WAG Getting past the mind

[BarCoach]

One of my gymnasts has made such a big deal out of her squat on. She did it successfully all summer and for the first half of the season. But has fallen at the last two meets and is thinking too much about it. She hasn't had any scary falls or anything. She is physically capable but no matter what I say it doesn't change. She seems to think that doing the same wrong thing again and again will get her a different result. I'm frustrated and she is. Don't know what to do next.

 

[cbifoja]

Any chance she's grown some? Over the summer, my DD struggled with hers and it coincided with a small growth spurt.

 

[iwannacoach]

Have her move through this as fast as she can...... From a spotting block or stack high enough to make it work, reach out and grab the bar, jump to squat on jump off on the other side, run around the bar set (calmly) and climb up for another one. Repeat, repeat, repeat until she's pretty tired. She'll have no time to think it through and will make them even when she's tired. Hopefully she'll conclude she can do them more easily as part of a bar routine than she can at the end of a set of five repetitions.

This works well with a group of 4 to 5 kids, and it's fun to watch because it looks like an animal act at the circus. I affectionate call the drill circus animal squat ons. There are other circus animal drills, but sharing those might violate my drill-coach confidentiality agreement I have with IWC.

Try this with the entire group and pare the group down to her and whoever else hesitates before their squat on.

 

[BarCoach]

Thanks. We'll try that. She's been doing some off a block but not quickly enough!

 

[BarCoach]

And yes, her mom said she's grown.

 

[Gymsanity]

'She seems to think that doing the same wrong thing again and again will get her a different result.'

Come on now, is that what she is really thinking? The best thing I do is try and find out what they are 'really' thinking. I try and cultivate a very open and honest relationship with my girls, and make it more than ok to let me know what the problem is, and what they believe will help them through it. In the case of missing squat ons I've heard everything from I'm going to hit my feet-trip and fall forward, the bars are too high, they are too far, I feel like I will miss the high bar, the high bar is too slippery, the high bar looks blurry, it's not the squat on-but I'm afraid of the trick afterwards, I'm afraid I will miss my feet and hit my shins, etc. Once you can identify the real fear, they all have easy fixes. A squat on technically, is a very simple and basic skill that can be done by tots on a floor bar. It becomes more challenging when moved to the unevens, and then it becomes about what's going on in their head. Good luck.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Hold on,,, Try this first,,,, This may sound way to simple but.... just tell her to "pull the bar under her feet and keep her hands by her sides when letting go to stand". PULL the bar UNDER your feet. Works for me...

 

[iwannacoach]

Hold on,,, Try this first,,,, This may sound way to simple but.... just tell her to "pull the bar under her feet and keep her hands by her sides when letting go to stand". PULL the bar UNDER your feet. Works for me...

And then there's something quick and simple like that. IWC smites self about the forehead....

 

[BarCoach]

That sounds great coachp, thanks. We had success with it at our meet today. She said she's not scared of it but admitted that the ones she makes feel like she's going to do a face plant. I bribed her with open gym tomorrow if she made it over the bar (even if she didn't grab the high bar). So something worked. She won bars and all around today. Let's just hope she can keep it. Thanks everyone!

 

[Gymnast@<3]

maybe try and start from the beginning with drills and with spot, thats probably not what she or you want but its a good way to relearn the skill and gain the confidence back. Hope this Helps!