SpiritKids Practice Drills!

 

 

 

SpiritKids Handstand Drills

Practice tips for all drills and skills

• Focus for 3 seconds before beginning

• Extend-Stretch your body as far as you can through the entire skill or drill
• Stay tight-squeeze you body as tight as you can through entire skill or drill
• Tuck bottom/push hips through the entire skill or drill
• Keep line from fingertips to toes
• Point your toes
• Keep arms up, shoulder to ears from beginning to end
• Stick landing for 3 seconds

Handstand Drills

LEVEL1+

T Lever

• Begin in lunge (hold for three gymnastics).
• Transfer weight to front leg and reach your arms as far forward as you can while keeping your arms straight and next to your ears the whole time.
• Hit a T keeping a straight line from your fingertips to toes.
• Hold T for three gymnastics.
• Raise back up to lunge.
• Hold finish for 3 gymnastics.

T Lever

• Begin in lunge (hold for three gymnastics).
• Transfer weight to front leg and reach your arms as far forward as you can while keeping your arms straight and next to your ears the whole time.
• Hit a T on the way down (hold for one gymnastics).
• Touch the ground with fingertips.
• Raise back up hitting a T on the way up (hold for one gymnastics).
• Raise back up to lunge.
• Hold finish for 3 gymnastics.

LEVEL 2+

T Lever Kicks (Hops)

• Begin in lunge (hold for three gymnastics).
• Transfer weight to front leg and reach your arms as far forward as you can while keeping your arms next to your ears the whole time.
• Hit a T (hold for one gymnastics) on the way down.
• Place hands on the ground and lift your front leg off the ground creating an L shape with your legs.
• Make sure your back leg remains in a straight line with the rest of your body.
• Keep straight legs and point your toes.
• Raise back up hitting a T on the way up (hold for one gymnastics).
• Raise back up to lunge.
• Hold finish for 3 gymnastics.

 

T Lever switch feet

• Begin in lunge (hold for three gymnastics).
• Transfer weight to front leg and reach your arms as far forward as you can while keeping your arms next to your ears the whole time.
• Hit a T (hold for one gymnastics) on the way down.
• Place hands on the ground and lift your front leg off the ground creating an L shape with your legs.
• Make sure your back leg remains in a straight line with the rest of your body.
• Keep straight legs and point your toes.
• When kicking up switch your back leg to the front.
• Finish with your bad leg forward in a lunge.
• Hold finish for 3 gymnastics.

Lever Toe-Touch

• Begin in lunge (hold for three gymnastics).
• Transfer weight to front leg and reach your arms as far forward as you can while keeping your arms next to your ears the whole time.
• Hit a T (hold for one gymnastics) on the way down.
• Place hands on the ground.
• Put weight on hands.
• Kick straight legs into air.
• Touch front foot to back foot.
• Keep your back leg straight and bring your toes together at the top.
• Try and keep your legs in a straight line with the rest of your body.
• Keep straight legs and pointed toes.
• Lower your front leg and return to your lunge position.
• Hold finish for 3 gymnastics.

ALL LEVELS

Spiderman against a wall

• Begin in a tada (start position) facing away from wall with back against wall.
• Lower to a squat.
• Climb feet up wall, looking at feet (hallow not arch position). Keep arms strong, straight and by ears.
• Keep legs together and straight with toes pointed.
• Spell your name.
• Return to a squat position.
• Finish in a tada (finish position), hold for three gymnastics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEVEL 3+

Handstand against a wall

• Start in a lunge facing the wall.
• Remember the wall is not there to hold you up but to keep you from falling backwards.
• Hold lunge for three gymnastics.
• Place hands flat on the ground and kick legs up to keep body in a straight line position.
• Squeeze legs and stomach tight. Point toes.
• Drop front leg down and return to lunge position.
• Hold finish for three gymnastics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SpiritKids Cartwheel/ Round- Off Drills

Practice tips for all drills and skills

• Focus for 3 seconds before beginning

• Extend-Stretch your body as far as you can through the entire skill or drill
• Stay tight-squeeze you body as tight as you can through entire skill or drill
• Tuck bottom/push hips through the entire skill or drill
• Keep line from fingertips to toes
• Point your toes
• Keep arms up, shoulder to ears from beginning to end
• Stick landing for 3 seconds

 

LEVEL 1+

Cartwheel Drill

• Practice on a line- use masking tape, rope, velcro, ect.
• Hold starting lunge on the line for three gymnastics. Make sure your hips are facing forward (closed gate), Arms by ears and reached tall.
• Transfer weight to front leg and reach your arms as far forward as you can while keeping your arms next to your ears the whole time.
• Hit a T on the way down (hold for one gymnastics).
• Touch your line with fingertips. If right leg is forward, right hand is closest to you and left hand next to it. If left leg is forward, left hand is closest to you and right hand next to it.
• Reach straight up return back leg to ground and finish in lunge. Hips facing forward again (closed gate).
• Hold finish for three gymnastics.

