The World of Gymnastics

Archive for the ‘THE BASICS OF GYMNASTICS’ Category

Gymnastics safety pits are a very important training tool. Every gymnastics academy should have at least one foam pit. Foam pits are extremely necessary for optional gymnastics skills and levels.  There are two types of gymnastics foam pits, loose foam pits and resi pits.

A loose foam pit is built into the ground. It is usually 6-8 feet deep.  The walls are covered by polyethylene foam that is usually glued to the concrete. The foam that covers the covers the concrete must be over an inch thick to decrease the chance of injuries. The bottom of a pit is lined with thick crash mats or a trampoline bed. Pits with a trampoline bed in it is known as a bungee pit. A bungee pit is usually placed a few feet above the pit floor. This allows it room to give without hitting the concrete. If you have a bungee pit it is still a good idea to have a gymnastics mat in the very bottom in case any bungees snap or someone bottoms out. Once the loose foam pit is correctly constructed it is filled with foam pit blocks. Foam pit blocks are made out of polyurethane and are nonflammable. They come in two different sizes, 6 and 8 inch.

The second type of gymnastics safety pit is known as a resi-pit. A resi-pit is a foam pit that is made out of thick polyurethane mats that are covered by polyester vinyl that is extremely heavy duty. The resi-pit is about 32 inches in thickness. The bottom of the resi-pit is made out of denser foam and gets softer as it goes up; this eliminates gymnast from bottoming out. A resi-pit can be used for in-ground or above-ground gymnastics training.

Most gymnastics academies use both types of foam pits. A loose foam pit is usually used first when introducing a new skill. After the gymnast masters the new skill in the loose foam she will move on to the resi-pit.

Both types of gymnastics safety pits are a very important part of any gymnastics academy. Make sure you know which pit is best to use in each situation.

TUMBLING ON TO AN IN-GROUND RESI-PIT

TUMBLING INTO A LOOSE FOAM PIT

Every gymnast gets nervous no matter how old, talented or experienced they may be. Nervousness is completely normal, especially before a big gymnastics meet. Many people see being nervous as a negative thing, but it isn’t as long as you know how to control it. Here are a few tips that will help eliminate unnecessary nervousness before a gymnastics meet.

• Make sure you know your routine. You should have practiced your routine so many times that you know it inside and out. You should be able to perform it mentally and physically without having to think or try to remember what comes next. If you know your routine by heart you will be so much calmer and can focus on form and precision instead of memorization!

• Be prepared. One of the worst things is when you get to a meet and go to warm up your bar routine and realize you don’t have your gymnastics hand grips. Or you are ready to compete floor and don’t have your music. You must be prepared! You should pack your gymnastics bag the night before the meet. Make a list of things you need for a gymnastics meet and keep it in your bag at all times. Before every meet get the list out and go over it. This will cut down on a trip back home, to the gym or to a pro shop to get what you need. It will also eliminate stress and panic.

• Know your destination. Make sure you know exactly where the gymnastics meet is located. MapQuest or GPS it before you leave your house. Make sure there are no roads closed or detours. Showing up late to your gymnastics meet is a very stressful way to start and could negatively affect the rest of your competition

• Find out where everything is. Once you get to your destination scope it out some. Make sure you locate the bathroom, water fountain, athletic trainer, pro shop, concession, etc. Knowing where things are ahead of time will give you one less thing to worry about later.

You will always be nervous to degree no matter what you do. But these are a few important tips that will eliminate unnecessary nervousness and will allow you to feel more comfortable and be able to relax to some degree. The more you prepare ahead of time the less you have to worry about and can focus on your gymnastics meet!

Hope this helpsJ

Nervousness and anxiety are extremely normal in artistic gymnastics. Especially when it comes to the balance beam. By far, balance beam is the event that almost every gymnasts get the most nervous about. The thought of tumbling 4 feet over the ground on a 4 inch beam can be very scary. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, you will still get nervous when it’s your turn to compete your balance beam routine. There are a few things you can do as a gymnast to eliminate anxiety and nervousness.

Cutting down you anxiety before you compete balance beam at a gymnastics meet is not something that comes easy. It takes a lot of practice! But in the end it is worth it.

Competing a balance beam routine is way different than being at practice and performing it. You could do your balance beam routine in practice a thousand times and never get nervous and then go to a gymnastics meet and fall apart once you mount the beam. The question is, how can you eliminate your anxiety and nervousness at a gymnastics meet?

