The day an athlete learns a new tumbling skill can be a very exciting day.  The time and work the athlete has put into getting a skill is an accomplishment.  These skills do not happen with just a few weeks of practice.  Every skill and every athlete is different, but the only realistic way to speed up progress is to practice multiple times a week.  

Practice Makes Progress For Tumbling Skills

Tumbling skills require strength and flexibility.  Building muscle and increasing flexibility requires changing your body’s capabilities, and in order to do that an athlete should be practicing multiple times a week.  As an adult, you wouldn’t expect to workout just once a week and see much change in your body's physique.  The same is true for your athlete, in order to build that muscle, they need to be working on it multiple times a week. 

Less Down Time Between Practice Will Create Better Tumbling Habits

Creating good habits is crucial to getting and perfecting a skill. However, in order to reinforce good habits, they need to be consistently practicing them.  Repetition is key in tumbling because you are trying to train your body to make movements that are not natural, and even more those movements need to become a habit.  When trying to train muscle memory, it is important to have less down time between practices.  Decreasing the amount of time between practice is actually more important than the overall time spent practicing.  An athlete that practices two hours for one day a week will not progress as fast as an athlete that practices one hour a day for two days a week. 

Using Your Down Time For Other Sports To Practice Tumbling

When learning new tumbling skills, there is no cramming for the test, you can’t just wait and then practice all at once to get the skill.  That method will actually lead to injuries or bad habits that are very difficult to fix.  These skills take time to learn, and waiting till the last minute to work on getting a new skill will most likely end in disappointment.  Even though you may have a busy schedule with other activities like cheerleading or dance, you still need to find time to make tumbling a priority year round if you want your athlete to get those new skills.  Tumbling is not like riding a bike, if you are not practicing, you can lose the skills.  The athletes that see the fastest progress are the ones that still commit to coming to class at least once a week during their busy season and then add in a second tumbling class when their schedule lightens up.  

Options For Attending Tumbling Class Multiple Times A Week At Challenge Athletics

There are a few different ways to attend class multiple times a week at Challenge Athletics.  You could register for multiple group classes a week, multiple private lessons a week, or a combination of group classes and private lessons.  The option that would work best for your family would depend on your athlete and their goals.  Multiple group classes per week is usually the best option for students under 7 years old.  Younger children learn more through repetition, drills, practicing a variety of skills, and watching others around them.  Group classes are more cost effective than private lessons and Challenge Athletics offers a discount for students registering for a second group class.  Private lessons are a good option for older students because they can greatly benefit from more one-on-one time with a coach that can explain more complex skills and the physics behind the body movements.  However, not all older students need private lessons, some students that are highly motivated can get just as much out of group classes as they would in a private class.  A combination of a group class and a private lesson is usually the best way for most athletes to progress faster.   There are some skills like back handsprings that require constant spotting and a lot of explanation from the coach.  For students looking to get a back handspring and need more motivation and focus, multiple private lessons might be the best way to spend their time.  

If you are looking for the best way to increase your child’s tumbling progress, contact us today.  Attending class multiple times a week at Challenge Athletics can help your family get closer to accomplishing your goals.