Progressing vs solid foundation

[Kate]

Hi,

I am new to the forum. We are in a very good gym in Australia. In gymnastics is there such a thing as progressing too fast? Coach said she is talented and has been pushing for new skills. She is 7 and she just got her kip. Working on ro-bhs-bt on floor now and front and back walkover on the beam. While I should be happy that she is learning new skills, I am rather concerned that this is not the norm. At 7, shouldn't the focus be on basics instead? And building a good foundation? Will the skills be secure if learnt so young and so quickly? Can anyone tell be what a 7 year old is expected to have? We want healthy and safe development of skills. Would greatly appreciate any insight into the situation.

 

[iwannacoach]

Your child may be a fast learner with all of the intangibles that make her progress possible with-out by-passing the basics. A good indication of this is demonstrated by her ability to look under control, balanced, and gracefull for her age and size. If she's learning new skills that meet these qualifications, no problem.....

On the other hand....If she seems "on the edge" with these skills, one of two things may be happening. Some coaches like to teach first, and fill in the gaps later, while others just teach and ignore the "gaps".

Don't ignore the gaps. It's a short-cut, but not one I'd ever endorse, as the shortcut usually speeds up progess to medium level skills that are difficult to learn, instead of difficult skills that are easy to learn.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Hi, sounds like your DD's a quick learner. How long has she been doing gymnastics? How many hours a week is she training? Is she having fun? I don't think it's so much the "age" of the kid, but many different factors. A good, solid foundation is always going to work best, but you should be able to see by watching her do and learn the skills if she's learning them too fast. You'll get a lot more advice by people who have been involved a lot longer then me. My little one just started pre-team a few months ago and is 5.

 

[Kate]

To Iwannacoach:Thanks for info. Honestly, it seems more like "on the edge" for now. I guess that's why I am concernced. But when I look at the older girls in the gym who have gone through similar training, they are a delight to watch. So....it is confusing! Is there a need to learn skills fast in girls' gymnastics?

 

[iwannacoach]

With the older girls in the gym looking as good as you say they are, if you're capable of qualified observation, I'd tend toward the notion that time was taken to fill in the gaps. The method has some motivational upside, as the girls get excited enough about the new skills, and then have the motivation to iron out the kinks with renewed interest in the basics that will make the skills easier and more gracefull.

It's always good to learn as many skills as possible as long as they're done well (and safely) once learned. Defining "learned" can be a challenge, but as you have said your DD is at "a very good gym" and I would just let the coaches do their thing. Just make sure she's knows it's ok to tell them when and if the fast rate of learning is starting to "stress her out".

It would be a shame to see her pushing beyond her tolerance for "new skills" while the coaching staff blissfully feeds her new ones as fast as she's able to process them physically, but faster than she can mentally tolerate. It's one of the intangibles that can't be assessed easily, especially with a child so young.

 

[2gymmies]

Hi Kate, I have a 7 year old also and she seems alot like yours. She has a similar skill list and seems to be able to learn skills pretty quickly - our coaches have told me that they want to be sure to pace her so she doesn't get burned out or frustrated, but they have admitted to getting excited when they work with her one something if she picks it up so quickly that they are tempted to keep going! I'm so thankful for the awareness on our coaches part. As long as you are in a good gym with proven ability to taken gymnasts the entire marathon that is the sport of gymnastics, try to sit back and enjoy the ride!

 

[LizzieLac]

We have what I call a "phenom" at our gym. She started gymnastics at 6. Did levels 4 and 5 as 7 year old. Did levels 6 and 7 as 8 year. Just finished level 8 as a 9 year old/turned 10. Her form is perfect!! I have never seen such straight lines and tight legs. So, these kids are out there. My point is, she not only could learn the new skills quickly but the concepts of form and body position are also there.

There are gyms that try to push girls through at this pace, but the girls learn to "throw skills." Their form is weak and fundamentals are not there. In the long run, this hurts them - they get to a point that because fundamentals were not taught they actually can't progress any further. The skills get too difficult for the "under-trained" to learn. There is also a greatly increased risk of injury.

When you come across those special kids who just "get it" quickly, I think the ideal is to try to do both. You can't sacrafice the fundamentals and concepts of form to get new skills.

Sounds like your daughter is talented. Good luck!!