Coaches Re-teaching a Flyaway

[coachmolly]

I coach a kid that I had been slowly teaching a flyaway, heavily spotting, and waiting to let her go on her own until I knew she was ready. I was away for 2 days, returned to a meet and found out she had learned how to do a flyaway in 2 days and would be competing it that day . She did it, but was very close to the bar, basically landing under the bar. Upon returning to practice, I ventured to try to fix it up. She hit her toe on the bar, even with me pulling her shoulder away, and then hit her foot on the bar. She was confused as to why this was happening as it hadn't before and I had to explain it was just a matter of time with how she was doing it- essentially doing the beginning part of a skin the cat before letting go. The final one she did her toes were basically contacting the bar before she let go.
She's a very mental gymnast and very worked up about it. There is no pressure for her to learn the skill. Before she stopped doing them completely, I set a spotting block by the low bar and had her lie on it, holding the bar as if she were in the upward part of a tap swing and positioned her to where she should be when she lets go, hoping that feeling that position would help, but to no avail (I say that because she told me she was not able to translate that position into her swing). At least not at the moment. I plan to continue doing that, as well as giving her verbal cues while doing tap swings (without the flyaway), but am hoping for some other ideas to help her rebuild confidence and build herself back up to a flyaway done correctly. We don't have extra mats beyond a 12in. porta pit type mat and spotting block. She's not a big girl, but is a high schooler. So I can hold/spot her body weight pretty well, though obviously not the same way I could with an 8 year old. But drills involving heavy spotting would be very doable. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

oh bummer, I hate it when they do that.... Just go back to tap and layout timer in your hands, then flip her every once in a while when she isn't expecting it(one hand on back of neck other under hamstrings).. Also doing them from a cast (I know crazy huh) sometimes helps a lot for kids to understand the flyaway.

 

[iwannacoach]

She's trying to do the fly away by pulling with her arms to get her legs around........ or she hangs on until her knees rotate too far and no effort to remain extended.

You said spotting her isn't a problem, so try a correction I've used that helps solve the problem. Have her lay on her back with both her hips and knees bent at 90 degrees. Tell her to hold that position while you try to mess up that shape by pulling, pushing, and turning or lifting her her legs in all directions. She should stay tight enough that your efforts affect her entire body all the way to her shoulders, and if you were on a slippery floor you'd be able to push or pull her and slide her around with out changing her shape.

Work tap swings into that position with a stop when her back is level to the floor. If she consistently holds her shape during that drill, she's probably ready to hear....... "You can do this if your force yourself to make this change while you do your fly away."..... or something resembling this...... "Who do you enjoy most, nice people or mean people." She'll say nice people, and you'll ask something like this "Would you call stranger who walked into the gym and prevented you from learning a flyaway a nice person or more like a mean person." She'll say more like a mean person, and you'll say something like "Ok, so how about you being nice to yourself by concentrating on the shape while swinging into the release and holding it during the flight, and then all three of you can go home happier and nicer than ever."

That process sometimes helps them get over the feeling that they are a victim of a skill they could learn it if would just let them. Sure, they're victims, and sometimes they get inspired to make a tough change when they realize they haven't been very supportive of themselves, and that you're knowing the "condition" tells them they aren't the only one to have learned that lesson.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

three basic swings to let go. start over.

 

[Gymsanity]

"Who do you enjoy most, nice people or mean people." She'll say nice people, and you'll ask something like this "Would you call stranger who walked into the gym and prevented you from learning a flyaway a nice person or more like a mean person." She'll say more like a mean person, and you'll say something like "Ok, so how about you being nice to yourself by concentrating on the shape while swinging into the release and holding it during the flight, and then all three of you can go home happier and nicer than ever."

Very nice, I like it!

 

[iwannacoach]

"Who do you enjoy most, nice people or mean people." She'll say nice people, and you'll ask something like this "Would you call stranger who walked into the gym and prevented you from learning a flyaway a nice person or more like a mean person." She'll say more like a mean person, and you'll say something like "Ok, so how about you being nice to yourself by concentrating on the shape while swinging into the release and holding it during the flight, and then all three of you can go home happier and nicer than ever."

Very nice, I like it!

Do yourself a favor kid, and stop listening to to that mean kid.

Huh, whose being mean to me?

The one who keeps telling you you're not good enough to do the skill....... you.

 

[pamred4]

Get her to do the tapp swings while you spot and simply say let go when she should let go! This is how I learned mine!