balking

[BarCoach]

I'm wondering how other coaches, gyms, gymnasts deal with this. Do you have a limit as to how many times you are allowed to attempt skills without going for them? Are there specific ways you overcome the fear? What can the coaches do?

We have a level 8/9 who is terrified of back tumbling. She broke her elbow a few years ago on bars, and while it was healing she couldn't do any tumbling. When she was finally allowed to do it, she was scared of it. Now, on a good day, she can do layouts and the occasional full. But on other days she sometimes won't even go for a round-off back handspring. I don't know what to do. Also, anyone know what the deduction is for doing a routine with no back tumbling?

 

[gymfan4ever95]

I have a really bad problem with balking myself, and it is beyond frustrating. Its almost like I just can't get myself to go. I guess I just overthink things too much, especially on floor! What my coach would do is that I had to do 5 of my tumbling pass in a row, or it doesn't count. But it got to where I would never finish my tumbling, though. That worked for me at first! Now, I just have to tell myself that I don't want to dissapoint my coach by not going and I don't want to disappoint myself.

My coach also helps me deal with the frustration of not going because, like I said, it is very frustrating. Once you are frustrated, nothing good comes out of it and you won't get anything accomplished.

But I guess I haven't really overcome my balking issue yet...but I am hoping someone else will have good advice that will also help me!

 

[tweeters]

I feel as though I have a lot of experience and wisdom with this issue because I've dealt with fear on back tumbling, with a wide variety of coaches. Some of them have been better at helping me, and some have been more of a hindrance. Granted, this is only what worked for me, and may not apply to everyone.

Okay, so the first thing that helped was developing a key set of words to say every time I tumble. Also, visualization outside of practice helps too. I can't speak for everyone, but I think a lot of fear comes from not being able to envision yourself successfully completing the skill before you go. While it's not always possible to get over this hump, having the key words to say while actually going has really helped me because it gives me no time to think about the fact that I don't know exactly how it's going to feel to do whatever skill I'm attempting.

Secondly, the coach I had that dealt with my fears the best was also probably the most intimidating to me. I don't know that it's something you can learn (as a coach), but for whatever reason, it was/is very important to me not to disappoint him. Generally though, the way he deals with it not by yelling or even getting upset, but by simply sending me back to where I will go for the skill. Either onto a resi, on the tramp or tumble trak, with a spot, etc. Or we back up entirely and do the skill progression before the move I'm having trouble with. While I hate moving backwards, it can be a confidence booster, and I am almost always able to complete the assignment. In the past, other coaches I had would continue to make me try to go for the skill over and over again. The thing with mental blocks is that generally if they are true mental blocks it doesn't get easier every time. It may even get harder...so the continual attempts just make it seem like an impossible task. This method eventually led to me being scared of more and more skills.

For example, my fear started out when I was a club gymnast. I was scared to twist on floor. At one point it got so bad that I was scared to do a RO BHS BT. If I had had the coach I have now, I seriously doubt it ever would have gone that far. We would have either stuck to layouts or found a place where I would do fulls (into the pit, on the tramp, etc). Instead I was forced to repeatedly go for a full. I inevitably stopped too many times for my coach's patience and was told to do a layout. The fear had become so prevalent in my brain that I'd have trouble going for a layout. Then a back tuck. It was horrible.

Anyway, I have to wrap this up as I've got to go do cardio, but my point is that continually making a gymnast "try" a skill over and over is incredibly detrimental and while it takes an ENORMOUS amount of patience, allowing the gymnast to back up and feel successful is key in keeping the mental block in check. It takes a special coach to read the gymnast well enough to know when a push is necessary and when to back off, but that is truly the key to getting the best out of a gymnast with a mental block.

 

[newt1997]

Balking??

help i am confused
does balking mean not going for a move or having a mental block.
In the UK we call it bailing!

 

[gymfan4ever95]

help i am confused
does balking mean not going for a move or having a mental block.
In the UK we call it bailing!

Yes, balking is not going for a skill.

 

[BarCoach]

Tweeters, thanks for your post. Did your coach have you move back to a spot you felt comfortable as soon as you didn't go for it, or did you get a few tries first?

 

[tweeters]

Tweeters, thanks for your post. Did your coach have you move back to a spot you felt comfortable as soon as you didn't go for it, or did you get a few tries first?

It depends on the day. Generally, I know when I'm having a scared day and will say what I need. Example: "Coach, I'm scared today. Will you please spot my first one?" or "I'm feeling nervous today, can I do my second pass onto the resi in my routine?" Sometimes he says yes and sometimes he says no, but he always has a reason and will share that reason with me if I ask.

