WAG Cartwheel fear

[gymisforeveryone]

I have a 13 year old gymnast who was off gymnastics for 1,5 years and returned last October. The reason she quit when she was 11 was that she got so scared of cartwheel on beam. She was moved up too was back then and she didn't have time to get comfortable with that cartwheel before competing it.

Now that gymnast is going to compete level C (pretty much like level 4 in the US) for the second time. All the other skills in that level are very easy for her and only that cartwheel holds her back. I'm getting frustrated. I didn't put ANY pressure on her for the first few months and I was expecting the cartwheel will come if I let her only work on lowest beams and she'll move up from there when she is ready. That hasn't happened.

I honestly think she isn't putting any effort in it. When I ask her to work on it she goes to low beam and falls without touching the beam maybe 80 % of time. I KNOW she's capable of doing a simple cartwheel but it seems like she has decided she's never gonna get it and when she starts the skill she has already decided she's not gonna even try to get her feet touch the beam.

What can I do? We have a meet coming up in 2 weeks. She hasn't done a single cartwheel on high beam without spotting. I sometimes spot her when I can get her up to the high beam but she needs a lot of help because she's not even close to vertical and I actually have to crab her waist and PUT her feet to the beam.

This is so frustrating because she's so good in everything else - she got her kip in 2 months after starting again and gained strength like crazy, went from 0 pull ups to 7 in two months also... But that darn cartwheel? Seems like it's never going to happen.

 

[iwannacoach]

I have a 13 year old gymnast who was off gymnastics for 1,5 years and returned last October. The reason she quit when she was 11 was that she got so scared of cartwheel on beam. She was moved up too was back then and she didn't have time to get comfortable with that cartwheel before competing it.

Now that gymnast is going to compete level C (pretty much like level 4 in the US) for the second time. All the other skills in that level are very easy for her and only that cartwheel holds her back. I'm getting frustrated. I didn't put ANY pressure on her for the first few months and I was expecting the cartwheel will come if I let her only work on lowest beams and she'll move up from there when she is ready. That hasn't happened.

I honestly think she isn't putting any effort in it. When I ask her to work on it she goes to low beam and falls without touching the beam maybe 80 % of time. I KNOW she's capable of doing a simple cartwheel but it seems like she has decided she's never gonna get it and when she starts the skill she has already decided she's not gonna even try to get her feet touch the beam.

What can I do? We have a meet coming up in 2 weeks. She hasn't done a single cartwheel on high beam without spotting. I sometimes spot her when I can get her up to the high beam but she needs a lot of help because she's not even close to vertical and I actually have to crab her waist and PUT her feet to the beam.

This is so frustrating because she's so good in everything else - she got her kip in 2 months after starting again and gained strength like crazy, went from 0 pull ups to 7 in two months also... But that darn cartwheel? Seems like it's never going to happen.

Maybe she needs to be a victim, or feels that her lot in life is to have the worst luck possible on the most simple things. It's a tough one to get around until she comes up with a plan to replace the ones you've already tried.

Tell her it's her problem to solve, and you're willing to help whenever she asks. If she asks but doesn't try, tell her to ask for help when she's ready....... tomorrow. One chance a day, maybe two, but never flinch or give in when she tries to tell you she tried and just needs one more chance.

There's always tomorrow.

 

[Tumbellina82]

You are probably right that she isn't trying and has already decided when she starts that she isn't going to get her feet on but at the same time she probably feels that she is trying because consciously she is but it is her subconscious that is getting the last say. That feeling that you are consciously trying to do one thing and your subconscious is over-riding it and making you do another is pretty hard on the confidence. It makes you feel that you are not in control of your body and movement and that is pretty scary when you are doing gymnastics. If you think you're frustrated just think how she feels! If you tell her that you don't think she's trying that could make it better or worse depending on her personality. Some people respond well to a bit of pressure, others really don't.

I do think that you should stop spotting her for it on high beam. If you are doing a heavy spot that is only going further to convince her that she can't do it on her own.

I have a few ideas but they may not work and I'm afraid none of them sit well with time pressure to compete.

One is to let her have a complete break from them for a few weeks. Sometimes with mental blocks the more you try to do it and fail the more you convince yourself you can't do it and the worse you get. Sometimes having a break and doing other things you can do lets you feel more in control and get some perspective.

She could go right back to the beginning with cartwheels along a line. Even on low beam if she is mainly not getting her feet on then is she really getting anything out of repeating it apart from an increasing sense of failure and frustration? It sounds like she'd basically drilling falling off. You could make a plan like 10 on a line, then move to low beam. The first time she doesn't land it then rather than plugging away getting increasingly frustrated she goes straight back to the line and does enough to convince herself she can land it. It might even be a good idea to alternate cartwheels on low beam with cartwheels on a line as a preventative measure at first. Cartwheels along a line is also something she could be practising at home. If she does a lot of cartwheels along a line that could also help to more effectively visualise doing it on the beam before she actually does it so that it starts to feel more like a familiar, successful move.

