Why We Stand Between the Bars During Tap Swings

Nine years ago I read this blogpost (I think written by either Jason Mortimer or Troy Wright):

https://thegymcoach.wordpress.com/2010/03/26/girls-peeling-off-the-bar-on-a-tap-swing/

And started standing between the bars for compulsory tap swings. I thought it was a good article. Some interesting comments as well.

Looks like the code was updated several years ago as well for the current cycle so that on bars, coaches can stand in there, "just in case", without incurring a deduction:

http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/2012/11/safety-spotting-on-bars/

Bar peels happen infrequently enough that’s it’s easy to grow complacent, thinking it won’t happen on your watch. And then when they do occur, it sometimes doesn’t result in injury. However, they happen often enough and with severe enough injuries that coaches should consider the wisdom of standing between the bars as often as possible, “just in case”.

Our girls rarely peel. And yet at a recent meet last month, Coach Arielle caught one of her level 4 kids during warm-ups (keeping her from landing on her head) who peeled coming off a massive backhip circle underswing; and the same day, caught an excel silver kid who peeled off during warm-ups on her counterswing. If Coach Arielle hadn’t taken the issue seriously and elected to be there, those two athletes of ours could have injured themselves anywhere from slight to severe.

Obviously cover safety falls and rolls with your gymnasts; and periodically revisit and review and practice how to fall. Tap swings are tough because of the unpredictability in forces at work upon the moment of peel. Teach them to protect the neck/head; protect the limbs. Obviously, teach them how to tap swing with amplitude and also how to avoid the likelihood of peeling off the bar in the back of the swing.

Where children’s lives are at stake, don’t give into complacency, thinking it will not happen on your watch.

A save by Jason Mortimer:

https://youtu.be/19EH5HQsR14

https://www.facebook.com/TroyWright120/posts/10156572828094988

Another save by Jason Ross:

https://youtu.be/76w7opD02Tk

Apologies for freebooting videos off the 'net without proper credit and source attributions.

Please share your experiences and perspective with us and the community.

-Coach Michael

Lvl 3 Warm-up and Compete Day

Gymnasts Have Super Powers

Cadence Indian Run warm-up

Something new today....




I think next time we will give them the script.  (Some of them weren't vocal because they couldn't understand what said).  Even more fun if they take turns leading and making up their own chants.

Relay Marathon Warm-up

Round off turnover and developing a long backhandspring

Back handspring and round off drills for pike down technique

The pike down action has been somewhat controversial.

Last month, after posting a video clip taken by Irving Nochez onto my gym's FB page, I offered the following explanation, as I understand it:

Can anyone identify the clinician in the video clip? It looks to be Valeri Liukin; but I'm not 100% sure.
At any event, notice that the lecturer has the coach doing the traditional turnover with arms and chest up fast? Then has her do it without standing upright, but keeping the chest low, ending in a pike sit?
I've been asked a few times "Why are you teaching kids to pike down?" out of round-offs and backhandsprings. To save myself some time, here's a concise answer I gave in a comment on a previous video a while back ago:
"As a gymnast and as a coach, I was always told, "Arms by the ears; arms and chest up fast". The problem with young kids (or beginners) is that when they try and connect a RO and BHS without having learned how to turnover a fast RO, get off the hands, and land off-balanced right away, what happens is the classic undercutting where the knees buckle forward, the head throws back early, causing the chest to go out, resulting in a high, loopy back handspring.
I first got the idea of allowing kids to pike down from an Australian coach, Wade Petersen (who is now our head boys coach since last February; and who I think will eventually oversee all the programs at GW).
He has a back tumbling video (it used to be on YouTube but he's since deleted his channel) where one of the drills is to sit in a pike and slide down to your back (a sit up exercise). That's, in part, where I got my inspiration for the pike sit on the block, followed by the fall to handstand (essentially doing the same job as an octagon barrel or pac-man). I want my gymnasts to get it out of their heads that a backhandspring is an archy, bridgie action; I want them to think of it more as a stretched handstand.
Wade teaches both round-offs- ones where the objective is to get the arms and chest up and the strong turnover; the other technique (the pike down) for physically weak kids who can't do that. What's important isn't that they get their chest and arms up quick for the turnover, but that they land off balanced right away (due to the pike down, the hips are already behind the feet) and hold the coiled shape (the hollow in the chest) as long as possible before unraveling occurs into the backhandspring.
I hope my explanation makes theoretical sense. Clarity over agreement.
I've seen others teach the pike down method, too, btw. At National Congress, both Justin Laury and Ivan Ivanov teach the pike action. Their explanations are slightly different. But they are really emphasizing the pike. Ivanov also showed video footage of Valeri Liukin teaching kids to pike. It's essentially an overexaggerated scooped hollow position and eventually it should look "normal". Just the drilling of the position and shape is pronounced (i.e., exaggerated). ;)In Laury's presentation at National Congress, he also showed video footage of kids basically doing a round-off rebound into a piked seat drop shape; he'd catch them and then they'd unfurl into the back handspring. Wade's old video had one of his kids rebound the same way onto an 8 inch mat, and then unfurl into a supine, lying position.
I hope this helps. I know it's a bit unorthodox.

