WAG Springboard for bars?

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KipWinger

Proud Parent
My DD's coach recently banned the use of the springboard to mount the bars in my DD's training group. My DD is not a USAG gymnast but I'd say the group is about level 5-6 (USAIGC Diamond/Silver). My question is...is there a benefit to not using the springboard? I assume it's to help with strength/the progression of skills? I'm just curious. Thanks!
 
I have always assumed that for a low bar glide pullover or glide kip mount, the springboard was just there to create the correct angle for the jump, not to provide any “spring.” Wouldn’t taking away the springboard mess up the jump angle?
 
Your question got me curious so I checked back on my d's videos. She used a wedge or springboard for her glide kip all the way up until L8. I don't have an answer as to why they would stop using it for your girls. Mommyof1 is correct that it is not the bounce, but the height to the bar that they are striving for. Mine used a wedge mostly, which has no bounce.
 
Wouldn’t taking away the springboard mess up the jump angle?
I think it has been for my DD. She's really been struggling with her kip-cast connection. She's also just come back from a hand/arm injury and has had a major growth spurt, both of which probably haven't helped either.
 
Some of our coaches won’t allow a springboard (they will allow a wedge) because they say the springboard provides some power and the kids should learn to kip without it.
 
We stop using springboards when the individual gymnast gets tall enough to more easily kip without them. How old and tall are the girls in your daughter's training group? Maybe it's just a natural progression that has been miscommunicated as a ban.
 
If your daughter is tall enough to kip without it, doing bars without a springboard can also be more convenient because it means you don't have to remove the springboard after every single kip (leaving the springboard close to the bars could be dangerous if they fall).
To be honest, unless your daughter is really small, she will probably adjust real quick.
 
Thank you for the replies!

We stop using springboards when the individual gymnast gets tall enough to more easily kip without them. How old and tall are the girls in your daughter's training group? Maybe it's just a natural progression that has been miscommunicated as a ban.

I think that may be it. They are all 12-14. My daughter just turned 12 and she and one other girl are 4'11 or so...the others are a bit taller. So she's definitely not really small. I would be surprised if it's due to a lack of springboards...they aren't used elsewhere during my daughter's bar rotation. I can definitely see how it can be more convenient and the other girls in my DD's group haven't had that many problems adjusting to not using it, so that makes sense. Bar skills definitely come more slowly to my DD.
 
If your daughter is tall enough to kip without it, doing bars without a springboard can also be more convenient because it means you don't have to remove the springboard after every single kip (leaving the springboard close to the bars could be dangerous if they fall).
To be honest, unless your daughter is really small, she will probably adjust real quick.

My daughter's gym uses a wedge-shaped mat for shorter gymnasts instead of a springboard for this reason. If it doesn't get pulled there's not as much of a risk of injury as with a springboard.
 
Our gym uses a thick mat/block. It gets pulled. We only have one spring board that for vault. At meets they use a spring board.

And depending on what they are doing at practice it might be no mats. But if they are doing routines they use something.
 
Reasons why some groups wouldn’t use a springboard:

-Falling backward onto it when trying to connect the squat on in level 5/6 directly to the kip.

-Coach needs to spot the dismount flyaway and the kids will need to pull the board back during warm up or the beginning of the exercise. Kids are not big/old enough to safely pull the springboard out of the way that fast.

I barely use the springboard at any level unless we don’t have much choice, because of the falling on it issue. If I have older girls who really want to use it and can do it without it being a problem, then it’s fine.
 
If the coach banned the use of a springboard, ask if they can use a wedge (our gym uses the white and black ones). This does not provide any extra bounce and is lighter and easier to pull away after their mount. The only downside is that a gymnast standing on the front (higher) edge can weigh down that side and cause the wedge to teeter or tip.
 

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