Coaches Mental Block: Back Giant

[Short Balding Guy]

What do you do to address mental blocks? Please add to this thread any suggestion you have regarding mental blocks.

I plan to use the suggestions to assist my L9 USA Gymnastics competitor who is balking and cannot do back giants. She is a 2 event state champion, placed at recent Regional meet, is starting to be actively recruited for college gymnastics and is an excellent athlete / student. Early summer she stopped doing giants.

To battle the block, the athlete and I, have been working thru the "Head Games" material, Link Removed provided by Alison Arnold. I have started progressions thru the "big" swings, starting at long swing pull-overs, cast dismounts and strap bar giants. We have yet to make it to long swing pull-overs or "baby giants." The anxiety and fear have not let us get further. The past month I have been better making the time and set-up for repititions. Repititions are up. Mental Choreography has focused on transfering the giants she can do on strap bar to UB's.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you could provide, or links to materials, techniques you have used with your athletes.

Best wishes to you and your athletes in training and competitions.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I ignore them. seriously.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's vestibular. something has changed. what precisely is she afraid of??

 

[iwannacoach]

Was this an instant change or did she slowly struggle her way out of being able to do them.... like everything was fine on Wednesday and nothing worked on Thursday.

Were there new skills being chatted up in the weeks before this happened?

Had she learned a bunch of new skills on any/all events in the months before the giants went away?

Is there anything about the equipment or facility that's even slightly changed..... from a new set or location placement all the way down the brand of chalk, grips, wristbands, lighting, mat color, wall color, background noise/music?

Is there anyone new in the gym..... parents watching, not watching, a new kid in the training group, a new kid from a different gym, a new coach?

Is she going from middle school to high school, or planning a big year of course studies?

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Thanks for taking the time to post replies coaches.

CoachP; I do not understand. Ignore the mental block. If I ignore the mental block the athlete does not giant. If a large part of gymnastics is mental, should I not train the mental stength/agility to master this internediate skill performed by this advanced athlete? I will think about your suggestion more.

Dunno; Vestibular - (movement and body awareness) yes. The mind controls the body. A mind out of control, can not control the body. After Regions and Nationals we started alternating basic set days and exploring new skills days. The day it started we were doing basic skills including giants.

Iwwanna; I have thought the moment of mental block and the enviornment out many times the last months. Usually during the drive home or in the evening at my home office. The pressure to compete over and looking forward to new skills is what I can see. School, family and social are stable. The best I can see is the internal pressure to be excellent. She is driven to succeed and be excellent. Self critical, self driven athletes are terrific, but need strong boundaries. Do you suggest trying to mentlaly and physically going to a successfull giant moment? If so, we have been watching previous vids of her doing giants well.

Mental blocks feed on emotions. It remains my goal to be non-emotional, confident and having belief. It is work to do this for these many months.

I have re-read my comments above and they can on the surface read as defensive. Please do not mis-read me. I ask for the collective expertise or experience humbly.

Humble, Short Blalding Guy -

 

[Deleted member 14190]

CoachP; I do not understand. Ignore the mental block. If I ignore the mental block the athlete does not giant. If a large part of gymnastics is mental, should I not train the mental stength/agility to master this internediate skill performed by this advanced athlete? I will think about your suggestion more.
==

She needs time to heal, mentally. More attention given, the more anxiety will build up. Put her in strap bar for giants and have her work everything else on the regular set. Propose a routine that does not include giants, giver her an "out". Once she has an alternative choice, the stress and importance of this particular skill will go away and she will have a better chance at doing them again.
Can she do freehip to toe shoot (or stalder) straight into dismount? no giants...

 

[iwannacoach]

Absolutely go low key. I really agree with coachp about giving her control of what she's training to compete as that will eliminate any sublime defenses she may not be aware of. I think time is your best tool in all of this and I would use it to hone her skills she already has, and to work on her strengths. The bottom line is that if she stay's constructively busy it will all even out in the end.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

and go back to doing baby giants as her basics. not the back circle kind. the clear hip kind.

once she can again perform the baby giant in clear support, have her do a clear hip right out of that.

she'll find her body and her grip again this way. might take a couple of weeks.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Thanks folks. I am working up lesson plans today and am optimistic for the week.

SBG -