WAG Looking for fear experiences/outcomes

[flipandfly]

I know this isn't directly related to OP's question but for those of you who have a DD battling a mental block or fear right now, I wonder if the following strategy will help them:
INSTEAD OF: 1,2,3 or Ready, Set, Go (which immediately makes the mind think of No Go)
DO SAY: Ready, Set, Fly
I know it sounds cheesy, but seriously, "fly" is much more empowering and positive.

On a note more directly related to the thread, I am a very nervous, mental gymnast. I am surprised I am even at the level 6 point based on how hard it is for me to mentally commit myself to skills I am extremely capable of. Right now, I am battling BHS on high beam, handstands on bars, you name it. I try to not label my feared skills as mental blocks. The only skill I have ever truly called a mental block was the flyaway, which I am over with and am successfully working upgrades into them. Fears really just take time. One day you think it will never happen, a few months later it does. Chalkbucket suggestions (search the skill in the archives) and visualizing helped me. Good luck to everyone mentally battling a skill right now.

 

[duyetanh]

While I agree with the above poster that it is all on the kid to overcome the fear (afterall, we sure as hell aren't doing these routines, thank GOD!), I do think the parents can assist in ways if they feel it can be helpful and not make the fear/block worse. The key is in knowing your kid. If you think your kid would benefit from Doc Ali, or talking with someone else, then go for it. If you think your kid just needs to work through it without anyone saying boo, then you go that route...because that is assisting your kid if he/she doesn't want to talk about it; the relief of worrying about pressure will dissipate. If you think your kid needs the occasional cheerleader approach of "tricks come and tricks go, and I know it will come back again honey and I believe in you," then this can be helpful. It honestly just depends on your kid. My friend has two kids in the sport who have both had fear issues. One was all about the Doc Ali and the encouragement. The other one? The mom quickly learned to talk about anything other than gymnastics once she got in the car, lol. Luckily the older one having been there and done that (and still doing it btw) provided encouragement that the parent could not offer, because it would not have been well received from her younger child. I can see where it would help having two kids in the sport as they could use each other as a support system (of course I can see it also being challenging, but that is a whole different topic). If you have only one kid in the sport, it truly is about figuring out how they feel best about handling their block/fears, and then being there for them. For my child, when she experiences this (has happened before, will happen again, it's who she is), she likes to vent about it briefly, greatly appreciates the reminder of this has happened before, you know it will come back, and you're doing the best you can approach....and then I change the subject to asking what was something good about practice today....as we have done this for a couple years now, she always has something to say....and then I switch to "How is that dinner tasting?" or something else totally random that has nothing to do with gym. As we have a bit of a drive to get home, she usually gravitates back to gym talk, because she likes to process it all before we get home, and I, car therapist that I am (lmao) listen and interject where and when I feel she wants commentary.
Good luck to you and her! Parenting a gymnast is hard, and seeing your child go through this stress during a block is a killer. I hope for the best for your child.