Parents Hi CB Parents and crew!! I need a little advice about, well.... taking advice.

[Tim_Dad]

Hello CB!!! Woot woot! Wow have things changed! I'm still learning this "new" look.

Cutting to the chase:
DD Nastia, L5, 11 YO.

Nastia's year is going fine, but my concern is her taking and accepting coach corrections. Her coaches are making the same corrections over and over and over, and Nastia will make the adjustment once, and then go back to same ol same ol. This is fine, and almost expected for the first few months, but 7 months into L5 seems to pushing the limit of tolerance.

For example, She has this thing about grabbing the bar with her hands too close together during her kip. She literally can't fit her body between her hands when coming up to front support, and is forced to make the adjustment mid-routine. It's become second nature for her. You can see the frustrations on her bar coaches face when this happens. You can see it on my face. On Nastia's face, we see.. "What?? I thought that was pretty good?!"

All in all, Her progress in some areas is getting stalled, and I "think" it's because shes taking coach corrections as "suggestions" rather then required fixes. DW and I have been pretty zip-lipped about things, allowing the coaches to manage their athletes. In my last conversation with the HC, basically she said exactly the same thing. She's doing OK, but less then expected, and it's because she's not absorbing corrections. In fairness, the coaches have 48 members on team. So we've been trying pvt lessons when we can for more one-on-one time.

Soooooo... what to do??? I need some type of magic Elixir, 5 gallons should about do it, to dump on Nastias head and at the same time, bop her on the head with the bucket!! I just don't know if there is anything I can say - or should say, but I'm open to ideas.

Is it just a "time-will-tell" thing, or is there something I can do to help "motivate" expectations.

 

[NGL780309]

Our DD's are different age/level so I'm not sure my thoughts really apply. My DD is 6 and just started Level 5. She often has to be corrected a zillion times to fix something. For her I think it's how much effort she's giving at that moment. She knows what she's supposed to do, but doesn't always think about it. So she'll correct something if the coaches are standing right there and tell her, but at her next practice she'll forget and go back to the old way. I'm thinking specifically about her handstand on beam. She will often have really lazy arms and not lever in and out of it. As soon as they remind her she does it and it looks great, but then next practice she'll do it wrong again. It's frustrating as a parent for sure, but I try to just stay out of it. Don't think I don't want to shout down and remind her what the coach just told her, but I figure she'll get it eventually.

 

[standsonherhands]

I wonder if the directions might be given in a different way so she understands, or be given with an explanation for why the correction would help her. For example, my dd's split leaps should have been better all season given her flexibility. After a season of the same correction - "when you do your split leap, kick your front leg higher," she never looked much better on that skill. Today my dd did the most beautiful split leaps of her life. Why? New coach saying, "when you do your split leap you need to bring your back leg up higher into a split." I think old coach was thinking more height would fix it, but my dd never understood the need to push back the back leg up in the air. I complimented her on her beautiful leaps today, and she told me this story about how she was always confused about why she never got better, but this coach told her exactly how to fix it. She went on to say that on bars old coach always said "do your front hip circle faster," but new coach said on the front hip circle " snap faster now!" Glad to say she is liking her new coach. Good luck with getting those corrections!

 

[MdGymMom01]

Hi Tim_Dad!!! Long time no see!!! It's good to hear from you. My dd, age 12 Level 5 (MDL Lv B) is the same way. It takes her a while and many many repetitions to fix any corrections. Maybe what the coaches need to do for Nastia is turn it into a drill or a game. They can wrap the bar with colored foam pre-wrap the appropriate width needed for her correct positioninging, and have her do glide swings grabbing the bar on the OUTSIDES of the pre-wrap. That way, she can visually see where she needs to place her hands and just repeat this process over and over again untill it it drilled into her head!!! LOL. Her muscles need to imprint this new memory. Maybe coach can have her come in 15 early or stay 15 min late to work on this drill so as not to take up the other teammates time. It's worth a shot! And sometimes the more creative the drill--the better it will sink in for these kids!!! Good luck!!!

 

[Gymnasticgrandkids]

First off, MdGymMom01 is right on track...I was going to suggest something like that and that is perfect. I believe that these kids just sometimes "space out"...they hear it alright...they just forget it before it hardly passes through their brains...having said that....the next thing I would do (as your DD is old enough to understand this as opposed to the 6 year old)...is to tell her that a coach will only repeat and repeat for so long, and then they decided that the gymnast doesn't care and the coach will begin to lose interest in that gymnast, at least on that element so she really needs to listen and take the correction to heart before that happens. As you said, they have 48 members on the team and they can't devote all the attention to someone who is not paying attention. Good Luck...she probably just has other things on her mind, after all, she's "almost" in her teens...where she will really space out. he he

 

[gymnut1]

No suggestions Tim Dad but great to hear from you. Your amusingnesses have been missed.

 

[gymjourneymom]

OMG!! Tim Dad we've missed you around these here parts!!! Welcome back!!!! Ok now I'll read your post. I was just so excited to see your name I had to get that out!!!

