The Gymnastic March.

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Just wondering what your feelings are about the Gymnastics march (and/or march-in ritual.) I.E walk on balls of feet, no bending knees during strides, arms back and rigid, head held high.
 
I have never seen it look good on anyone. I wish they would get rid of it.

Tim Dad, I like your descriptions especially the last option on the poll!
 
The arms back and rigid pose must be american. Ive seen kids stand like that in lots of youtube videos from america but never in actual competition in the Uk. And i have never seen anyone here walk in like that they swing their arms.
 
I don't really care. I have seen some people pull it off, but if I tried it, I would just look rediculous. So I don't have a preference either way.
 
i think it looks pretty stupid myself. alabama gymnasts used to do it when they marched out, but now they jog out. it looks a lot more relaxed. i think when a team marches in at a meet like that, i think they look like robots. haha
 
Its acceptable when top level gymnasts use it in big meets. The march seems formal. I don't like it when the march is exaggerated and looks like uncomfortable.

The little ones do look silly with it , but that's ok. It's fun to watch little kids act like big ones.
 
I can take or leave the march-in walk. Glad our gym doesn't do it though. Have you ever seen "the podium stance"??? Now that looks ridiculous! At one meet there was a team that stood on the podium with their chest puffed out, head looking up, arms down at sides palms turned upwards & back. They stood this way until they were told to present. They looked as if they were waiting for a strong wind to come & lift them up & away. Sorry if anyone here on CB does this...but it is totally ridiculous looking:p. JMHO.
 
Have you ever seen "the podium stance"??? Now that looks ridiculous! At one meet there was a team that stood on the podium with their chest puffed out, head looking up, arms down at sides palms turned upwards & back. They stood this way until they were told to present. They looked as if they were waiting for a strong wind to come & lift them up & away.

:D:D:D hysterical!!!! I haven't ever seen this one but will be sure to look out for it next season!!!
 
I love it when it is done properly.
I've seen some ridiculous ones on youtube!
My gymnasts just walk nicely... back up straight, straight legs on tip toes, head up. I personally think they look good - not trying too hard, just good!

I think it looks a lot nicer than some clubs whose gymnasts just walk out on flat feet, head down or even chatting to the person next to them!

I really like how the Australian team march! I think it looks very professional.
 
Guess I'm in the minority here I like them and would like to see all the gymnasts do it.

Our gym does the walk and the podium stance. The little ones usually don't do it right but like all the other skills it takes some practice to get it right.

Gymnastics is all about presentation and the walk definitely sets up the start and end of a routine. I think it helps the gymnast to get in that competition and disciplined state of mind . I think it is a grace thing and I think when I see girls just schlepping their way on and off an event it looks worse than the walk ever did.
 
Totally agree--our girls walk on nicely, but not the overly ridiculous march.
 
It's worth it just ot watch little kids do it. Most older gymnasts don't walk in an exaggerated way anyway, just a little straighter.
 
I guess I'll have to look harder, but I don't recall seeing the march from girls in optionals though Elites either at competitions or on you tube. They seem to walk in nicely, with a good athletic posture. I'm not seeing the straight legged, ball-of-feet only walk.

Our HC favors the exaggerated march as being "very gymnastic', but only a handful of girls actually do it. (thank goodness). I don't think the optional girls do it at all (different coach), but again, it may be that I just wasn't looking for it.

I'm all for requiring gymmies to look nice, even ballet-like. But teaching such a unnatural march or stance just isn't doing it for me.

Do boys also do the march? I can honestly say i've never seen it. (No boys program at our gym).
 
My son's team walked in nicely and smartly and I can't say I've seen the other gyms not do the same.
 
Haha, restroom sounds soo American :)

I like the walk done properly. Personally I've always wanted to swagger in but I've never had the guts to :(
 
I think it looks pretentious and stupid and if I were head coach none of the girls at my gym would do it.

However, I'm not the head coach (at least for the girls team) at my gym, and my girls -- much to my annoyince -- learn that march.
 
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I think it looks pretentious and stupid and if I were head coach none of the girls at my gym would do it.

However, I'm not the head coach (at least for the girls team) at my gym, and my girls -- much to my annoyince -- learn that march.

Guess I just see it as a respect thing that a gymnast does for the judges. they walk on and off with pride and a sense of confidence is how it looks to me. It's like the salute. I would keep them both.

the gyms that don't do it I've seen more of their girls just stomping clulmsily out and it looks awful. They just don't feel like they care about what they are doing.
 
It's worth it just ot watch little kids do it. Most older gymnasts don't walk in an exaggerated way anyway, just a little straighter.

That reminds me of a meet that I judged earlier this year... An itty-bitty L4 saluted and tin-man walked out on the floor, both legs kicking (perfectly straight, toes pointed) to horizontal on each step, arms locked stiff and alternating at precisely 90* angles. It was ridiculous. It took at least 20 seconds for her to get on the floor, and getting off was a similar ordeal. I thought it was hysterical. Two gymnasts later, I realized that it was something that the whole gym did. Four gymnasts later, every other event was done and waiting for us. By the end of the rotation, I abhorred any kind of walk that was done at anything less than normal speed. Salute, get on the floor, get off the floor, and as long as you don't do anything horribly inappropriate during that time, I really don't care. I don't mind if gymnasts dance on and off the floor, I don't care if they jog off the floor (I've never seen anyone jog on), and I've never seen anyone "stomp clumsily out," and I've seen an awful lot of meets and gymnasts.
 
Oh yeah, I figured we were just talking about march-in in the beginning, ki nd of forgot some kids do it onto the floor as well. Taking too long to get on and off is annoying, especially at meets like ours where we have floor warmup running in between routines. Actually the warmup just wouldn't wait so the kids would get squished, haha.
 

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