WAG How many stations?

[cbifoja]

How many different stations do you think is realistic for a tween to cycle through and remember what they are supposed to do at each? My DD has "gotten in trouble" a few times in the last month for not "focusing". What the coach tells me is that she isn't listening because she gets to a station and doesn't know what to do. DD's side is that she can't remember more than about 5 or 6 stations and that they usually have 12 to 15. Keeping in mind that I'm getting both sides of the story second-hand and not witnessing it myself, I don't know who is closer to the truth. LOL

I'm wondering how many stations your girls usually cycle through and if anyone else's pre-teen has trouble remembering so many.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

How big is the group? I usually work with 5-12 gymnasts, less gymnasts = less stations (we may switch stations halfway though). I assume pairs and never have more stations than pairs. Too many stations and the kids just go through the motions and/or are too tired to correctly do stations. I usually have one station to every 2-4 kids depending on the activities and main station. For beam I like pairs as they can help each other out and alternate, one rests while the other works. For bars they often need a little more rest so I tend to have 3-4 kids at a station.
Stations are usually progressions to the same skill, ie 'skill specific'. If I had a group of 10 beginning clear hips I might have three stations, one spotted, one backward roll to height station and a candle hold station. If I wanted to work giants as well I would split my bar time in half and change the stations part way so that we are practicing the movements for the main skill. I also take the time and watch everyone through any new stations before we set out to work.. (I generally have gymnasts 10 or younger). No excuses if you have already done the station 100% supervised/correctly. It takes time, but it is time well spent when I don't have to constantly look over and correct a new station while trying to focus on another.

Generally it is repetitive, my gymnasts know that at 5:00 on a Tuesday they need to set up X, Y and Z stations at floor. As they become proficient with a progression the station/activity will be modified/changed, but never all at once. Every now and then we may do something completely different but I know I can say set up X station and they will know what and where plus how to do it.

For my coaching I see stations as a way to enhance and practice the motions of the skills we are working, they are not there to simply keep the gymnast busy. I am happy for my gymnasts to wait a little and have less turns that are high quality.

 

[cbifoja]

The group ranges from as few as 6 to as many as 15. And they aren't typically placed in pairs. The ones she says she has the hardest time remembering are the bars and conditioning. With bars, the most I have seen are 6 stations with coaches on two of the stations. With conditioning, there are a lot more but I've never taken the time to count and the coach just circulates. Beam usually has four and sometimes 6, but not usually that many.

If there is a schedule or pattern, I haven't picked up on it. Not saying that there isn't..just that if there is, I'm not aware of it and DD has never mentioned one. Once she goes through the entire circuit, she is fine. She just has a hard time remembering at the beginning. I meant to tell her to watch the person ahead of her but had some other things on my mind and forgot.

 

[lhmom]

At DD's gym, I have not seen more than 8 stations for an event practice and usually the girls are paired up. With conditioning, if a coach is not with them (conditioning alone because of injury), the girls have a folder with instructions on what they are supposed to be doing. The girls have been doing it long enough that if the coach is not there when the rotation starts, they start warming up that event.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

My practice group had girls with many different abilities. The coach would set up drills that she thought would be helpful for all of us but since we were all such different abilities most of the drills were too hard or too easy for some of us. We could never remember what to do since we skipped half of the stations anyway. It was so unproductive.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

The group ranges from as few as 6 to as many as 15. And they aren't typically placed in pairs. The ones she says she has the hardest time remembering are the bars and conditioning. With bars, the most I have seen are 6 stations with coaches on two of the stations. With conditioning, there are a lot more but I've never taken the time to count and the coach just circulates. Beam usually has four and sometimes 6, but not usually that many.

If there is a schedule or pattern, I haven't picked up on it. Not saying that there isn't..just that if there is, I'm not aware of it and DD has never mentioned one. Once she goes through the entire circuit, she is fine. She just has a hard time remembering at the beginning. I meant to tell her to watch the person ahead of her but had some other things on my mind and forgot.

so tell the coach to print it out! i have kids like your daughter also. no big deal and they don't get in "trouble". "focus pocus"...geesh.

 

[wallinbl]

They rotate in order, right? Sneak a peek at the next station and see what they're doing.

