Parents First Season -- Skill Question

[thatguy188]

Hey there!

So I am completely new here (obviously) and we have a new gymnast. Abbi is 8 and started on a Level 3 team about 3 months ago after randomly watching Gymnastics videos on youtube in January. We signed her up for Rec classes and after going 4 times with her sister, they asked if she would like to Try-Out for team. She did and was accepted.

Anyways, she has made huge progress over the past 3 months and can do every required skill for the upcoming competition season BESIDES the Round Off - Back Handspring.

There seems to be some kind of mental block with the Back Handspring. She started off being able to do them when spotted and progressed to where I would "pretend" to spot her (put my hands on her back and behind knees, but then let go) and she was able to do it by herself. She just seems scared to do it alone.

Last week Wednesday (they do an extra 30 minutes before practice for a Back Handspring class) she did one Roundoff Backhandspring after another. Even showed us after practice. She came home, and did them in the living room without mats and outside in the grass.

The following day (Thursday) she all of a sudden can't do it anymore. She hasn't done a single one since last week Wednesday. She won't even do just a back handspring by herself unless im there spotting her. She has never gotten hurt or anything. She will do a perfect round-off and then just stop (kind of jumps in the air with her back bent a bit and land again on her feet).

Is there anything I can personally do? Do I push her? Obviously she can do it. As I said, it seems to be like a mental block. Any advice?

They have a "Mock Meet" on August 29th and have to score at least a 33 all around to get the go-ahead to compete in their level .... obviously a back handspring is kind of important.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[kayjaybe]

Stop. Just stop.

Don't push her. Don't coach her. Don't spot her. Don't have her doing skills that she barely knows how to do in your living room or yard.

Leave the gymnastics in the gym and let the coaches work with her. If she is not ready, she isn't ready and it won't be the end of the world. Most kids don't go from never having done gym to competing a few months later. It will be fine if she waits a year to compete. Or maybe she will do it and get to compete.

What could be the end of the world is her balking half-way through the skill and landing on her head or neck.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Well, you probably aren't going to like this BUT let the coaches handle it. Ignore it. Don't ask about it or make any big deal about it. It will fix itself eventually and lots of kids go through moments like that. I would also discourage you from allowing her to do a lot of gymnastics at home. She could pick up bad habits or get injured. I would never try spotting my dd since I have no experience as a coach. I'm sure she'll do great at level 3! Good luck!

 

[thatguy188]

I honestly don't want to, she is in a leo from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed tumbling around. I will definitely take your suggestions and simply stop spotting her. It makes sense ... let the coaches do the coaching. For the record though, I don't try to coach her at all. I simply have (well, HAD!) my hands on her back and behind her knees. She did everything else.

Thank you for your input! I am brand new at this also (as is obvious haha)

 

[kris]

I agree, I didn't let mine do skills outside the gym, even ones she had been doing for years. And I'd leave it between her coach and her. My job as a parent it to be a cheerleader not a coach. That said, mine needed the coach to stand on the mat her entire season of old level 4 (similar to current level 3), not even near her, just out there as a security blanket. lol! Because of this, I wasn't sure how she would fare as a gymnast, but she competed for years and got to the upper optional levels before retiring to a new sport. So just try to relax. It's hard when it's all so new though.

 

[thatguy188]

I agree, I didn't let mine do skills outside the gym, even ones she had been doing for years. And I'd leave it between her coach and her. My job as a parent it to be a cheerleader not a coach. That said, mine needed the coach to stand on the mat her entire season of old level 4 (similar to current level 3), not even near her, just out there as a security blanket. lol! Because of this, I wasn't sure how she would fare as a gymnast, but she competed for years and got to the upper optional levels before retiring to a new sport. So just try to relax. It's hard when it's all so new though.

Yes! Yes it is! Im not sure what Im supposed to be doing, Im probably more nervous than she is, LOL. That's why I signed up here ... to get as much input, opinions, and info as possible so I can be the best gymnast parent possible.

 

[Committed]

FYI- most of us had the little girl who just couldn't get enough gymnastics.
Mine finally quit wanting more once hitting 20+ hours a week. She still conditions for fun, though. Now I'm concerned about overuse injuries!!

My point is, it's up to you to draw the line. If you say no tumbling in the yard.... mean it.
I agree with all the posters who say leave it alone.

Welcome to CB!

 

[3rd_time_around]

Even gymnasts who've been competing a long time suddenly get blocks and lose skills, and your daughter is very new. and yes, PLEASE no more tumbling at home. I've been around the sport and on my 3rd gymnasts and a judge, and I would not spot gymnasts at the gym, much less at home. Also, it is very easy to score a 33.00 without a back handspring, so I wouldn't even worry about it. It's only worth .6 as a skill.

