Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gymnastics

I need to come up with ideas for daycare visits to our gym.

hasna — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:32:15 -0800

I'm the program developer at a gymnastics club, and my latest assignment has be wracking my brain. We have outside daycare groups come and visit us once a week for around an hour, and my boss wants us to add on an additional activity to make us a more appealing choice. Help? The daycare kids are usually between the ages of 2-5, and there are between 15-25 kids, with usually 1 adult for every 2-4 kids. I am the only coach. Our gymnastics gym is pretty typical Here's a really old picture to give you an idea of the space, but of course we've moved/added some equipment.

The idea is that the kids will come for 45 minutes of gymnastics (following little obstacle courses set up at the different events), and then do 30 minutes of another activity. The other activity should be something that isn't usually done at daycares, so reading, or arts projects are out of the picture. We can purchase simple supplies, but I don't want to spend more than $300ish initial investment, and no more than $15 or so each visit. The kids usually come once a week, for 12-24 weeks, and sometimes come back for multiple semesters.

One idea I had was to read a book, and do a "big idea" with the theme of the book each week. Something big enough that they wouldn't do it at daycare, like a life size game board, or something. I'm quite decent at music, singing, art, sports and dance, so we can incorporate that a bit, but it shouldn't just be like a ballet lesson. We're looking for big, exciting ideas.

I'm really at a loss for other ideas, though. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

How can I demonstrate that gymnastics is a reasonably safe recess activity?

turtlefu — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:18:18 -0800

My children's school implemented a no "gymnastics" policy at recess, including somersaults, cartwheels, and the splits. On the grassy area where they are allowed, they can sit but cannot put their hands down. My child loves gymnastics and is devastated. The reason for the policy is that one child injured her wrist while attempting a cartwheel. I would like to have some data to take to the PTA about why this is an overreaction to one incident. Sure children can get injured by doing cartwheels, they can also trip and fall but we don't tell them they cannot walk. Any thoughts?

Which group of athletes is more abnormal in height?

Trurl — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:19:20 -0800

Which group of athletes is further from the center of the bell curve distribution for height: Olympic gymnasts or NBA players?

Please explain how women's gymnastics events are scored.

missmerrymack — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 09:01:14 -0800

I'm going to the Senior Women's Final of the Visa US Gymnastics Championships tonight. I was an avid gymnastics fan through around 1988, but a lot has changed since then. I always watch it during the Olympics and I have to admit I never bothered to try to understand the new system. Is there someone who could give me a cliff notes version of how the scoring works?

Alternatives to gymnastics for a jock kid?

viggorlijah — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:55:12 -0800

Our son has a wrist bone injury that means he will have to stop training (12-16h/week) for competitive gymnastics. He's 11, medium height and slightly built, very co-ordinated, fast and strong. He loves being on a team and competitions, and did very well at gymnastics for the past five years. What are alternative sports to consider for him besides competitive diving? We're looking for sports that don't stress wrists, e.g. no tennis. Both of us are very unsporty, so we're scratching our heads over what would be fun for a jock kid. We're in Singapore in the tropics.

Superhuman ability, or trickery?

woodblock100 — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:53:09 -0800

In this YouTube video linked over at kottke today, we see some astonishing gymnastic 'dancing' by the Ross Sisters in 'Solid Potato Salad'. But some of it just seems beyond belief -the scene in the wagon ... and the apple in the hayloft (!). Was this for real, or was there camera trickery involved?

A steel town on a Saturday night is the champion my friends

The Whelk — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:57:55 -0800

Mixtape Filter: Songs about competition, athletics, and sportsmanship - mostly with an Olympic-Gymnastics bent?

Help me to do an Iron Cross to win a bet

kryptonik — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:09:16 -0800

Help me to do an Iron Cross to win a bet I'm coming off of a serious leg injury that left me unable to walk for several months. For months I crutched everywhere and lifted weights to try to keep from becoming fat, so my shoulders got pretty strong. Anyway, I was drinking with my buddies last week, feeling cocky, and somehow I found myself making a bet that could do an Iron Cross for 5 seconds by the end of June.

