calling any gymnasts out there

[oldandgreynow]

My five year old DD is trying to do a roundoff.She has been able to do a strong cartwheel (sideways and one where you go in forwards and end up facing the opposite direction for a while (soory don't know the technical terms!)), but is really struggling with nailing a roundoff.
She seems to be told to do a run up a little jump start like a cartwheel and then snap her legs together and down together.This is what she is struggling to do.Does anyone know any drills that you can do at home to help her 'get' it,

I think an Arab spring is the same as a round off, yes?

Try telling her push off on one foot and land on two feet closed together.

perhaps..... hand, hand, twist, two feet together.

Rather than.....hand, hand, foot, foot.

She should be facing the opposite direction with an arab spring (180 degrees) with roundoff.

I've just been in the garden trying to work out an easy way of explaining it in writing but it's not easy.

I just asked my dd and she said it just happens. This is after it took her a lot of practice of just trying to do it and one day it clicked.

It seems to be one of those tricky things to explain/teach.

A round off is a tricky skill for a 5yo, much more so than a cartwheel.

I don't mean to sound arsey but there can be real problems in parents teaching their children moves at home because often it is taught the wrong way which then has to be undone at the gym. Unless you know what you're doing, my advice would be to leave it to the coaches.

For example, the hand position is totally different in a round off than it is in a cartwheel. Some coaches teach gymnasts to make a 'T' shape with their hands so that one is sideways and one is facing back where they came from (difficult to explain), whereas other coaches teach gymnasts to get both hands round so that the pushing comes from the same direction and is stronger.
Unless you know which way she's going to be taught, best to leave alone.

There are some things that you can do though - what is her handstand like?

A handstand with a strong 'snap' down (two legs down to land together on the floor) with a push through the shoulders is a good preparation step for the end of a round off, and is something that she could work on.

Hope this helps a little bit

Hooray ..at last she was doing something resembling a roundoff at her class this morning!once she started getting her hands round properly, it seemed to click.

Thanks for you replies XX

sorry for resurrecting this thread but wondered if nyone could help

At what point are they supposed to twist their bodies? I'm not sure id DD aged 5 is doing it right.She has been taught to put her hands in a T shape (for now).She places her hands THEN twists and then snaps down.But I am wondering whether the twisting motion should be while she is placing her hands?
Also she kind of flies backwards as she lands and has been taught to jump to absorb the energy.So should she have her legs bent as she lands? It looks a bit scruffy but if they are straight how can se jump?