WAG Question about pits at gyms

[Brandon]

Yes...but you don't think you could do more with them?

Oh I'm sure I could. That's why I've been using the pits at Flipfest when I can.

Again, I'm not saying that a high level gymnast can't benefit from a pit. It's extremely useful at high levels. But I just can't see the presence of a pit heavily factoring into a decision on moving gyms for a young child. I just don't feel like its that important at that age, and I'd rather look at which gym has better coaches and better general equipment.

But like I said, it's just my 2 cents!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

scary that you have coach under your name...

 

[iwannacoach]

The twisting double I referred to is a twisting double back. Sorry, I should have made that clear. The tone of my post this morning was pretty severe because there will be people who will read your post and hope their child id being well served in a gym without a pit, when in fact they are a year or two away from double backs. I doubt the level 4, who's mother you were advising, will be up to that point in a few years, but in 3-4 years it's a possibility and in 5 years it's more a likely hood than not.

If you don't want me making references to you seeking out volunteers to prove your statement you could limit your post to what you do and what you've done. The problem is there are parents and who will be swayed by your statements, and in that sense they will, themselves, unwittingly volunteer their child work skills without the benefit of a pit. Partly because they listened to you, and partly because they listened to somebody else who didn't think a pit was a big deal and they could do without.

The point I was hoping to make abou Gary Morava is that he wasn't some pie in the sky dreamer who didn't know how to train without a pit. That's exactly how he trained.... no pit. So if one of the best gymnasts who was coached by one of the best coaches can do a skill that was relatively simple and lose his life, it can just as well happen to a level 8 or 9 kid who peels while doing a giant. That's the point, there is nobody on earth who can say with certainty that any skill involving height, flight, and rotation going to be safe in every circumstance with every person. Like I said, stuff happens, and when it does it is better to have a pit to make the landing a safer proposition.

You're right.... I'm being hard on you, but watching somebody go head first into a mat is pretty hard too, but harder still would be to hear that a one parent or kid who took your advice ends up with a seriously injured kid. You can control your situation and trust your coach as much as you want, but why ask other people to believe their child is as safe as you assure them.

And about being safe..... It's my opinion that most accidents happen to people who don't believe it's about to happen to them. I'll bet you Gary Morava would say about the same thing if he'd only survived.

 

[AmandaLynn]

Lastly, the comment about the progression time. If you need a pit to learn double fulls, you're dependent on them. Twisting really isn't dangerous, especially with a good spotter present. Pits start being truly helpful when you start double flipping and double flipping while twisting.

I disagree wholeheartedly. :/

 

[Deleted member D3987]

some coaches live/coach in medieval times. even coaches that are youngsters. 1st pits went in circa 76-77. MMmmmm 36 years of foam pits. that's longer than all the gymnastics that was done after WW2 and up to 76.

and it's no coincidence that this took place at the beginning of what is considered the "Modern Era" of gymnastics. in fact, i'll bet Brandon's parents weren't even married in the year(s) that the 1st pits were put in.

 

[AmandaLynn]

and it's no coincidence that this took place at the beginning of what is considered the "Modern Era" of gymnastics. in fact, i'll bet Brandon's parents weren't even married in the year(s) that the 1st pits were put in.

Neither were mine.

 

[CreateMagic]

My parents were in Jr. High...lol

We're hoping to get a pit within the next few years. Our gym is still new, and our highest level is currently new 5. One of my 6-year-olds, while at a meet at a gym with a pit last year, says to me "We need a pit so I can learn a flyaway." HUH? There wasn't a single kid in our gym even doing flyaways...where do they come up with this stuff?

 

[luvmygymdtr]

Today I'm thanking God for our pit because yesterday while DD was practicing front giants on the pit bar her hands unexpectedly slipped off and she flew threw the air and face planted into the pit. She got pit up her nose, but that was the worst of it. Her coach's first comment was, "glad it wasn't over there on the real bar". Yea, he and I both.

