What is your gym's protocol for sending kids out to compete? Our gym requires you to have every skill in your routine, no spot, in order to compete that event. Otherwise, you scratch that event.
This year we're faced with a unique situation. We have two level 4s who are TERRIFIED of bars. They did fine in level 3. Great, even. Low to mid 9s throughout the season. Placed at state.
This year, however, with the transition of low bar to high bar, they are extremely scared. The thing is, they will technically do all the skills. They both have decent low bars. Straight arm kids, decent casts (a little below horizontal), and usually pretty clean squat-ons. However, once they jump to the high-bar, it's like they don't know what they're doing. They'll do a great squat-on, and then jump to the high bar all squatty, rush the kip and have bent arms. Scared to cast on the high-bar so the back-hip circle is all pike-y. They undershoot with there butt dropping (not because they can't do a fabulous undershoot on low bar...but because they're scared of doing it on the high bar), thus their tap swings are super little and their dismount has no amplitude whatsoever.
I don't know what to do. I've tried everything from putting a resi-pit under the high bar. I've hand-spotted them all summer on the high-bar. I've moved the bars in closer together. But now we're a month out from the first meet and I can't give them privates within practice. We have the entire other level 4 team that needs practice and I can't keep a resi underneath the high-bar when we only have two bar sets...and force the rest of the team to use that one bar set.
TECHNICALLY, they can get through a routine. But they hold back so much due to fear that everything is itty-bitty and their form sucks. Despite no falls, I except low 7s or even 6s. Do I still let them compete??? What would they gain from competing? Except being eligible for AA (but with scores that low, hardly so).
This year we're faced with a unique situation. We have two level 4s who are TERRIFIED of bars. They did fine in level 3. Great, even. Low to mid 9s throughout the season. Placed at state.
This year, however, with the transition of low bar to high bar, they are extremely scared. The thing is, they will technically do all the skills. They both have decent low bars. Straight arm kids, decent casts (a little below horizontal), and usually pretty clean squat-ons. However, once they jump to the high-bar, it's like they don't know what they're doing. They'll do a great squat-on, and then jump to the high bar all squatty, rush the kip and have bent arms. Scared to cast on the high-bar so the back-hip circle is all pike-y. They undershoot with there butt dropping (not because they can't do a fabulous undershoot on low bar...but because they're scared of doing it on the high bar), thus their tap swings are super little and their dismount has no amplitude whatsoever.
I don't know what to do. I've tried everything from putting a resi-pit under the high bar. I've hand-spotted them all summer on the high-bar. I've moved the bars in closer together. But now we're a month out from the first meet and I can't give them privates within practice. We have the entire other level 4 team that needs practice and I can't keep a resi underneath the high-bar when we only have two bar sets...and force the rest of the team to use that one bar set.
TECHNICALLY, they can get through a routine. But they hold back so much due to fear that everything is itty-bitty and their form sucks. Despite no falls, I except low 7s or even 6s. Do I still let them compete??? What would they gain from competing? Except being eligible for AA (but with scores that low, hardly so).