Sports Psychologist - do they help?

[PeaceGirl]

My 10 year old daughter is a beautiful gymnast but has had back tumbling issues for 2 years now. Would a sports psychologist help and how do I find one in out area??

 

[Sunobo]

I think it would help. Gymnastics is as much a mental sport as it is a physical sport so it's very difficult to do the physical part when the mental part is saying "Don't do it".

Back tumbling is a big issue with lots of kids including my own. My dd (11 years old) can have or not have her BWO on any given day and will not do a ROBHS without someone standing on the floor nearby. We did lots and lots of private lessons which helped her get from her initial refusal to do anything backward even with a spot to doing them with a spot.

I finally reached the point that I was looking for someone to help her get out of her head and in my google searches I found not only this site but Dr. Alison Arnold. She is a sport psychologist and I was really impressed with the video's I saw of her.

I spoke to dd's coach and with her support, I decided to get Dr. Ali's DVD and workbook and give it a try. Dd is motivated to work on the issues and while we are still early in the process, I can already see a bit more confidence in her.

 

[MdGymMom01]

My dd, who is also 11, has back tumbling issues which started at the age of 8. I have Doc Ali's workbook that her coach works with her on as well. For my dd, pressure and stress is her worst enemy, so keeping things low key and fun is what works for her. Also, she needs LOTS OF REPETITION, on any skill that gives her trouble. The repetition and staying calm and relaxed is what works best for her with fear skills.

I know it can be extremely frustrating as a parent to sit back and watch but these fear symptoms seem to get worse when too many people get involved. I try to emphasize her strong skills on certain events which helps with her overall self confidence which in turn helps with her self-esteem and dealing with her fear issues.

Hang in there! She will overcome this in time.

 

[coachmolly]

It wouldn't hurt to look into it, but be aware that seeking a private consultation could be quite costly unless you have amazing insurance. You also need to make sure that the psychologist is knowledgeable about gymnastics.
Many people on this site have found Dr. Alison Arnold very helpful. I have no personal experience with her program, but it wouldn't hurt to check it out. I imagine it would save you money in the long run.
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A meeting with your dd and her coaches could also be helpful so you can all work together to create a plan for improvement. Best wishes to both of you, fear is a tough thing to deal with in this sport.

 

[bookworm]

If your daughter is only 10 and has had back tumbling issues for 2 years already, I would wonder if gymnastics is the sport for her . Even though she's a "beautiful gymnast", might she be better off in something that she did not fear, such as dance or cheering or even swimming....I've seen a lot of girls develop fears as they got into their teens years but to have them at age 8 and continue for the last 2 years would make me worry about the future as back tumbling is pretty necessary in most of the events to progress (vault , beam and floor at least) ...and I wouldn't want my daughter to be fearful at every practice.

Might a sports psychologist help? Maybe, but at this young age I would probably explore other things and see how that goes (along with the gymnastics) and maybe she might feel more comfortable taking a different and hopefully fear-free path.

 

[AmyB]

If your daughter wants to continue in gymnastics, and she wants to overcome her back tumbling fears, meeting with a therapist could certainly help. While a sports psychologist would be ideal, any psychologist and most masters level therapists should be able to address her fear issues with techniques like visualization, relaxation training, and systematic desensitization (if her fear has reached phobic proportions). If no one in your area advertises a sports psychologist, look for another professional who indicates expertise in cognitive behavioral therapy and/or anxiety. Unfortunately, insurance is extremely unlikely to pay and the out of pocket cost is in the ballpark of $100 (American dollars) per hour. Your daughter would probably need at least 3 or 4 visits to benefit. If you are looking for a lower cost solution, you might start with Doc Ali's workbook because many cognitive behavioral therapies benefit from this sort of "homework." Good luck!