 

[notthatmom]

First off, it's absolutely amazing that your daughter got all of those skills so very quickly, that's almost unheard of, sounds like she has a natural raw talent for the sport!
Secondly but most importantly as others have said do NOT let her do back handsprings anywhere but the gym. Cartwheels and handstands on the grass are one thing, but a higher up skill like a back handspring is very dangerous and should never be done at home, nor spotted by someone who isn't a coach.

All this being said, it takes time to perfect skills, and your daughter is no exception to this. She has come very far in such a short time.
Leave the coaching to the coaches, be the parent. Sign the checks, give her hugs, congraduate her when she does great, and console her when she has a hard day.

We have a boy at our gym who is very high level, a few weeks ago he was playing on his trampoline at home, did some skill, landed incorrectly, and broke his neck. He's lucky to not be paralyzed or worse. Just let that be a reminder that no matter how talented a kid can be, accidents and injuries can happen at any time, so it's important to keep that from happening as much as possible.

If she doesn't have her handspring perfected come meet season, she can do her floor routine without it and still do fairly well in the AA of the rest of her events are great.

Everyone here will tell you that gymnastics is a marathon, not a sprint. So sit back, relax, enjoy the journey, and be the supportive parent.

Welcome to CB!

 

[MeetDirector]

thatguy -

Take a breath! Your daughter is 8 and you have just stepped into a crazy sport. Good job by her with the progress she has made, BUT you have to let the coaches coach; you have to be the parent. She needs to understand that gymnastics ONLY happens at the gym and with a coach; you are not her coach and in no way should you be trying to "spot" her (real or pretend). You need to give her time to adapt to this sport and the whole concept of being coached and perfecting skills. Relax and things will come on their own.

Good Luck.

 

[thatguy188]

Thank you for all the words of wisdom. I will definitely make good use of it all. Definitely no more spotting. She is definitely extremely talented. From knowing nothing in January to watching Youtube videos to being on a team and having down most of the skills required in 7 1/2 months is pretty good .... I know I couldn't do it haha.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Thank you for all the words of wisdom. I will definitely make good use of it all. Definitely no more spotting. She is definitely extremely talented. From knowing nothing in January to watching Youtube videos to being on a team and having down most of the skills required in 7 1/2 months is pretty good .... I know I couldn't do it haha.

You are missing everyones point. Its not just........... you not spotting. She should not be doing the skills at home. She needs to leave gymnastics in the gym.

 

[BachFlyer]

Welcome to CB and the wild world of team gymnastics!

I second (tenth?) what everyone said above. The way I explained my rule about no tumbling at home to my dd years ago when she was new to team (and still boinging around like a perpetual bouncy-ball) was that if she wants to get better and reach her goals, then she needed to take the sport seriously, and that meant that she needed to take the gym rules seriously and keep the tumbling in the gym. If everyone could do gymnastics correctly at home without coaching, everyone would make the team, but it takes something special to get there, so she should treat her talent as something special and respect herself, the coaches and the process.

 

[thatguy188]

Welcome to CB and the wild world of team gymnastics!

I second (tenth?) what everyone said above. The way I explained my rule about no tumbling at home to my dd years ago when she was new to team (and still boinging around like a perpetual bouncy-ball) was that if she wants to get better and reach her goals, then she needed to take the sport seriously, and that meant that she needed to take the gym rules seriously and keep the tumbling in the gym. If everyone could do gymnastics correctly at home without coaching, everyone would make the team, but it takes something special to get there, so she should treat her talent as something special and respect herself, the coaches and the process.

Love it! I will definitely have a talk with her. The only thing the coach did say recently to do at home is practice the Beam routine (obviously without the beam).

 

[BachFlyer]

Love it! I will definitely have a talk with her. The only thing the coach did say recently to do at home is practice the Beam routine (obviously without the beam).

Oh yeah, I watched ENDLESS level 5 beam and floor routines without tumbling, and maybe even more endless made up routines. I drew the line at skills that she could not safely and consistently do on her own, so nothing that she was in the thick of training. And no tricks off of the furniture for goodness sakes (couch vaulting and attempted bunk-bed-kips got the axe). Cartwheels, handstands, dance skills I was always good with, because there was less room to get hurt and especially pick up the bad habits. We have a trampoline so it was a tough line for me to draw, to be honest. As she got older and higher level, what I allowed changed, and now she's 16 and I trust her to know what is ok, but starting out it's much harder and more worrisome. Incidentally, showing off skills at school was also a problem...for her, and for the kids that thought they could keep up!