Coaches Mental Block

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sevenatenine2

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I have an athlete who is a Level 3 that struggles with her round off back handspring. She went through a period last year where she lost in completely. I researched the issue, understood the vestibular nature of it, and was VERY patient for about four months. We took it back to step one and she was no longer afraid. They are beautiful when she does them. She wanted to me to stand on the floor when she did them in her routine and I did but she's been great all year long. I've congratulated myself on working so well with her on it until she overcame the issue. :rolleyes:

UNTIL, last night, our last practice before STATE on Sunday and she did three beautiful ones in her routines. We were wrapping up the evening and I asked if there was anything anybody would like to run through a few more times. She said back handsprings so we went over and she completely balked. Remember, she'd just done them fine five minutes ago! I told her I would spot her but she would do 2 or 3 balks (round off, stop) per each time she would go. Finally, after one that she did with me spotting, I told her we were done because it was counter productive at that point, she was crying, etc.

I asked if she was stressed about state, what the problem was and she couldn't articulate it, only that on one of her first ones something popped and it scared her.

We have State on Saturday. Do I scratch her? Tell her to go and I will spot her, although there's no guarantee she won't roundoff and stop even if I'm there. I know this is just Level 3 gymnastics but this issue is now working on being two years old and I know she's frustrated and her parents are frustrated. She's ready to move on to bigger and better things (physically) and I REALLY don't want to have to start another four month long set of patient progressions when we need to be kipping and back handspring series-ing, etc.

Any advice? She's left me no time to work with her on it by doing this in the last fifteen minutes of the last practice before State. I'm just unsure how to handle it and want to be sure I'm doing what I can to help her. While her issues started at another gym, honestly, I'm also feeling like a bit of a failure of a coach right now, too!
 
Also the issues reside within the child right now. Gymnastics is hard! You cannot beat yourself up over anxiety.
 
I would have her try spotted in the warm up, also see if she will do a standing back handspring spotted first.

Can she do a standing back handspring on floor? Do you practice that?

Based on warmup:

1. Stand there in the meet, no big deal

2. She did not warm it up. Explain the various options: scratch, omit (explain the deduction she will receive, or do roundoff, stop, standing back handspring (explain deduction). You 'll probably have to explain these prior to the floor rotation since you won't have a lot of time. At that point I would ask her if she feels like she wants to attempt warmup or just leave it and when you get back to the gym do drills. If at that point she knows she wants to scratch or omit, I would go with that and not push it.

Personally we don't allow omitting, but some gyms do so just follow the policies on that.
 
Thanks, all. She did them fine in warmups. I stood there in competition but she stopped after her round off. :( I firmly told her to do her standing back handspring, which she CAN do, but I didn't know if she WOULD do. She did. The routine was gorgeous up to that point so she still got a high 8. Got through the meet and now back a few steps with the back handsprings.
 

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