 

LEVEL 3+

Cartwheel Practice

• Practice on a line- use masking tape, rope, velcro, ect.
• Hold starting lunge on the line for three gymnastics. Make sure your hips are facing forward (closed gate).
• Kick into a cartwheel try to place your hands on the line as well. When upside down in cartwheel hips are aligned with your line on the ground (open gate).
• Try and finish with both legs on the line in your ending lunge. Hips facing forward again (closed gate).
• Hold finish for three gymnastics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEVEL 4+

Cartwheel step-ins

• Practice on a line- use masking tape, rope, velcro, etc.
• Practice off a panel mat if possible.
• If on a panel, start in lunge at end of panel.
• Cartwheel off panel landing with feet on ground in a lunge.
• If on floor cartwheel as usual try to stay in line.
• Land on one foot, Hold for 5 gymnastics.
• Once you can hold it for five seconds or more try and swing back leg to meet with front leg.
• Land with both feet together.
• Lift chest quickly,  keeping your line from fingertips to toes.
• Should be standing up completely when your second foot snaps down.
• Hold finish for three gymnastics.

 

LEVEL 3+

½ Handstand Snap Downs

• Begin in a lunge, hold for three gymnastics.
• Kick up onto a  raised surface, folded panel mat,  (stair, ottoman or bed braced against a wall).
• Kick into a handstand, legs squeezed tight together, toes pointed.
• Keep your feet together and snap both feet down, as you push off the mat with your hands.
• Keeping your line, land standing up with yours arms above your head.
• Hold finish for three gymnastics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blocking

• Stand in a tada.
• Reach arms as tall as you can and squeeze arms close to ears. Shoulders should be touching your ears.
• Now relax shoulders into a shrugging position.
• Tighten shoulders and reach up again so shoulders are squeezed next to your ears.
• Relax and tighten a few times.
• When doing round-offs you will need to tighten your shoulders and block of your hands to stand up straight.

 

Handstand Blocking

• Start in a lunge, hold for three gymnastics.
• Reach arms straight and push up to a handstand.
• Block shoulders so your hands push off the ground.
• Snap down and land in lunge, hold for three gymnastics.

 

LEVEL 4+

Roundoffs Off a Raised Surface

• Begin in a lunge on the raised surface.
• Warm up with a cartwheel step- in.
• Speed it up while continuing to stick the landing. Lift chest as you snap feet together
• Add blocking.  Push of the mat using your shoulders
• Hands should only touch the mat long enough to block (push off).
• DO NOT PIKE DOWN (don’t break your line-fingertips and toes).
• When done correctly there will be a brief period when hands and feet are both in the air.
• Focus on power:  Use power hurdle, speed and blocking.

 

 

SpiritKids Bridge Drills

Practice tips for all drills and skills

• Focus for 3 seconds before beginning

• Extend-Stretch your body as far as you can through the entire skill or drill
• Stay tight-squeeze you body as tight as you can through entire skill or drill
• Tuck bottom/push hips through the entire skill or drill
• Keep line from fingertips to toes
• Point your toes
• Keep arms up, shoulder to ears from beginning to end.
• Stick landing for 3 seconds

 

LEVEL 2+

Bridge holds

• Sit on the floor in a tuck position.
• Lay all the way back with your legs still in tuck position and feet firmly on the floor.
• Bend arms up by ears. Place hands firmly on the floor next to your head.
• Push off hands and feet and lift belly to the sky. Tilt head back and look at the floor. Hold bridge for 5 gymnastics, then tuck head in and come down onto back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bridge Flexibility

• Find a wall and sit in front of it on the floor in a tuck position.
• Lay all the way back with your legs still in tuck position and feet firmly on the floor.
• Lay with your head close to the wall and your feet away from the wall.
• Bend arms up by ears. Place hands firmly on the floor next to your head.
• Push off hands and feet and lift belly to the sky. Tilt head back and look at the floor.
• Push your chest as close to the wall as possible (touching the wall if you can). KEEP ARMS STRAIGHT DO NOT BEND THEM OR REST ON YOUR HEAD. Hold bridge for 5 gymnastics, then tuck head in and come down onto back. (Make sure to have good bridge position). HOLD BRIDGE FOR 5 GYMNASTICS, THEN 10 GYMNASTICS, 15 AND SO ON.