 

[wallinbl]

Having recently switched DD (training L7) from a gym with no pits to a gym with pits, all I can say is we shouldn't have waited this long. The number of reps increases ridiculously with pits because you're not waiting on a coach who can spot one girl at a time. Once the girls are "decent" on a skill, they can start working over/into the pit while the coach oversees, rather than working stations or waiting in line while waiting to be spotted.

It would be like your accountant telling you s/he doesn't need a computer. She or he would be correct, but it'd be insane not to. It's much more efficient, and results in fewer costly mistakes.

 

[profmom]

How do you train flipping vaults without a pit? (I mean, aside from "very carefully.")

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

How do you train flipping vaults without a pit? (I mean, aside from "very carefully.")

Yup.... both DD and her coach end up in the pit every time at this stage while she attempts to flip tsuks or yurchenkos. She'd never be trying them at this stage without one.

 

[MeetDirector]

As a parent, I absolutely would change gyms if it came down to no pit vs. pit; I would opt for the gym with the pit every single time. I would make that switch as soon as I knew my dd was serious about the sport. Obviously the use of pits needs good coaching so I would combine the two factors to find the best gym possible. Without a pit, training of higher level skills either is not possible safely or takes much, much more time.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

As a parent, I absolutely would change gyms if it came down to no pit vs. pit; I would opt for the gym with the pit every single time. I would make that switch as soon as I knew my dd was serious about the sport. Obviously the use of pits needs good coaching so I would combine the two factors to find the best gym possible. Without a pit, training of higher level skills either is not possible safely or takes much, much more time.

in fact, it could take "much, much more time" so much that the gymnast would be collecting their first Social Security check by the time they could perform something like, oh, let's say, a 2ble 2ble on floor to name 1.

i have spoken to Gogo and Valeri several times about the learning of their triples on floor. you can imagine them discussing the impossibility of learning what we do without the use of pits.

if there still were no pits today, there would be MORE INJURIES, more kids leaving the sport due to that fact and you wouldn't see 5/8 of the gymnastics you see today.

Brandon is young. he'll come around...

 

[Terry]

in fact, it could take "much, much more time" so much that the gymnast would be collecting their first Social Security check by the time they could perform something like, oh, let's say, a 2ble 2ble on floor to name 1.

i have spoken to Gogo and Valeri several times about the learning of their triples on floor. you can imagine them discussing the impossibility of learning what we do without the use of pits.

if there still were no pits today, there would be MORE INJURIES, more kids leaving the sport due to that fact and you wouldn't see 5/8 of the gymnastics you see today.


I am not a coach -- but a former gymnast. Not sure who you are dunno -- but I do know you do know what you are talking about! Agreed with everything you said.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

You could also imply that a gym with a pit, in general, has a deeper commitment to getting into the optional levels, and that alone may be reason enough to stay where you are.....

After all the coaches posting to this ... you might not need another opinion...but after a spending months looking for a new gym...I have found this statement to be the perfect summary ...no pit = no real commitment to higher level optionals and slower progress for gymnast. Kipper was L4/L5 and I didn't want to do a gym change again in a couple of years, so I asked lots of questions about each gym's experience (and coaching staff, equipment, etc) with higher levels. Glad we made that decision b/c she started basic drills for twisting last week...a lot sooner than I would have thought.

 

[iwannacoach]

After all the coaches posting to this ... you might not need another opinion...but after a spending months looking for a new gym...I have found this statement to be the perfect summary ...no pit = no real commitment to higher level optionals and slower progress for gymnast. Kipper was L4/L5 and I didn't want to do a gym change again in a couple of years, so I asked lots of questions about each gym's experience (and coaching staff, equipment, etc) with higher levels. Glad we made that decision b/c she started basic drills for twisting last week...a lot sooner than I would have thought.......JoyAvenueMom

You just made an excellent point. If you know little to nothing about gymnastics, it takes only a standing bhs to leave you shaking your head in wonder. But if you know a little to a little more, it takes back tucks. That's about the extent of most parent's knowledge.

With that as the standard, you best be surprised at what your gym juniors are learning, at least through the middle years of 5,6,7, and 8.

 

[CoachTodd]

The coaching is more important that the availabilty of pits. I've seen gyms with and without pits do quite well. I've seen gyms with and without pits do poorly.