You can eliminate nervousness by competing! But the problem is there is not enough meets in a season to get a lot of experience from. This means you need to create situations that will help you train and prepare for a gymnastics meet other than practice and competition.

You can start by performing your balance beam routine while there are loud progressive/cheerleading classes in the gym, or when a birthday party is going on. You can also try turning up music really loud while practicing your gymnastics beam routine. Invite friends and family to watch and encourage them to talk and cheer while you are on the beam. While all this is going on you need to try to focus and tune everything out. Another good way to practice is to go to as many small/fun gymnastics meets as possible.

Just remember if you fall off beam your anxiety level will rise, this is not a good thing. So don’t rush it, take a deep breath and even a short pause if needed. It is better to get a small deduction for going over time or for pausing in your routine than to receive a deduction for a fall. Plus once you fall it is much harder to get back up and finish without letting your anxiety get the best of you.

The hardest thing about beam isn’t the gymnastics dance, skills, turns, jumps, or leaps that are in the routine, it is the mental inclinations the gymnast’s have. The main reason girls shake on beam and get so nervous is because they are head cases. This is by far the hardest thing to get over! The only things that can help with mental inclinations is practice, practice, practice.



Mommy and me gymnastics classes are designed for kids 18 months to 3 years old. At this age it is very hard to keep their attention. As a coach it is your responsibility to keep it fun and enjoyable, do not overwhelm them!

Every mommy and me class should begin with a short warm up. I like to start the class with something fun and active like the duck dance. This is followed by stretching. When you stretch you need to use your imagination. You may use little stuffed animals, bean bags or balls to make it more fun. If you make a pike call it an alligator and ask the kids what they want to feed it. After you finish stretching it is time to start your rotations.

Each rotation in mommy and me classes should be fun, creative and short. It is very important not to add too many stations. Too many stations makes it very hard, stressful and over whelming for the little gymnasts, moms and coaches. Make sure you don’t add to many new skills at one time. Repetition is a good thing at this age. You may have two forward roll spots, one on the wedge and one on the floor.

You need to get the kiddo’s attention and keep it by making it fun! Instead of saying jump spot to spot you could say hop like a frog on the lily pads. You could pretend the wedge mat is a big hill. The beam can become a plank that has sharks swimming under it. I can guarantee if you tell the mommy and me classes, “on this spot you do a forward roll, on the beam you walk forward, on the wedge you roll sideways….” You will lose their interest in the matter of seconds. So make it fun, be creative, use your imagination and you will keep their attention and they will learn!

When a gymnast is performing their level 4 gymnastics bar routine they will only use one bar, the low bar. A gymnast may use a mat or a spring board to mount the bar; this must be removed as soon as the gymnast mounts. If the gymnastics mat or spring board is not removed the gymnast will receive a deduction from her gymnastics bar routine score.

MAIN LEVEL 4 GYMNASTICS BAR SKILLS, REQUIREMENTS, AND DEDUCTIONS!

*Glide Swing- Must take off with two feet and land with two feet. Must have great body extension. Hands must remain on the bar between the glide and pullover.

*Pullover-Must pull over with two feet. Do not jump, hop, or step into the pullover. Make sure the landing is in a front support with straight arms and a tight body.

*Front Hip Circle-Maintain a straight hollow body. Must connect a small cast while coming out of the front hip circle.

*Shoot Through (Single Leg Squat Through)-Leg /foot cannot contact or touch the bar when shooting through. Show a stride support at the end of the shoot through (hands are the only thing touching the bar).

*Mill Circle (Forward Stride Circle)-Must show clear stride support at the beginning and end (only thing touching the bar is your hands). Do not hook knee on the bar when doing this skill. Be sure to  flip your hands backwards before doing this gymnastics bar skill.

*Cut Back- Be sure to change your hand position before cutting back. Keep arms straight and end in an extended front support when cutting back.

*Cast- Keep proper body alignment. Maintain a hollow, straight body from shoulders to toes.

*Back Hip Circle- Keep a straight hollow body position while maintaining hip/thigh contact on the bar the entire time. Must connect the back hip circle and underswing dismount.

*Underswing Dismount-Once again, maintain a straight hollow body with straight arms and a great body extension with flight. Stick your landing!

A gymnastics bar routine should not be choppy but should show connections and fluidity throughout the entire routine. Each gymnastics bar skill should lead to the next without any breaks in rhythm.