When the issue first started cropping up I was really frustrated and wasn't sure how to tell him about my fear. He doesn't really like talking a lot, so I didn't want to get into a long conversation. So I didn't go for one of my tumbling passes a couple times in a row and then he stopped me and told me I had no choice but to go backwards a step, even though I was trying to convince him that he should give me one more chance. The truth is, I WANTED to try it again, but I'm not sure I actually would have done it on that 3rd try. It's a credit to my coach that he was able to read that from me and make the right decision. Like I said before, not something I believe you can teach, but a very valuable skill to have as a coach.

Anyway, if I were in the situation you described I would tell the girl her assignment for that day, and if she balks once, tell her she has one more shot. If she balks again, send her back to what she will do. Actually though, I'd give her the two shots and then I'd send her back to something you are absolutely positive she will do the first time, not necessarily the skill preceding the one she balked on.

It might go something like this:

Suzy balks on RO BHS 1/1 one time.

You say, "Suzy, you have one more chance to go for your full." (Don't tell her what she will be sent back to. As weird as it sounds, she could "decide" at that moment that she'll be scared of that skill as well).

Suzy balks on 1/1 a second time.

You say, "Suzy, I want you to do 5 RO BHS BTs, then come talk to me."

You see how that goes. If she's doing well on that, send her to do 5 layouts. Then you give her a choice- 5 fulls on tumble track/into pit/onto resi or 5 fulls on the floor. Let it totally be her choice. Don't encourage her one way or another and let her feel the success of completing that assignment. Then move on to whatever else she has to do.

The next time, you have to remember her disposition the last time and make a decision as to whether you start her out at a comfort spot for her (onto the resi, tumble trak, etc.) or whether her confidence indicates she's capable of doing a "normal" assignment.

While it's okay to show disappointment, I think it's also important to move on from that if there's a day that doesn't go well. She has to know that you support her, but will not let either you or her be manipulated by her fear. Both of you are in control, and can turn a bad day into a day with some level of success.

I hope that helps, and sorry I got so long-winded!

 

[gymgramma]

ck out Doc Ali's site Headgames. you can search for her here on chalkbucket too quite a few posts about her articles and how well they work

 

[BarCoach]

gymgramma, I couldn't find any of those posts. Do you have the links?

 

[gymch34]

we have a 3 strike rule. The most important thing is the gymnast knows this up front, and you implement it w/ out emotion (anger). The most important thing regarding balking is to STOP the gymnast going for the skill until they are truly ready. If they keep balking they are practicing balking.
I TOPs kid this year totally freak out on me, she was going to do a L8/9 season but instead is competing another year of L7. She lost all her skills on every event and is just getting back her L7 skills. We had to be VERY patient, set her up w/ agood plan and sit back and let her lead the way. We scratched her form the first few meets so she would not feel any rush. It has worked very well so far, but it was very hard for us as coaches to watch. It killed the kid too, as even she didnt know what was happening to herself! Her parents were very supportive as well.

 

[coachmolly]

It is really such an individual situation. What works for one kid might do absolutely nothing for another. So it's important to get to know the gymnast and what's going on in their head, at least as much as possible. For lower levels, my biggest problem is kids bailing in the middle of a skill (usually bhs) which is a major issue and the first thing to overcome. If they are uncomfortable I would rather have than not go for the skill at all or go back to the basics than freaking out in the middle and getting hurt. So that's the first hurdle we work through. It happens at higher levels, but I think at that time they generally know the severity of it.
Also, fears are a very real thing and very hard for the gymnast. Even if they have absolutely no reason to fear a skill, it's so important to be patient. Rationality can work for some kids (ie. "you've done this skill a million times and never had a problem"), for some it makes no difference. What they are experiencing is very real and very frustrating and making a coach upset will only further exacerbate the problem. Let them work at their own pace, spend as long as they need to working on progression skills/drills, and letting them no there is no rush. Feeling pressure can help some kids do the feared skill, but there are no guarantees the problem won't come back when the pressure is off. Time and patience are really the key.
Sometimes the way you word a skill can be magical. I had a teammate in level 5 who could only do ro-bhs-bhs if the coach told her to do "one and then another". It was the same thing, but the different words made her feel much more comfortable. I had bizarre little words or phrases I would say to myself before I would go which worked for me, it really just depends on the individual.
Spotting helps some, for others going back to the tramp/tumble track or into the pit. But don't let the fear get to far. If they've bulked a few times in a row, take a few steps back right away. Don't let it go on for a few weeks and let the problem develop even further.

