My daughter just turned 8 years old this week, and is on (new) Level 4. She has been in gym since she was about 3 (off and on when she was younger) and competed last year for the first time as a (old) Level 4.
Last year she had an amazing season! Worked hard, stayed focused (as much as I would expect from a girl her age) and really seemed to enjoy herself! By the end of the season she was scoring well, made it to state and placed. We are so proud of her and loved watching her enjoy herself. She had such enthusiasm!
This summer everything has changed. She moved up a level... But is still with the same group of girls on her team. I have spent the last two months watching everything fizzle... She has no drive. No ambition to get better. No focus. When I watch her practice I want to cry because she just spends most of her time wandering... And is the slowest girl on the team. She is always the last girl out of gym because she won't hustle through conditioning anymore at all. And new skills? She just won't try to get them. When she falls, she just lays on the floor and rolls her eyes in defeat.
Her coach talks to her several times during practice, just to get her to pay attention... Like she's lost in another world. And when she works with a coach on a skill, she often just gets moved on because she won't make corrections, stay tight, focus, etc... I see her coaches "writing her off" in a sense because they have many other girls there who care about trying hard.
I don't want her to be the best. I have learned to not say anything to her about this because I want it to be her sport. But I do want her to try. I want her to give it "her" best! With the amount of money and time sacrificed for this sport, I want to know that she still loves it, has fun and tries hard!
I don't see any of this anymore. At first I thought it was an adjustment or something. But it just gets worse and worse every week. About a month ago we talked to her just to let her know that if her heart isn't in it, we are totally ok with that. She flipped out, saying it is still her dream and she loves it! She wouldn't ever want to quit! She also never complains about going to practices. Always seems happy to go... Just not happy to be there?
I don't want to push her, or really even approach her yet. Because I just don't know what to say or do! How do I approach this? Help?!?
Last year she had an amazing season! Worked hard, stayed focused (as much as I would expect from a girl her age) and really seemed to enjoy herself! By the end of the season she was scoring well, made it to state and placed. We are so proud of her and loved watching her enjoy herself. She had such enthusiasm!
This summer everything has changed. She moved up a level... But is still with the same group of girls on her team. I have spent the last two months watching everything fizzle... She has no drive. No ambition to get better. No focus. When I watch her practice I want to cry because she just spends most of her time wandering... And is the slowest girl on the team. She is always the last girl out of gym because she won't hustle through conditioning anymore at all. And new skills? She just won't try to get them. When she falls, she just lays on the floor and rolls her eyes in defeat.
Her coach talks to her several times during practice, just to get her to pay attention... Like she's lost in another world. And when she works with a coach on a skill, she often just gets moved on because she won't make corrections, stay tight, focus, etc... I see her coaches "writing her off" in a sense because they have many other girls there who care about trying hard.
I don't want her to be the best. I have learned to not say anything to her about this because I want it to be her sport. But I do want her to try. I want her to give it "her" best! With the amount of money and time sacrificed for this sport, I want to know that she still loves it, has fun and tries hard!
I don't see any of this anymore. At first I thought it was an adjustment or something. But it just gets worse and worse every week. About a month ago we talked to her just to let her know that if her heart isn't in it, we are totally ok with that. She flipped out, saying it is still her dream and she loves it! She wouldn't ever want to quit! She also never complains about going to practices. Always seems happy to go... Just not happy to be there?
I don't want to push her, or really even approach her yet. Because I just don't know what to say or do! How do I approach this? Help?!?