Parents Mental Issue with Squat On

[kipnastic mom]

My DD is 10 and in level 5. This season, she has struggled in her first 2 meets to make her squat on, even though she is very consistent in practice. At the beginning of the month, her coach met with her and I to discuss how she wasn’t sure what to do with her since she should be making the skill. She went as far as to try to say she wasn’t trying and that the judges were giving her dirty looks.

DD is extremely hard on herself and gives everything to her sports. However, she is very methodical and thinks through everything. This was a big blow to her mentally.

I have been checking in at the gym and she has looked great, until last night the last practice before the meet. Where all of sudden she couldn’t do anything on bars. Before practice she was concerned as she hadn’t done a full set in a week and was worried about the squat on that the coach said she has to make.

Any ideas on how to help her relax so that she make it? She can do it she just needs to believe.

 

[2gymkids]

Story of my life these days. "I can't do it." "Of course you can't, if you think you can't."
Sorry, no advice, just commiseration.

 

[gymmom41]

My daughter had an issue with her squat on for months. Not a block as she did it but she hated it and would panic all of practice because she knew it was coming. She was young enough we couldn't do the whole separate gym from home life- she kept coming to me upset wanting to know what to do. Others can probably give you good advice- what worked for her was making a tally sheet of squat-ons. She kept avoiding it and doing as little as possible in practice- would disappear for a long water break. I told her that was just making it worse as practice makes perfect and it wouldn't feel better until she did a ton. I bet her that if she did 100 really good squat ons she wouldn't be afraid anymore. She was willing to give it a try. Took months because she didn't count the ones she didn't hold her shape properly. Started feeling better around 50. By 100 she admitted it was no problem anymore.

 

[profmom]

Take the pressure off. She should keep doing the numbers in the gym. She'll get it eventually. DD had a teammate who had this issue at old L6, the equivalent of L5. Went through the entire season and maybe made the damn squat on once. It was maddening! She's now either a second or third year L10. Remind your daughter that nothing significant hangs on whether or not she makes her squat on at a meet. Nothing at all. Then let it go, and if you can, encourage the coach to let it go as well.

 

[LindyHopper]

Wow... "the judges were giving dirty looks"? I wouldn't be thrilled with this coach's approach.

Short Stack is L6 this year and squat on is probably the skill she hates the most. Head coach says she just thinks too much and needs to get out of her own head. She missed it at the meet last Friday, so She's looking for Redemption at her next meet this Saturday.

 

[mommyof1]

Sounds like the coach is dealing with the issue in the absolute worst way possible--increasing the pressure, telling the child the judges are giving her dirty looks, and saying she isn't trying. That all sounds exactly like the negative self-talk that goes on in my kid's head and comes out of her mouth whenever she is having confidence issues, right down to the part about the dirty looks from the judges. The coach shouldn't be mirroring it.

The coach should be giving your daughter precisely the opposite message. You will do it when you're ready, skills come and go all the time, it's all part of the process, etc. And I find it odd that the coach felt it necessary to bring the parent into a discussion about a skill issue. I could understand it if the coach wanted to know whether something going on outside the gym was distracting the gymnast or if the coach wanted to explain that a skill issue was preventing the gymnast from moving up, but neither of those scenarios seems to be the case here. Why is the coach asking the parent "what to do with" a child who isn't making a skill? After all, you are paying the coach to teach your kid gymnastics!

 

[duyetanh]

Any chance of learning that sole circle to save the day?

 

[GymDadWA]

My DD is also struggling with a consistent squat on, for her the issue is holding onto the bar for too long and not getting her weight over the bar when her squat isn't perfect, at open gym her teammates were telling her to just "let go" so that she could use her upper body to balance, but she holds on just in case she rocks back and can then swing under the bar and reset with a pull over.

If you figure out the secret please share.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

As a parent, stay out of trying to fix it.

It should be.... don’t worry you’ll get it.

We know a kid, didn’t do a squat on for level 4 or 5. That’s 2 seasons. Currently placing on bars in L6.

She was one of the first kids to be willing to try a giant. Squat on no way. 2 seasons, climbed from low bar to high. Placing now and has lovely bars.

 

[kipnastic mom]

Thank you to everyone! I try really hard to stay out if it, it's not the easiest to do with her! We did make it in her meet this weekend, so hoping that helps her out moving forward!

Someone asked about a sole circle, she hasn't actually learned that yet. I wish they would teach her as I think that would be the answer!

 

[duyetanh]

Thank you to everyone! I try really hard to stay out if it, it's not the easiest to do with her! We did make it in her meet this weekend, so hoping that helps her out moving forward!

Someone asked about a sole circle, she hasn't actually learned that yet. I wish they would teach her as I think that would be the answer!

That was me. And yes, it would be the answer.

 

[lhmom]

I was about to ask if she had learned a sole circle. It’s what helped my daughter when she started struggling with consistency on the squat on. Once she had the sole circle, the weight seemed to lift and she didn’t miss the squat on again. Wasn’t sure if they can use it in compulsory though?