Front headsprings as connected front tumbling drill

The Day After the Worst Day Ever

1-16-2017

For 5 or our 6 who competed level 3 this past weekend, it was their first gymnastics meet; and it was hosted in a big venue.  The girls did amazing.  I was already proud of them before they even entered the competition hall because I know how hard they've been working, leading up to the meet.  So my expectations were grounded in reality; but I suppose for a couple of them, their expectations were...a little different than mine?  So we talked about their experiences and thoughts.  Most of it was positive; but one girl thought the judges just didn't like her- like they had a personal grudge against her, especially on beam (lol).  Another, I heard, had tears during awards because some of her teammates medaled and she did not (I posted a couple of great blogposts on the GW FB page, that should help any gymnast feeling this way).

Anyway, one of the things I shared with them was a poem by 11th grader Chanie Gorkin that went viral a couple of years ago.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/11760731/Hidden-meaning-behind-poem-will-brighten-your-day.html

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don't try to convince me that
There's something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don't last.
And it's not true that
It's all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be attained
Only if one's surroundings are good
It's not true that good exists
I'm sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It's all beyond my control
And you'll never in a million years hear me say
Today was a very good day

After reading it, the kids described to me what the poem meant to them.  A couple of them said they liked it (this was after reading it forward- lol!).  One of them actually thought it was a positive poem, telling me the part about "My attitude is beyond my control" meant how she was feeling wasn't her fault- omg, rofl!

I started the video clip as they read it next, from bottom to top.






Almost 2 years ago, the older girls seemed to get a lot out of this poem, asking if they could keep their copy.

Handstand Flatback Drill

I got this idea originally from Swing Big:

Santa Handstand Toy

$11 at Daiso.




I admit this will wear its welcome out really fast if you let it play on and on.  But for those first few moments?  Charming and delightful.  After those first moments....step away.  Or turn it off.  It gets older, quicker than compulsory season floor music.

"If you must blink, then do it now..."

I arranged for a team-bonding day with some of my gymnasts, for the movie Kubo and the Two Strings.


If you must blink, do it now!  (Or hit the replay button and re-read the post....)



Decent turnout (from the pool of gymnasts I have; turnout for the movie from the general populace apparently isn't as good as it deserves).  We killed some time with some origami and am thankful no security came over to scold us for throwing this over the balcony.

The movie has a decent story and message; but is probably too intense, serious, and heavy of a storyline for young kids to follow; and not get scared.   The parents seemed to all enjoy it.

I grew up liking traditional Japanese ghost stories; and this movie evoked a certain sense of that.

I do feel that this movie is a good promotional for generating interest in origami (even though much of it has to do with magic than strict paperfolding).

After the scene with the birds, I now kind of want to fold Jared Needle's bird, whereas I didn't have a great deal of interest before.

Focus Features Los Angeles Premiere of LAIKA "Kubo and The Two Strings"

Art Parkinson seen at Focus Features Los Angeles Premiere of LAIKA "Kubo and The Two Strings" on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in Universal City, Calif. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Focus Features/AP Images)

 I wonder if any artists out there have the inclination to fold some of the characters from the movie, after seeing it?

The movie was made in stop-motion.  Not CGI.  This movie deserves respect.

Whack-a-Gymnast

Staying tight and focused:




This was my favorite ball, until I pumped too much air into it and it exploded.  I guess it's still my favorite, but it leaks air and no longer has its cloth covering.  I think the product is no longer available.  It's a shame because it was a great beach ball that I could attach Velcro to, for other drills.

When deflated at the right amount, the ball really does make a great booming sound when it impacts.

Saturday Morning Leg Conditioning

Vault Idle Stations Circuits

TGIM!

Get your motivation on!

Encouraging the Tap

Tic Tac Toe Conditioning Relay Sprints

This still remains one of our current fun conditioning games:






Since we don't give them endless blocks to fill up the hoops, it creates a bit of a different strategy after you've made 3 placements than your traditional tic tac toe. Makes them do more running! :-)

Abductors & Adductors with Resistance Bands

Tic Tac April Fools