Parents Blocks... How Long?

[GymMomK]

Hello! I've posted here a few times about dd's block/blocks. I've gotten some great advice from many people here! Thank you all sooooo much!!

Background-dd was level 9 last year, developed block on bhs bhs beam series during the season. Still made it to regionals, but fell apart there. Came back and developed a "block" on giants. Finally worked up her nerve last year to do baby giants and says she's ready to do giants with a spot?

Through the summer they did vaults into the pit and not on the "real vault". When it comes time to do them on the real vault after several weeks, dd now has a "block" on that. I guess it's good that she will still do it in the pit and the coaches are happy with the vault itself.

And then there is her full. She'll only do it with a coach standing close to her. She did a double back as a 9 and a full, too, so not sure what is going on.

Luckily, she has gotten over the bhs bhs series block, but she is still battling the others.

Dunno and others have mentioned vestibular. Does it make sense to be vestibular if she will do some things and not others? She has grown quite a bit over the summer and is becoming more womanly, curves, boobs, etc. She's 11. If any of that matters...

Her coaches have pretty much given up on her and think that she is ready to quit. She is way too stubborn and so am I. There is no option not to compete, which is something that I suggested. She does not want to quit and wants to push through her fear. I want her to do the same and am willing to allow her to stay as long as they'll have her.

I know there is no definite answer here, but is it too early to give up on her? Or have they given her enough time? It's only been 2-3 months for the giant block and the "real vault" block is a couple weeks old.

 

[GymBeeMom]

The real question is has she given up on herself? If she still believes in herself, I would try to hold out and believe in her too. Some years are better than others and a few months is not the end of the world. Really, she has time to spend at level 9 since she is only 11. I say don't throw in the towel yet...

 

[raenndrops]

Ok, so from the years I have been in the gym, I have noticed that blocks occur more in girls aged 10-12. They have 3 options when this happens:
1. Work through it... could mean taking a break from the skill (like you would do with an injury) and coming bk to it by relearning the progressions.
2. Ignore it. We have a gymnast with a back tumbling block that hit at 11. She is going to compete Xcel Platinum this season and has designed her routines to meet the requirements without back tumbling.
3. Quit. Both the gymnast I mentioned in #2 and my older gymmie quit for a bit after the block. #2 was out for a year and OG was out for 3 months. They both quit as L6 and both came back into the Xcel program... although both could have decided to go to New 6 this year. OG decided that she doesn't want to worry about needing a B until she gets the skills she used to have back It was what was right for her.

Older gymmie dealt with 3 different blocks that started at the age of 10 and within the course of 2 months... has gotten past the FT on floor block (said her steps were messed up after working with the "wrong" coach that always tried to get her to change things) ... is working on the RO-BHS-BT block (fell on her head/face in Feb 2012 and was scared to even attempt one until this summer. Now she can do it unspotted on the air track without a bunch of balks first)... and will be working on the Flyaway block after the gym gets into the new location -was suppose to be Sept, but looks more like it will be Oct. (Lost the flyaway after working with the same coach as the FT).