Parents Lacking consistency

[needcoffee]

So Monday night I watched DD do the most beautiful bar routine I've ever seen in my life. Wednesday night she couldn't even connect her kip to cast and fell on every squat on. This is the pattern in every single one of her events. 50% of the time she nails it so beautifully and the other half I'm thinking in my head "....WTF was that?" Lol.

She's only been doing gymnastics for less than 18 months, is consistency something that comes over time? I realise every kid has bad days, but do the good days eventually start to weigh out the bad?

First comp is in one week, I don't care how she scores, but I'm pretty worried that it's going to be a disaster..

 

[ZJsMom]

In my experience, most kids hit much better in competition than in practice. I think they're focused and there to do one thing. At practice, it's usually in the evening-- they're tired, they may have had a hard day at school and they often have many other things on their minds.

 

[Natasha]

Consistency is the goal, but it takes a long time to get there, which is why it is all about repetition. As they progress to harder skills, the consistency takes even longer to get. Early in the season and during preseason most gymnasts are not yet consistent in their skills. My dd training L10 has done all her skills on all events, but will be working like crazy between now and January on getting them consistent.

 

[cbifoja]

DD's HC will sometimes tell me that DD "had a bad swing day" meaning that she just couldn't hit bars that day. I think it's pretty normal for kids to have an off event during practice a few times a month. But I agree with the poster who mentioned that usually they do better at meets than in practice. At least that is the way my DD is.

 

[GYM0M]

Yep, it will be better in a meet, but she'll probably give you a minor stroke during warm-ups! -OR- she'll bomb the routine.....it happens to EVERY GYMNAST!

 

[Ausi_poppet]

I think consistency is pretty reliant on confidence as well as practice. They have to reach a point where they don't have any doubt that they can do the skills and then they'll nail them every time. Even if they don't do it perfectly, it's more a 0.1 or 0.3 rather than a fall. That's always hard at the beginning of a comp season when they haven't yet build up that confidence and familiarity with all their new skills.

I just marvel at how amazing these kids are to be able to pull off such clever skills time and time again when they do master them!

 

[2G1B]

It is pretty darn amazing that she has been in gymnastics for only 18 months and already has her kip!!!

She will get more consistent with time; but even then she will have days when you are wondering what she is doing.

 

[MILgymFAM]

We are a bit in the same boat. My DD has been in gym about 18 months too, and for the next two weeks it's still undecided if she will compete 4, 5, or 6 this season. They decide the 20th (and she won't even be here for the decisions, she will be at summer camp). She is fairly inconsistent in practice- on beam, one day she can BWO-BWO and the next day she can only do cartwheels. Same on the other events. Only 3/4 of her kips are up to par, and the rest are junky arms or legs. I am just sitting back and letting the coaches do their thing and convincing my DD that whatever level they choose is the right one for right now. When competitions start I will be holding my breath for the first few. Your DD will most likely pull it all together for completion, and if not for the first, I am convinced it will come with time. Hang in there and close your eyes when you need to!

 

[Alie21]

I think consistency is pretty reliant on confidence

I agree with this. If she is worried/asks at all remind her how she has nailed it in the past and has it in her to do it again and if she doesn't -don't mention it, just smile and panic on the inside!! Probably the best idea, at least that's what I do

It is pretty darn amazing that she has been in gymnastics for only 18 months and already has her kip!!!

Also this - she IS amazing...we need the kip fairy over here please

Best wishes for the comp - I'm sure she will be fine. For you..breath...breath...breath!! I truly think they need some stronger refreshments at meets for the parents

 

[needcoffee]

I could start a vodka stand at comps....I wonderhow much money I'd make!!?

 

[Alie21]

Probably loads - and it would keep your mind off your DDs routines! Win-win

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Yes time.

Time leads to more repition, training, conditioning, which leads to more hits then misses which lead to more confidence and back around.

Much like all things a couple steps forward a couple back.

Mostly I say have fun, work hard, unless we are at a meet and then I say, have fun, do your best, good luck.

It's a marathon, not a sprint

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I truly think they need some stronger refreshments at meets for the parents

Those little bottles fit in a bag nicely

 

[gracyomalley]

consistency comes with time, repetition and practice, as well as confidence and experience. When skills are still somewhat new they are rarely truely consistent. Most kids after a few years of comp experience are more consistent in meets than practice, although some are true performers from the get go. My DD and my younger son always do better in meets - in fact DD who has been through lots of vestibular issues never made a beam series in practice her second year level 7, and cried for hours over it many practices (believe me, I was "staying out of gym" and didn't know this until later) but HIT EVERY ONE perfectly in meets, scoring 9.5s and tons of beam medals. However, she had the skill down rock solid other than the vestibular stuff/fear because of it...

My younger DS was 10 last comp season. He competed with great form all season but looks absolutely scary most practices....he is just starting to have the body control to be tight and consistent.

Lastly my older boy skipped a level last season and then had a concussion and missed 6 weeks of training - he finally did all his skills at regionals! He was very inconsistent - having a few good events each meet, but it was up in the air which ones it'd be. Even his "good events" like floor and vault, varied hugely, esp. on landings - there's just so much he's learning right now and his strength is really exploding that he's a little out of control - some really scary HB dismounts...luckily boys bounce and laugh about it later.

I will say they are all really consistent now on skills they have been doing a few years...so clearly muscle memory comes into play. No one misses a kip, no one does a bad FHS vault, or ROBHSBT - and I didn't have to leave the room for any events last year at meets! However, if DD actually competes and both she and her older brother are L8 this year, I may be in line for the vodka during vault and bars...for both kids!

 

[1canadiangymmom]

I could start a vodka stand at comps....I wonderhow much money I'd make!!?

you would make a lot

 

[profmom]

I will say they are all really consistent now on skills they have been doing a few years...so clearly muscle memory comes into play. No one misses a kip, no one does a bad FHS vault, or ROBHSBT - and I didn't have to leave the room for any events last year at meets! However, if DD actually competes and both she and her older brother are L8 this year, I may be in line for the vodka during vault and bars...for both kids!

Oh, this is SO true! I was just thinking about this the other day when I was watching DS on rings. With what he's working on now, he just does a casual swing into an uprise so that he can press up into a handstand, which is where the stuff he's working on now starts. It wasn't all that long ago when we were all holding our breath and hoping hoping hoping that they'd make those uprises at meets! Same thing with the kip -- every once in a blue moon, I see one of mine hopping on the bar and doing a kip just to get up into support without even thinking about it and remember vividly our days of kip drama. I can't imagine it now, but I suppose it's possible in a few years I'll feel that way about what they're struggling to learn and make consistent this summer, LOL!

Every USAG athlete membership issued for an athlete under age 18 should come for a coupon for hair coloring and a coupon at the closest liquor store for the parent who signs the form. Double coupons for every L8 athlete who's doing a flipping vault for the first season.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

. Double coupons for every L8 athlete who's doing a flipping vault for the first season.

nah nah nah nah nah nah not listening. , heading off to drink

 

[ZJsMom]

How about triple coupons for parents with kids doing high bar releases?

 

[Ali'sMom]

Every USAG athlete membership issued for an athlete under age 18 should come for a coupon for hair coloring and a coupon at the closest liquor store for the parent who signs the form. Double coupons for every L8 athlete who's doing a flipping vault for the first season.

I'm cool with the hair coloring, as I do that anyway. Can I please have double coupons for the liquor store while I wait to find out what level my kid will be?

 

[profmom]

How about triple coupons for parents with kids doing high bar releases?

Triple coupons for tkachevs and jaegers. If it's a Kovacs, you also get valium as long as you promise not to combine.