Coaches Fearful Gymnast?

[CoachG]

This is the first time I've posted but I'm hoping someone can help me.

I have a gymnast in my squad, she the oldest gymnast in my squad at 11 (all my other gymnasts are 8/9). Originally she was in our club's elite squad, but she was dropped down to my squad about 3 years ago due to the number of problems she has. I have been working with her for 3 years and just cant seem to get anywhere.

Her main issue is the bars, after a few months she competed bars with a basic routine of circle up, back circle, squat on to catch, circle over, undershoot dismount. But the training session after this competition she refused to do the squat on to catch. after a month of refusing to do it, we started from the beginning: squat on to a floor bar, gradually building up to the full move, it took almost a year to get back to doing the full skill and she competed it at grades that year. Then again the training session after the competition, she refused to do it. We went back to the beginning with this move and we are still struggling with it. I have done every drill I can find, I've tried using key words, supporting, positive coaching. I have even tried being the harsh coach that phones her mum every time she did not do it (at her mother's request), I have sent her home, I have left her crying, I am totally at a loss of what to do now. Sometimes it seems like fear is holding her back, sometimes it seems like she just doesnt want to do it. We have the occasional week where she will just go and do it, no support, no coach under the bar, no mats, then all of a sudden we go back to square one with her crying and refusing to even get on the bars.

She also shows this kind of behaviour on the vault and beam. Vault is not a major issue as she does attempt it if there is a coach supporting, but beam seems to be a similar situation as bars, sometimes even worse as she will not do any skills, only leaps or spins. this is the case for even the floor beam. We can build up mats under and support but she will not even attempt the skills (mostly backwalkover).

I have no clue what to do not because I have tried ever progression I can find, I have read up on mental choreography and dealing with fear and nothing has worked.

Her mother has always been very pushy with her but recently has got a lot worse, she is always in the gym asking how training went and getting very angry when she doesn't like what she hears.

If anyone has any ideas that may help I would be very grateful.

 

[HunterBennett]

Have you tried sitting down and talking with her?
Not about the skill or anything but just how things are going in school and at home and how people are treating her.
I find that (sometimes) when kids are having a hard time then it's usually something going on outside and if the kid can open up to me about stuff like that then they will generally see you as there "safe guard" that they can go to if they have a problem wether it's in life or with a skill.
Try talking to the parents also. If they seem to be really pushy it could put a ton of pressure on the child and the child might not be able to handle that type of pressure.
If you are trying everything just remember that the girl is young and while parents would like to see their kids get skills quickly you might have to remind them that every child is differently and learns at their own pace. She is young and will most likely grow out of it if she has enough support from her coaches and parents.

Hope this helped!!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

No way, a pushy parent with a kid who has fear issues...... Get the parent out of the gym and tell her to zip it. Until that is done you are spinning your wheels. Sounds like it could be too late.

 

[CoachG]

Her parents always want to have a sit down chat after every bad training session. I think it could be a lot to do with the pressure from her parents but I will definitely try having a sit down chat with the gymnast and see how things are with her.
As for keeping her mum out the gym, she doesn't stay for training, she only comes in at the end to ask how training went, do you think its best just to not tell her or maybe limit it to once a week or once a month progress chats?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Her parents always want to have a sit down chat after every bad training session. I think it could be a lot to do with the pressure from her parents but I will definitely try having a sit down chat with the gymnast and see how things are with her.
As for keeping her mum out the gym, she doesn't stay for training, she only comes in at the end to ask how training went, do you think its best just to not tell her or maybe limit it to once a week or once a month progress chats?

ugh..."sit down chat, etc;" it may be that these pita parents are exacerbating their childs problems.

BUT fear is real and it affects them all differently. if she stays at it, hopefully she will outgrow some of it by time she hits her teens. but i have coached kids like this. they never lose all their fear.