 

[gymjourneymom]

So happy to see Nastia is still in the sport & a L5! When we hadn't heard from you in so long I was afraid she had retired from the sport.

As for your question about taking corrections, I think MGM has offered a great suggestion! Other than that I will offer the idea that maybe it is because she is hearing the same correction over & over in the same way. Maybe she needs a shake up, a fresh set of eyes & a new voice talking to her. I'm not suggesting anything too drastic though. Maybe just some privates with different coaches at her gym, so she can hear some other coaches perspectives.

We actually found this out by accident & it did help my DD. She has her fav coach that she normally does privates with & one day that coach had car trouble & didn't make it to the gym. Another coach filled in. One that normally doesn't ever work my DD. Well, my DD was so excited after that private specifically because she heard some things(corrections & tips) that she normally didn't hear.

Different people have different coaching styles, tending to have their fav things that they focus on(even within the same gym). Sometimes it just takes that fresh set of eyes & a new voice(wording etc.) to get the message delivered.

I'll also ask my DD(she's almost 16yrs old now!) if she has any suggestions for you. Good luck to Nastia! And don't be a stranger around here! Hope you & your family are all doing well!!!

 

[gym law mom]

Tim_Dad, don't have much advice but wanted to say welcome back! Last I read Nastia was L4 and now here she is at 11 and L5. The age could enter into what is happening. Somewhere around 10-12, these kids decide to be rather independent and can get it in their heads that they know more than the coach(been there). Have you and coack talked with her that these corrections are not suggestions, but that the coach really means change what you are doing? As others have said kids do learn differently. It may take hearing the same correction from another coach who explains things in a way that Nastia understands, it might take a visual correction as was mentioned or a physical one---actually have the coach postion her hands everytime she's off until it starts to click. Obviously some of this more one on one work would either have to be during a private or before/after her regular practice.
Sometimes having an older/higher level gymnast she looks up to coming over to help works.
Hope things work out for Nastia. Stay in touch with us.

 

[marie83]

Having skimmed through some of the replies, I have to agree that it could be an age thing too! I have one 11yr old in my group. She has a similar attitude, particularly with her squat on on bars - she thinks it is ok to look at the bar where she wants to put her feet and put her knees apart - she falls off every single time. I tell her to look ahead, and keep her knees together, she does it once or twice, is successful, then next session it's back to knees apart and falling off! I think gym law mom sums it up nicely in that they are becoming more independent. I've had to be quite tough with my 11yr old. I've had to tell her that it is up to her to make these changes and remember them, otherwise she won't be entered into any competitions, and might risk losing her place in the group, or even the squad. I know that might sound harsh, but it does seem to work (Well, at least it did with every other skill, but she still struggles with the darn squat on!)

Having said that, you know your own daughter and I might be way off! I think it would be worth you and your wife having a chat with her and asking her why she is finding it difficult to remember to make corrections - sometimes gymnasts don't understand what a coach wants (I'm pretty sure it is difficult to misinterpret "put your hands wider" though!) However, it is a possibility!
It might help if a different coach told her and also if it was said in different ways such as "put your hands wider" rather than "your hands are too close together"
It may just need drilling in over and over - perhaps there could be some sort of consequence if she doesn't make the correction each time such as not getting to finish the routine or move on to a more exciting skill which the other team members get to do?!

Good Luck!

 

[staceyb]

My old gym used to use pipe insulation cut to the width their hands needed to be for kips and squat ons, its cheap and can be taken on and off the bar easily and doesn't damage it or the girls.

 

[mariposa]

Hi TimDad! Nice to see you!!

As to Nastia, I think leaving it with the coaches is the way to go. I do think that the coaches could maybe do some more creative things to help her fix things, as mentioned above (maybe take those ideas to the private lesson coach?). My DDs coaches think of fun ways to improve skills and I think it makes all the difference. Even the more serious gymnasts enjoy it.

I think maybe a one time pep talk from you/mom to Nastia would be okay, too, maybe just talking to her about the fact that coaches can give corrections, but only she can take them and make them stick. She is old enough to realize that the little things are really big things and after that conversation (maybe one from the coach, too) the ball will be in her court. I am sure my kiddo could do much better if she brought everything the coaches teach her to meets, she usually just brings a few things, LOL. It is her sport and I support her as long as she is working hard and happy. Not every kid will be "the best", it is okay. The best usually have a lot of drive and they work hard on all the little things (that we all know are HUGE things).

 

[Deleted member D3987]

if she doesn't get it by 14 we'll all have to come up with a solution. lol! this is so gymnastics normal. lol.

 

[cathiann]

I, too, would leave it up to the coaches to handle--at most I'd ask them if they want you to reinforce anything at home or talk to her about listening. Just wondering--does she ever watch herself on video? Beth would never believe that her toes weren't pointed or her legs weren't straight until she saw video of herself--after that she worked really hard to get things pointed and straightened!