Help!!!!

[coachamyamerican]

Need some much needed coach and mom advice from you all! My sweet daughter has went through the usual mental blocks... usually is able to shake them off. We kept her level 7 again this year to eliminate some frustration but wow...
1st meet this year was her best ever! She had her highest beam score of her life! (HATES BEAM!)
Has been doing giants effortlessly for 2 years with a flyaway that a lot of girls envy...
learned fulls this year on floor and front hand front lay... now she isn't using these but definately doing all right... UNTIL
last week stopped doing bhs on high beam... will do it all day long on mid beam but not on high even with a spot....
then stopped tumbling backwards... will barely do ro bhs and is not attempting her layout (front tumbling is fine)
THEN... will not do her giant giant flyaway on bars... will do it all day on pit bar and they are GORGEOUS!
SO my question is this... there is a meet Saturday...
do I let her go and see if she pulls it off... she is a meet kid... doing things we never see in workout... or have her stay home???
She wants to go... offered to let her take it off to take some pressure off of her.... and she was so upset last night that she couldn't make herself go for the things she has been doing...
I am a coach... and her mom and I am torn!
Any suggestions???
Any tips to help?
Thanks!
Amy

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Wow, that is so tough. I wonder if since she says she wants to go that she thinks she can pull it off in the meet setting.

I really don't know if I have an answer, which I know does not help you.

I would lean towards keeping her home, but if she is confident that she can pull it off and is not worried.......

So tough, I will be thinking of you and hoping someone is more helpful than I am.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Wow, that is a tough spot to be in! I guess I would probably listen to how my DD felt about it and take it from there. If she feels confident enough to at least try than I would let her. I am not much help I know so hopefully someone else that had actually been through the same thing can chime in with their wisdom. Best of luck to your DD

 

[coachamyamerican]

The good news... if there is any... is the meet is at our gym... we host this...
Her head coach thinks she should come and try.... I hate this for her! wish I could make the fear go away!

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

I really feel for you. Sending the 'what doesnot kill us makes us stronger fairy!!'

 

[taximom]

My daughter has also struggled with mental blocks especially with going backwards. If I could turn back time I would catch this at the early stages as for my daughter it has been a very long process.

I would allow her to compete if she's feeling up to it. It may give her that extra little push she needs right now.

My daughter doesn't feel pressure from others nearly as much as which she applies to herself. It's heartbreaking to watch them struggle but as Mom that's all you can do and listen when and if she brings it up. (((((HUGS))))) to you and your daughter.

 

[cathiann]

If her coach is okay with her going and she wants to, then I'd let her. I know at our gym, if you're balking on skills the week before the meet, you don't compete that event. They don't want girls getting hurt. If she ends up going--good luck to her!!!

 

[coachamyamerican]

Thank you for all the well wishes and replies... I think he is letting her go because she has been a gymnast for awhile at this level... to tell you the truth she threw in her giants the first time at a meet... had been working them and decided during warm up that she was ready!
He isn't afraid to scratch her if it doesn't go well and since we aren't really having to travel is isn't a big deal on the pocketbook either!
I am going to let her read these tonight to boost her spirits! You all are great!

 

[gym monkeys mom]

I would let her do the meet. It may help and otherwise she will feel liked she is being punished for something she really cannnot control.

Next go to Dr. Al"is web site wwww.headgames.ws and read articles and do what she says it really does help.

DD had trouble with BHS on beam and Giants and her techniques really worked.

One thing not in her stuff that DD did which was a visual thing formy DD. She wrote on her hand in permanent marker (yeah i know moms hate this stuff but it worked) I CAN DO IT. She saw it all day, everyday, forever and everywhere she was it really trained her head she was in control and could do it. She is now 14yrs and slips back every once and a awhile but she has the abliity to over come things easier now.

The ages of 11 years to about 14 years for girls is very mental it either makes or breaks gymnasts. Our college aged coach says make it through those years and the rest is a piece of cake. LOL

Best wishes and prayers to you and your DD.

 

[Janetgym]

At my gym, we are not allowed to compete what we are not training. But my mom is reading a lot of books on mental stuff and she said that the best way to get rid of your fears is to face them, not avoid them.

 

[coachamyamerican]

I started reading these and WOW! Great info. She does visualize and listens to a hypnosis positive thinking recording on her MP3.... These help a lot!

 

[gymgurl]

Honestly all i can tell you is that there is a reason she wants to go otherwise she wouldn't ask. honestly i think you know that she can do these skills fine but is just scared so the worst thing that can happen is that she doesn't do it and walks away or continues her routine without it. yes she could score low but if she does it she could score amazingly high so its a bit of a risk and whether or not to take it and i know that if you knew that she wouldn't be able to do it safely you would have had an outright no but it seems you are thinking about the "what if's".

Well i am giving her advice as a lower level gymnast (that sounds odd) but it is what our coach tells us when she knows we can do it to a point where we won't hurt ourselves...."Just Chuck It"