Parents Optionals level coach doesn’t believe in spotting - red flag?

[pothosvine]

My daughter recently qualified for level 6 and got a new bars and beam coach who coaches all levels of optionals. I was watching them work cast handstands. The coach stands and vocalizes corrections while my daughter tries to do it over and over again, with what looks to me like no progress. I asked her why doesn’t the coach spot you? And she said the coach says she doesn’t believe in spotting. Is that normal?

 

[ckpn]

… I’m sorry… what?! I would need more information… BUT as a gymnast, parent, and coach… I’m trying really hard to find a way to justify this… and I just can’t. One, drill the skill. While yes, drilling skills breaks down the skill into small pieces that we should then be able to put together and complete the skill… while this is true, it still does NOT totally take away the fact that gymnasts still may need spot on new skills! I can not imagine teach a child a release move on bars, they doing all the drills and ready to put it on bars and then just throwing out… alright, have fun! No spot! That simply isn’t realistic! By the time I tell my girls to put the skill on bars, do I KNOW they can do it safely? Yes! I would never ask a child to do something I didn’t KNOW they can do safely… but this STILL DOES NOT TAKE A WAY THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NEED A SPOT! So many things can happen in an INSTANT! And a coach needs to be spotting even if it’s a just in case thing! Mannnn! I could NEVERRRRR! I really hope your girl stays safe, makes progress and continues to LOVE this sport! But no spotting optionals??? I don’t think I can get on board with that!

 

[WV Gym Mom]

No, that is not normal.

 

[Coach Kate]

What you are describing is not normal. Our coaches didn't spot on beam, but to me that made sense because you're not doing new skills on beam, you're doing skills you've been doing for years, just in a new scarier location .We used progressions - low beams, beam pads, mats under the beam - and could have a coach stand nearby for safety, but didn't have spots.

 

[JBS]

My daughter recently qualified for level 6 and got a new bars and beam coach who coaches all levels of optionals. I was watching them work cast handstands. The coach stands and vocalizes corrections while my daughter tries to do it over and over again, with what looks to me like no progress. I asked her why doesn’t the coach spot you? And she said the coach says she doesn’t believe in spotting. Is that normal?

Nice username... you need to add an avatar!

We do not spot on balance beam (or spot very little)... we do spot on everything else.

You have a few basic types of spotting...

• Shaping / Technique: Spotting to create good body lines and good technique.
• Learning / Experiencing The Skill: Spotting them through the skill so they can get numbers and learn the skill... basically making every turn successful.
• Saving: Making sure the gymnast does not get injured.

We do all of the above at our club. Each club / coach is different though.

I honestly can't think of any skill that at least one person has learned without spotting. In other words... it is possible to learn without spotting. It's just not the way that most clubs do it. Most clubs spot at least some skills.

Bars is the event that we spot the most.

Floor is always spot heavy on certain skills... like back handsprings when they are learning. Back tucks and double backs are spotted on trampoline when they initially learn these skills. Back flipping skills are spotted on floor until they are consistent. Double backs are spotted almost all the time when performed on the real floor during training at our club... just to save ankles. We have a resi pit where they do them by themselves.

Vault... we have a resi... at meets we stand in for most of our L8/9 athletes just in case.

None of this is required... just the way we do it.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Our gym is run pretty much exactly the way JBS described above.

No spotting ever seems really odd.

 

[pothosvine]

… I’m sorry… what?! I would need more information… BUT as a gymnast, parent, and coach… I’m trying really hard to find a way to justify this… and I just can’t. One, drill the skill. While yes, drilling skills breaks down the skill into small pieces that we should then be able to put together and complete the skill… while this is true, it still does NOT totally take away the fact that gymnasts still may need spot on new skills! I can not imagine teach a child a release move on bars, they doing all the drills and ready to put it on bars and then just throwing out… alright, have fun! No spot! That simply isn’t realistic! By the time I tell my girls to put the skill on bars, do I KNOW they can do it safely? Yes! I would never ask a child to do something I didn’t KNOW they can do safely… but this STILL DOES NOT TAKE A WAY THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NEED A SPOT! So many things can happen in an INSTANT! And a coach needs to be spotting even if it’s a just in case thing! Mannnn! I could NEVERRRRR! I really hope your girl stays safe, makes progress and continues to LOVE this sport! But no spotting optionals??? I don’t think I can get on board

Nice username... you need to add an avatar!