Also can she lunge into a handstand or just somewhere vaguely near one and come back down to put her feet on the beam? Doing a different move where you go feet to hands to feet might help her get used to placing her feet back on the beam but without carrying the same psychological associations she's built up around cartwheel.

 

[coachmolly]

I had a kid who did something similar with a squat on who was about the same age (14), there was absolutely no reason why she wasn't making it and I was ready to pull my hair out every time we went to bars. Someone on here had mentioned that a kid needs to want to do a skill more than they are scared of it, and I straightforwardly told her that, which I think made her rethink her own mental state. It's not a path I would take with every kid, but this particular one needs a push in the right direction to get herself moving.
Try to build her up, let her know that you KNOW she can do the skill and that you believe in her ability to do it. Help her to feel successful, even if it's just on a line or a low beam. But since removing all pressure didn't seem to work, I might take a risk and try a different means.
She is old enough that you can have a direct conversation with her- ask her what goes on in her mind when she does the skill, what's keeping her from really going for it, and ask her if she feels she is really giving her full effort. Let her know that you believe in her ability, but she needs to believe in herself if she wants to get anywhere.

 

[raenndrops]

Ok. Have her do 5 cartwheels on a line. Blindfold her and have her do 5 more.
Then to the low beam... panel mats on both sides level with the beam... blindfold her... have her do the beam cartwheel. If she lands it (or is even just closer than usual), remove the blindfold so she can see. Do 5-10 blindfolded. Then keep the blindfold off and remind her of the FEELING as she went through the motions. Repeat the feeling. Once she is landing 9/10, lower the side matting by 1 panel. Repeat to 9/10 and lower again. Repeat until the panel mats are removed completely.
Then lower the high beam as much as it will go (or use a medium beam). Stack mats to level and repeat again to 9/10... keep going until she is at full height with no extra mats. (You can either crank the beam up a notch after each 9/10 leaving the mats until beam is full height OR remove the mat, one panel at a time until it is gone, THEN start cranking the beam).

We had a gymnast (age 12-1/2) that was the same way. In video, we could point out WHEN she bailed on the cartwheel. This method worked for her, so it might work for someone else.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I would not recommend blindfolding a kid for beam work. Landing beam skills is fairly easy when the kids understand that they must always look at where they want their feet to land.

 

[raenndrops]

I would not recommend blindfolding a kid for beam work. Landing beam skills is fairly easy when the kids understand that they must always look at where they want their feet to land.

Only blindfolded on the line and the low beam with panel mats equal to the height of the beam (so basically like doing it on the floor)... to show them their body KNOWs HOW to do it... I may not have made that clear. Sorry.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Thank you everyone!

I did what you suggested. I had a little chat with her and I asked her some questions when she was working on them on low beam. I asked her if she is scared. "No, I just... I don't know" . Then I asked if she thinks she can do a cartwheel on low beam, is she physically capable to do it "I don't know. Maybe yes". I told her she can do a cartwheel on line so she is physically capable. She agreed then. Then I asked her what is she thinking when she does them. "I don't know". I asked if she's scared "I don't know, I don't think so. Only on high beam". Then I made her understand that walling of low beam isn't gonna hurt her and it's not dangerous. She agreed. Then I told her I don't know where the problem is and asked if she has a clue. "I don't know" again. I told her that I'll wait and she has to try to find a solution and if she suggested something I'd help her.

She continued to do them on low beam after that conversation. I had to spot other girl on back walkovers so she was on her own. At some point she came to me and asked if she could use a beam mat. I let her. A little while later she came to me again and asked if she could try them on high beam with that beam mat.
I asked how many she landed on middle beam and she told she did something like 8 so I let her. She didn't ask spotting. She started to work on them on high beam and I told her she can take her time and stay on beam even if the others moved to vault. She wanted to stay and after a little while she came to me again and told me she had landed some with that mat! I congratulated her and asked her to show and she showed me some tries, she got her both feet on but then fell. But that was still a huge step because it was the first time she did them on high beam by herself and actually got her feet on the beam.

We'll keep working!

 

[gymbeam]

Great update! Even if she didn't stick it, she's probably realized she isn't going to totally miss the beam. That's huge!

 

[iwannacoach]

Only blindfolded on the line and the low beam with panel mats equal to the height of the beam (so basically like doing it on the floor)... to show them their body KNOWs HOW to do it... I may not have made that clear. Sorry.

I totally get it. I have them close their eyes as soon as their first hand touches the floor line (mats level to the beam sounds good) and finish the skill blind. It shows them they are far more able to do the skill than they'd thought. They go from being very doubtful to knowing leaning the skill has already happened and the only thing left to accomplish is letting their body take over.

Another way this helps is when kids change their speed or rhythm on a skill. They almost always use a slower pace when doing the skill on beam, so I ask them to do a slow one with their eyes closed on the floor line. They nearly never come close the landing on or near the line. Then I ask them to slow it down some more, to the speed they really use on the beam, and most of the kids ask if they really have to. That gets them really ready to listen, because when I ask them why they don't want to go slower they almost always answer "It's harder that way," and that's when I say...... right, so going slower makes it harder to do even when your eyes are open and you're on the beam.