Coaches How to help a child who's scared of fwd rolls?

[Ponyshine]

I coach a recreational gymnastics session and there is a child who is scared of doing fwd rolls. She isn't the lightest of people, so it may be that she's afraid of collapsing on herself. I've tried to get her to do them down a slope and on a tumble track filled with air, but she just can't get herself to do it.

Any tips & creative ideas would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Sari]

Have you tried the straddle-type forward roll? Get her on a really soft surface, standing in the biggest straddle she can manage and make her just sort of push her hands down through her legs (I tell the kids to look for the legs of the others waiting in line, or put something behind them, a ball, a shoe, anything to watch out for really). That shouldn't be too scary for her!
(Hopefully you can grasp what I'm trying to explain, I'm super tired right now, haha.)

I feel you though! I once had a girl in one of my rec classes who was TERRIFIED of even attempting a pullover or anything that required going around the bar. Apparently she had had a scary fall before I started coaching her. So frustrating.

 

[Ponyshine]

Have you tried the straddle-type forward roll? Get her on a really soft surface, standing in the biggest straddle she can manage and make her just sort of push her hands down through her legs (I tell the kids to look for the legs of the others waiting in line, or put something behind them, a ball, a shoe, anything to watch out for really). That shouldn't be too scary for her!
(Hopefully you can grasp what I'm trying to explain, I'm super tired right now, haha.)

I feel you though! I once had a girl in one of my rec classes who was TERRIFIED of even attempting a pullover or anything that required going around the bar. Apparently she had had a scary fall before I started coaching her. So frustrating.

Thanks - that is helpful!

I also intend to get her to hold front support with her feet on a platform & her hands on the floor. I will then gradually raise the platform on which her feet are resting. I will tell her to look at her chest to practice tucking her head in and maybe then she might try a roll from this position because the platform is taking some of her weight.

 

[BlairBob]

Years ago I had a little boy who was deathly afraid of inversion.

If I remember correctly, it just took time doing basket hangs on a low bar and doing lots of light switches on the low bar while all being spotted. Eventually one day he did a forward roll on a low bar or went upside down on the high rings (which couldn't be lowered anymore). I can't remember if he had problems with rolls down a wedge.

So just take a multi prong approach and try lots of progressions.

Later on the mom told me he had some kind of mental disorder. Either a cognitive delay one or slight autism. Asperger's wasn't popular back then.

 

[iwannacoach]

Kids love the pit so try fwd roll to mid back and finish into the pit. Make sure she knows how to keep her knees away from her face.

 

[Sari]

Oh, what I didn't think of yesterday: Work on her arm strength! Walk/Run on all fours. Crab walks. Wheelbarrow walks (holding her upper legs for more support). Lots of handstands (spotted, or even half-handstands if she gets scared). All that should minimize her fear of falling on her head during a forward roll.

But most importantly, be patient. Don't add to her stress about not being able to do it. I'm sure she'll get it eventually!

 

[coachmolly]

What about candlesticks to stand? I'm guessing it's the act of initiating the roll that is most scary, but going through the motions of the second half might at least be a step in the right direction.
Will she do a forward roll dismount on bars? What about other inverted skills?

 

[raenndrops]

Well, my 5th grade gym teacher would tell you to have her stand in a big straddle on a wedge mat and reach thru her legs (like trying to touch the person behind her) and push her . Of course, he would say it is fear of the unknown and once she does it, she will be fine because she will know it is safe...
HOWEVER, this is not 1982-1983, so that probably wouldn't fly... unless you didn't PUSH, but instead SPOTTED her (hand on back and hand on leg... especially if another coach was holding her hands, which would keep her head tucked safely).

 

[BlairBob]

Candlesticks to stand are a good drill but many people freak out when going inverted. Kids or adults.

 

[fuzi]

One more thought: We often teach forward rolls initially down an incline to help with the rolling momentum, but it's still a "long way" down. What about having her stand straddling a panel mat and tucking into her forward roll with her arms/head on the panel mat. If the fear is "going so far" that might help, even if she just rolls to her back and can't quit stand up.

 

[Kiwi]

We teach a lot of forward rolls in a schools program. We use a soft wedge and get them to stand feet apart on the wedge and look between their knees to see if they can see the person/wall/whatever behind them. When we spot we put a hand on their further shoulder with forearm at the back of their head to stop them sticking their head out at the last moment. The main problems we find are the ones who keep moving their hands out way in front of their feet, and the ones who drop down on their knees. We have got a lot of scared kids to roll successfully but occasionally there is one that won't do it no matter what.

 

[Kiwi]

We teach a lot of forward rolls in a schools program. We use a soft wedge and get them to stand feet apart on the wedge and look between their knees to see if they can see the person/wall/whatever behind them. When we spot we put a hand on their further shoulder with forearm at the back of their head to stop them sticking their head out at the last moment. The main problems we find are the ones who keep moving their hands out way in front of their feet, and the ones who drop down on their knees. We have got a lot of scared kids to roll successfully but occasionally there is one that won't do it no matter what.

 

[Ponyshine]

Kids love the pit so try fwd roll to mid back and finish into the pit. Make sure she knows how to keep her knees away from her face.

Thanks - sadly we don't have a pit though!

 

[Ponyshine]

What about candlesticks to stand? I'm guessing it's the act of initiating the roll that is most scary, but going through the motions of the second half might at least be a step in the right direction.
Will she do a forward roll dismount on bars? What about other inverted skills?

Thanks for this! Is a candlestick a shoulder stand? We have different names for things here in the UK. If it's what I think it is, I have tried this with her. But as you said, it's initiating the roll that's the scary bit for her. We haven't even reached the point where she does inverted stuff on bars much - she mostly works on swings, has a go at pull ups & practices walking her hands sideways along the bar.

 

[Ponyshine]

Thanks for everyone's helpful advice. If anyone has any more ideas, let me know!