My dd, who is now 9 years old, learned her BHS about 2 years ago. She did fine the first year and then this last year she started having hesitation and fear issues. We had switched cheer gyms so I attributed some of it to new coaches and a new environment. She was doing them off and on all last year at cheer but nothing really consistent. Since May, we decided to do gymnastics instead, because she wanted to try something new and she was feeling rushed at cheer. Plus the coaches at cheer didn't seem like they were getting through to her or making any progress.
Since being at the gymnastics gym, she has improved considerably. Her coach is wonderful and very patient with her and my dd feels very confortable with her. Her coach says that she is perfectly capable of doing the skill, it is just her mind not leting her. She says that it is often very difficult to get kids to overcome their fear because the child has to believe they can do it. Some days she will do standing BHS's all by herself on a mat but still hesitates when she is spotted for the RO BHS. But I have noticed that the hesitation is definitely diminishing. Some days she has good days and some days are not as good.
Today was not a good day. She was very frustrated because she kept hesitating in the standing BHS even with a spot. She seems to have trouble with her "sit" and "arm swing". She ends up sitting too low and then loses her balance and falls on her butt. I can tell that when she does do a BHS, her arm swing is strong and she follows through. It's just that hesitation right before she throws her arms back that is messing her up.
Are there any drills that she can do at home that will help her, or is this just a mental/self confidence issue that she has to resolve on her own. Are their any confidence boosters that will help her overcome this? Should I even have her working on drills at home or just let it be and let her work on them at practices at the gym? I want to help her, but I don't want to put pressure on her either.
Please help--any advice would be appreciated.
Since being at the gymnastics gym, she has improved considerably. Her coach is wonderful and very patient with her and my dd feels very confortable with her. Her coach says that she is perfectly capable of doing the skill, it is just her mind not leting her. She says that it is often very difficult to get kids to overcome their fear because the child has to believe they can do it. Some days she will do standing BHS's all by herself on a mat but still hesitates when she is spotted for the RO BHS. But I have noticed that the hesitation is definitely diminishing. Some days she has good days and some days are not as good.
Today was not a good day. She was very frustrated because she kept hesitating in the standing BHS even with a spot. She seems to have trouble with her "sit" and "arm swing". She ends up sitting too low and then loses her balance and falls on her butt. I can tell that when she does do a BHS, her arm swing is strong and she follows through. It's just that hesitation right before she throws her arms back that is messing her up.
Are there any drills that she can do at home that will help her, or is this just a mental/self confidence issue that she has to resolve on her own. Are their any confidence boosters that will help her overcome this? Should I even have her working on drills at home or just let it be and let her work on them at practices at the gym? I want to help her, but I don't want to put pressure on her either.
Please help--any advice would be appreciated.
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