Gymettemom
Proud Parent
Can a round off, back tuck be done as a level 6 beam dismount or is ranked too high a skill?
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
My dd competed 6 last season. She did a cartwheel back tuck. I don't recall seeing any round off back tucks. That being said, I don't know what the rule books say though!
The level 6's in our gym always do cartwheel back tucks while the 7's do the round off back tuck. However, DD does a lovely round off back tuck, so i was thinking of asking HC if she could do it this season.
I wouldn't be asking things like that. Honestly just let the coach do her/his thing.
That was my thought. Doesn't the coach know these things when they work on their routines.
In other words what's allowed and what the child's strengths are.
You would think so, but not necessarily always.
In level 4 I was talking with a mom that they could do straddle kip or pike kip, and she said "No they can't, it's got to be straddle". I said "No it doesn't".
She asked why, then, are we all doing straddle? and i said because I believe it's easier.
"Not for my daughter".
So she spoke with the bars coach, coach said "Well, let me see it" (a little patronizing), and it really was much better than her straddle, so pike she did.
Well, I wouldn't have entertained that, although my kids generally don't do straddle glides for mounts, just cast kips (if they asked, I would let them try it, but they don't seem to care or want to do it). Everything is trained progressively and glide drills are performed every day. Most coaches aren't going to take this well.
You wouldn't have entertained listening to what the mom said, or letting her do a pike glide kip as opposed to a straddle glide kip?
The thing was that the bars coach never saw her do a pike, only straddle. So she had no idea that the girl's pike was much better than the straddle. The girl was too shy/timid to mention it to the coach.
(I don't know what a cast kip is - I thought L4 HAD to be a glide kip, but I could be wrong).
If I had a policy about what they do at a certain level, then I wouldn't entertain changing it just because of the exchange you mentioned. But the above scenario really wouldn't happen on my team, so it's not directly applicable. I don't have a policy about glides, but none of my kids mount with a straddle glide anyway. A cast kip is a kip that comes from on top of the bar, out of a cast or a clear hip. There isn't one in the level 4 routine (although I think there should be - kip cast kip squat on) but there is one in level 5. Most of my kids straddle on those. If they thought they were better at the other one on the mount, I would expect them to tell me themselves. I literally can't even fathom that one of them instead of just telling me "hey coach can I try this" would go complain to their parent over something so trivial instead. This is the constant process of practice, we make such adjustments a thousand times a day.
If I do have a policy, it's because I believe there is a technical or progressive reason that is important, even if means it won't be the easiest thing or may take extra work for some kids. If that comes up, then I prefer to educate the parent about the benefits of my approach. I would not just say "fine then" and change my policy because it is easier.
I fully understand where you're coming from.
I will preface this with the fact that this girl and mom are no longer at our gym. On to "bigger and better" (we'll see...)
In all honesty, it wasn't a true "policy", it was just a matter of teaching the one that was seemingly easier for most girls. They really had no problem changing this girl to the pike kip, they just truly didn't even know (the girl worked on it herself in open gym).