I've seen been to my gym (which has rings) to see maybe how close I am to this feat, and, honestly, it seems f'ing impossible. Seriously.

Given that I have about 4.5 months to make it happen, I'm not too nervous, but I could definitely use some training tips. Anyone know what kinds of exercises I should do to prepare for an Iron Cross and win this bet??

Comparing methods of preparation by gymnasts and musicians

Busoni — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:48:59 -0800

How do Olympic gymnasts (and other gymnasts at the elite level) train for their routines? Do they break their choreography into segments? Is there a set, systematic schedule or program used across the sport? A way to measure their progress? How might this compare (or apply) to the way a musician might prepare for an audition or a competition? (Incidentally, to give an idea of the sort of answers that are being sought, this question arose after noting points of comparison between programming in weight training and practice in musical performance.)

Trying to remember the title of a YA book about gymnasts

adamfaux — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:38:00 -0800

I am trying to recall a book that was published for twelve-year-old girls in the mid-1980s or earlier; a YA book, I suppose. It was about gymnasts who were anorexic and pushed too hard by their coach. On the cover was a painting or drawing of girls in leotards on a chessboard. It was a wonderful book and I cannot remember its title. I am from Toronto, Canada, and the book was in the Toronto Public Library system. I remember very little else about it; it was slim, but with small type, I believe. There were no illustrations in the book. I remember it as being more sophisticated than other YA books.

If you know the title of the book or think you know it, I'd be pleased to find out. Thanks.

Limber me up, Scotty!

losvedir — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:55:26 -0800

Yoga, martial arts, gymnastics, parkour, something else?! I'm looking to get more flexible, strong, healthy, and to have fun. What are the long term consequences of any of these activities (studies, anecdotes, etc)? Which should I do? (Bonus points if in Boston, but not necessary) I'm especially interested in any peer-reviewed studies people have. Does, say, gymnastics make you more flexible and therefore less likely to get injured, or does it put stress on your joints and make you more likely to get injured? Sure, intuitively it may seem like being flexible is healthy, but is this born out in study?

Anecdotes work, too. Tell me about your preferred activity, what its benefits are, how it has improved your life, etc.

I live in Boston, so if anyone can point to a bus/T accessible place, that'd be super cool, too.

Do you think it's likely that the unfair judging in Olympic gymnastics could be mafia related?

mintchip — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:29:06 -0800

How likely is it that the unfair judging in Olympic gymnastics is mafia related? It seems pretty clear to me (and many others) that certain athletes were favored in Beijing, even when they made clear mistakes.

For example, the bronze medalist on women's vault only landed one out of two of her vaults--and she still medaled! This bias seemed to apply across all events. However, if I understand correctly the same teams of judges don't judge the same events, i.e. the vault judge and beam events will have different judging teams. Furthermore, a judging panel cannot included judges from the same country as an athlete...so it would seem that the judges wouldn't have a lot of political incentive to favor one athlete over another.

This had me imaging some Tony Soprano-like scenarios. What do you think the chances might be that some threats were communicated, i.e. "She scores well...or you're toast"? What are some other scenarios to explain the blatant bias?

My Butlerian Analysis Fails Me

Weebot — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:09:10 -0800

Why the different events in women and men gymnastics? This has been somewhat bothering me, but I was wondering what the reasoning was for splitting the events between the men and women in gymnastics. Why don't men do the balance beam, or the women do the high bar, among other things? Is there a practical reasoning behind the splitting of these events? A historical one? I know this was lightly touched on previously, but I was hoping I could get a more detailed answer to this.

Will I ever learn to do the splits?

ohio — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:29:33 -0800

I want to be able to do the splits. Please tell me if this is realistic, and if so, the best way to go about doing it. I would like to be able to do the splits both frontways and sideways, and I set a goal for myself of the end of summer. Can this be done?

