Gymnastics - Considerations for gymnasts
SAFETY
Now for a few basic common sense safety measures, never try even the easiest of moves without supervision, training by you can be highly dangerous-never work in the gym alone.
Your coach must be certain that you have mastered all the stages that go into making up a skill. Once sure of that, mats will be put into position for your first attempts at a complete skill. Never eat in the gym and make sure that jewelry and wristwatches are always taken off. You must have great concern for your health. Your dedication may tempt you to keep on working even if you only have a cold.
DANCE
Ballet and dance are a vital part of your training as they prepare you for the artistic movements required in gymnastics. Soviet gymnastics spend some time every day on ballet training, and so should you, as it will improve your elegance and line. Remember you will be appearing before judges, so it is very important for you to show elegance.
Ballet will also make your body stronger for jumps, turns, and movements of balance. It will help your point work and the stretching of your legs, but above all, it will greatly improve your posture.
Spotting
When starting a new skill your coach will often support you. Such support by the coach’s hands is known as spotting. Its advantages are:
You can go safely through the complete skill feeling the movement as a whole.
Transition from learning parts of a skill to the whole movement can be very difficult. Spotting may help you over the hurdle. However, spotting should not be overdone as it could create a false feeling of confidence. Skills must be developed strictly.
Dangers
The progressive method of breaking down skills into small parts is gradual and very painstaking. Most young people are tempted, and you will probably be no exception, to rush into all the exciting and difficult skills you see performed by experienced gymnasts on television and in international sports arenas.
What you must remember is that these gymnasts once went through all the same progressions, as you will, before they were allowed to put them together into a skill. The reason for such a high success rate in the Soviet Union, China, Japan, the United States, and other leading countries is because of strict compliance with that rule.
Your body has to be prepared for gymnastics and your technique established before you step up onto the podium for competitions. If you do not heed that advice, you will almost certainly suffer stresses and strains, or even worse, an injury that will be with your life. Your coach will impress that upon all the time.
The plain Truth is that for a routine to be marked out of ten for any apparatus, you have to display advanced skills. Three whole marks are set aside for content-that is, skills with degrees of difficulty. Without difficulty your routine can only be marked out of seven points. But do not be discouraged; there are graded stages of competition from club through to national level. There is always something exciting for you to work for, whatever your level of ability.
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