Expert: Robert Davis - 6/30/2009

Question
My 8 yr old daughter made the level 4 team at the beginning of June. She practices 4 days a week, 3-4 hrs/day. At the end of every practice they stretch and do oversplits. She cries for this last 5-10 minutes of every class and says the oversplits are very painful. This never used to be an issue. Last night, I asked one of the coaches and they mentioned that it was because she is gaining muscle and getting stronger, which tightens her muscles? Does that sound right? What can I do to help her through this?

Answer
Hi Cassie,
Yes when you gain muscle sometimes flexibility suffers a bit, but stretching in a more relaxed environment (like at home watching TV) would probably be more helpful than 5-10 minutes of a stretching cram session after practice.  

You might suggest she try stretching at home (with no pre-determined time limits) while reading or doing homework or watching TV or playing video games, in order to help her do stretching more easily after practices.
Regards,
Robert