We do not spot on balance beam (or spot very little)... we do spot on everything else.

You have a few basic types of spotting...

• Shaping / Technique: Spotting to create good body lines and good technique.
• Learning / Experiencing The Skill: Spotting them through the skill so they can get numbers and learn the skill... basically making every turn successful.
• Saving: Making sure the gymnast does not get injured.

We do all of the above at our club. Each club / coach is different though.

I honestly can't think of any skill that at least one person has learned without spotting. In other words... it is possible to learn without spotting. It's just not the way that most clubs do it. Most clubs spot at least some skills.

Bars is the event that we spot the most.

Floor is always spot heavy on certain skills... like back handsprings when they are learning. Back tucks and double backs are spotted on trampoline when they initially learn these skills. Back flipping skills are spotted on floor until they are consistent. Double backs are spotted almost all the time when performed on the real floor during training at our club... just to save ankles. We have a resi pit where they do them by themselves.

Vault... we have a resi... at meets we stand in for most of our L8/9 athletes just in case.

None of this is required... just the way we do it.

Lol thanks, I was in my plant room when I picked it.

 

[pothosvine]

Sigh. Thank you for the info. It’s pretty much what I expected. This is far from the first issue we’ve had with our gym and have been considering going elsewhere for optionals. Looks like this might be the nail in the coffin. Change is hard. But I don’t think this gym is going to help her reach her goals. Trying to figure out this sport for my kid without having ever been part of the gymnastics world…sheesh, there should be courses

 

[Coach Kate]

Sigh. Thank you for the info. It’s pretty much what I expected. This is far from the first issue we’ve had with our gym and have been considering going elsewhere for optionals. Looks like this might be the nail in the coffin. Change is hard. But I don’t think this gym is going to help her reach her goals. Trying to figure out this sport for my kid without having ever been part of the gymnastics world…sheesh, there should be courses

Check out SHIFT movement science podcast! They have so many resources and you might find it helpful.

 

[Tigtimes]

My daughter made it to level 10. in my opinion I would think it next to impossible to learn bars at the optional level without spotting of some sort. It is essential to shaping, timing, muscle memory and confidence for just a few things. Move gyms if that is this coaches approach.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

My daughter recently qualified for level 6 and got a new bars and beam coach who coaches all levels of optionals. I was watching them work cast handstands. The coach stands and vocalizes corrections while my daughter tries to do it over and over again, with what looks to me like no progress. I asked her why doesn’t the coach spot you? And she said the coach says she doesn’t believe in spotting. Is that normal?

I'll be the voice of dissent here: Imo, spotting is mostly unnecessary at optional levels, if the coach is using good progressions and drills, and if the athlete already has impeccable basics.

Cast handstands in particular are a skill I prefer to teach with no spotting whatsoever, other than shaping in the very beginning steps (like, the stuff they learn at level 3)

So no, it's not inherently a red flag.... but it requires creative and efficient use of drills, side stations, etc.

 

[JBS]

I was watching them work cast handstands. The coach stands and vocalizes corrections while my daughter tries to do it over and over again, with what looks to me like no progress.

Cast handstands in particular are a skill I prefer to teach with no spotting whatsoever, other than shaping in the very beginning steps (like, the stuff they learn at level 3)

I will say that we do spot cast handstands... however... it's definitely not a skill that needs a lot of spotting to learn. There are many drills for this skill that do not require spotting.

Here is some fun for you (this is a whole playlist of over 10 videos... so watch them all)...



Here is more...

WAG - Kip Cast Handstand Tower (gymnastics drill for uneven bars)

I figured I would start posting some of drills and systems that we use in the gym as that is what ChalkBucket is all about. ChalkBucket was created in 2005 to help everyone learn more about gymnastics. The cast handstand tower is a great way to practice cast handstands on uneven bars without...

chalkbucket.com

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I think we tend to make cast handstands more complicated than they need to be.

Just teach how to bail (ie the level 4 beam dismount), and teach p-bar swings, and use p-bar swings as a side station every time you go to bars, and the skill pretty much takes care of itself over time, with minimal corrections and zero spotting whatsoever.