WAG Tips for higher casts?

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Ilovebagels

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My daughter is level 4 in the middle of her season and for some reason we are noticing her kip casts are getting worse, not better. Her casts were horizontal almost right after she got her kip about 6 months ago and have literally have been getting further and further away from horizontal over the past three months. I’ve showed her videos, she’s getting privates, but something is not computing. Any ideas of what she can think of her tell herself to get her heels up there?? Drills she can do at home?
 
You probably won’t find that here. Leave it to the coaches. If you don’t trust the coaches, find new coaches. The one thing I will ask is, has she had a growth spurt? If she has, they can very often affect her gymnastics. It can take time to catch up to that.
 
I have actually been struggling with that myself. Her coaches should help her with that, and sometimes I find it easier to think about every tiny movement in my body, and every muscle doing just what it needs to for me to get any skills. It sounds weird but it may help. Also, before she goes for the skill, she can try not thinking about it, just clearing her mind. Again, it seems crazy, but sometimes not thinking about it really helps. For me at least...
 
I have actually been struggling with that myself. Her coaches should help her with that, and sometimes I find it easier to think about every tiny movement in my body, and every muscle doing just what it needs to for me to get any skills. It sounds weird but it may help. Also, before she goes for the skill, she can try not thinking about it, just clearing her mind. Again, it seems crazy, but sometimes not thinking about it really helps. For me at least...

I’ll share that with her, thank you!
 
The thing is, there are so many different reasons her cast could be low (and probably double the number when you take the kip connection into account) so it's all shots in the dark from us. If anyone gives you advice to give her, it could hurt instead of help. Especially the advice of parents and gymnasts who can only parrot what we have heard from coaches.

My kid has battled lower-than-usual casts a few times and it's been a different reason and a different correction every time. She always got them back eventually.

I understand it is frustrating to watch her lose a skill in the middle of the season, when she had it at the beginning of the season. If she has a good bars coach, they're probably frustrated too and doing everything they can to help her. If she has a poor bars coach...well friend I have been there and I gave up on the private lessons because I realized nothing was really going to improve until she was getting good coaching ALL the time and not just 30 minutes a week. I was throwing my money away. Either way, there is not much a parent can do with a season in progress except have a glass of wine and say a silent prayer. :)
 
My 2 cents as a coach: you tell her you love her and are proud of her whatever she does, and that the skill will come given enough time.

Doing drills at home can only reinforce bad habits. Bad habits are hard to break, that is one big struggle for both coaches and the gymnasts. That is the number one reason I ask my gymnasts not to do any skills at home.

I do always encourage the kids to do strength and flexibilty at home, but please do not force her to do that. It could cause burn out because while you may not think it is, things like that can feel like pressure, especially when coming from a parent. They often even feel the pressure when it is a request (not an obligation) of the coach.

My guess is that she is dealing with a mental block. Best treatment of a mental block (also called an injury of the mind) is to take all pressure off, especially at home. Casts are scary skills even though they seem simple.

Het journey will (hopefully) be a long one, and there will always be a skill that is not coming as fast/pretty as you would like.. We as coaches have been trained and educated in dealing with that and everyone does that their own way. The only advice I have never heard a coach disagree with is ‘parents, stay out of it’. It is great that you want to be involved and learn about the sport, but this is not the way to do it.
 
Would love any actual tips! Thanks!
Yes, best tip ever. Let your child do gymnastics without hovering over her. The end result will be her quitting in a few years (or less) because it's not fun and pleasing you got really really old. Or worse she could develop anxiety and fear issues, none are good.... Gymnastics is already hard enough, you are making it harder and you are undermining your coaches actions . This also makes for extra nerves at competition.... I have been coaching team for over 20 years..... Everyone here is giving you same advice. listen to them, or your post next year will be, "My DD wants to quit, I think it's the coaches and I am taking to another gym"...
 

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