coachmolly
Coach
- Jan 18, 2009
- 2,990
- 3,124
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.
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.