WAG Level 3 with Sudden Round-Off BHS Fear?

[gymdog]

She still HAS her back-handspring. She hasn't lost the physical ability to do it, she just mentality will not go for it.

All right, well then I'm a level 10 and not an aging gymnastics coach. I mean I could do it if...

Seriously, I'm not attacking you. But since there's apparently nothing you can or will do about this situation other than what you're already doing, I'll accept your post as a vent and offer my commiseration. I too coach children who sometimes lose skills.

 

[duyetanh]

Thinking aloud here...any chance the parents would spring for a private to build confidence, and then you could devote time to it...or maybe this would make it worse, seeing as it has been the elephant in the room before. The thing is, you just can't rush fear. Every child gets over it at their own pace, and some let it paralyze them to the point of quitting the sport. All you can do is encourage, and encourage the parents to do the same. Beyond that, it's really up to the child.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

My dd recently went through something like this. Granted much harder skill but sane concept. ( she had a back injury... Out for a couple months then trying to regain flick lay on beam) The coaches decided not to spot her BC of the differences in coaching. They made her break it down and go all the way back to basics. She made a chart with goals that she thought were attainable. Little by little she regained her confidence and had the skill back on high beam with no mats or pads. It took awhile. You will need patience and go back to basic skills. Let her control the progress. If she feels in control she wont feel overwhelmed and her confidence will return. Good luck!!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Thinking aloud here...any chance the parents would spring for a private to build confidence, and then you could devote time to it...or maybe this would make it worse, seeing as it has been the elephant in the room before. The thing is, you just can't rush fear. Every child gets over it at their own pace, and some let it paralyze them to the point of quitting the sport. All you can do is encourage, and encourage the parents to do the same. Beyond that, it's really up to the child.

Doing a private for fear is fine, but doing a private for a fear issue, (which this is) only puts a spot light on the issue and can do way more harm than good. When a fear issue develops it's very important how it's dealt with at inception, putting pressure or a spotlight on it can cause what I call , "cementing the issue".

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I would have a chat with the child and her parents. I would say these things:

1) Gymnastics is a marathon. Your child is 8. In the bigger picture, it doesn't matter if she gets her BHS back this year or next year. Most of the gymnasts develop fears at some point, usually a few years later than she. It may make it look like she's the only kid with fears but that's not true. So let's take it easy. This is just a sport. One of the biggest benefits of doing sports is learning to deal with struggles, fears and failure. We can take this as a learning experience.

2) You don't have to work on you BHS if you're not ready. You will work on drills and you will tell us when you want to try it.

3) Let's see how it goes. We have a plan but we can change it if it seems like we need to. We are here for the kids. The kids are not here for us. We will do everything we can to make her feel good, safe and supported.

 

[duyetanh]

Doing a private for fear is fine, but doing a private for a fear issue, (which this is) only puts a spot light on the issue and can do way more harm than good. When a fear issue develops it's very important how it's dealt with at inception, putting pressure or a spotlight on it can cause what I call , "cementing the issue".

Yes, that's what I figured as I was writing...

 

[l.c.o]

"Way back when", my DD had a tentative grasp on a not-great robhs when she FINALLY crashed on one and landed on her head. Seriously, it had been coming.

After letting it sit and not working on it at all for a couple of weeks, after discussion with coaches, we all decided to try a series of privates to start at the beginning (especially as they were in "meet season is starting soon let's do routines mode" and not really working ANY drills with her). After some 4-6 weeks of privates (1xweek), DD got it back with like 3-4 weeks to spare before meet season.

It was better than it had been but not great. But her confidence was back. With a move to a new gym brought lots of tramp work and working drills for doubles, and DD decided tumbling was way fun and that she loves to fly.

Her technique is STILL not amazing - maybe level 7 will be the season that she gets those legs plastered together?! Pretty please? That said, she's a fairly powerful tumbler, and is usually one of the first to get floor skills.

So... There's hope? She needs time to heal and time for a slow recovery in order to rebuild her confidence.

Also wanted to add: My DD also recently lost her flight on beam after a series of crashes. She was pushing to meet the level 7 deadline for skills, and kept trying to rush it all back despite her immense fear. Coaches decided no level 7 (bars iffy anyway) and DD completely started over, BHS on a line on the floor. Two months later, she's still working up to doing her BHS on high beam on her own, and her two series are "FINALLY" on low beam without mats. I'm hopeful now that her level 4 season is over, and level 5 mobility is obtained (tomorrow!), and they work those BHS more often, that confidence will build more quickly. At this point, I'm just hoping its all on high beam by June, so there's no pressure or big rush to have it ready for level 7. Anyway, rushing and threats (no level 7!) and begging was not helpful. Time and understanding was.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

"Way back when", my DD had a tentative grasp on a not-great robhs when she FINALLY crashed on one and landed on her head. Seriously, it had been coming.