Relevant facts:
- 25 y/o female, pretty good shape generally
- very inflexible hips. Right now I can only get to about a 125 degree angle, and even that kind of hurts.
- old hip injury, healed now but I can still feel it sometimes, especially when I run uphill.

I planned to start getting as far down as possible every day and holding it for 30 or 60 seconds. Is that enough? Too much? Will I hurt myself? I've been doing this for a couple of days and my groin and hips are definitely sore. Will this go away?

Thanks!

Rules of High Jump.

Tube — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:12:58 -0800

Did the rules governing the high jump change because of what gymnasts were able to do? When I was a child, my father told me that the reason high jumpers must leave the ground on only one foot is because of gymnasts who were able to clear a bar much higher than traditional track and field athletes. This was because gymnasts tumbled toward the bar and left on two feet. Thus, according to my father, the rules were codified to mandate that the high jumper must leave on one foot only.

I was given no names or dates, but I would suspect that this may have occurred in the 50's or 60's.

If this is in fact historically correct, does anyone know any details about it? What gymnastic tumblers were able to do this, or when or where?

So, I want to be a gymnast

ysabet — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:34:38 -0800

I want to be a gymnast! Except I need to get fit first ... I did gymnastics as a child. Since then, I've grown a lot and spent about 20 years ruining my flexibility behind a desk. I am unfit, overweight, and have a knee injury. I'd like to know how to get from where I am today, to being able to safely pursue gymnastics as a hobby. Basically, I'd like to know how to focus my current exercise regime on this goal. I have very little strength, have poor cardio vascular endurance, am about 10 kgs overweight, in my mid-twenties, and can't touch my toes most days. I do weightlifting twice a week, and yoga once a week. I'd like to be able to sign up for gymnastics in January. Help me, hive mind!

How much work would it take for me to learn to be able to tumble and somersault?

Glum — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:57:05 -0800

How much work would it take for me to learn to be able to tumble and somersault? I'm 35 years old, 5' 10.5" and 155 pounds. I'm fairly fit and strong enough (for my size). I want to be able to do back handsprings, back flips and backwards tumbling. How much training will it require and what would be a good way to learn (alone)? How much is it skill and strength and how much is it just bottle [nerve]?

Are there any good videos, books or web resources? I've looked at www.dopemoves.com already (it seems a bit disorganised).

I have plenty of time on my hands and I'm prepared to put in the effort. I also have a 12ft trampoline at home.

Bad 1980's sports movie, anyone?

nadawi — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:42:06 -0800

Yes, it is a 'what was that movie that I can only remember one scene of?' thread...Featuring the 1980's (I think). The only scene I remember is a guy who drives out to a pair of trees, parks his oversized truck (with grills on the headlights) and shines his lights at a bar that he goes to and practices his gymanstics routine. It was one of those 'overcoming great odds through sports' movies, I think. I also seem to remember slow motion shots of him chalking up his hands at a competition.

I remember it being pretty bad but not knowing what it was is driving me a little nuts.

Feats of Strength

treebjen — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 13:44:20 -0800

Some time ago I saw two male gymnasts on a late night talk show (I think) who did a routine where they lifted eachother and twisted their bodies in amazing ways -- all at EXTREMELY slow speed. Anyone know who these guys are?

Seeking video clips of Nadia Comaneci's gymnastics routines

Asparagirl — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 11:13:28 -0800

Where can I find online/downloadable video clips of Nadia Comaneci's "Perfect 10" gymnastics routines from 1976? The TV networks sometimes show tiny bits of the footage during women's gymnastics events, but I've never seen any of the routines all the way through.

Men's Gymnastics

majcher — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 18:30:00 -0800

Why does the Olympics men's gymnastics "floor exercise" event not incorporate music, while the same event in women's does? The women's event seems more "dancey", but it looks like they both exhibit the same set of skills. What gives?