Coaches Fears problem

[Rehab]

We are from Egypt my daughter is playing gymnastics since she was four now she is 8 she was always one of the low moderate girls she is not that bad but she is not that good because of fear she has the power and muscles to do well but she is always afraid in this stage her coach told me that she is the weakest one in the team because of her fear this fear makes her can’t think well she loves gymnastics so much she is always watching Simone bille and told me one day I will be in the Olympics but I don’t know if I’m wasting her time in a sport that she doesn’t fit or her passion will make her pass over all her fear.

 

[JBS]

She is only 8. If she enjoys it... I would give her more time to learn and develop confidence.

 

[Livelovegymnastics]

If she loves gymnastics, that is all that matters. She is still young so it might be too early to decide if gymnastics is for her.

 

[gymgal]

along with the others - if she is enjoying gymnastics, let her continue. At some point, she will either overcome her fears and begin progressing or she will decide it is no longer enjoyable.

 

[Lovelylady226]

My daughter has a lot of fear also! I think it’s normal for 8 year olds.

 

[cmg]

if your daughter has fears in gymnastics, first that is very normal. My concern is the coach telling you that she is "the weakest" on the team. Fear is a really hard issue for coaches to deal with and many don't understand the dynamics behind the fear. Coaches can get easily frustrated and start treating your daughter differently and then your daughter can develop more insecurities because she might be the only one on the team currently dealing with fear issues. The number one thing you can do is just continue to love her and not put pressure on her concerning specific skills. Don't ask after every practice, "Did you do the skills you are afraid of??" I could instantly tell if my daughter had a good or bad day at practice. I tried to talk about other stuff like school, dinner, etc. My daughter never really outgrew her fears, but she also developed different skills to compete instead. Over time she just learned to deal with it, but at 8 when she was in compulsories it was really hard to watch and support. Good luck, and hopefully she gets over her fears and can still do what she loves.

 

[cmg]

Oh, and make sure the coaches are not bullying her about her fears. Coaches can help or hinder fear issues. If they continue to make her feel bad about her fears then, if possible, it might be good to either switch to Xcel for a while or find a new gym, but those are both hard decisions.

 

[LucyRobinson]

Nothing is waste of time if you are learning and enjoying yourself. If this continues to be so for your daughter, then gymnastics is great for her. She may not always be 1st and there may be some days when she is last. That doesn't mean she shouldn't continue.