Parents First mental block

[MAcastsalot]

I feel like this is a major milestone in being a gym parent. The first mental block! Should I take a picture and put it in my CGM scrapbook? So Dd is almost 6. She is level 2. Amazing on bars, way ahead of her training group, even has a muscled up Kip. She's doing just as well on vault, and pretty decent on beam (has the skills, just not graceful). Her only seriously weak skill (to my untrained eye, besides not being naturally flexible), is the stupid kickover. She has worked so hard to get it, and finally had it a few weeks ago. Then last week just lost it again. There are a few of them still working on this, and the coaches haven't made a deal of it at all since they don't compete until January. The problem is that DD keeps trying at home, and the more she tries, the more frustrated she gets. It has now turned into a tiny kick to her falling flat on her back, so I know it is a mental thing. I have even had to take the mat away because she has gotten so upset. Ahhh, I'm sure I will have many more of these in the years to come!

 

[rosettasmom]

At 6, I wouldn't even give it a lot of thought. Her body may just not be quite ready yet. I remember at 6, those kinds of frustrations came very easy as she was still learning how to deal with the emotions associated with them. Hang in there mom!

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I would ban that kickover at home for a while. It's not good for her back to try it over and over and especially when she gets frustrated and tired. The coaches at the gym don't know how many bridges she does at home so when she practices them a lot in the gym too it may cause some overuse injuries at pretty young age.

The more she does it at home without coach supervising and supporting her both mentally and physically the bigger the mental block can become.

 

[MAcastsalot]

Gymisforeveryone- I have done that, based mostly on what I have read here about the dangers of doing too much at this age. Luckily she has been happy to do pull ups and leg lifts on the chin up bar instead! From what I've seen in the gym, they don't do too much bridge work at all. It is usually just within their regular floor work. We have been doing our best to discourage any skill practice at home, with the exception of handstands and splits.

Rosettasmom- it's pretty much her frustration that frustrates me. I tend to stay out of the gym, but I have seen that her coaches are not pushy on this, so I am not concerned about her having enough time to get the skill. I just don't know how to handle her crazy internal drive for gymnastics.

 

[rosettasmom]

I totally understand that! I'm just a couple of years further in the process and can now look back and realize what was happening then. (If only I could have that insight for where we are now ;-)) I honestly think that a lot of these girls are so "type A" and the emotions come before the ability to understand them or know what to do with them.

 

[wallflower]

Hmm I'm not sure I'd use the term "mental block" in this situation. It sounds more like a physical issue. Some skills just take time and I'm sure she will get there eventually.

 

[MAcastsalot]

The mental block part is that after about 6 months of only needing a light tap to get over, she now won't kick more than a foot of the floor, since she thinks she will fail.

 

[Seeker]

I agree with others to limit them at home, but more than likely this is a flexibility issue. It is much harder to kick over if a gymnast isn't flexible enough to get her hands-shoulders in alignment and very hard if the leg flexibility limits how far she can get over before having to 'kick'.

If she wants to do something at home to help get over this hurdle, work on flexibility. That is something that can be done safely at home and will help her in all areas of gymnastics. Ask her coach to give her a home program to work on a few days a week. After a bath is a good time to do some relaxing stretching too...muscles are warm and relaxed. Be gentle.

 

[MAcastsalot]

I definitely agree that her lack of flexibility makes it harder for her, and that stretching at home would be a great idea, except that she doesn't want to stretch at home. Her coach has suggested it, but they are pretty laid back and didn't give a prescribed plan. DD would push back if the plan came from me, so I am letting her figure this out on her own. It's just frustrating to watch!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

The mental block part is that after about 6 months of only needing a light tap to get over, she now won't kick more than a foot of the floor, since she thinks she will fail.

yes. and if her arms collapse at the wrong angle she could fracture her neck. so, hows about not doing these at home. she's 6. leave it at the gym.

 

[MAcastsalot]

Dunno- I took the mat away after the first rough looking attempts, and they haven't been done at home since. I don't think that was clear in my first post. It's not that she was trying them day after day. It was one day, and when it was clear she wasn't doing well I put an end to it. The falling on her back is happening at the gym, under coach supervision. Plus, she's not even attempting them truly, so her head doesn't even go back. I am pretty paranoid about neck/back injuries!