WAG Is this vestibular on beam?

[LJL07]

I know many similar questions have been posted, but here goes. DD is 8 yrs and is level 4 working upskills for level 6/7. Great little tumbler, doing ok on vault and bars. Working on fulls on floor etc. Has good speed and uses lots of momentum for tumbling, vaulting, etc. Beam has always presented difficulty. In my opinion this is because slower, controlled movement is a lot harder for her. She had an oculomotor issue and did lots of vision therapy which helped tremendously.

The issue is that the coaches have an expectation that because she tumbles so well on floor she should "certainly" be able to do back walkovers and back handsprings on the high beam. She is not at all comfortable with this. Her back walkover is crooked on low/medium beam. She is actually better with the back handspring (maybe because it's quicker??) but she is in no way comfortable or feels ready doing this on high beam yet. And is getting berated because "it should be easy for her." I just keep telling her she will get it and don't worry. Is this vestibular even though floor tumbling is progressing so quickly? An eye issue? Fear? I really feel like if they would leave her alone, she will hopefully continue to mature with the body control and will eventually get it.

 

[coach.e]

I would say it's a normal thing to be a little scared of backwards skills on beam. Vestibular, in my opinion, comes in when its a fear that lasts long after getting the skill and is un-rational. Sounds like the coaches expecting her to just do it could possibly create a fear in the long run. I have no problem with kids taking a few months to learn these "big kid" skills on beam. If they're rushed and the kids are terrified and pushed then it's going to hurt them in the long run.

Just my opinion.

 

[gymdog]

I think this sounds like a combination of visual issue plus lack of progressions. Do the coaches know about the vision history?

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Fear is fear, and beam is full of it.

 

[munchkin3]

Coach e, you answered my question......fear is fear.......vestibular is like an acute attack of 'I can't do it' when the athlete has been doing it fine.....

Mine then has a classic case if fear, IMO......
Yes, she had done BHSs and had them pretty nicely, but it was sporadic, and done with adrenaline, not skill.

 

[LJL07]

I think this sounds like a combination of visual issue plus lack of progressions. Do the coaches know about the vision history?

I may have mentioned the vision issue to the coach, but I'm not sure it really registered. Lack of progression could certainly be an issue too as she was level 2 last year. For some reason, with lots of repetition, she is doing fine with the cartwheel for the level 4 beam routine. If it is a vision issue, can anything really be done for that?

 

[LJL07]

There is a blind gymnast in Texas (I think) who is successfully competing level 4, so there has to be some kind of way to compensate for the eye problem. and apparently the cartwheel IS a problem. She's about 50/50 with it. When she hits it, it's a good beam routine.

 

[profmom]

The way they talk about a purely vestibular issue is distinctive. That's where you get the "I don't feel like I'm scared, but I just can't go" or "It feels like something is telling me not to go." And yes, it can totally manifest only on beam and even only on the high beam. DD had a period of several months when she was doing RO-BHS-back full and RO-BW-BT on floor but just could not put a handstand back handspring on a beam that was more than a foot off the ground. For her, she could do BWO BWO all day long as well as BHS up there, but try to connect something in front of the BHS and it all went straight to you know where.

It is a really weird thing.

 

[gymdog]

There is a blind gymnast in Texas (I think) who is successfully competing level 4, so there has to be some kind of way to compensate for the eye problem. and apparently the cartwheel IS a problem. She's about 50/50 with it. When she hits it, it's a good beam routine.

Yes, there have been many gymnasts with visual issues ranging from moderate to severe. There are ways to compensate, but depending on the severity of the issue, it can obviously be limiting at some point. In your daughter's case what you described could be correctable with contacts or just with developmental age. So it may or may not be limiting. These things can also cause issue with the timing to the springboard and the jump to high bar.