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

[coachinkal]

I have been coaching my group of level 5, level 6 and Level 7's boys since they were all 5-6 year olds and just starting gymnastics.

Their personalities in relation to fear have not really changed in this time.

As they started doing harder skills the boys who had been fearless did develop a healthy amount of caution. They did not develop any major fear blocks (apart from flyaways - but that seems pretty normal). The boys who were not very confident and who had always had fear issues became very hard to talk into having a go and trying the harder skills.

I agree with the previous posts that coaches do have a hand in helping kids to overcome fears. I often alter my coaching technique depending on the personality of the child.

My group of 2 level 6's and one level 7 seem to be at the three spectrums of fear levels. My own DS has never had fear issues (apart from flyaway), one gymnast is in the middle, and the other has major fear issues and this will likely be his last year of gymnastics as a result. They have been the same since they started gymnastics.

 

[starmaker]

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.

I totally agree with all of this... self confidence is key!