 

[MILgymFAM]

My DD can never seem to remember long instruction off the bat either. She is ten and they usually do about 7/8 stations, sometimes alone and sometimes in pairs depending on the class. This is rec level though, and the coach walks through and visually shows each station with one girl to try and cement the rotation. He never gets mad a DD for forgetting, just reminds her. My DD (12) on team usually only has 3-4 rotations, so she has no trouble remembering them.

 

[cbifoja]

I think if the stations were always the same, she wouldn't be having the troubles that she does. But the stations and the order never seems to be the same.

 

[htimcj]

Have her keep an eye on the station ahead of her that way she can remember.

 

[CAGymmie]

Occasionally, I will forget what I am suppose to be doing. If I do, I first ask a teamate, then I ask the coach if they don't know.

 

[gymdog]

Meh, my kids just can never remember what order to go in. I have to literally write or put numbers by them. And don't think I have 15 either, I could have 3 and someone would secretly rotate in the wrong direction and mess it all up after awhile.

 

[gymdog]

12-15 is a lot to remember unless they always do the same things on the same equipment, then I'd expect them to eventually pick up on it.

 

[Seeker]

so tell the coach to print it out! i have kids like your daughter also. no big deal and they don't get in "trouble". "focus pocus"...geesh.

yes....at DD's gym any instructions are posted near the station or on a clipboard. No mind-reading or super-human memory tricks are necessary. I think that sounds like way too much to remember...I'm sure I probably couldn't either!! I can blame it on middle age though.

 

[Becauseisaid]

Puh-lease! My kid is 9 and forgets what I've just told her to do as soon as I walk out of the room! Remembering 12-15 stations? Not a chance.

Focusing abilities aside, these are children. Children focus on what is in front of them at any given time. Give 'em a break! My suggestion - casually mention to the coach that your DD is having a hard time remembering more than 10 stations at a time and ask if the stations can be written down. Mirror walls are great for this.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

My dd has always received a written list of what conditioning drills she is supposed to do. At her current gym they have books where each girl has her beam program and conditioning. And she always needs to refer back to it throughout the conditioning circuit.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Our gym posts conditioning lists on the wall so they can check. They also generally work in pairs. This facilitates partner exercises (holding the bottom of the rope or sitting in their legs or holding feet and such) as well as they can help each other remember.

They also have notebooks with their personal event assignments based on what they are working on. This is in addition to whatever stations or basic complexes they are working. Beam complexes are always worked as a group with coach leading and giving corrections. This is the one thing I see that is consistently synchronized, that and floor basics I guess.

For the compulsory girls it is more station focused so no need for notebooks (If I remember right right usually 4 stations at a time or so depending on the group size). and there is always a spotting station but the coaches monitor everything. I am endlessly amazed at the eyes at all angles and in all places.

I'm sorry, 12 stations to remember without a list is too many for most people. I know I wouldn't remember them all either. Geez!

 

[pt coach]

I sometimes forget what I assigned at each station...I blame it on being over 40...

 

[marie83]

I have a group of 8 (max) so generally I have 8 stations. They are usually the same each session depending upon which skill we are learning.
At the moment on bars it is kips. So I have 7 stations for kips and one 'routine' station to keep them ticking over.

Usually it is pretty obvious what the station is - if they are at the wall bars they need to be doing leg lifts, if they are by an elastic they are closing their shoulder angle and so on. Also with it being repetitive they soon remember.

Having said that we do also do circuits as a whole group for conditioning and usually there can be up to 18 stations depending on how many gymnasts are there.
For this we would place a info card next to the station.
Before starting each rotation I always ask if everyone knows what they are doing and to sneak a peek at the person they are following if they are unsure of what is next. I try to have a coach at the hardest stations.
Even though Suzie has followed Wendy for the whole circuit, at some point she will start following Ginny and mess the whole circuit up!

 

[gymdog]

Even though Suzie has followed Wendy for the whole circuit, at some point she will start following Ginny and mess the whole circuit up!

Lol, so glad it's not just me. That's my kids every time, unless every rotation I literally place each person in the correct place. Or just put numbers. I have a sidewalk chalk handy.