a pole and rock climb at our local playground. I will definitely encourage her to use those to help build the confidence.

As an adult looking at the little ones at the top of the rope it does give me a bit of a height scare so it would make me feel better to know that she's built some confidence with heights.