do little gymnasts stay as fearless/cautious as they started?

[Bobby]

This question is really just idle curiosity.
I was wondering whether the tendency to be cautious or not is something that stays with a gymnast or changes over time? Do the fearless 5 y/os who try to throw a front sault off beam because they saw a big girl do it retain that fearlessness as they get older? Or are they more fearful because they got a bigger shock when something went wrong along the way? Or is it all just really random, unpredictable , and changable?

 

[bogwoppit]

MY youngest was quite afraid when she was 3,4,5 now she is the only one in her group who will do flyaways and tumble. Others who appeared more fearless are still hanging on to the bar for dear life. I know many kids who have grown into being fearful.

I think any kid can end up either way.

 

[MdGymMom01]

Great topic happyfacetwin!!! In my experience with my dd, it seems like the fear hit for her at around the age of 8. She was always a very determined little girl and a perfectionist so she would work on skills for hours just so that she could get them just right. She learned her BHS at the age of 7 and would do them all the time. Then there was a gym switch at the age of 8 and I noticed that she started hesitating and "thinking" more when she would do the skill. When it comes to the pit, she will try ANY skill into that, because she knows that the landing is soft and she won't get hurt.

I know some kids who were fearless as tots and are still fearless at the age of 10 and 11. I think it really depends on the child's personality and how they handle outside pressure and how they deal with internalized pressure. It's hard to say if the fearless child will grow to be a fearless adult. Very interesting topic and I look forward to hearing other people's opinions on this subject.

 

[drivingmom]

My fearless tot developed fears about age 9 after an injury and fall doing bigger skills on the beam. I never thought she would. She has been doing RO BHS since she was 6 every we go and never showed a fear on bars or beam until now. I think once they get hurt (broken bone hurt or painful injury) they realize what can happen.

 

[fishchimes]

Having started at 11, my only memories of being in gymnastics at a young age are vague ones about the tot class I was in. I liked it but I was pretty naughty, wanting to do my own thing, not what the coach told me XD lol. The gym closed and I had to stop.

I think I was definitely less afraid when I first started. I didn't really have any concept of what was dangerous yet. After 6 months or so I was more weary of certain skills.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

Very good question! I don't really have an answer to it. I think it must depend on so many factors that it would be hard to predict. I know right now that my daughter has the strong desire over fear attitude but I wonder if that was lost somehow how she would do. I hope that she doesn't lose this mental toughness that she has. Hopefully the coaches will nurture this quality in her. I know there are gyms around that would move her at a faster pace but her current gym is really good at the mental aspect. Good post though.

 

[gymdog]

Well, if you mean in general, is more "caution" developed as they get older - yes. But I have still known some people who would "throw" anything within their ability, whereas others deal with more fear, so there's still a range. People seem to end up anywhere. I would guess out of high level gymnasts most were pretty physically daring as small children because along with that tends to be a small child who is physically capable and muscularly strong. I actually started gymnastics pretty late (7ish) but in kindergarten I saw a girl who did gymnastics walk on her hands. I had never seen this before, but I was convinced I could do it, and said so. The gym teacher corrected me and said it was very hard and you had to learn, or something, but I was very sure I could do this. I COULD do it, and kicked up to a handstand and walked several times (which if you've ever coached rec gymnastics, you will see teaching full handstand to 95% of the population is painful). However, never having done gymnastics, I didn't know how to come out of a handstand falling forward, so I kind of flopped over on the grass. But I was all right. Eventually I tried gymnastics after they tested us to see how many pull ups we could do in kindergarten or first grade, and I did several, which surprised the gym teacher again, and he suggested to my parents I try gymnastics.

However, apart from gross motor skills/climbing/etc, where I generally have little caution, I'm a very reserved and cautious person in general.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

I'm pretty sure it differs with each individual...and with each apparatus and skill...
My dd always seemed pretty fearless..even wreckless... at about 18 months of age I woke up one morning to find she had not only climbed out of her crib, but was on top of our REFRIDGERTOR!! sitting peacefully waiting for me to get her because she couldn't get down...she did this off and on for months before I could find a way to keep her off of it!! scared me to death, but not her. ( and she never fell off of it and I never caught her doing it, so I have NO idea how she did it)
She developed more caution after having to do skills on the high beam...which she hates! Then, this past weekend, her coach decided to try backwalkovers on the beam and she did them-no problems. When I was told, I didn't believe it, because I never in a million years would have guessed that he could get her to TRY one, even with a spot, much less do one by herself (because she dislikes beam so much)
So there...even within one gymmie, they can be fearless one day and have fear the next. I don't understand it, but there it is... (lol)

 

[cher062]

This question is really just idle curiosity.
I was wondering whether the tendency to be cautious or not is something that stays with a gymnast or changes over time? Do the fearless 5 y/os who try to throw a front sault off beam because they saw a big girl do it retain that fearlessness as they get older? Or are they more fearful because they got a bigger shock when something went wrong along the way? Or is it all just really random, unpredictable , and changable?

Well from what I've seen when they hit L6 or L7 the awarness of fear comes in. All of a sudden they realize they are on a 4" beam that is 4' off the ground. How each gymnast handles that fear is different. My DD will eventually deal with it but it does take her longer than her peers. We try not to have her compare her progress to others but that is hard for a 13 yo to do.

I've seen some really talented gymnast leave the sport because they just couldn't deal with the fear. I've seen others use the energy of that fear to become better. but I think they all loose that fearless focus that the 5yo has.

 

[gymkat]

This is incredibly dependent on the kid. I've had pre-teamers who tried to give me at least one heart attack every day (if it wasn't throwing a standing tuck on floor, it was trying to jump to the HB on the optionals' setting...) who ended up with significant back tumbling and bars fears. I've also had pre-teamers who cried every time I introduced a new drill, who are now within the normal range for minor fear issues.