Bridge Positions

• Sit on the floor in a tuck position.
• Lay all the way back with your legs still in tuck position and feet firmly on the floor.
• Bend arms up by ears. Place hands firmly on the floor next to your head.
• Push off hands and feet and lift belly to the sky. Tilt head back and look at the floor.
• Squeeze arms close to ears and make arms straight.
• Push chest over arms and straighten legs. Squeeze toes, knees and heels together.Hold bridge for 5 gymnastics, then tuck head in and come down onto back.

Bridge Leg Holds-

• Sit on the floor in a tuck position.
• Lay all the way back with your legs still in tuck position and feet firmly on the floor.
• Bend arms up by ears. Place hands firmly on the floor next to your head.
• Push off hands and feet and lift belly to the sky. Tilt head back and look at the floor. Hold bridge transfer weight to hands, lift one leg and hold 20 seconds (Switch legs). Then tuck head in and come down onto back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEVEL 3+

Bridge Walks-

• Sit on the floor in a tuck position.
• Lay all the way back with your legs still in tuck position and feet firmly on the floor.
• Bend arms up by ears. Place hands firmly on the floor next to your head.
• Push off hands and feet and lift belly to the sky. Tilt head back and look at the floor. Hold bridge. Walk forward and backwards in bridge. Tuck head in and come down onto back.

Back- Bend Practice

• Stand in front of a wall facing away from the wall.
• Reach your arms as tall as they can go, squeezing them close to your head.
• Reach back for the wall and walk your hands slowly down the wall until they touch the floor and you are in a bridge position.
• Hold bridge for 5 gymnastics.
• Start walking your hands back up the wall until you are back in your standing start position. Make sure your arms are straight and squeezed tight next to your head the whole time. 

 

 

SpiritKids Jump Drills

LEVEL 1+

Straight Jump

• Jump straight up with arms extended as high as they can go.
• Squeeze arms by ears.
• When in air body is tight and squeezed in a straight line.
• Legs, arms full body extended straight.
• When landing bend knees a little and feet should be together, do not move feet.
• Hold Ta-da position for three gymnastics.
• You should start and land in the same spot, jump straight up and straight down not forward or back.

 

Tuck Jump

• Practice by sitting on the floor in a tuck position (bend legs up towards chest, legs next to each other not crossed, point toes).
• Stand up straight arms extended tall, squeeze tight next to ears.
• Jump as high as you can, in air bend legs up towards chest in a tuck position, release legs and land.
• When landing bend knees a little and feet should be together, do not move feet.
• Hold Ta-da position for three gymnastics.
• You should start and land in the same spot, jump straight up and straight down not forward or back.

 

Straddle Jump

• Practice by sitting on the floor in a straddle (legs straight and in a V position, toes pointed).
• Stand up straight arms extended tall, squeeze tight next to ears.
• Jump up as high as you can, split legs apart (one right, one left), keep them straight, toes pointed, then bring them back together.
• When landing bend knees a little and feet should be together, do not move feet.
• Hold Ta-da position for three gymnastics. You should start and land in the same spot, jump straight up and straight down not forward or back.

 

LEVEL 2+

Split Jump

• Stand up straight arms extended tall, squeeze tight next to ears.
• Jump up as high as you can, split legs apart (one front, one back), keep them straight, toes pointed, then bring them back together.
• When landing bend knees a little and feet should be together, do not move feet.
• Hold Ta-da position for three gymnastics.
• You should start and land in the same spot, jump straight up and straight down not forward or back.

 

LEVEL 3+

Half Turn Jump

• Jump straight up with arms extended as high as they can go. Squeeze arms by ears.
• When in air body is tight and squeezed in a straight line and turn half way around landing facing the opposite way you started.
• Legs, arms full body extended straight.
• When landing bend knees a little and feet should be together, do not move feet.
• Hold Ta-da position for three gymnastics.
• You should start and land in the same spot, jump straight up and straight down not forward or back.

 

Full Turn Jump

• Jump straight up with arms extended as high as they can go. Squeeze arms by ears.
• When in air body is tight and squeezed in a straight line and turn all the way around, landing facing the same way you started.
• Legs, arms full body extended straight.
• When landing bend knees a little and feet should be together, do not move feet.
• Hold Ta-da position for three gymnastics.

You should start and land in the same spot, jump straight up and straight down not forward or back.