After letting it sit and not working on it at all for a couple of weeks, after discussion with coaches, we all decided to try a series of privates to start at the beginning (especially as they were in "meet season is starting soon let's do routines mode" and not really working ANY drills with her). After some 4-6 weeks of privates (1xweek), DD got it back with like 3-4 weeks to spare before meet season.

It was better than it had been but not great. But her confidence was back. With a move to a new gym brought lots of tramp work and working drills for doubles, and DD decided tumbling was way fun and that she loves to fly.

Her technique is STILL not amazing - maybe level 7 will be the season that she gets those legs plastered together?! Pretty please? That said, she's a fairly powerful tumbler, and is usually one of the first to get floor skills.

So... There's hope? She needs time to heal and time for a slow recovery in order to rebuild her confidence.

Also wanted to add: My DD also recently lost her flight on beam after a series of crashes. She was pushing to meet the level 7 deadline for skills, and kept trying to rush it all back despite her immense fear. Coaches decided no level 7 (bars iffy anyway) and DD completely started over, BHS on a line on the floor. Two months later, she's still working up to doing her BHS on high beam on her own, and her two series are "FINALLY" on low beam without mats. I'm hopeful now that her level 4 season is over, and level 5 mobility is obtained (tomorrow!), and they work those BHS more often, that confidence will build more quickly. At this point, I'm just hoping its all on high beam by June, so there's no pressure or big rush to have it ready for level 7. Anyway, rushing and threats (no level 7!) and begging was not helpful. Time and understanding was.

This is kind of off the original topic, but we have a level 7 that does a cartwheel round off connection on beam instead of the BHS series and scores pretty well on it. It might be a good back up to have in her arsenal for next year just in case.

 

[l.c.o]

This is kind of off the original topic, but we have a level 7 that does a cartwheel round off connection on beam instead of the BHS series and scores pretty well on it. It might be a good back up to have in her arsenal for next year just in case.

Reply also off topic...
Hi, yes and THANKS - her gym will occasionally use that series if absolutely necessary, but it's not something they like to use. And unfortunately, her last and worst fall during that time period was after a roundoff on high beam (landed on the beam on her back somehow and scraped/bruised herself along her spine - she's had a LOT of anxiety about this since... there was apparently a collective 'coaches gasp' at it which didn't help). She's old enough to realize how important the spine is and the implications of a spinal injury. It's something she'll work through or won't. Unfortunately, her roundoff is currently waaaayyyyyyy further away from those high beams than anything else! She's got a block on beam (knock wood floor/vault just fine!).

She does still have her bwo-bwo and a fwo on beam (fwo-fwo working on floor beam), and she's working a back tuck, so she's got some room to play for the future, even if all she manages to do is (hopefully!!) get that darn single bhs back on high beam before Jan '17! They prefer a bwo-bhs series but will take a bwo-bwo with separate BHS as second choice. I'm not too worried - I think she'll get there, I just really hope it doesn't end up rushed to meet deadline because she does not cope with that well at all. Some kids thrive under that sort of pressure - she does not - she falls apart (see her series of beam falls on nearly every level 7+ skill over the course of two weeks!! POOF!).

She is mostly worried about getting/keeping her hands on the beam. For whatever reason (perhaps because no scary fall yet), bwo/fwo/handstand/cartwheel are exceptions to this - thank the beam gods for that!!

 

[sce]

Knowing the history, I think the parents need to have it explained to them that fears happen and skills come and go. Pressure from parents, threats form parents, parental disappointment all make it worse! She's 8yo and needs to be able to feel she can enjoy gymnastics and progress as she needs. Maybe also take the pressure off for the girls. Tell her that everyone loses a skill sometimes. Her BHS is probably just hiding somewhere in the gym and one day she will find it.

 

[NutterButter]

Fears are frustrating for both parents and coaches but it's most frustrating for the gymnast. I bet this gymmie so badly wants to please the adults in her life. And what pressure too -- gymnastics has already been taken away once. I'm sure she is fearful that it will be taken away again. And I'm sure she is confused with why she can't do the skill anymore and doesn't understand why you her coach can't help her. My guess is that she also attaches her self-worth to the skill. Fears suck. Fears suck even more when adults add pressure.

The parents need some coaching. If they are unable to come around, they will be best served finding a new sport for their DD. My DD has had two teammates quit because of fears. In both cases the parents did not deal well with the block (behaviors such as what you describe above from the parents).

My DD struggles with fears. She has had 4 major blocks lasting several weeks or months and countless minor ones. She is also a perfectionist and when she gets a skill, it looks pretty good and is usually competition ready immediately but this also means she is adding unnecessary pressure to herself. Unfortunately, my DD attaches her self-worth to how well she is doing in the gym ("I'm the worst", "Coach doesn't like me because I can't do X" are frequent comments from her). Changing DD's mindset, like gymnastics, is a marathon but she's made strides over the last few years. Mostly DD just needs tons of reassuring that her coach wants her to succeed, that fears are normal and that she will get past it. She loves the sport and so far has never seriously considered quitting.