Also, you have to distinguish between rational and irrational fear (which gymdog indirectly did). For example, if I told a group of new L6s to throw a double back on floor, I hope that they'd be too scared to even contemplate doing it. However, I'd expect, say, a 2nd year L9 who had been double backing onto the resi to be nervous but able to go for it on floor with a minimum of hand wiping. I was one of the lucky older optionals who didn't have problems with irrational fears and would throw pretty much anything within my skill level, but I also had legitimate reasons to be afraid of certain skills.

 

[gymnut1]

From what I have seen fear tends to come in after an injury or bad fall at the age of about 8. It is how the gymnast (and their coach) deals with that first exposure to fear which is telling for the future.

I have noticed problems with fear first seem to occur with BWO on beam and back tuck on floor. Once they have fear it never goes away but they can learn to deal with it.

 

[gymnast695]

In my experience, I was a little dare devil, fearless gymnast. Now, I am definitely more cautious before throwing new skills, and sometimes even scared (if beam is included ) So I would say the fear developed and dare devil disappeared in me as I got older!

 

[Midget's Dad]

As has been said already I think this really depends on the child/person. Midget only seems to develop a fear of something if she got hurt doing that skill. And it has to be a bigger wipe out than just a fall and a small bruise for her to develop it.

On the other hand I was completely different as a child, though it was other sports than gymnastics. I kind of lived by the "bones heal, chicks dig scars, glory is forever" attitude and was constantly wiping out in new and spectacular ways with no thought or fear. this was especially evident as a skier.

So yeah, I really think it is more of an individual personality trait than anything else.

 

[MdGymMom01]

From what I have seen fear tends to come in after an injury or bad fall at the age of about 8. It is how the gymnast (and their coach) deals with that first exposure to fear which is telling for the future.

I have noticed problems with fear first seem to occur with BWO on beam and back tuck on floor. Once they have fear it never goes away but they can learn to deal with it.

I can relate gymnut1. My dd's fear became more and more evident when she was 8 and when she was learning the back tuck--especially the BHS BT combination. It seemed like her body could do the skill, but her mind was a little behind in really understanding what the skill entailed. I think the confusion between her mind/body connection created doubt which enabled fear to creep in. In my dd's case she is learning to deal with her fear and how to control the "out of control thinking" that accompanies the fear.

 

[starmaker]

This is a very interesting topic....

I think it could be environmental too. DD started at previous gym last spring when she started training TOPS. Her actual gymnastic skill made little to no progress and in some lost skills. She started showing many signs of fears although she never voiced them. She just bulked, avoided, whatever to NOT do the skill. Some of you might remember dd was going to repeat L4 because coached claimed she was very fear based on beam and refused to work vertical handstands on beam..... Most girls at this gym had MAJOR fear issues!

Fast forward just 2 months later and she in now at current gym and fear is GONE. This particular gym does NOT cater to fears. All of sudden she is not only going vertical on beam but holding for seconds at a time, is jumping to high bar like it's no BIG deal and vaulting over the table like she's got it in her back pocket. Fear has not entered this gym! And the girls sort of just know that if they fear any skill they will be asked to stay with that skill the remainder of practice or until it's not issue anymore. It doesn't happen often but I have seen it happen.

I just think it's quiet interesting how in one setting dd was practically going backward and yet in another fear is not issue at all. I am not quite sure how first gym handled fear but my guess it didn't work for many girls and Liv was just learning about fear....

 

[All Chalked Up]

I know I'm pretty fearless after the first time. Usually it takes me a minute to get the courage to do a new skill by myself, but after I'm usually fearless about it. Except those dreaded spilt leaps on beam, I hate them I hate them.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I'm not sold on the being fearless as a whole but rather than that some little or older gymnasts are just so full of confidence. I say this because I can compare my two girls. My older DD wasn't so sure of herself in the gym. She would attempt a skill the more her coaches told her(yelled at times) that she could do it. The little one is confident of herself big time. She however spends time watching how a skill is done then she tells herself and everyone, " I can do this!" And she goes for it. She is both cautious and confident.
The confidence is what gets her so far. It also helps that she trains with girls that are much older than her. At times, she is in the mix with the level 7-10's and she is quite the observant one. These are the days that she watches and in later weeks she attempts a skill. In her level 5/6 team she again watches and goes for a skill once she knows she can do it. Again, I think it's the confidence issue that is the key. Being fearless means that they are aware of the risk and either choose to be fearfull or fearless. Little ones that go for a skill are quite the confident ones and it usually is a character trait that is carried over when they are older. Unless they meet disaster. Then the coaches need to step in to help the gymmie out with the mental issues.

 

[CoachGoofy]

Put me in the "almost reckless" club. I started out without a whole lot of awareness of what I wasn't capable of, and ended up loving pushing the envelope. When doubt entered my mind, all I needed was a way to reframe it as a challenge & if I could physically make it happen, it happened. Until I broke my foot. Now I'm a big chicken in comparison.

One of my gymnasts is almost dangerously fearless, also. She's calmed down a little--for a while we had to talk her OUT of trying stuff that she wasn't ready for. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum, the one you have to painstakingly walk through the worst case scenarios as she comes up with them ("so you'll land on your butt. We do seat drops all the time!"). We also have one who started out extremely fearful and will now try most things, as long as she really understands how they work & she's encouraged rather than pushed into it.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's a mixed bag i tell ya.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I think like starmaker said it depends a lot on the coaching. My daugher will be afraid of something but when a coach she has confidence in is working with her she will usually go for it. She usually does not like to admit her fears so she is famous for telling me after she sucessfully does a skill that she was so scared before she did it.