This study aimed to examine the effects of grade level on straddle vault performance and the influence of vaulting box height using longitudinal data from middle-grade elementary school children. A follow-up survey was conducted with 117 children (56 boys and 61 girls) from an elementary school in Hyogo Prefecture. They were evaluated in grades 3 (ages 8–9) and 4 (ages 9–10). Each child performed the straddle vault over 4- and 5-box vaulting boxes, and performances were evaluated using observational criteria. Mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the effects of grade level and vaulting box height on performance. Results showed that from grade 3–4, performance improved in movements related to clearing the vaulting box, flight posture before landing, and landing stability. In grade 4, as the height of the vaulting box increased, the performance in lower-limb movements during the take-off phase also improved. We conclude that achieving key phases of the straddle vault, from push-off to landing, improves with grade level. However, in grade 4, lower vaulting box heights may constrain take-off movement, indicating the need for careful instructional consideration.
This study is a systematic literature review that analyzes the psychological implications of early specialization in youth gymnastics and evaluates the effectiveness of a policy framework for protecting young athletes. Using the PRISMA method and a mixed-methods approach, the study synthesizes 20 empirical studies and 4 policy documents (2020-2025). Results reveal a fundamental paradox: early specialization risks burnout (23-31%), eating disorders (32% in adolescents), and a monolithic athletic identity, while the Swedish policy model demonstrates that specialization can be safe through a child-rights-based approach. The study proposes a reconceptualization of early specialization as “developmentally based, gradual specialization” that prioritizes psychosocial well-being over short-term performance. Four concrete policy recommendations are proposed: (1) structural restrictions on training hours according to age, (2) an independent, trauma-informed protection system, (3) certification of psychosocial competency for coaches, and (4) mechanisms for meaningful athlete participation in decision-making. These findings provide an empirical basis for a systemic transformation in early childhood gymnastics development that is truly child-centered.
Performance-oriented trampoline gymnastics in clubs, like almost every sport, has a certain risk of injuries and overexertion symptoms. The second part of the article deals with ensuring resilience. To this end, targeted measures should be taken in the areas of strength, mobility, and sensorimotor skills. It is very important that these measures are started at a young age. Exercises are presented that can be implemented without great effort. For responsible and as healthy as possible healthy competitive sports.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of self-modelling of twisted salto backward movements on mental rotation performance in parkour athletes. Twenty trained athletes participated in three testing sessions: a baseline assessment, an immediate evaluation after a single self-modelling session, and a follow-up after a three-week training period including 12 self-modelling sessions. Participants performed a mental body rotation task including three rotation angles (135°, 180°, and 225°). Results indicated that self-modelling led to immediate improvements in accuracy and long-term enhancements in both speed and accuracy of mental rotation. The greatest improvements were observed at the 135° and 225° angles, suggesting that repeated exposure to self-modelling may enhance mental rotation performance, a key cognitive component underlying perceptual–motor processes in acrobatic skills. These findings support the idea that self-modelling facilitates the refinement of egocentric motor representations, improving spatial cognition and potentially supporting anticipatory motor planning. In conclusion, repeated self-modelling sessions (12 training exposures) represent an effective and low-cost method to enhance mental rotation abilities in complex acrobatic tasks. Integrating structured self-modelling into acrobatic training programs may support improvements in mental rotation abilities, which are important for tasks requiring advanced spatial orientation and could potentially contribute to skill acquisition and movement precision in high-risk movements. Future research should examine whether these cognitive improvements translate to enhanced motor performance and reduced execution errors in acrobatic skills.
The Olympic Games and World Championships constitute the pinnacle of an athlete’s career, including gymnasts, serving as key benchmarks for performance evaluation and long-term career development. (1) Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the historical analysis of the chronological age trend of all participants of men’s (MAG) and women’s (WAG) artistic gymnastics, rhythmic (RG), trampoline (TRA), aerobic (AER), acrobatic (ACRO) gymnastics, and parkour (PK) in the period between 2012 and 2025. The total number of participants in this study was (n = 14487).; (2) Methods: We used an independent t-test to analyze the differences between the Olympic Games and the World Championships.; (3) Results: During the analyzed Olympic Games period (2012–2024), the average age of MAG and WAG gymnasts increased by 0.98 and 1.49 years, respectively. In RG, the increase was 0.39 years. In TRA competitions, athletes tended to be younger, with an overall age decrease of 2.26 years for men and 0.70 years for women. Female (AER) gymnasts are 1.17 years younger in 2024 than in 2012, while other non-Olympic disciplines show no significant changes.; (4) Conclusions: Overall, the study highlights how age patterns differ across gymnastics disciplines and genders, providing insights to optimize coaching, preformance, talent identification, injury prevention and long-term training programs strategies for elite athletes. As routines grow more complex, with higher difficulty and deductions in the Code of Points (COP), gymnasts need greater experience, while each Olympic cycle demands more time for athletes and coaches to build stability, mastery, and safety.
