Best way to spot a beginning back handspring?

Question

I am teaching a tumbling class this year. I have some who can do back handsprings but are rusty, and some who may never have done one before. This age group is 10 and up. I'm a bit concerned about spotting taller kids...

What is the proper and confident way to spot a person on a back handspring?

Note: I am only working with folding mats and a cheese mat. No spring floor.

Thank you!

Answer 1

i started with backwalkovers first and we trained on the trampoline the trampoline helps them with some exra bounce so theyll get used to going over and reaching.the slanted "cheese mats" work well too

Answer 2

I don't like spotting taller kids either, which is why I am glad mine are pretty small. :^)

I prefer the hug method because I am not very strong. I _can_ do the standard back of the thighs and between the shoulder blades, but I do better with the hug, where I put my left arm under their thighs and my right arm all the way across their back and neck and around the top of their far arm.

If the hug method doesn't work with the larger kids, I say get one of them to be a second spot across from you. Here is a spotting video, but for me I can't hold the kids that far out from my body: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_h4AG5gQ...

To be honest, if the kids don't have a great handstand and bridge you are going to be doing a lot of the work. So maybe the two person spot will be best in terms of saving your back? :^)

Answer 3

my coach would put one hand like on the back of my neck/shoulders and then when i went put his other hand on my lower back.....but we trained on a tramp until i had it by myself....by the time we were on the floor i was connecting it to a roundoff and he just did the 2nd hand......hope that helps = )

Answer 4

sports-

http://easport.org/