Question for coaches-mental blocks

[purplesunflowers]

Hi All,

Maybe I just need to come to terms with this and assurances that the right thing is being done here. Our daughter had an awesome competitive season last fall... up until State, when she developed a mental block and lost a (key) skill on the floor. She went on to win one event at state, and was in the top 3 for the other two events... scratching floor. She HAD been scoring very high on floor (her usual score would have won state), but could not compete without this skill. If she would have been able to compete floor, she would have taken State for sure.

Since then, she has worked very hard to regain this skill at practice... has suffered numerous set backs and has lost/regained other skills along the way. She seems to be doing MUCH better and seems to be on the right path again, according to coaches. She has been relieved/proud of the progress she's made but everybody is wondering why it has taken her so long to get back at it. We're not really sure what caused her to lose the skill in the first place.

For the summer the gym had a large amount of kids in the level below her, a smaller group in her level. I'm happy that they have kept her in her same level, because besides this floor skill, she's doing great on all her other skills according to a progress report. We were aware that they were splitting the kids up for the summer to make for easier groups to coach, but we thought that this split would occur during the same practice time. DD came home last night almost in tears and obviously very upset because she found out that all of the other kids in her level practice at a completely different time... and the other girl in her level who was practicing with her was asked by the coach when she would be going at the different time.

Long story short... DD just found out that she's the only girl in her level practicing with this lower level. And she was asked by other kids why she didn't practice with the other girls in her group.

I asked DD if they did the same skills as she was doing, and she THINKS that it's easier, though they are still doing SOME of the same skills from her level.

I know that DD needs help with this key floor skill, and it's a gateway to other floor skills that the other kids in her level are working. I do trust the gym, but it's hard to see DD so down after a few weeks of her being so proud of what she has achieved. They are charging us for this level, but don't know if she'll compete this higher level or the lower level because of this floor skill. I also don't want her to lose her other skills, and I don't know if they work those in this class because she'll be the only one from her level there.

The gym has always been honest with us in the past, and has told us that they don't know what they'll be doing with her, it will depend on her progress this summer. As her mom, though, I could see this being a terrible blow to her after she's been working so hard to regain this skill.

We're trying to schedule a meeting with her coaches to better clarify what's going on, if anything, I think DD needs to be told that she wasn't moved to this lower level because she's not good enough. According to her coaches, floor is the only issue she's having... and it's just this one skill.

I'm not sure if I should try to push to have her moved with her regular group or to tell her to be strong and re-prove herself. We were told that the ONLY reason they were regrouping the girls with the lower level was to even out the groups, but DD isn't believing this now that she's the only one from the higher level put with the lower leve.


Assurances/advice needed.

thanks!

 

[Muddlethru]

My daughter had her full almost about 2 and a half years ago while in Level 5. She had to learn it for national TOPS testing. She had it for the following year, again for TOPS. But when she started competing Level 8, she lost it. She was doing whip whips, and layout step outs to pike and her full. All of a sudden, she could not do her full. Worst, she was accidentally twisting her whips. Shocked by this accidental twisting, she would fall on her butt at meets. Her coaches changed her tumbling pass to Arabian and a tuck instead of the full and towards the middle of the season took out thr whip whip. The great coaches in this forum, dunno and gym dog, explained to me potential reasons why she was having trouble with her fulls, i.e, overload of information, learning the skills too quickly, vestibular issues and that the arabian could help her early twisting. They assured me she will outgrow it and that things will be o.k., All Level 8 season, she could not do a full to save her life. Suddenly, a couple weeks before regionals, she got it back and beautifully. She competed her full at regionals and you know what? She won the gold in the floor exercise! She got a 9.525 with her full, highest of the season. She won 2nd AA! It was a tumulteous season. But it ended great!

I am confident, your daughter will get it back. Like many posts I've read in the past, taking a step back is one way. Now, my daughter's coach did not take her down to a 'lower' level so to speak. I can see how this can cause some issues. I have my thoughts on this. But I don't think I am even qualified to make an assumption and any thoughts on what should be done is not backed by any experience. I just want you to know, this situation is more common than you think. Hang in there.

 

[purplesunflowers]

Thanks for the assurances, I hope that this won't upset her enough that she'll quit trying. It's just hard seeing her so happy that she was finally "getting there" again and the sadness I saw the other night when she realized that all the other kids were going at a different time. One of them going at this different time is brand new to this level from the recreation side of the gym. Like your DD, we had MONTHS of setbacks after tiny steps forward, and then FINALLY a breakthrough one day. I've been assured by coaches that she's moving forward and improving on this, so I'm not sure how they couldn't see it from her point of view? I'm not sure that putting her with a lower level for practice is a good choice, even if she needs to take a step back and go slower on this one skill. I'll give them a chance to explain themselves to both us and DD. I HOPE that there's a group of the lower level that is going at this other time as well, because we're just not sure how large this lower level is right now.

 

[iwannacoach]

I feel your pain! You dd has suffered from a mental block, and now she's dealing with the loss of friends and status by being placed in another group. The coaches are probably trying to help by reducing the pressure on her, and are thinking this the best course to take for you dd.

Mental blocks are so complicated that even your dd probably has no idea what brought it about. She may need answers to questions she hasn't asked. So ask a lot of questions, and be ready for a lot of "I don't knows" until you ask the right one.

Here are a few of the answers I've gotten from kids that I've coached, maybe these will provoke a little thought.....

I've learned so much in such a short period of time and it stresses me out.....

Every time I learn a skill, I don't get time to enjoy it because there's always a new one to learn.....

I'm tired of living up to the "top dog" label that's been placed on me by team mates, coaches, parents, the pet goldfish, and the broom in the utility closet. (some kids just do that to themselves).....

I know which skill this is leading up to and I'm not ready for it.....

These are just a few of the gems I've uncovered over the years by engaging in "lite conversation" with kids that have "regressed" inexplicably. What seems more common than not, is that fear and technique are first looked at, but something else is the cause.

I hope this helps, and I wish you luck.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Hmm, that seems a bit funny. With those results at states and it being only 1 skill that is holding her back it doesn't make a lot of sense. Unless this is a temporary thing and they are having her work with the less experienced girls because they are working more drills to try and get that floor skills.

If the gym have always been honest with you then I am sure they would be open to a discussion of the training groups and letting you know why they chose to do things the way they did.

Sometimes it might not be what you expect. It may be that they have put her with a younger group who they feel are more talented and want to fast track them, but it seems like a step down because they are not as experienced yet. I don't know the situation I am just saying that it may not always be as it seems.