Help with cartwheel on beam!!

[susie]

My dd is afraid to do her cartwheel on high beam. She used to do it and she still can do it on the floor beam. But when she is on the high beam she let's her feet fall on the floor. It really upsetting her and it is effecting her confidence everywhere. She is talking about quitting. Her first meet is in two weeks. Any suggestions?

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[bogwoppit]

It really is the coaches domain. Ideally the coach would take the catwheel all the way back to the beginning. Cartwheel on a line on the floor and slowly move up to the high beam with stacked mats all the way up to beam level.

Clearly if she can do it on the floor beam she changes her technique somewhere on the way to the higher beam, the coach can find out where this is and reinforce the good technique.

The CW on beam looks really easy, but most of the girls are glad to leave it behind, as it's very, very hard.

As to the meet, there is no rushing to get a skill back, so she'll either have it, or she won't. AS a mom all you can do is reassure her and make her see that this is just a CW and not really a big deal. MOre pressure will not help her at all.

SO you could begin by telling the coach that your dd is very upset with losing the skill, and that she is wanting to quit over it. That will open a dialogue where the coach might tell you how they are dealing with it. But to be honest, beyond being a supportive parent there is not much you can do.

One dad at our gym got so upset with his DD losing a skill he was being way to pushy, so I invited him up on the beam to do a few walks, kicks and jumps. You can imagine he was pretty quiet about it after that. Gymnastics is tough.

 

[susie]

Part of this issue is her coach doesn't think it is a big deal. I have spoken with her about her wanting to quit and her reply was she will change her mind. I am sure her coach just has faith that she will get it. When it first started, which was several months ago, her coach stacked mats under the beam and has soon as the mat was moved she would miss it again.

I have told my dd that its ok if she doesn't have it by the meet. I don't think I have pressured her. When she is upset I just try to comfort her. I just thought maybe there was advice or pointers I could pass along to my dd.

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[bogwoppit]

Well the thing is she can do the CW, she knows she can, she is just scared of the high beam CW. Besides what you are doing there is not much you can say. To give pointers without seeing her is tough, but more than that when you start "coaching" them it can sometimes confuse them and get in the way of what is going on at the gym.

It is very hard to watch them struggle with a skill, but I do know that struggles with skills are constant with gymnastics, no matter how far up the system they go they will have a skill that bothers them. SO it is good for her to learn how to deal with the issue, as I can guarantee that is won't be the last skill she struggles with.

I wish I could help more, but seriously every gymnast struggles with something all the time.

 

[tomtnt]

it's nerves

tell her to not worry about it and even if she falls on the cartwheel, she could still get a 9.5! tell her to do her best on the routine before and after the cartwheel and if she falls, no big deal - get right back up and hit the rest of the routine.

taking away the pressure of making the cartwheel will let her focus on the technique since she has the mechanics to do it on the floor beam.

 

[sportsmommy]

It is tough to see your child hurting. Just keep supporting her. She will work through it. If it is a block she is the only one that can fix it.

**sportsmommy**

 

[2gymmies]

Make sure she knows to look for her foot to land - I've seen many gymnasts get worried on the high beam so they forget to look for the beam for their first foot! It would be really scary to not know if you were going to land on the beam or not! I'm sure she will get it back!

 

[Dezi]

My dd went through the same thing this summer. She had a beautiful cartwheel in January(she got it on her first try) then she had a bad fall in March and she never did another one till September,ugh! She would purposely kick her leg out to not be able to make it on the beam. Her coach worked with her, I did not say anything. First the coach started spotting her again at every practice, then they moved to the wide beam by herself and then to the beam with a smaller cover(not sure what they are called) and finally to high beam. My point is it takes time to get over a fear and there is nothing you can say to help, leave it to her coach. It is very frustrating to watch them struggle on a skill you know they can do and it is frustrating to them too. Hang in there it will come back!