Recently, as I watched a preschool class, I suddenly thought, “Wait…Should we be asking for permission to spot preschoolers?!”
The coach I was watching was safe and positive, and the spot was perfectly done. The child didn’t seem to mind, but I couldn’t help but wonder…was that okay with them?
I couldn't stop thinking about whether we should be doing something differently. So, for the next year, I went on a mission to figure out what supporting body autonomy in the gym looks and sounds like in a preschool gym setting.
I talked with gym owners and directors, took notes at pediatrician visits (with my own kids), ran my idea by a social worker, and read articles on darknesstolight.org.
Next, I practiced various versions of the language I felt was appropriate in the gym while I was on the floor with my own classes until I landed on what worked.
The results were amazing.
The approach and language I purposefully crafted empowers kids and is simple for me. Now, I ask every child that I teach for their consent before I spot them.
Hear More About Consent to Spot
I talked about body autonomy in this episode of The Joy In Gymming podcast (including the exact script I use in the gym). Here's what I covered in that episode:
What actually is "body autonomy"?
How should we ask preschoolers for consent to spot them?
WHAT HAPPENS IF/WHEN THEY SAY NO?! :)
What about toddlers?!
Body Autonomy is one of the core training classes in Preschool Coaches League. Not a PCL member and want to join? Jump on the waitlist now.
What is Body Autonomy?
Body Autonomy is the concept that individuals have the right to control what does or does not happen to their bodies.
Understanding boundaries makes us more mindful about how we interact with children.
Everyone has the right to decide who touches their body and when (and, inversely, who does NOT get to). Even preschoolers.
As I mentioned earlier, supporting preschoolers’ body autonomy is happening in the pediatrician’s office, preschools, daycares, and the early childhood care and sports industries.
As leaders, we must find new ways to balance children’s needs for warmth and affection with safe, respectful interactions. Asking for consent to spot is the best way to achieve this.
A slide from Preschool Coaches League Body Autonomy lesson.
Adding Body Autonomy To The Way We Spot Preschool Gymnasts
Asking for consent to spot, and honoring a preschooler’s body autonomy, is likely easier and faster to implement in your lessons and coaching than you might think.
After all, I’ve already worked out the approach and language for you. Simply take what I’ve vetted and use it in your own gym. Here’s how…
As a coach shows the class what to do, they can support gymnasts by asking if it’s all right to spot them. This is the exact script I use (please adopt it):
A script for coaches from PCL's Body Autonomy lesson.
Another slide from PCL's Body Autonomy lesson.
““Is it okay with you if I put my hands on your hips to help?””
When they come to your station, you repeat a version of this phrase by saying: “Is it okay with you if I put my hands on your hips to help?”
If A Child Says “No” to a Spot…
This is the most obvious question here, right?
Coaches will need to anticipate that some kids will say “no” (however, in my experience, few do if you’ve followed my script above"). But if they do, the answer for what to do is simple...
We shift the plan to the next best thing to keep them safe.
Add/remove a mat or prop (beam).
Change the station to something they can complete independently.
Use magic and happily redirect to a safer skill.
Creating Empowered Children
Everyone has a right to say who gets to touch their body — even in a sport like gymnastics.
It was a real eye-opener when it dawned on me that we should have been doing this all along. And once I dug in, did the research to get it right, and made it a priority in my own teaching, it was a lot easier and more natural than I thought it would be.
Change can be hard, especially in ourselves. It’s easy to find comfort in doing things the way we’ve always done them.
But consent to spot is a small thing that will make a big difference in the lives of the kids we see every week. And, it’s the next evolution of how we build strong, empowered children.
To learn more about body autonomy, why it's important in your gym, and to get tips for how to implement it with different age levels, this episode of The Joy In Gymming podcast is a must-listen.