How to Spot Someone in Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a thrilling and exhilarating sport to watch. The tricks are extremely difficult and take a great deal of training and practice to perfect. The gymnasts have lots of help to make sure they get things right. One of those people who helps them is a trainer, who spots their tricks to make sure that they don't fall and injure themselves. A spotter will watch the trick and stand by to step in at a moment's notice to catch a gymnast, push them through a rotation or stop a trick.

Things You'll Need

• attentiveness
• knowledge of gymnastics
• strength

Instructions

1. Keep one hand at a short distance from the gymnast's back and the other hand raised slightly when spotting walkovers and handstands. For walkovers, keep to one side and allow the gymnast to start her trick. If she seems to have trouble getting over, give her starting leg a tap to push it over. If she has trouble standing up or sitting into her hips, rest your hand into the small of her back and guide her up.

2. Get on your knees to spot standing back handsprings. Have the gymnast stand with her feet together, arms straight up, elbows squeezed by their ears. Kneel on one side of the gymnast. Place one hand on the back of her legs and the other on the small of her back. Have the gymnast bend her legs in a squat to prepare. When she is ready, she pushes off and extends into her handspring. Hold her back for support and guide her legs over, if needed.

3. Allow the gymnast kick up to a handstand and catch her legs for handstands and handstand walks. Hold her ankles and force her legs to stay together. For rolls, or somersaults, guide the gymnast by holding the sides of her hips as she rolls to keep her in a forward position.

4. Instruct your gymnast to run and do her rebound to show you where her stunts will end. This is for running tumbling passes such as handsprings, tucks, fulls and layout combinations. Wherever her rebound ends is where you need to be. Take a step or two out from the actual rebound center. You want to be far enough away that you don't scare the gymnast and she can't run into you but you want to be close enough to step in quickly. For all tumbling passes, you adopt the method of hand on the back and use the other hand to whip the rest of the body around, typically pushing the legs.

5. Catch the gymnast if she appears as though she will fall on her head or back. Also, step in and stop the tumbling if she looks like she is going to fall back on her wrists or hands. A gymnast is taught to land on her butt with her arms out if she is going to fall but things happen. Landing on a wrist or hand will likely break it. That's it. Just be careful, cautious and attentive.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your gymnast do a dry run to show you where she will land her round off or beginning trick so you know exactly where to stand.

• Don't stand in the gymnast's way; step back from her path.