Muddlethru
Proud Parent
It would be great if they spotted her but they do not believe in spotting on beam or floor. They will stand near the beam but never spot. I guess the philosophy is if they cant do it on their own, they shouldnt be spotted. Another girl that day was placed in a time out for not doing fly-aways.
I agree with maybe spotting. But I've also seen that backfire. Sometimes spotting only prolongs the process or puts a band aide on it. The problem never goes away.
I think doing additional conditioning can be perceived either as punishment or a motivation to try the skill to avoid the extra conditioning, I am not opposed to that unless it is excessive. I'd rather they be doing something than just standing around thinking about their fears.
Our coach cares about his gymnasts, but he imposes extra conditioning and time outs and has sent them home when the gymnast refuses to do a skill after having exhausted all his other options.
Fear is indeed real and at home we treat it in a loving and nurturing manner. At the gym, I believe it does not work as well. You can hold a gymnast's hands for only so long. Fear is debilitating. The only way to conquer fear is to face it head on.