 

[gymdog]

I once got good advice that if a kid doesn't do something twice (or does it way wrong, etc) you need to move back to an earlier progression. Otherwise it's counterproductive. I think this is something most coaches need to internalize. Some people seem to think they can yell their way to progressions.

Since we're talking specifically about tumbling, I instruct the kids to use a rhythm (hands 1, feet 2, etc). They also need to come up with something to think when they go. They can't think something different every time. They can't think "I'm not really going to do this." This is important.

Take it back. Standing back handsprings in a row. Roundoff back handspring set. RO BHS BT. Don't LET her tell you "she'll try" until you're satisfied. Trying and failing is the worst thing you can let them do because it's one more mental strike. If I know a kid is not likely to go, I don't even allow an attempt. And for example, on beam, I instruct the kids never to get in their "prep" position until they KNOW they are going to go. You don't want to be at that point where you know you're not ready but you go through the motions anyway. It becomes a terrible self fulfilling prophecy. Wait even a little longer past that point where she's eager to do it.

Using combinations of those techniques and some others I successfully managed some serious issues through an optional career, and have brought some kids (some I wasn't coaching at the time - don't be afraid to bring someone else over to break the cycle if you think it might help) through some serious blocks.

If it persists, make a plan in writing that she's involved in. She needs to come up with a realistic timeline of how she will get past the block. This is a very successful technique in my experience. I don't push the kid saying "this meet is this date." I tell them "tell me what you can do and how you're going to do it." Guide but don't insist (unless you think a progression is too unrealistically a big step).

 

[Flippers Mom]

Flipper hit a block last year and balked at back tumbling on floor (could still do her back handspring on beam). In hindsight, she says it started when she developed a lot of power in her tumbling and felt out of control. Her HC helped her work through it - but it took time and lots of tears.

First - they went back to basics and relearned the skills as if she had never done them before (lots of spotting). It also helped her a lot to think about each of the steps involved in completing each skill (i.e. tuck hips, pull knees in, etc.), just going through the list each time she did the skill seemed to take her mind off the fear. At the very beginning she needed two coaches spotting her to feel safe, then back to one spotter, then just one hand, then a finger or just standing there. Finally, she let them start moving a couple of steps away, then to the edge of the floor and finally completely removed from coaches. Flipper was frustrated enough for everybody. The coaches were exceedingly patient and tried very hard not to show frustration and let Flipper decide what she was ready for with gentle encouragement from coaches and friends. It took about 4 months, but she got all her skills back. A friend at her new gym has recently developed issues on bars. The coaches there "punish" her when she balks repeatedly and she has chosen to quit. That breaks my heart because she is a sweet, talented kid but the pressure put on her has taken all the fun out of gymnastics.

BTW - Flipper says that she hated gymnastics and wanted to quit when she was going through this. Our policy was that once she worked through her fears and got the skills back, she could quit if she still wanted to. We didn't want her to be defeated by this block and feel as if she had failed. She says that she is so glad we made her stick with it because once the fear was gone, the love of gymnastics came back.

I highly recommend the information available at Dr. Ali's website: Link Removed

 

[gymgramma]

here's the website. Link Removed[/B]

On chalkbucket just do a search on fear issues and it will bring up several threads

 

[cher062]

I think every gymnast goes through this at some point. My DD after falling on her head when the coach who receintly left walked away from the floor when spotting her doing the layout balked for a time. The coach (God Bless her) has the patience of a saint. the went back to some basics. Yes spots and the mats and a lot of tumbling on a tumble track into a pit until she felt comfortable with the tumble again. Now she does it but it's still not the prettiest - but its soo much improved.

We went through hormonal 12yo cry fests with her saying she was afraid but I think we are over that hurdle for now. I'm sure the hormones will kick in on something else

I think I'm going to go gray and bald through these hormonal teen years.

 

[CoachGoofy]

For tumbling blocks, they know they can always ask for a spot, or for a just-stand-there (which is just that, moral support. They know this). If I'm spotting a skill that shouldn't need a spot for a long time, I start to ask them if I have permission to help them less, & if they then freak out when "less" means "none", we backtrack. Sometimes a lot. Sometimes with making up new combinations just to get past that stand-there-and-freak-out spot. We don't have a pit currently, so we've found ourselves being pretty creative with working around fears (back roll backhandspring was the latest, for a girl who was having trouble letting herself go for backhandsprings).

When I was training, my coaches had a "do the right number of skills" rule. This seemed to prevent that terrifying roundoff backhandspring rebound and fly onto the back thing that so many people do. After the right number of skills was consistent & controlled, we worked back through to the actual big tricks (also in a pitless facility).