Do you think it's okay for a coach to make a gymnast stay

[Canadian_gym_mom]

back from going to break, and keep trying an element that she knows the gymnast can do but is having some kind of block about it that day?

The example is jumping from the low bar to the high bar. Gymnast is a level 7 in Ontario, so has been doing this for years. For whatever reason the girl would do the (pike up?) move then stand up on the bar, but instead of jumping to the high bar, kept just jumping off. Gymnast was crying.

Coach sent the rest of the group to break and made her stay and do it over and over until she did it. She finally did it then was allowed to go have her break.

Coach wasn't yelling or saying anything negative to the gymnast, just kept telling her to do whatever it is to get to the high bar, and reminding her that she has been doing this move for years.

What says the chalkbucket on something like this?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's okay. but some coaches work harder than they have to. pulling over a fat mat as tall as the low bar and in between both bars for a few turns and then removing the mat might have taken the 'stress' out of the learning moment.

 

[emorymom]

As a parent I think it's fine unless she needed to go to the bathroom really bad or something. I assume she didn't.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

This is a very common practice...it feels bad to have to stay during the break but sometimes you need a little extra time and one-on-one. Really a break is unnecessary for all but the youngest kids unless practice is longer than 5 hours.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

It was less about the missed break (because she did eventually get her break) but more about the fact she had to stay there and keep doing it while she was crying and continually failing at the attempt.

This was not my dd by the way, it became a huge deal because all the parents were watching this happen and some became quite upset.

But them I'm the mom who tells the coaches to give dd MORE ropes or laps or whatever when she is being obstinate, so...

 

[Kiwi]

I think it may be because if it is a fear issue or mental block, conquering it at the time is often better than just leaving it, which can cause more fear/more of a block to build up in between then and the next training session. That is, in between times the gymnast begins to feel apprehensive about the move because they failed at it the previous time.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

It seems to me that most people cry when they have to work through their break...not necessarily because they really want the break, but because of the added pressure of working one-on-one with the coach when she can't complete the skill, and because of the "shame" associated with not getting done with your assignment. (Shame isn't quite the right word but I can't think of a better one).

 

[coachmolly]

If a gymnast is really worked up about something I'll often let them get a drink to help them cool down before trying the skill again. If they are too upset, sometimes they have a tendency to not fully go for the skill or put their safety at risk by overthinking or an unwillingness to fully go for the skill. Once they've had a chance to cool off I'll have them go for the skill again, at least enough times to finish the event on a good, promising step in the right direction. Sometimes that is them making the skill, others it's just making an improvement and breaking through a small part of the battle. For this particular child I probably would have put mats under the bar, asked her to just jump and tap the high bar without grabbing, or some other, smaller progression to help her handle the stress and feel like she was making progress.

 

[aerialriver]

Depends on the skill and the gymnast. While I think you should succeed at a good one so you don't leave on a bad note if the gymnast is overly worked up it can be dangerous.

While jumping to the high bar isn't that dangerous some coaches do this with riskier skills. I have had it done to me with double backs and once I am good and worked up physical changes happen, I get sweaty, my heart races, and my muscles shake. Then form falls apart and finally falls happen which is completely unproductive to getting over a fear.

 

[Maitland]

I think if you trust the coach, then you have to trust the coach. Sometimes kids need to be pushed. Parents shouldn't be talking about it because 1) they don't know why the coach choose this method at this particular time, and 2) they are not coaches.

 

[gymgal]

I have no problem with this. I don't see it as punishment, particularly if the coach is even headed and really trying to push the gymnast through the fear. Several girls in our gym have gone through this with various skills, mostly on the high bar but some on beam too. I do think it is all in how the coach presents it though.

 

[coachmolly]

I have no problem with this. I don't see it as punishment, particularly if the coach is even headed and really trying to push the gymnast through the fear. Several girls in our gym have gone through this with various skills, mostly on the high bar but some on beam too. I do think it is all in how the coach presents it though.

I think that has a lot to do with it. If the coach is being reasonable, providing reassurance and coaching to the athlete, and helping her work through the block in a productive way I don't really have a problem with it. However if it were a situation where the coach were yelling, leaving the athlete unattended, and not providing adequate advice, drills, and coaching on how to work through the block it becomes a much more questionable situation.

 

[gymmomtoo]

I think that has a lot to do with it. If the coach is being reasonable, providing reassurance and coaching to the athlete, and helping her work through the block in a productive way I don't really have a problem with it. However if it were a situation where the coach were yelling, leaving the athlete unattended, and not providing adequate advice, drills, and coaching on how to work through the block it becomes a much more questionable situation.

Totally agree with this (as the parent, not a coach).

 

[gymgirl1129]

I think it was a good idea for the coach to make her do it. I have had the same mental blocks as a level 8 and needed the extra time like that to work on it. I think it is especially fine because she did get her break and the coach wasn't yelling at her or anything negative, even though the only thing that I needed eventually was some "tough love" from my coaches and a lot of one- on -one practice time because sometimes you can be more pressured by the other girls in the gym.

 

[thnkGd4kds]

My DD's gym has the girls stay at an apparatus if they're having a particularly tough time with it, and my DD loves that approach (though I'm sure it's tough and frustrating at the time). She says that it's better to stay and leave that rotation on a positive note than to let whatever negative thing fester, and that she likes that the gymnasts are not all always herded to another rotation just because time is up; to her, it shows that attention is being shown to the gymnasts as individuals.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

My coach sometimes does that, only if really needed though. First, though, he tells me to grab a drink. The extra oxygen will help you concentrate.

 

[beam_lover<3<3]

well as long as she got her skill back, then i guess its not that bad. most coaches know when tey are taking it too far.

 

[gymgurl]

Happened to me I thought it was a good thing because it can stop you from developing a bigger fear that lasts a long time